Fishing Report 7/13/22
Well, I have to say the weather this July has been fantastic. We've been seeing daytime highs in the upper seventies and low eighties. Just perfect for July if you ask me and much better than the nineties we've seen in past years.
TROUT
Although most of the big hatches have finished or begun to dwindle there are still plenty of opportunities out there! Personally, I love this time of year getting up early and getting on the water with a thermos of coffee and a hopper rigged on my rod. Our rivers are running low and very clear so you'll want to get your fishing in before there is too much sun on the water. We've been finding success on top as many fish are starting to look up for attractors & terrestrials.
We've all learned that the "dead drift" is the ideal presentation but I'd like to challenge you to try something different. Twitch, wiggle, and skate some of your dry flies. Not throughout the entire drift but here and there. You want to try and create a sense of urgency for some of these fish. Terrestrials don't just float down the river. They struggle and work to try and get to shore. This has been the difference for me and many anglers on tough days and it can help you when things get slow.
- Hippie Stompers (12-14) red, purple, blue
- Chubby Chernobyls (8-12) purple, peach, royal
- Craven's Big Fat Angie (12-14)
- Bjorn's Hopper 10
- Parachute Patriot 14-16
- Elk Hair Caddis 12-14
- Purple Haze 14-16
Don't forget that this can be a great time to run a dropper off your dry when it starts to feel like fish are hesitant to come up for the big meal. I like using jig hooks for my droppers as our rivers are packed with wood.
- Pheasant Tails 14-16
- Hare's Ears 14-16
- Peacock & Partridge 12-16
- Britten's Tweaker 14-16
Please be aware of the water temperatures where you are fishing as long days of sun can raise our river temps beyond healthy levels for trout. Remember, take the temperature and stop fishing when you see temps reaching 67 or 68.
BASS/BLUEGILL
The bass bite has been nice and consistent the past two weeks. We've been finding a few smallies willing to come up to the poppers and switching to crayfish & baitfish flies when the topwater bite isn't happening. If you want to spend some time in the sun, you can have fun all afternoon with our warmwater fish.
OTHER OPPORTUNITIES
If you're ready to learn fly fishing this year we are booking introductory guide trips every day and also offering classes if you prefer a group setting. Teaching is something we're passionate about and we want to help you get on the water!