Fishing Report

Flows have dropped down to about 250 cfs in the box. I would avoid floating the box in a drift boat unless you want to leave a lot of gel coat on the rocks. Wade access is great and you could probably run a raft down the box if you want to float. It’s streamer time in the box! My personal favorite streamer is a zonker! I like copper and crystal colors. There are plenty of trout rising by the dam. Blue wing olives and mahoganies will work well. The flows are low enough you can wade just about any where you want in the Box Canyon. The temps have been in the low to mid thirties in the morning but warming up nicely throughout the day. If you are going to be on the water first thing, make sure to layer up! Crowds have died and fishing has been pretty good!

The ranch has really come alive over the last couple of weeks. The blue wings and mahoganies have been good on the cooler overcast days. It’s been nice seeing fish consistently rising in the ranch. Keep in mind the blue wings in the fall are small. Size 18 through 22s. The mahoganies are bigger. I would have them in 14s and 16s. The river is low and clear this time of the year making ranch fish even more selective then usual. If you find a pod of risers and they are refusing everything you have to offer, try putting a hopper or a beetle over picky fish. I like black ant patters this time of the year.

This stretch of river has been fishing just fine. We have not seen a lot of big fish caught in this section but it a great section to visit if you want some consistent fishing. You may have to sort through a few white fish but this is a great section of river to visit. I would make sure to have size 18 and size 20 black or olive zebra midges. There are some blue wing olives on this section. The blue wings are small this time of the year so I would fish size 20 or even a 22. You could fish an Adams or a small no hackle. I like hackle stackers and brooks sprout. As always don’t forget the rubber legs!

This section has been fishing really well. The Chester back water and the Fun Farm back water has been very good in the late afternoon until dark. There are clouds of what most people call pseudos. A small beautiful mayfly. This insect’s taxonomy has been reclassified so many times nobody can keep up. Currently it’s Iswaeon anoka, but I am fine just calling them pseudos. They are a size 20 all the way down to size 26. The clouds of these small insects are amazing to watch! There are plenty of fish up eating mouthfuls of these insects. I abdomen is yellow to olive with a rust-colored thorax. This is some of the best dry fly fishing of the fall. No point in being on the water first thing as you will see these insects later in the afternoon going until dark.

Current flows are 4450cfs and Palisades reservoir is down to 9 percent of capacity. Fishing has been a little on the tough side. Water temps are still a little high and there is not much going on with hatches. There are still a few fish eating big foam flies but for the most part deep nymph rigs will do the trick. Rubber legs and zebra midges. If you can get an overcast day, I would fish some streamers. The 10-day forecast calls for the same mild temps that we have been having. Once the weather turns cooler we might start seeing some blue wings.

The Teton has been fishing well. The flows are on the low side but fish are looking up. Make sure you have some hopper patters with you and look for pseudos. Once again, the weather is a major factor on all of our area waters. Make sure to have small bead heads with you. I like cocktail nymphs and red necks. Fish smaller sizes like 18s or 20s

The Madison is spot to be in the park. There is a great run of rainbows and brown trout coming up from Hebgen Lake. There are the usual grumpy guys in all the usual runs. Make sure you are familiar with the runner etiquette. Take a cast through the run and take a few steps down and cast again. I know that may sound silly and you may be thinking to yourself “I will fish this river any damn way I please” but if you do not follow this etiquette plan on hearing about it! I have seen fist fights on this river over the proper way to fish. I like to swing copper zonkers but I don’t really think it matters. If you’re swinging or stripping streamers then pick what ever streamer you like. You will also be successful nymphing in the runs. Rubber legs and the old trusty zebra midge will do the trick.