First Report Of November

Snake River

A lot of back and forth with weather – some days are cool with rain (and sometimes snow) and other days being pleasant and sunny.  Midges are popping most days, as are BWOs and some leftover October caddis.  Much of the surface action is occurring from around noon until 4:30 pm, although some days it doesn’t start until 1pm.  The best production is occurring in ledge rock pools, side channels, eddy current margins, and seams.  These are good places to fish with nymphs as part of a dry-dropper rig.  Banks and submerged structure with moderate and slow currents are also worth targeting.

Streamers are working well throughout the day but are producing best from around 11:30 am until 4:30pm.  Small to moderately sized patterns are working better than larger ones.  Banks, structure, flats with moderate depths, seams, and riffles pools are the most productive waters to target.  Use floating lines or short sinking tips in the INT to 3ips tips, although longer tips – 12ft to 15ft – can work better prior to noon.

South Fork

The South Fork continues to fish in good late autumn fashion.  BWOs are there just about every day on all reaches, with a continued smattering of October caddis and micro caddis around as well, especially on the lower section from Cottonwood down to Lorenzo.  Riffle pools, seams, eddies, and confluences are the prime water to target with both tandem dries and dry-dropper rigs.  Surface action is best from around 11:30 am until around 4pm.

Streamers remain a good way to go with solid production on smaller patterns as opposed to moderately-sized or large baitfish imitations.  Good targets include the water mentioned above, as well as banks and structure with moderate currents.  Floating lines and short sinking tips in the INT to 3ips range are producing best.  Go with moderate retrieves but vary things up if activity isn’t consistent and throw in some hesitations in line retrieves.  As with drys and nymphs, the most consistent action has bee from around 11:30 to 4pm, with better action coming before 11:30 am in comparison to after 4pm.