Fishing Reports and Flows

Spokane River, Washington

Hatches

Caddis

Flies

Bo's Sparkle Pat's - Black
Pat's rubber legs
Caddis pupa... too many too list but bigger is better this time of year
BH Soft Hackles
Jig Prince
Girdle Bug
Partridge Caddis Pupa
Big Bird Bugger
Sparkle Minnows - JJ
Doc's Articulator
Chubby Chernobyl - Red or Purple
Gold finger

The Fishing

Got some lower Spokane River time in this week. In my opinion it was standard Spokane fishing. If I had to rate it I would give it a solid 7 outta 10. That means it wasn't down right slutty, you had to work for it but if you are persistent and willing to run droppers under dries, bobber rigs, or streamers... basically anything subsurface like usual you will be finding fish. Typical Spokane. Riffle buckets, fast ledges and drop offs are all prime spots right now. Nymphs of the peacock flavor whether it be a stone or soft hackle have been the hottest flies. Rubber legs, yup. Flashy streamers, decent. Dries? Ehhh not as much lately for whatever reason but I like fishing them with a dropper anyways cuz that dropper will get you plenty of love. Soft hackles, yes. Caddis pupa, yes.

Upper or Lower? Yes. Either. We have been on both this week and both are good. Even above Sullivan we have been finding nice trout still since we have good water volume and temps. That will change soon and become just a bass game up there.

Water Cond

Levels will be dropping daily. In great shape right now.

Current Flow

4470 ft³/sec

North Fork of the Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

Hatches

Golden Stones
Green Drakes
Brown Drakes
Yellow Sallies
Caddis
Salmonflies... still a few!

Flies

Yellowstoner Chernobyl - golden, red, purple
Larimer Stone
SF Chernobyl
Black Magic Chernobyl
Gypsy King - brown
Brooks Sprout Green Drake or flav
Green Drake Cripple
Blooms Caddis - olive
Egg Layer Golden
Para Adams
Purple Haze cripple / parachutes
Soft hackles
PT's
Chew Toy Stimi yellow

The Fishing

Should be a great weekend up on the NF Coeur d'Alene River. Everything has been hatching from drakes to goldens, pmds, yellow sallies and caddis. Whether you go up high or down low you will find fish. Best reports have been from the mid and upper because that's where most have been fishing. Great dry fly fishing right now. Try droppers if you would like but you will probably find fish up on top most of the day. Not much else to say cuz it's peak season and really is as good as it get's on the NF CDA and St. Joe right now.

Floating is still good from Prichard and downstream. NOTE there is a river wide log jam above Graham Creek so it's raft or pontoon only through there with a portage around it. Steamboat down is easy though. EXPECT to see booze cruiser on these stretches now that school is out and it's warm out. Don't expect solitude down here. I would rather go up river and leap frog other anglers than deal with drunk inner tubers.

Water Cond

Great shape, clear, time to go is now.

Current Flow

Prichard = 201 ft³/sec

Cataldo = 1020 ft³/sec

St. Joe River, Idaho

Hatches

Golden Stones
Yellow Sallies
Brown and green drakes
PMD's
Salmonflies - still a few out

Flies

BJ's Salmonfly or goldenstone
Half-cocked salmonfly
Larimer Stone
Rollin stone - golden or salmon
Fluttering stone - golden or salmon
Brooks Sprout Green Drake
Last Chance Cripple Drake
CDC Brown Drake Cripple
Para Adams
Purple Haze
PMD Cripple or sparkle dun
Copper Johns
Pats
Gold Finger streamer
Kreelex Streamer
Sculpzilla
Big Bird Bugger

The Fishing

The St. Joe River has been very good this week and should keep on putting out. Above Avery fishing stones and drakes is the name of the game overall. Below plan on the drakes, pmd's, and caddis. Not saying you can't fish those up higher without success, I think you can get away with the big bugs still and do very well. Run some droppers under your foam bugs... caddis pupa, lightning bugs, copper johns, softies, etc. Streamers will get some love still... flashy or olive would be my starting point.

Up high or down low? Both. GO FISHINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!! This is peak season. The best of the best is NOW.

Water Cond

Excellent level.

Current Flow at Calder

2150 ft³/sec

Clark Fork, Montana

Hatches

TBD

Flies

TBD

The Fishing

The Clark Fork is coming out of runoff mode and should be fishable in the next couple weeks. We plan on getting out on it as soon as it is fishable again.

Water Cond

High, but dropping and should be soon.

Current Flow at St. Regis

13600 ft³/sec

Miscellaneous

Flies

Foam! Great time of the year to fish foam patterns that imitate salmonflies, goldens, etc.
Also drake season... browns, greens, etc.
Big para adams
Pmd cripples / duns
Stimulators

The Fishing

NF Clearwater River Update -

We received this update from Kyle L. yesterday on the status of the roads to the NF Clearwater... thanks Kyle!

"The pass has 38" of snow still on it, but that's not the issue. From the Kelly Forks work station heading north, you can only drive 2.5 miles up Black Canyon and only 19.5 miles past the work station on forest service road 255. There are a bunch of rock slides and downed trees. Some of the roads are 50" maximum width, the front desk person told me the road is only 6 feet wide in some sections. You can get in there from the South through Orofino, but from the North it doesn't sound like it will be open for most of the summer."

Water Cond

Levels are dropping on most rivers, some faster than others.

Steelhead Rivers

Flies

N/A

The Fishing

Grande Ronde -
Bass fishing has started pick up. Water levels are still scooting along but bass can be caught! If you are looking for an alternative to trout this could be an option. Mouse and poppers for the surface. Conehead buggers, sculpins, sparkle minnows, kreelex for the subsurface game. This is the time of the year for the bigger smallies in the Grande Ronde.

Water Cond

Grande Ronde -

Current Flows

Grande Ronde River at Troy - 5070 ft³/sec

Snake River at Anatone - 64800 ft³/sec

Clearwater River at Spalding - 16700 ft³/sec