Snake River - Jackson Hole, Wyoming

With a little help from Mother Nature and the Bureau of Reclamation, Snake River flows have remained around 2500 cfs. Mid-August brought cool, wet weather to the area, which gave great relief to the normal August irrigation demands over in Idaho. August is normally our warmest month of the year and in most years is where we see big fluctuations in flows and water temps. This unseasonable August weather was a boon for maintaining steady water flows and lowering those water temperatures. Fishing remained good during this time but two things stood out. Number One: Though we were catching a lot of fish, bigger fish where hard to come by. Number Two: We definitely saw a shift in fly patterns. Flies that are usually reserved for September delivered the goods in August. Old-standards like H&L Variants, Parachutes Hairs Ears, Royal Wulffs, Ausable Wulffs, and Parachute Adams where consistently turning fish.

Last weekend things dried out and warmed up. And so did the fishing. We started to see larger fish with good consistency. Also the larger attractor patterns took hold. BC Dropper-Hopper, Jay-Dave Hopper, Don’s and standard Chernobyl’s, Yellow Tarantulas, and Power Ants have all been providing reliable action. This doesn’t mean the up-right wing patterns are done for the year (Wulffs and parachute patterns). Keep some of these handy because at times they will be the fly du jour.  All of these flies make sense because we are seeing more activity with grasshoppers, our fall Drake mayfly (fishermen in the know, refer to it as a Hecuba. For those of you that need Latin, Timpanoga hecuba pacifica) and our fall stonefly (Classenia sabulosa).

As the season changes so will conditions. The choice of fly patterns should reflect these changes. This is the typical fall MO for the Jackson Valley. For fishing the Snake River in Jackson Hole, September is undeniably the best month. Some years, other months can actually have better fishing, but if you add up all the years, September is the month to beat. Our expectations are big for fall 2004 and all factors are pointing for an outstanding time on the Snake River. Don’t hesitate to give the shop a call for up to the minute fishing reports (307-733-7210).

Fall is definitely here in Jackson Hole. Nights have been cool and the Tetons have already had their first dusting of snow. Mid-day is warm and afternoons can be bordering on hot. The sun sits at a different slant and brings on those long fall afternoon shadows. September in the Jackson Valley is awesome and many people feel it is the best time of year just to be here. For those of you who have been here in the fall, you already know. For those of you who haven’t, do yourself a favor and come experience this phenomenal time of year. 

Until next time good fishing,

Howard Cole
High Country Flies