Author: Steve Temple

Ramps are a covered with a bit of ice but wading is fine to mid day trout. The griffis nat is the call if you can fine rising fish. Search them out at the confluences of the creeks and even ramps at Cascade and Ferry Landing. Dress Warm !

Hoot Owl is over for the year. River temps have dropped way down so now we can fish and guide till dark. The fish are on top taking that purple haze or adams mayflies. Lead it with a dark chubby or dark stone and you will be rewarded. Now we can finally sleep in and start at a civil 8am.

The Rains and cooler weather have the river temps dropping well below hoot owl limits so I expect Monday the FWP will lift them for the rest of the season . The river is actually running about four degrees lower than last year at 68 degrees peak. That is good news going into September fishing. The hatches have also returned with a small variety of may flies. We found a few groups taking PMDs mid day yesterday. THere is a closure below Ferry Landing due to fire fighting at the Paradise Fire but with the rains that should be short lived as well . Most guides are fishing hopper dropper till they find a hatch the changing rods. Have fun in the cooler weather.

The River Temps have finally dropped back (in spite of hoot owl) to slightly below historical highs. Cool nights are really making a difference and the bite is early. We also finally have a week of cloud cover coming which is needed. Guides are finding most fish by a hopper dropper three feet down or nymphing even lower mid day. But be very careful of rocks during summer low water as I have already slid into a few surprises.

The river is feeling the results of the heat waves effecting mush of the West. Best times to get started are 6am or even earlier. You should expect them to really shut down at 10am and return feeding at 1 or later. We are fishing hoppers with a perdigon down about three feet. We do have a break coming tuesday in temps and cloud cover which is needed.

Guided Regis to Ferry yesterday under cloud cover with great fishing. Both Cuts and Bows were taking nymphs in the morning then after mid day siesta they really came on strong to attractors. Purple Chubby was our go to most of the day with a Perdigon dropper. River clarity is good at four feet for this time of year.

The river flowing at 14,000 cfs and quite green. So…. we have fishable conditions with several boats now on the stretches fishing nymphs. There are fair supply of March Browns and Caddis each afternoon. Water temps are running 56 degrees there in Regis which benefits from the Regis River cool waters. Few of my guys are working a Plan B attractor with a perdigon dropper two feet down and finding the fish in the holding waters. Summers here !

The Clark Fork is steadily dropping and now below 20,000 CFS. I am seeing some green color in place of the dirty brown so we are headed in the right direction. We do have a lot of Caddis in the afternoon which will be the fly of choice once the fish can see the surface again. Till then it is attractors .

The Clark Fork River is at 23,500 and in full runoff. Quite dirty water, so hopefully we get it over and settle back to fishable conditions. This is very early for runoff and triggered by the unseasonable warm weather. When you look at the charts the high water is nearly two weeks ahead of Mother Natures history. Runoff is everywhere right now in the West even on the Missouri !