WATER TEMP: LOW 40S’ TO MID 40’S

CDA FLOW: 285 CFS @ CATALDO

ST JOE FLOW: 360 CFS @ CALDER

CLARKFORK MT: 2,750 CFS @ ST REGIS

SPOKANE: 1,140 CFS @ POST FALLS

CLEARWATER: 3,040 CFS @ SPALDING

Fall is officially here!  Trees are changing, crowds are gone, fish are feeding, and it is awesome! Fishing has been great and the conditions are fantastic.  Nights are longer and days shorter, but the window of good fishing is mid-day to late afternoon. The fish are for sure podding up into slower tailouts and glides.  Some fish are still in moderate riffles but not so much in the fast stuff.  With the cooler temps, more fish will migrate more into the slower water and pod up. They are getting a bit more selective and feeding on smaller bugs.  Looks like there is a cold front moving in Friday and sticking around for 3-4 days.  This will drop the water temps a bunch and will change the fish's behavior for sure. With cooldowns or fronts coming in the fall they will be feeding later in the day as the water warms, and they’ll do so for a shorter window of time.  Mornings might be slow and you may not see the bugs until later in the day.

Hatches

But, there have been good mahogany and blue-wing olive hatches lately.  The October caddis are spotty, but fish are looking for them regardless. A large, orange Stimulator or size 12-14 orange Chubby Chernobyl matches the October caddis well. There are still quite a few medium-size fall caddis out, and a size-14 tan Elk Hair or X-Caddis will match those.  Lots of the feeding fish are eating emergers now, and small, size 16-18-20 Juju Baetis, Skinny Nelsons, and soft hackles are all great choices to match those smaller bugs. You can hang one of these off the back of a small caddis or tandem them under a small indicator.  The fish feed on these flies just under the surface, maybe 2 inches to six inches down.  So, there is no need to get them super deep.  But if you are just searching or prospecting with an orange Chubby Chernobyl and using a 2-3-foot dropper, like a tungsten Perdigon in a size 14-16, or a Pheasant Tail tungsten dropper, you’ll get eats when the fish aren’t really showing themselves.

Streamers

With the cooler temps of fall, the big fish will be on the hunt to bulk up for winter and they’ll take advantage of larger food sources. Because of that, streamer fishing has been killer.  Maybe consider fishing through a run with your smaller dries or nymphs, then resting the run for a bit and then coming back through with a smaller sculpin or streamer.  You may be pleasantly surprised. 

Water Levels and Floating

Water levels on the Cda and St. Joe are a bit skinny now. You can still float but the Joe has a bit more water, but not much.  Getting out and dragging your boat in a few spots may happen. The Clark Fork and the Kootenai are in much better shape to float, so that may be your best bet.

Steelhead

Steelheading is on right now on the Clearwater, Grand Ronde and Snake rivers.  Runs aren’t as good as last year, but there are still plenty of fish around. More should be working their way up the system so there will be fish to be had all winter. Dry lines and smaller skated flies on or just under the surface is the better options for right now.  You can still run a sink tip and get it done too, but now is the best time to get one up on the top.

Deals

We have some killer sales going on right now, including our Redfish Promotion, so make sure you get on our website and read the newest blogs, or follow us on social, or simply swing into the shop and take advantage of them.  Christmas is just around the corner and a great way to get some killer gifts and save some bucks!!

Fly Tying Classes

Keep an eye out for our Fall Fly Tying Class signup sheet.  We are looking forward to starting the classes in the 3^rd week of November.  We will be running these classes on Wednesdays and Saturdays.  Will have the times on our signup sheets.  The classes are free as always; we supply all the materials and tools with a 10% discount on fly tying materials the day of the class.  Great class for all skill levels!  Hope to see you guys in the shop this fall and hear some stories of great fishing!

Happy Fall!

Tyler