Well it’s officially August and that means one thing around here: Grasshopper Season!! We talked about Grasshoppers last week and you can expect to hear it again next week so get used to Hopper talk around the valley. There are a few Caddis and Mayflies still kicking around along with some Nocturnal Stoneflies so keep that in mind in the mornings and evenings.
Nymphing has still been good despite all the surface action. Delektable Lil’ Spankers, Pat’s Rubberlegs, Lightning Bugs, Formerly Known as Prince, Shop Vacs, $3 Dips, Little Green Machines and Other Nymphs are all good choices. Best bet is to fish these under the hopper in the afternoon or in tandem under a bobber in the mornings and evenings. And it works without a Bobber with two Small Nymphs and a bit of weight with a tight line.
As far as Dry fly fishing goes it’s all about Terrestrials. Hoppers, Ants and Beetles have all been getting some attention from the trout. Thunder Thighs Hoppers, Panty Dropper Hoppers, Dave’s Hoppers, Parachute Hoppers, Streambank Hoppers, Morrish Hoppers, and any other Hopper pattern you believe in should do the trick. Delektable Flying Ants, Bloom’s Stealth Ant, Hippie Stompers and the Yeager’s 409 are good for the Beetles and Ants.
Streamers aren’t Grasshoppers. You’ll probably just want to fish hoppers but if you’re the kind of fella that needs to throw the big stuff I’d recommend getting up early and throwing things like Delektable Screamers, John Bond’s Dragon, Galloup’s Dungeon, Bow River Buggers or Zonkers.
Some days are good… some days are not as good. When you have a bad day on the river, is it really that bad? Does it ever make you want to quit fishing? Maybe, but probably not. For there to be good days, you must have the “bad” days to make the good days seem “good”. Some people come into the shop and remind me that even the bad days need to be put in the “great days” category, because really, you are still on the river. Now is it really that bad?
The nymph game is picking up to another level with this weather, the fish are eating the larger size Stoneflies that are starting to move more with this weather. They have also been keying in on the shiny patterns. The Lightning Bugs and shiny Nymphs such as the Silvie’s lightning bug, the Silver Lightning Bug and the Delektable Lil’ Spanker Silver are all good little shiny bugs that have been working well with the cloudy weather. Most of those would be in a size 14 or 16. That Crystal Dip in a size 16 on that curved hook are working well. The Pat’s Rubber legs is a tried and true pattern that will get fish in the net for you, but if you wanted to wonder off the beaten path of big nymphs, we have a variety to choose from here. The Delektable Mega Prince Standard in a size 6 or 8 has been a go-to of mine for years and years and years in the fall months. That pattern has fooled so many fish over the years. The Delektable Hurless Stone in the Gray size 6 and 8 is a great pattern for the fall times with the water being lower and a little colder. I would also check out the Delektable Stonefly Candy patterns that work in a number of colors. The Twenty Incher is also a great Stonefly pattern that works well in the size 6 or 8. Mostly, try and get a drag free drift with any big black/brown/olive Stonefly and you will have pretty good luck here on the ole’ Madison with the stones.
