The fall and even winter like weather we have been seeing the last week has super charged the river and made the fish hungry. Every year we get a storm around the middle of September that marks the transition from summer to fall and we have seen this event. This adjusts the fish to fall mode and to start feeding more aggressively. It also gets the browns all stirred up and ready for the big dance of spawning season. The water temps in the river have dropped significantly and it has turned into a bankers hours fishing. It is a stark contrast to the dawn patrols of all summer. Our best fishing recently has been in the afternoons. The water temps need to hit 50 degrees to get the fish actively feeding and this has not happened till about noon. If we continue to get sunny warm weather this window will extend longer.
The guys going sub surface have been having the best luck. Black is the new color of fall with the fish actively eating any black streamer you can hit the wet spot with. We have been having our best luck with either bunny fur or an old school black bugger. If is is sunny and they do not like your big stuff we have been rigging bobbers and lobbing old school black and white girdle bugs. Trail this with a prince or san juan and you will be bent all day.
The dry fly guys are still catching some with ants, may flies and an occasional hopper eat. Keep a look out for baetis on overcast days especially in the slicks behind rocks. This is only going to get better and there are some great baetis days ahead.
