Snake River - Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Happy New Year to all. Well, as the old saying goes “You should have been here yesterday.” Last fall fishing on the Snake ended with a bang. When most of the transient fisherman had left Jackson Hole for the season, the best fishing of the year occurred - and the spoils went to us locals. The valley enjoyed extremely good mayfly hatches from September right through to the end of the season, and by late season the fish were really looking up and feeding actively. So for you folks that were out earlier in 2004 and had a rough time finding the big fish (I know it sounds like the fish story but it’s true), trust us they are still here because we found them in the late fall.

Enough of the shoulda’, woulda’, coulda’. It’s a new year and let’s take a look into the crystal ball. Last September and October started off with good moisture. With the exception of a good Thanksgiving snow storm, November and December were very dry and mild. Actually, somehow October and November switched roles. October brought us November conditions with rain and snow. Then November took a confused path of Indian Summer. To the delight of skiers and us local water starved fisherman, late December redeemed itself. It snowed almost everyday, from right before Christmas through the first week of January. Though the frequency of storms has slowed, we still have been seeing enough to keep the skiing great and the optimism of fisherman high. And optimism is a prerequisite of every angler. As of late, snow pack for the Yellowstone area has been bouncing around the 90%-100% mark and although this might not be as impressive as the record breaking conditions in the Sierras, from a personal observation, this is the most snow we have seen on the valley floor in quite awhile. With a bit of luck, maybe this is the end of drought conditions that have beleaguered the Rockies for the last 5 years.

The skiing has been so good that it hard for us locals to ditch the Rossi’s and to don a pair of Simms, but there have been a faithful few. The Snake and the Henry’s Fork are flowing close to their winter mean flows at 284 and 210 respectively. The South Fork is running a little low of its winter average at 908cfs. This may sound low, but we have seen winter flows on the South Fork much lower.

I shouldn’t even bring this up because it will surely bring misfortune, (I’m typing with one hand and knocking on wood with the other) but we really haven’t had much cold weather. Though not like it will be in a month or two, for us, temperatures have been quite pleasant. This has provided a few days of agreeable fishing, but remember winter fishing in the Yellowstone Area is always tricky and very weather dependent. Some days it can be very good, while others non-existent. Most of the time, especially if you are in the area for a week or two, there will always be some fishing somewhere. Besides the Snake River, there are three tributaries to the Snake that remain open all year. They are the Hoback, Greys, and Salt Rivers. The Salt traditionally is the better winter fishery of the three. All three rivers are south of Jackson, between 15 to 30 miles away. Of these four Wyoming rivers, the Snake and the Salt River will be the most important ones to you. Also, over in Idaho the South Fork and the Henry’s Fork (lower Henry's Fork) are open year round. These will be about a 1 to 2 hour drive respectively. The Madison in Montana is 2 1/2 hours away, and it can also be an excellent winter fishery and possibly the most consistent of all. Obviously, we are talking winter fishing and all of the fishing at these locations will be weather dependent.

Be it wet or dry, fly patterns that should be of concern will be mostly midge related. Have them stocked in sizes 16 to 24's. For fishing under the surface, Dark (gray and black) Midge Pupa and Larva patterns will normally work well. An exception, is not overlooking midge patterns in red, blood, and the ever venerable brassie. Also small Mayfly Nymph imitations and Caddis Larva that cross over into the midge world can be good producing patterns. All of these rivers are capable of spectacular dry-fly fishing, but remember, you'll need the right weather conditions. For dries it is hard to beat the reliability of a Griffith’s Gnat, but if you are one of those sadistic midge fisherman, that have the need to fish a more realistic pattern, again keep your colors to gray and black. We also have a little black Stonefly that hatches in these colder months, and at times they can be extremely important. You will sometimes hear them referred to as Snowflies, and many people mistake them for midges. They are quite small, a size 18, black body with very light, opaque colored wings - and when the fish key in on them, they can be very selective. Some days can find streamers and larger stonefly nymph patterns to be effective, but expect most of your action with the midges.

Any way you look at it, if you are coming to Jackson this winter for a little vacay, be it skiing, snow machining, business, or for whatever reason, I would recommend that you bring some fishing equipment. One bit of advice: All of these rivers have good walk-in access, but be aware that snow levels along the banks can make travel difficult. It's not a bad idea to either bring or plan on renting snowshoes or cross country skis. Post-holing through three feet of snow, even a short distance, is to say the least, exhausting!

As I mentioned earlier, hopefully we are on our way out of this drought cycle and we continue to receive favorable weather systems through the rest of winter and spring. For those of you that follow the Bureau of Reclamation’s modus operandi here in Jackson Hole, you are aware of the new direction the Bureau is taking on the Upper Snake River. For those you who are not familiar, it has been suggested to the Bureau of Rec. (by leading fish biologists and river hydrologists) that emulating more natural water releases throughout the spring and summer season will result in a healthier river. This would not only result in a better fishery but an improved riparian zone. Anyway, last year the Bureau started to implement some of these proposals on the Snake River here in Wyoming and in Idaho. And if they were willing to put into place some of these ideas last year, in nearly record low water conditions, it is a very encouraging sign. HCF applauds their efforts. Optimistically, the combination of a good snow pack and better dam releases should make for a terrific 2005 fishing season. How can I think any different, I’m a fisherman!! 

Until next time, good fishing

Howard Cole
High Country Flies