The dog days of summer! Water temps are at summer highs and water levels are usually at their lows. But that doesn’t mean you have to stop fishing. There is still plenty to do. The smallmouth bass fishing is good and can be done throughout the whole system.
The fly angler should lean towards bright colored streamers with 6wt rods and sink tips or foam bodied poppers with floating lines and 6-7wt rods. For the gear guys, 7ft med-heavy rods with bright colored spinner baits and crayfish colored jerk baits work well. Another option would be Yamamoto worms fished wacky style. The trout fishing typically slows down this time of the year due to water temps. If you set out trout fishing, fish early mornings and late in the evenings. Small streamers fished slow on floating lines, dry flies, soft hackles and nymphs under a strike indicator will work, you may just have to try all methods until you find what works. When the water temps get hot, the trout’s metabolism slows down, and you have to work a little harder and fish a little slower. Summer run steelhead are still on the list of things to do. Most of the steelhead are closer to Tippy Dam this time of the year. Fair numbers above and below the coffer. Centerpin or spinning gear with floats or bottom bouncing with fly gear and spinning tackle rigged with spawn, crayfish and a variety of nymphs are all good techniques to use for summer runs, low light times of the day are best!
As the month goes on the king salmon fishing starts to heat up, and we start setting our sights on them. Our early mornings and late evenings are spent casting crankbaits or stripping streamers looking to catch some of the first kings of the year in the river. There are a handful this time of the year, very chrome and eager to eat your offering! It won’t be long, and the summer will be behind us so come on up and enjoy what’s left of it. Tight Lines!!
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