Stonefly Season Just Around the Corner

June often brings a noticeable difference in the numbers of people fishing the Salmon River, especially late in the month with the water high from spring runoff. Believe it or not, these folks are not just confused tourists without a prayer of catching a fish. Each year from the middle of June through the middle of July anglers have an opportunity to catch some very nice rainbow, cutthroat and rainbow/cutthroat hybrid trout in the Main Salmon River above the town of Salmon. By June, most if not all the trout have returned to the river from the tributaries after spawning. They are active and hungry, looking for one of their favorite meals, the stonefly. Stoneflies are found in most trout streams and rivers in Idaho. Giant Stoneflies also known as Salmon flies and Golden Stoneflies are important food sources for trout in the Upper Salmon River drainage. Adult salmon flies are easy to recognize by their large size, double folded back wings, and orange colored abdomen. Golden Stoneflies look similar, but are smaller and have a gold or pale yellow abdomen. In addition, Golden Stoneflies flies are an inch to inch and a half long while salmon flies are twice that size, making them the largest insects available to trout year round. Stoneflies spend most of their lives as nymphs, clinging to the bottom of rocks in riffles and other well oxygenated places. Here they feed on decaying plant and animal material. After spending one to three years in the water, mature nymphs begin to crawl to shore in late spring when water temperature is between fifty and sixty degrees. Stoneflies must leave their aquatic habitat for the nymph to adult metamorphosis to take place. Leaving the safety of the water makes stonefly nymphs vulnerable to trout. They are poor swimmers and are helpless if swept away by the current. Those that reach the bank, climb out of the water where the winged adult emerges leaving its nymphal shuck behind. Adult stoneflies spend up to three weeks crawling around streamside vegetation searching for a mate. Many adults wind up back in the water especially on windy days, and females must return to the water after mating to deposit their eggs. Stoneflies that find themselves in the drink are often snapped up by hungry trout lurking below, waiting for these large flies to hit the water. Predicting the exact timing of these hatches is not easy, but it usually begins in mid June in the Upper Salmon River and lasts into July. Stonefly hatches frequently begin in the lower reaches of rivers and gradually move upstream as the water warms at higher elevations. Golden Stonefly hatches are usually a week or two after the Salmon fly hatch with some overlap. Fly fisherman wanting to take advantage of the best trout fishing of the year will find that nymph imitations usually out-fish dry or adult imitations, but most fishermen prefer seeing a trout take a dry fly imitation off the surface. The trout are not usually selective feeders so any of the common stonefly imitations will work. Stimulator, Madam X, and Sofa Pillow patterns will all work. Spinning gear can also be used effectively with stonefly imitations by fishing with a bobber. Some locals pick the adult bugs out of the willows, put them on a hook, and sink them about three feet underneath a bobber. Dead drifting natural flies in this manner is a very effective method. The trick to fishing the Salmon River is finding the fish. Covering a lot of water in a float boat is the best technique since most of the trout are concentrated in certain areas. When you find fish stop and fish the area thoroughly. Remember to respect private property and stay below the high water mark unless you have permission or know that you are on public land. It is also important to remember that the Salmon River can be very unforgiving, especially at this time of the year. Be careful when wading and always have personal flotation devices when floating. In general, the best stretch of the Salmon River seems to be between Elk Bend and Torrey's Hole above Clayton. Fish will be searching the riffles for nymphs in the mornings. Afternoon and evening is the time to fish with dry flies since more of the adults will be on the water at that time of day. Females lay eggs in the late afternoon and windy afternoon conditions push bugs into the water as well. Fishing close to the bank near overhanging vegetation should produce strikes. Most fly fishermen advocate a drag free drift, but twitching or skittering dry imitations across the surface can also work since the adult flies in the water will be struggling in the surface film when caught in the current. Tackle recommendations are simple. Heavier six or seven weight floating fly lines will cast the large bugs more easily and shorter heaver leaders will turn the flies over better in the wind. The fish will not be leader shy so try a 3X or a 2X tippet. The fishing regulations on the Salmon River are restrictive, but easier to understand than several years ago. The Salmon River is open year-round and the daily bag limit for trout is six fish. Only trout with a clipped adipose fin, as evidenced by a healed scar, may be kept. Remember that rainbow trout over 20" in length are considered steelhead by definition and may be kept only during the open steelhead harvest season. These regulations help protect all our wild trout. A significant number of juvenile hatchery steelhead released each spring fail to migrate to the ocean and take up residence in the river, becoming an important component of the fishery. These trout have a clipped adipose fin and may be kept. The Salmon River is not known as a destination trout fishery, but for those anglers who enjoy a challenge and are willing to put in some effort locating fish, the Salmon River can produce bragging-sized trout in a peaceful, scenic setting. And this year could be an especially good year to fish the stonefly hatch since high water will drop fast with below average snow pack in the mountains. But if you miss the hatch don't worry, grasshopper season is just around the corner!