It’s time. 2025 fishing season is upon us and we can’t be more excited to be back! The Salmon is ripping but clarity is decent. We have not seen a ton of precip recently and we don’t have much in the foreseeable future, so we expect the river to continue to drop.
We are definitely getting a bit greasy around here still, heavy nymph rigs are the ticket when focused on the river, from headwaters to Clayton. Girdle bugs, San Juan worms, fire-starter perdigon’s, PURPLE, anything flashy so help with the slight off colored water. Streamers have been finding fish but the nymph rig has shown more success.
Lakes; some of the lakes have been a good reprieve from lobbing those heavy nymph rigs around. We typically fish balanced leeches, White Woolley’s and worms season round in the still water. Mosquitos and Adam’s will start to work when the water settles into its summer state. Streamers have been finding willing participants near inlets and outlets.
Alpine lakes are out of the question for some time, with the exception of lower laying places like Yellowbelly Lake. Tributaries are still flowing heavy, and we haven’t seen many fish move into them for the summer, we’ll check back with you guys on that one. Tried my hand at the Yankee Fork but it was mostly wishful thinking.
The Stanley Fly Shop is open 7 days a week and our guided fishing trips are limited to 3 boats per day. The water is dropping and clarity is improving daily. Put on your calender our mid/late June Salmon Fly and early August Spruce Moth. Both of thees Upper Salmon River hatches are phenomenal, while timing them is the crux. Stay tuned for an update as conditions improve.
Tight Lines,
Joshua
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