Black Hills Fishing Report 12/15/13
Fishing is great right now! With the warmer weather the past few days, more people have been getting out, and most are coming back with good success! In town is your best bet for numbers, but most of the fish aren't in the deep pools right now. Focus your efforts on the deeper, faster runs, from 1-3 feet deep, and you'll find willing fish. Should see some good midge hatches also in the future with the warmer 50 degree air moving in for a few days. My best success for the fish in town has been with larger size 12-16 tungsten nymphs in pink and purple, as well as smaller midge droppers. UV Czechs, Tungsten Bruised Nymphs, Purple and Pink CDC UV nymphs, as well as San Juans and all the normal variety of nymphs. Below Pactola has been giving up some really nice fish lately, with a lot of the same flies from above for a lead fly, and using smaller Two Bits, T. Ready Baetis, WD-40s, Hunchback Scuds, Bubble Backs, and blackfly larvae are all producing good numbers of fish. If you have your heart set on targeting big fish, streamers are your way to go. Home Invaders, Kreelexes, Dungeons, big buggers, and many other streamers are good bets. The key is to change your retrieve every cast almost until you find something that works. Places in Spearfish Canyon that aren't iced over are also fishing well, with most of the better fishing being in the significantly deeper water. In town in Spearfish is also good, with many of the same flies as Rapid Creek. This is some of the best fishing we've seen all year, so get out there and get some before the cold comes for good!