Black Hills Fishing Report 9/19/12
Fishing has picked up as the cooler daytime and nighttime weather has continued. Fishing has improved on Rapid Creek especially. Castle Creek and Spearfish Creek have also fished well over the last several days.
Tricos continue to hatch on Rapid Creek in and above Rapid City. Pale Morning Duns are hatching on Rapid Creek below Pactola Reservoir. Blue Winged Olives are hatching throughout the Black Hills trout streams. In the evening fish are taking Baetis and PMD spinners as well as midges. Dry fly fishing has been steady. Terrestrials are producing quite well. Stick to smaller hopper patterns, ants, beetles, and crickets. They are producing through the middle of the day.
Nymphing has been good to excellent. On Spearfish Creek, going small and using light tippet has been important. On Rapid Creek fish are keying on Baetis nymphs and midge larva. Scuds have also been producing.
Castle Creek is best fished with a dry dropper rig.
Lake fishing is improving as well. Sylvan Lake has good numbers of fish and the water clarity is excellent. Sylvan's brown trout population will be moving into shallow water over the next couple of weeks. Expect good fishing for browns from the shore. Fish brown and yellow wooly buggers and black mini leeches.
Stop by the shop for more information and fly patterns. The guides have had some of their best fishing of the season over the last week. There is still time to schedule a trip this fall. Fishing will only get better with the cooler weather.
