Black Hills Fishing Report July 27 2017
Fishing continues to be good to excellent on the three major streams Castle Creek, Spearfish Creek, and Rapid Creek. Cooler weather has been around for a few days with more chances of thundershowers. This has helped fishing improve. Not seeing as many highs in the 90's in the coming days. The cooler conditions will continue to help fishing improve. Hatches of Tricos, PMDs, PEDs, caddis, and little yellow stoneflies are offering dry fly fishing on most streams. Terrestrials, Hoppers, and attractors can also get fish up to the surface. We continue to use attractor dry-rigs for a good share of our fishing. If you are out early and later in evening you will find more insect activity and a better chance to fish the hatch.
Rapid Creek continues to be steady. Fishing isn't red hot, but the cooler daytime temps have made for better fishing into the middle of the day. Hatches bring fish back up later in the day into the evening. In town in the early morning Tricos have been reliable. Late in the day small pale evening duns and caddis will get the fish feeding on top again. Below Pactola is better throughout the day, but it is mostly nymphing. Hoppers will get to be a bigger part of the picture over the next month. Fishing above the dam will be better with the lower daytime temps. Near silver city, fish the faster water with hopper droppers, and nymph the bigger pools. Should be good higher up by Rochford and above- that is great water for hopper dropper rigs.
Castle Creek continues to be good below the Deerfield Reservoir. Late day dry fly activity with PMDs, Caddis, and little stones. Smaller hoppers are working well. Tricos should start to be part of the early morning picture.
Spearfish Creek has been fishing well in the Canyon. Fish may be a bit pickier in town then they were a month ago, but the fishing there is still quite good. Some late day caddis and little yellow mayflies in the canyon. Need some cloud cover to get a good summer baetis hatch going, so for the most part its a nymph game. As the water is a bit clearer and lower on average than it has been, don't be afraid to drop down a tippet size and fly size to fool more fish.
Farther south in Custer State Park, Grace Coolidge Walk-In and French Creek have been decent. More rain fell there tonight and should make for better fishing in the coming days. Dry dropper rigs with a stimulator and bead head dropper will work in most spots. Should see some caddis and little yellow stones during mid to late day. Hoppers are another option for a searching pattern.
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