Black Hills Fly Fishing Update - 9/7/15

As we wrap up Labor Day weekend, the fishing continues to be spectacular! Our guided trips have been having exceptional success, and all the folks swinging by the shop are reporting some darn good fishing. September is going to be an exceptional month for fly fishing in the Black Hills, with great weather and perfect water flows. Rapid Creek is fishing well both above and below Pactola. Above the lake, both Silver City and Rochford area are fishing good. If you prefer to use dry-dropper type rigs Rochford will be a better option. Chubby Chernobyls or Morrish Hoppers with a size 14-16 Tung Teaser, Jig PT, or UV Czech below them will get the job done. Below the dam, terrestrial fishing is starting to heat up! Hoppers, ants, beetles, and crickets will all pick up fish - throw close to the bank for best results. There are also hatches of Blue Winged Olives and Pale Morning Duns, as well as a good number of craneflies. Skittering craneflies is exciting dry fly fishing! Nymphing is good as always, just make sure to use a small baetis or midge dropper below a larger jig or scud-type pattern. In town is fishing good as well with the lower flows. Hoppers, beetles, and ants are doing well fished close to the banks. There's also a good caddis hatch in the evenings. Nymphing is business as usual, with jigs in the size 14-16 variety doing well. Put a Jig Yellow Spot below a Morrish Hopper and get after it! Spearfish Canyon is fishing awesome. Standard canyon rigs are doing best - try a skinny jig fly with a baetis dropper under a Strike Foundry Nugget for the best luck. The fall Baetis hatch is getting closer by the day, and it makes for some spectacular dry fly fishing. Little Spearfish and Hanna Creeks are both fishing well up in the canyon - small hoppers and beetles with a small dropper below them will keep you in the fish all day. Spearfish Creek in town is another great option for those in the northern hills! As with everywhere else, terrestrials are a good bet in the slower water. I've been nymphing with a size 14 Jig Assassin style fly and doing very well. Castle Creek and Ditch Creek are both terrestrial city right now. Hoppers in size 10-12 have been doing very well both above and below the lake. Put a small UV Czech, Psycho, or Jig PT below the hopper to pick up a few extra fish. All of the other small streams are very similar. Elk, Little Elk, Box Elder, and many other small streams are fishing well, and are a ton of fun during the late summer/early fall! Crow Creek and Sand Creek are fishing awesome with terrestrials right now! Hoppers, crickets, ants, beetles, and a number of other dries are all producing fish. These are two of our favorite streams for fishing dry flies at, and this year is proving to be a great season for it! Hans fished Sand Creek yesterday and did excellent with a new pattern we have in the shop called the T-Bug. Big Terrestrials are a ton of fun to fish, and they're working great! A small dropper is a good idea in the deeper and less weedy sections if you're so inclined, but the fish are very willing to eat the dry as well. Fishing in the Black Hills is spectacular right now! Feel free to call or email before your trip to get up to the minute information, or to book one our our guides for the best Black Hills fly fishing experience possible. Ryan