Just slightly higher than normal - perfect!
Spiked a bit yesterday and coming down - considerably above average.
Triple the 'normal' flow - still fishing excellent!
Stepping it down closer to normal.
The fishing throughout this year has been exceptional, and it's mostly due to the higher flows. Many of our streams can get very low and clear in the late summer on an average water year, which can make for some tough fishing. The fish are spooky, and you have to use smaller flies and lighter tippet, which inevitably adds up to losing more fish. We had a few issues earlier this season with finding places that were calm and clear enough to fish, but the streams are all in fantastic shape right now. Rapid Creek had some of the highest sustained flows for most of the summer, which has seemed to make the fish considerably larger and sassier than they typically would be - I've been catching way more fish in the 14" range in town this year than I have for the past several years. Higher flows move the bottom around, which also rattles the aquatic insects loose and makes them much more vulnerable to a trout snatching them.
What do the higher flows mean for fishing this fall? We think that this is going to be one of the best fall seasons we've had in a number of years, on just about every stream in the Black Hills. The fish have been in a super food rich environment for the majority of the summer, and they've been packing on the calories and pounds. Simply put, most places the fish have seemed to be running larger than they would on a normal water year. Because the flows have been higher - particularly on Rapid Creek - we've been able to get away with using heavier tippet in the 4x range, as well as larger flies in many situations. The flows are going to stay fantastic for the foreseeable future, which is great. The fish are much more comfortable in slightly higher, slightly stained water than they are in gin clear water. Less spooky fish means you have more opportunities! Even on streams that are near average flow such as Spearfish Creek, the fish have had the benefit of higher water all summer and are in fantastic shape. With the good Blue Winged Olive hatch we see on Spearfish in September/October, we should see some fantastic fishing there over the course of the next couple months. Many of our small streams that might be barely fishable on a normal year are fishing fantastic for brookies and browns as well - Elk Creek, Slate Creek, upper Rapid, French, and many others are great options to go fish with your 3 weight and a handful of generic flies.
This fall is going to be the best we've seen in quite a few years - last year was similar, but this year conditions look to be even better. Make some time to get out and experience some of the best Black Hills fly fishing of the year this fall, or give us a call to spend a day with one of our guides - if you're looking for the best Black Hills fly fishing experience possible, our team of experienced guides can give you a fun and memorable experience. Give us a call or swing by the shop for the latest conditions and hottest flies!