[ARCHIVE] Stillwater River Report 04/09/2018

With warmer temperatures this week, look for a bump in flows. If the lower river is a little off color, consider wade fishing the upper river. The water temperature is still cold, but as the day warms up and sun gets on the water fishing should pick up. Look for midges to be coming off as well as BWOs. Prior to the cold snap, March Browns were starting to appear sparsely, so they shouldn’t be too far off from coming off in bigger numbers. The streamer bite has been pretty fair fishing the Grinch or black buggers. Nymphing has continued to be a good bet with black, brown and coffee colored rubber leg patterns like girdle bugs and Pat’s rubber legs, as well as similar colored stonefly patterns along with a beadhead trailer fly like a prince nymph, hare’s ear, batman or pheasant tail. For dry fly action to rising fish, try a smaller size Purple Haze or Parachute Adams. A larger size Purple Haze or Parachute Adams with a Zebra Midge or pheasant tail on a short dropper is a good tactic too.