2023 Fishing Report
It was another great season at Grand Fishing. The trout were biting, the weather was beautiful, and the clients were happy. Our goal as an outfitter has always been to provide our clients with an exceptional, positive experience on the river, regardless of how the bite is that day. We can’t always guarantee trout, but we can do our best to guarantee a memorable day on the water, and I believe we accomplished that this season. Lucky for us, the fishing was also really good this year, which made our jobs a little bit easier.
The season was off to a slower start this year, due to one of the biggest winters the area has seen in the last three decades. Luckily, warm temperatures and heavy rain in late June increased snow melting and expedited Jackson’s annual run-off cycle. The Snake River was fishing how it should in early July and showed no signs of slowing down.
Once the river leveled out to typical flows in early July, we began consistently getting clients out on the river and onto fish. Guides were ready for work, and the fish were ready to eat. Big and small dry flies, foam grasshoppers, and nymphs were the ticket to success throughout the heart of the season. The Snake has always been a dry fly fishery, so we like to do our best to stick to dry fly fishing. When the trout are picky though, which can happen with pressure and weather, we lean on the dropper to get the job done. We saw big fish in riffles, riverbanks, undercut banks, deep holes, and under down trees. Pretty much everywhere you would expect a big trout to be in. Overall, it was a successful summer, and we’re pleased to say we got a lot of big fish to the net. (List of some popular summer flies below)
Dry Flies: Parachute Adams, Split Flag Adams, Guide Chute, Film Critic, PMDs, Blue Wing Olives, Mahogany Duns, Purple Haze
Foam: Chubby Chernobyl, Water Walker, Purple Bruces, Circus Peanut, Morrish Hopper, Skwala, Grand Hoppers
Nymphs: Pat’s Rubber Legs, Copper Johns, Perdigons, Duracell’s, Pheasant Tail, Psycho Princes
The end of September is when we start to see business slow down a little. This has to do with a drop in tourism, colder temperatures, and the stigma that the fishing isn’t as good this time of year. We are here to prove that stigma wrong. The fall season in the valley is one of the best times to be on the river. The weather is beautiful, the leaves are blossoming with color, the rivers lack human presence, and the fish are biting. Small dry flies and streamers are your best bet to get on a nice cutthroat this time of year. Novices may find the fishing to be a little tougher, as the fishing becomes a little more technical this time of year, but the intermediate to advanced angler will find the fishing to be some of the best in the west. If you’re looking to catch big cutthroat trout, this is the time to be on the water. We saw a lot of success on our trips later in the year and hope to continue to get clients on the water in the fall in the future.
Finally, we’ll get into our season on Fish Creek. This was one of the best years of fishing that we have seen on the creek in a long time. With over 4 miles of private creek access on the Snake River Ranch, we were able to cover a lot of water and target big cutthroat trout sipping small dry flies. Once the creek flows began to drop from early season conditions, and trout began to migrate up from the Snake River, we consistently found ourselves with a lot of great chances at success. Our guides are very skilled on the creek and know where the fish are and what they eat at different times of the season. Their knowledge lead anglers from all over the world to get on some of the biggest Snake River cutthroats in the area.
Overall, we were very pleased with how the season went. We did our best to ensure the safety of all of our clients, while also providing a positive, fulfilling experience on the water. We look forward to doing the same next season. See you all then!