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Last week we talked about the importance of midges in a trout’s diet in our high desert reservoirs. This week, the topic is how to fish these important chironomid patterns.

The first thing anglers need to know is that chironomids don’t swim, but do drift in the water column. Therefore, quick strips are an unnatural presentation and won’t work. Slow movement is the most natural and effective presentation.

How is this achieved? With the use of either a floating line with a strike indicator (bobber) or with what is known as a hover line. Hover lines have a density that is just slightly greater than water and sink very slowly, keeping it near the surface.

Fishing chironomids with a strike indicator is best when there is little wind and a slight chop on the water. Hover lines work best when there is wind which will move both the floating line and the strike indicator out of the zone you are fishing.

First determine if there is a midge hatch going on. Are midge swarms seen above the water? Are birds swooping close to the surface feeding on these insects? These are tell-tale signs of a midge hatch. If birds are present on one part of the lake, that would be the best area to fish chironomids.

If none of these signs are present, then look for muddy bottoms. While there may not be a midge hatch going on, the pupa may still be floating near the bottom of the water column.

If signs of a midge hatch, fish near the surface. If there are no signs of a hatch then start fishing just off the bottom.

If fishing from a float tube or boat attach your hemostats to the end of your leader and let them sink to the bottom to find the depth. If fishing from shore, you will have to take an educated guess as to the depth of the water you are going to fish.

When fishing near the bottom, the leader may be quite long, so a strike-slip indicator works best. Once a fish is on, it allows the indicator to slide up and down the leader so that the leader can go through the guides when landing the fish.

When fishing the bottom of the water column attach a pupa chironomid pattern to the end of the leader and then attach a chironomid larva pattern about 18 inches below the pupa pattern. A small split shot between the two flies will help get them down as well as help with hookups. If no strikes after a while, start moving the presentation up in the water column a foot at a time.

When fishing near the surface, a strike-slip indicator isn’t necessary but may still be used. Pupa patterns will work best here and start with them about five feet below the indicator and if no strikes move up a bit closer to the leader six inches to a foot at a time.

If there are dimples on the water indicating midges hatching or fish feeding near the surface, it may be time to lose the indicator, add fly floatant to the leader except for the last six inches or so and fish the chironomid pupa pattern just below the surface.

With the recent warm sunny afternoons, the surface water temperature hasn’t cooled much and is still in the low to mid-60s. Fishing conditions have changed little in the last week. Weeds and algae are still abundant in the reservoir with leeward shores (mainly east side of the lake) have a film of very green algae along the shorelines. Water level is below 50% and boaters should take care around the island off of the state park boat ramp, in the canyon and as they approach any shoreline. Shore anglers report fair to good fishing for trout while boat anglers report good fishing trolling flies and gold alligator lures and spoons fished three to five feet deep. Trout are averaging 14 to 19 inches. Shore anglers are having success with rooster tails, spoons and inflated worms or worms with marshmallows fished off the bottom. Bass fishing has slowed from the peak during the summer but they are still being caught using soft plastics and crankbaits around structure. While the number of bass being caught has diminished, the quality is improving with slightly larger bass being taken. The riprap along the highway in the Penrod arm is a good place for bass. Perch fishing is slow due to the die-off earlier in the year. An occasional perch is being taken jigging or using bait near the bottom. Trout anglers report success using black wooly buggers or leeches fished with a sinking line as well as with chironomids under an indicator. PT nymphs, gold ribbed hares ears and damsel fly nymphs may also produce fish. For wipers, target the mouths of Penrod and Hendricks arms on the north east side of the lake though expect wiper fishing to be slow to fair. The limit is one black bass and one white bass hybrid with a minimum size of 15 inches and five trout with no minimum size.

With the warmer than average sunny afternoons, surface water temperatures have stayed in the mid-60s and fishing conditions are identical to last week. Fishing for bass has slowed a bit and trout fishing has picked up. The south end of the lake is still weedy and there is a lot of algae here and in the coves along the shores. Both should start dissipating over the next month with shorter days and cooler water temperatures. To avoid the algae fish deeper water in the center of the lake and closer to the dam where shorelines drop off quickly. Fishing has been good for 15-to 20-inch trout for spin, bait and fly rodders from boats and float tubes and fair to good for shore anglers. Bass fishing has slowed but can still be caught along the dam and other structures using soft plastics, crankbaits and drop shotting. Wiper fishing has been fair. The key to wipers is covering a lot of water until you find a school of them. Fly fishermen report that fishing for trout has been fair to good using a sinking line with buggers or leeches. Black or red snow cones with white beads and contrasting red or black wire ribbing, fished under an indicator have also been working. Black, olive or purple wooly buggers and leech patterns are other patterns to try. Spin fishermen have had good luck from shore using rainbow trout colored rooster tails, small spoons and minnow imitations. Boaters will do well trolling these same patterns as well as flashers tipped with worms. Inactive fishing with worms and PowerBait has been just fair. Anglers also report catching a few wipers using soft plastics baits, Rapalas and blade baits. With the water level down approximately four feet from spring, the only boat ramp that is usable is the main boat ramp on the east side of the lake. The limit is one black bass and one white bass hybrid with a minimum size of 15 inches and five trout with no minimum size.

Conditions at Wilson are similar to South Fork with trout fishing starting to pick up and bass fishing starting to slow down. Surface water temperatures in the low to mid-60s. There is still a fair amount of algae and weeds. Shore fishing has picked up and fishing form a boat or float tube has been good. Use the same techniques as at South Fork Reservoir. Fly fishermen seem to be having the best luck using leeches, wooly buggers and chironomids. Bass fishing has slowed in numbers but has improved in size. Again, anglers should use the same presentations, colors and techniques that are being used at South Fork Reservoir, dark soft plastic grubs and crankbaits. With low water conditions the boat ramp is unusable so canoes and small cartopper boats are the way to go for those wanting to get on the water.

The water level is low in the south marsh and the Narciss boat ramp is unusable, though the main boat ramp is. Surface water temperatures have dropped into the low 60s and the bass bite has slowed. With the cooler water temperatures the best bass fishing is in the afternoons. Minimum keeper size is 10 inches. Most of the keepers are on the small size ranging between 10 and 12 inches. Soft plastic grubs in blue, black or purple and rigged weedless seemed to work the best. Fishing conditions in the collection ditch have been fair to good for 13 to 18-inch trout and it is improving. NDOW has started stocking the collection ditch with trout. Dry flies are continuing to work though hoppers are phasing out but trout are still used to seeing them. Based on the weather forecast, this should continue for at least the next week. Hoppers, yellow stimulators and yellow elk hair caddis have all produced fish and should until we have a hard freeze. Chironomid patterns such as zebra midges, red butt buzzers, chironocones and ice cream cones will catch fish. Other flies such as leech patterns, balanced leeches, crystal buggers, #14-16 hare’s ears, #16-18 PT nymphs and scuds fished under an indicator are recommended.

NDOW will continue to work to rebuilding the Largemouth Bass fishery with augmentations this fall. Anglers are asked to return bass to the reservoir to help with the bass population for the future.

Surface water temperatures have dropped into the low to mid-60s and trout fishing is improving. Trout are averaging 14 to 18 inches in size. Bass fishing is slowing with the cooling water temperatures. The lake is still weedy and has a fair amount of algae especially at the south end making fishing difficult there. Nightcrawlers have been working for trout though anglers have also been catching fish using PowerBait. Black or olive wooly buggers and black, olive or wine-colored leech patterns on a sinking line are also productive for trout and bass. Chironomid fishing is picking up. Black or red snow cones, with a white bead, and contrasting red or black wire ribbing, fished under indicators have been productive. Bass are still hitting on soft plastic worms and grubs in a variety of colors as well as swimbaits and minnow imitations though anglers should slow down the retrieve as the water cools. Bass are averaging nine to 12 inches. Pike fishing is fair, but should pick up in a few weeks as the water continues to cool. Anglers, please note that NDOW has placed radio tags in several Northern Pike. These pike will have an orange Floy tag near their dorsal fin and a small antenna (~ 7 inches long) coming from their stomach. Please return these fish to the water for research purposes. All other pike should be humanely dispatched. There is no limit on the pike.

Water levels here are recovering from seasonal irrigation lows and surface temperatures were around 60 degrees this week. Fishing has been fair to good for eight to 12 inch rainbow trout and improving each week. The occasional brown trout is being caught. For bait anglers nightcrawlers and rainbow PowerBait are the best bet. Small spinners, spoons and Kastmasters for those throwing hardware should work. Black or olive wooly buggers and black, olive or wine-colored leech patterns are working for trout. Dry fly patterns are still producing a few fish. Brown trout are staging into the creek above the reservoir for the fall spawn and fishing near where the creek empties into the lake could be good for browns. Fishing the creek should also be productive for the brown trout.

Little to no change here as anglers continue to report fair to good fishing for both rainbow and tiger trout on small black or olive crystal or wooly buggers as well as black leech patterns. Chironomids, pheasant tail nymphs, gold ribbed hare’s ears and soft hackles under an indicator or dry fly should also work. Dry flies can still be productive on warmer sunny afternoons. Popular patterns include parachute Adams, black gnats, yellow stimulators, elk hair caddis and grasshoppers. Spin fishermen should try small gold or silver spinners. Bait anglers should have some luck with worms about five feet under a bobber or PowerBait fished off the bottom. The lake level is dropping due to irrigation and there is plenty of shoreline for fishing. The backside of the lake along the rock walls and submerged boulders seems to be the best area for catching fish. Expect air temperatures are in the 30s in the morning so bring a jacket.

The road into Lamoille Canyon was still open last week. Not sure if they are still planning on closing it this fall for much needed road repairs. If they do, anglers will still be able to access the lakes on foot, but it will add a couple of miles to the hike. Night time air temperatures are dropping into the 30s at the higher elevations and appropriate clothing is necessary. Fishing is good using sub-surface presentations such as small spinners, worms and small crystal buggers and leech patterns as the trout are preparing for the long winter under the ice. Trout are still hitting some dry flies however, but not as often as in the past few weeks. Dries that work best seem to have either red or yellow in them. Hoppers, bees, yellow stimulators and red or yellow humpies are all worth a try. When all else fails try small ant patterns fished close to shore by overhanging brush or rock walls. While it is a very hard hike into Verdi, fly fishing has been good for 10-to-15-inch cutthroat using terrestrials such as grasshopper, bee and ant patterns as well as the usual assortment of nymphs. Fishing at Lamoille and Island Lakes have been fair as they get the most pressure. Currently Favre, Overland, and Robinson have reports of excellent catch rates. Now is a great time to visit the canyon as the temperatures are a little cooler, there is usually less people, and the trees are starting to change colors. Robinson Lake has been good for brook trout averaging eight to nine inches with a few fish pushing 12 inches.

Overland Lake has been fishing well, though the brookies are stunted here averaging six to seven inches. The further you get from the trailhead the better the fishing. Nymphs under an indicator or dry fly are also effective.

As the plants go into dormancy for the fall, they use less water and some groundwater is released into the streams helping flows just a bit. Some streams such as Steptoe Creek and the Bruneau River are low enough that fishing is very difficult. Lamoille Creek is flowing under half of the long-term median but is fishable in spots. The road into Lamoille Canyon was still open last week.

Not sure if they are still planning on closing it this fall for much needed road repairs. If they do, anglers will still be able to access the upper part of the canyon on foot. Just a few cfs of water is coming out of the Wildhorse Dam and the tailwater is difficult to fish due to this. However, some of the larger pools downstream and near Wildhorse Crossing Campground have produced 12 to 15-inch wild rainbows using dry flies and small streamers. As of October 7, the East Fork of the Owyhee was flowing at 3 to 8 cfs, the Bruneau River at 5.3 cfs, the Jarbidge at 3.9 cfs, Salmon Falls Creek at 28.3 cfs, Lamoille Creek at 3.18 cfs, the South Fork of the Humboldt at 3 to 6 cfs, Cleve Creek at 2.57 cfs, Steptoe Creek at 1.77 cfs and Kingston Creek at 1.98 cfs. Cleve, Steptoe and Kingston Creeks are very low and fishing is difficult except in the pools, beaver ponds and springheads.

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