Solid In-Town fish!
Spearfish Creek has been fishing great as well, both in the canyon and in town. Nymphing has been the method of choice for most folks. Jigs are some of our favorites here as always, with Jig Assassins and Jig Pheasant Tails being a couple solid producers that we always have with us. Dave guided up here several days last week, and said that Barr's Tung Teasers in smaller sizes were good patterns as well. In the canyon, I'd definitely be fishing with some sort of midge or BWO dropper right now. Green Weenies, Tungsten Split Back BWO's, Bubble Backs, and my favorite, Three Dollar Dips are all good bets. There's been some limited dry fly action in the canyon as well, mostly in the really slow sections and in Savoy and Maurice. Midges are most predominant, so have a couple F-Flies or Morgan's Midges just in case. The BWO's should start soon as well!
Beautiful Canyon Rainbow!
There's been some great reports coming out of Castle Creek lately, with word of a fantastic BWO hatch below the dam and some really nice brookies! These fish aren't going to be particularly selective most days, so a number of different flies will work. CDC Thorax Duns, F-Flies, Students, and Comparaduns will all work great in a 16-22 depending on the day and the fish's mood. Nymphing with the same patterns as Rapid Creek will fish just fine as well. Above the lake is good fishing as well, with a lot of smaller wild brookies being caught. It's a great place to take someone that's new to fly fishing, or if you're just feeling like catching some easier fish!
Crow and Sand Creeks are fishing great. Dry fly fishing has been the method of choice here for the last several weeks, and that continues to be the case. The hatch is a combination of midges and BWO's, so have a good selection of both. CDC Thorax Duns, F-Flies, Students, Sparkle Duns, and even Parachute Adams in sizes 16-22 have all been successful patterns lately, but don't be afraid to try something new as well. The fish on these two creeks generally aren't super selective as to fly patterns, but they are pretty darn spooky. Walk slowly and keep your eyes peeled for fish in unlikely places and you'll find a bit more success!
Spring Creek both above and below Sheridan Lake has been fishing well. Standard nymph fare will work great either place, but maybe drop a small midge like a Green Weenie below if the fish get a bit pickier. Another great option is to fish a small dark streamer on a slow strip or even dead drift. There's been a bit of a midge hatch below the dam also, but the fish have been incredibly picky. Take some small dries and 6-7x tippet, and monkey with them if you feel so inclined and aren't afraid to get a bit frustrated! Streamer fishing has been great as well, with Kreelexes and Lil' Kims being good bets.
Overall, the fishing has been fantastic and we've been able to start going a few different places. There's been some great warmwater fishing on the prairie already, and there's even been a few pike caught on Pactola already. All of the small streams are starting to fish very well and have opened up completely for the most part. Give us a call or stop by for an up to date fishing report, to book one of our expert Black Hills Fly Fishing guides, or to just pick up a few flies and tippet before you head out!
Ryan