With the good snowpack this year, flows continue to be at or above average for this time of year, making stream fishing difficult. Difficult, but not impossible. Doucette First and foremost, when fishing our small streams at these very high flows, safety is the main concern.
Even though our flows are still well below what many rivers in the west flow at, they have moved beyond the high water mark covering shrubs, willows and other obstacles that can entangle feet. This means do not wade the rivers when they are like this. In other words, stay out of the water.
With high flows, fish look for areas of the stream that require less energy to stay in one place and protection from debris flowing down the stream. This includes natural eddies along the banks and large obstacles, such as rocks or stumps along the stream banks that interrupt the flow. These generally are easily reached for shore anglers.
Another place in the stream that fish will hold is right on the bottom, where the drag from the bottom makes for slower water. With the heavier flows and faster water, it is more difficult to get your presentation down into the water column, so use extra weight. Extra split shot placed a foot above your fly or lure can help get it down a bit further into the water where the fish may be holding.
Along with extra weight, this is the time of year to go big. Forget those very small spinners and flies that are used during much of the rest of the year. Step up the size that make it easier fo.