Report Date:
http://www.thetroutfitter.com/fshreport.html
Water Conditions: Good
ATTENTION: The outflow is down to fall levels and they are now pumping water in from Grant Lake so the lake levels have stabilized and are coming up slowly.
Fishing Conditions and Hatches: Fair-Good
The smoke situation has gotten better but we are still having some bad days. Fishing has gotten tougher as the cold snap and winds have dropped the water temperature down close to 50 degrees. It's been harder to pinpoint fish this week, they seem to have scattered, possibly starting to move back to deeper water. The perch are still producing for people stripping streamers but hanging it under an indicator has not been as effective. Remember that unless you are ready to immediately cast to a boil there's no point in worrying about it. Those fish are flushing Perch fry off the bottom and then going right back down. Also some of the smaller looking rises are actually bigger fish than you thought, they just happen to have caught the fry below the surface. Don't be afraid to throw streamers up against the banks, you'll find fish in water 1-2 feet deep.
When midging I haven't seen that any one color is working better than others but I have done well with larger flies on the bottom smaller above. For the bottom fly I've been using red early and black midday. McGee Bay has slowed way down, the fish have to be somewhere if you want to explore the area. Well, people have done the exploration and they found fish between McGee and Sandy Point. The north end has picked back up and everywhere it seems 6-16 feet is best. Big and Little Hilton have had their moments as well, mainly midday.
Dries: Horny Damsel #10
Nymphs: Shaft Emerger #14-16 | Albino Baron #14-16 | G/B Opti Tiger #16-18 | Optimidge Olive/Dun #16-18 | Double Bead Zebra slvr/blk small | B.H.Chiron Blood #14-16 | V Rib Red #14-16
Streamers: Crystal Bugger Black #8 | Marabou Leech Burgundy or Brown #12 | Punk Perch #14-16 | Perfection Perch #4 | Hornberg #8-14 | Baby Fat Minnow