Lewiston Idaho Fishing Report 11.16.17

Clearwater River

A few of us fished the Clearwater last week and didn’t find any fish willing to play. Some locals have come into the shop and reported fish being caught on traditional Scandi and Skagit lines.

Flies to use are the classics—Hobo Spey, Bunny Leech, and other Intruders. There really isn’t one area to focus on; fish are still moving in from the Snake and they are spread thorough the entire Clearwater system. Fishing the slower runs, and presenting the fly as slow as possible should improve your chances.

Grande Ronde River

Fishing around Boggans can be very productive this time of year. The swing bite is not over. Skagit lines with sink-tips should make the fish eat. Our favorite fly this time of year is a leech. It is effective throughout the system. Throw bigger flies and give them a slow swing so the fish can consider attacking. Nymphing can also be very effective. Stoneflies, Chou’s Double Agent, Morrish’s Half Breed are all on the menu.

Snake River

The dam counts have really slowed down—the numbers are 200 fish er day, sometimes dipping lower than 100. The water temperature has hovered around 47 degrees. I’ve heard of anglers using tips, but I had a buddy catch a fish on a floating line a few days back. Hobo Spey, leech patterns, classic flies work. Having faith while swinging this time of year is very important. The fish will come. It’s just a matter of getting your fly in the water and covering runs consistently.

Read past reports from the Lewiston region here, or click here to view all northwest regional reports.