Sandpoint/Ponderay Fishing Report 10.26.2017
—North 40 Ponderay
Clark Fork River (ID)
Flows fluctuate between 6,000 and 28,000 cubic feet per second, daily. The water level for Lake Pend O'reille is dropping, so we won't see "predictable" flows for awhile. Now is the time to swing. The #6 olive Egg Sucking Leech, the #4 Bald Eagle or other variants have been producing beautiful cutthroat. The bite won't last all day, so make sure to be on the water when the flows are low. My favorite line to use for trout spey is Scout by Airflo. On a year when the steelhead counts are low, swinging a single-hand skagit head in a trout stream really calms the nerves. Not into the swing thing? Nymphs will work just as well. Screw on a 3/4 inch Air-Loc indicator, pinch on a .4 gram split shot, and tie on your favorite double nymph rig. A few hot flies to use are #12 red Copper John, #14 olive Guide's Choice Hare's Ear, #16 tan 20 Incher, and #18 TFP Zebra Midge.
Lake Cocolalla
Fishing has been good, but not great. Water clarity seems to be getting a little worse with about three feet of visibility and greenish water. The best time of day has been the mid-afternoon. Mornings and evenings have been cold and not very productive. I'm still waiting for my double-digit trout day. Each time I go, I seem to only hook one or two healthy browns. I am exclusively stripping streamers like the olive Double Gonga, black Double Gonga, #6 rust Slump Buster, and the #6 olive Woolly Bugger. A slow sinking fly line like Rio's CamoLux has worked well for the trout holding in two to three feet of water. For the trout holding deeper, I use a type VI full sinking line. I can't fish this lake without both lines at my immediate disposal. This is an extremely tough lake to fish from shore, so I recommend taking a boat, kayak, or float tube.
Kootenai River (ID/MT)
Flows are holding at 4,100 cfs., and water clarity is excellent! Fishing has been good, but will start slowing down as winter arrives. The best way to fish this river is from a drift boat, however when flows are as low as they are, wading from the shoreline can be very productive. BWO's and midges are still hatching on overcast afternoons. Nymphing until the hatch starts is a great way to approach the river. A few flies to nymph are #8 Large Stone, #14 BH Lightning Bug, #16 gray UV2 Mayfly Nymph, #18 Crust Nymph BWO, and #18 Ju Ju Baetis tungsten purple. Once the hatch starts popping off, tie on a #12 purple Chubby Chernobyl, #18 BWO Ext. Body, #18 BWO Film Critic, or a #20 Hanging Midge. If you’re like me and want to hook the trout that own the river, strip or swing a white Complex Twist, white Home Invader, silver Sparkle Minnow, or a #6 Polar Minnow.