You can't spell "fishing the salmon fly hatch on the Blackfoot with your friends and family" without fishing, which is exactly what you should be doing on the Blackfoot! By the grace of all our luck combined, the mud has gone, is gone, will forever be gone, and shouldn't even be thought about anymore. Instead, the Blackfoot is fishing well! Very well! Almost.... too well. 

Salmonflies are the main event right now, and they are coming off in Box Canyon. Golden Stones are also becoming more important, with PMDs, Yellow Sallies, caddis, and Green Drakes adding more variety to the daily bug activity. Fish are starting to look up more consistently, especially along banks, soft seams, buckets, and slower edges.

Dry-dropper rigs are a great way to cover water. A larger Salmonfly or Golden Stone dry with a stonefly nymph, caddis pupa, or PMD dropper underneath will fish well through banks, pockets, and softer riffles. Nymphing will still be the most consistent option early in the day or when the sun is high. Streamers are also worth fishing early, late, or through deeper buckets and shaded banks.

The weather looks favorable overall, with warm temperatures and a mostly stable pattern through the next few days. If flows keep dropping and clarity continues to improve, the Blackfoot should keep fishing well. Focus on stoneflies first, but be ready for PMDs, caddis, Yellow Sallies, and Green Drakes to create more dry-fly windows as the day goes on.

What's Working

Dry Flies

• Salmonflies #4-6
• Golden Stones #6-10
• Water Walkers #6-10
• Chubby Chernobyls #6-12
• PMDs #14-18
• Green Drakes #10-12
• Yellow Sallies #14-16
• Elk Hair Caddis #14-16
• X-Caddis #14-16
• Purple Haze #14-18
• Parachute Adams #14-18

Nymphs

• Pat's Rubber Legs #6-8
• TJ Hooker #6-8
• Zirdles #6-10
• Double Bead Stones #6-10
• Frenchies #14-16
• Psycho May #14-18
• Split Case PMDs #14-18
• Green Drake Nymphs #10-12
• Caddis Pupa #12-16
• Perdigons #14-18
• Pheasant Tails #14-18

Streamers

• Sparkle Minnows
• Swim Coach
• Mini Dungeons
• Peanut Envy
• Sculpzilla
• Thin Mint
• Woolly Buggers
• JJ Special
• Olive and black articulated streamers
• Small sculpin patterns

Fishing should continue to improve as flows drop and fish spread into more traditional summer holding water. The Salmonfly hatch will continue pushing upstream while Golden Stones become increasingly important throughout the river. Expect excellent dry-dropper fishing over the next couple of weeks, with opportunities for both quality trout and consistent numbers of fish. Anglers who focus on softer water near the banks and cover plenty of water should find success throughout the drainage.