Rock Creek has been fishing well, but the water levels are very low right now. Flows are currently sitting at approximately 170 CFS at the moment, down from around 262 CFS this time last year. Nightly water temps are getting down in the mid-forties and staying in the low fifties in the afternoon highs.

Dry fly fishing this time of year is always good. Fall hatches include BWOs and mahoganies in the early mornings and caddis late in the evenings. With the best dry fly fishing being early morning and late evening, the middle of the day can be a bit slow. That’s always a good time to alternate to the streamer or the nymph, though the hopper dropper rig can also get some good action with the promise of some opportunistic eats on the dry.

Nymphing is always a reliable option, especially for fishing that mid-day lull. smaller perdigons and soft hackles do a great job of imitating the BWOs and mahoganies before they hatch. Those small bugs are also a great choice for fishing as a dropper. Larger bugs like the Double bead stone, rubber legs, and TJ hooker are great options to imitate the larger stoneflies in the river and great options for indicator nymphing or sinking line fishing.

The streamer bite has been steady, and fish are chasing bugs actively and with a lot of energy. Browns have begun staging and are shaking things up on the rivers. A lot of fish are looking up this time of year, sensing the end of much of the dry fly season. This is that time of year that fishing really turns on before things begin to taper off. Some spots are harder to effectively fish the streamer with current flows, but fishing unweighted flies in the upper water column or just off the banks in shallow waters is sure to bring you success in your day on the water. The Goldie, Dungeons, Peanut Envies, and Lil Kims have all turned heads and brought good size to the net. Swing into the shop to pick up all of your essentials to getting out on the water!