As we start out heading to the beginning of summer, it's time to figure out where to go to cast your line and hopefully put some fish in the net. We start thinking of the mountains and high country, but those still can be pretty hot! Fish when the water temp is under 68 degrees for trout. At that temp and above, the oxygen level in the water will be too low for the trout to recover from you landing them. We want to protect our fisheries — bring along a thermometer and check the water temps throughout the day. Fishpond sells one that works great and can be clipped onto your net.
Right now, the canyon is fishing good. A few surface eats here and there, but nothing consistent yet. My go-to is still a dry dropper. Most fish I find are in pocket water or the runs right after riffles where they are sitting waiting for the food to be pushed their way by the current. If they are rising and eating off the surface, it's been mostly midges. Morning and evening are the best times to be out on the water.
Flies I'm using right now: 12–16 MFC Micro Chubby in Black, 16–18 Rosenbauer Double Griffiths Gnat, 16–18 No-see-um, 16–18 Frenchie, 16 MFC Hare's Ear Jig.
The White Mountains are having a bit of a struggle right now with warmer temps and low water levels. The lakes out there are fishing good until the algae bloom, which is on the way with these warmer temps. The streams are hurting — low water levels are making the fish less active and harder to find.
I would go between two setups: (1) A dry dropper for runs and riffles and skinnier water, and (2) Nymphing under an indicator in the deeper runs and pools to get down low where the fish will be sitting escaping the heat. Focusing on what's drifting through the water will give you a better chance at hooking up. Fishing the upper stretches of these creeks will do better than the lower sections, at least until we have some monsoons start.
During the summer months we are running a special for people wanting a quick 2 hours out on the water in the evening to catch the last hatch of the day! Call us to find out more: (928) 202-0200.