CFS: 1030
Water Temp: 52-58 °F
Dries: Salmon Flies (upper creek), Golden Stones, Green Drakes, Yellow Sallies, Caddis
Nymphs: Pats RL, Jumpin’ Jack Flash, Pheasant Tails, Hare’s Ears
As we move into the last week of June, we’re starting to see some of our summer hatches emerge along with the stoneflies. Large caddis have been flying as well as mayflies and different colors of drakes. The Yellow Sally, probably the most underrated stonefly, is also starting to make an appearance. Fish this bug in a size 12 or 14 and with a little bit of red on its rear.
The dry fly fishing has been so good lately, that a lot of fishers have forgotten to go down and deep with nymph and streamer patterns. The Jumpin’ Jack Flash behind the larger stoneflies is a winning combo, and our staple nymphs like pheasant tails and hare’s ears have been turning heads as well. This weekend is supposed to be colder and wetter for the time of year, so if the fish are hesitant to come up, drop something down on them.
Floating is getting harder as the streamflow drops, but there are still rafts on the creek (and there likely will be right up to the end of June). Check with us or the local guides for any new hazards in the water. One example is the cottonwood tree that fell about a mile above the Elkhorn/Tamarack takeout on the popular lower float (the best option is to stay hard right and portage around it):
Overall, it has been a fantastic June for fishing Rock Creek, and here’s hoping that the next few months of summer fishing will be just as fun and productive!
Hannah catches a beautiful brown trout on Rock Creek in June 2019.