CFS: 421
Water Temp: 56 – 65°F
Dries: Spruce Moths, PMDs, Hoppers/Ants/Beetles, Red Attractors
Nymphs: Flashback stoneflies, Pheasant Tails, Copper Johns
As we move into mid-August, we finally see the high water working in our favor. The average streamflow this time of year is 300 cubic feet per second, but this August, we have been averaging an extra 100 cfs over that norm. This has created some better fishing conditions, especially in areas where the water typically gets too skinny.
The terrestrial season has also been very good this summer. The combination of a grasshopper with a small beadhead dropper has been pulling out some nice trout:
In addition to the hopper fishing, Spruce Moth patterns have been the other popular terrestrial. The hatch hasn’t been prolific this year, but when you see them flying in the mid-mornings, it’ll be a good idea to put on either a spruce moth pattern, or a large tan elk-hair caddis.
Attractors are the other way to go with your dry flies. Most people are keying in on purple, of course, but red is arguably more effective during the month of August on Rock Creek. This is the time to fish your stock of red humpies, royal trudes and wulffs, or any big stimulator or hopper with red.
If you hit one of those points of the day where the fish aren’t keen on coming up to the surface, the combination of a flashback stonefly with a small copper john trailer is a great tandem to use for scouring the bottom. Fair warning though; you will catch more whitefish with this set-up.
Overall, it has been a very good summer for fly fishing Rock Creek. If the water stays higher than normal into September, we should have excellent fall fishing as well!