On Aug. 5th, the Blackfoot and all its tributaries closed to fishing on the recommendation to FWP by the Blackfoot Challenge/Irrigation District as levels fell below 500 cfs., a drought response plan “trigger level”. (http://blackfootchallenge.org/Articles/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Blackfoot-Drought-Response-Plan-Revised_April-2013.pdf). This year, according to Gary Burnett, executive director of the Challenge, “presented something of a phenomenon as water temperatures remained well below drought plan triggers despite the lower flows. . . . . .As the committee revises the drought plan this offseason, these new developments will have to be addressed”. The fisheries biologists seem to agree. Both FWP and the Drought Committee have an unenviable job of balancing the needs of legitimate irrigation demands, biology and a unique land owner/recreational use compact for the Blackfoot Valley. The entire Blackfoot drainage is once again open as of the 17th.
The Blackfoot is running 488 cfs this morning and fishing well. The cloud cover should do good things for you as some of the fall hatches begin to show up for real. There are October caddis, drakes some mahoganies and still a bevy of terrestrials like hoppers, bees and ants. The dryfly fishing is taking awhile to get going these days with the best of it being from about 10:30 until 3:30. Nymphing on either side of that continues to be productive. With the lack of wind on tap today, though, you should have no problem getting it done on the surface. We like #14 royal Wulffs and generic mayfly stuff like para Adams, a variety of medium sized hoppers with deep p-tail droppers and black foam ants. Subsurface beaded thorax stoneflies with rubber legs in tandem with a red San Juan have been working too.