Crane Prairie continues to provide productive fishing. This week’s weather looks like the opposite of last week, warm and sunny at the start then wet and cooler later on. There is a good chance that this is the last week where we see 70-degree weather until next summer. The fish will likely be actively feeding, trying to store up calories for winter. Callibaetis are your best bet for dry flies right now, they’ll mainly be around size 16 - 18. Big terrestrials are good in a dry-dropper rig. Balanced leeches are an excellent fly for targeting hungry fish in the fall. Callibaetis nymphs, chironomids, midges, and dark assassins are other good flies for your nymph rig. Smaller red flies have been putting lots of fish in the boat for some of our guides. Stripping leeches can be fairly productive, callibaetis nymphs on a super slow retrieve can also work well. It has been an abnormal summer up at Crane, we hope that next summer is a return to normal. Thanks for reading our summer reports and stay tuned for the fall reports!
Recommended Dries: Parachute Callibaetis #16-18, Hackle Stacker Callibaetis #16-18, Chubby Chernobyl Patriot and Purple #12-14, Para- Cricket #16-12
Recommended Nymphs: Bruised Ballanced Leech #14, Two Bit Hooker #16-18, Zebra Midge #18-20, Super Sinker #16-18, bead wing midge #18-20, Red Pheasant Tail #14-18, Rainbow Warrior #18-20, Red Ice Cream Cone #14-18, Callabaetis Nymph #16-18