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Pale morning duns are a big story here in July. By the second week of the month, hatches can be intense. Expect a morning hatch (9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.) and an evening hatch on hot, clear days, and a single midday hatch when it's cool and overcast. Make sure you're on the water when it happens. Pick a likely spot (they're all good in the Conservancy water), then cast to a rising fish. Pick your trout; don't blind cast. A 12-foot leader (minimum) with a 6X or 7X tippet and a downstream presentation will yield the most trout for you. Pick a fly with the least amount of hackle possible, such as a CDC Cripple, No Hackle, or Sparkle Dun. A thicker tippet, bushier fly, or different presentation will dramatically alter the odds in the favor of the fish, not you. When you're casting that thin tippet, you'll retain more fish if you use a light rod, such as a 3 or 4 weight. However, that light rod may die if the wind comes up.
BTW, I've never found a store-bought 7X tippet that was worth casting. I take a 10-foot 5X leader, whack off about 12 inches, and add 6X and 7X sections to get the leader I want. Your experience may be different than mine, but that's my two-cents worth.
You will also find some blue-winged olives hatching this month, so be prepared.
Evening caddis action can also be good. Fish late: 8:30 p.m.-10:00 p.m. Carry size 16 tan and olive patterns. Try a Casanova Caddis or CDC Caddis.
Callibaetis are a big item in some of the sloughs and below the bridge into the Conservancy water. When fishing the latter stretch, anglers usually use a float tube but no flippers. Damselfly nymphs (and sometimes dries) can be effective in this water, too.
By mid-month, tricos may be on the water in the mornings.
You might also carry some unweighted streamer patterns when fishing Silver Creek. While the dry flies and hatches are the glamour events, a streamer might pick up that lunker brown trout. It's important that the streamer be unweighted so that it stays out of the weeds. Damselfly nymphs are another good option.
Later in the month, terrestrials may be your best midday option--hoppers are good later in the month, but beetles and ants are on the menu from the beginning of July.
Trout will move around as the water conditions change this month, so anglers should move around, too, until they find where the fish are located.
On the Conservancy section's slow, clear water, you'll do best with specialty spring-creek patterns. In my experience, non-locals are best off visiting a local shop such as Lost River Outfitters or Silver Creek Outfitters--both in Ketchum--and asking them what's working best at the time. Then buy your flies there.
See the Rivers in General section for more July fly fishing tips.
For more on July tactics and flies, see the Rivers in General report.
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