Tomorrow is the opener from Warm Springs down thru Trout Creek and South Jct. The Water is a little high at about 6400 cfs. I’d say that is a good 800 to 1000 more than a typical opener but it won’t keep us off the river. In fact we look forward to getting on the Warm Springs drift very soon and have our first guide trips of the year booked for next week! The Lower D can handle a bigger flow. It is a big river.

Here are some early season tips:
Stonefly nymphs. The Hatch is just a few weeks out. The Nymphs are active.
Green Rock worms early season are good. Rhyacoplia nymphs are active before they pupate soon and they are in the drift now.
Worms. So good in the early season. Red ones! Squirmy or not, Red Worms kick butt.
Lightning Bugs. Look, the fish haven’t seen a nymph in 6 months and they are curious and a little dumber so go shiny and don’t worry about it.
Sculpins. If you aren’t trying to swing sculpins on sink tips you are missing out on sweet, steelhead type grabs (but with redsides). Ideally you’ll do this with a 4 or 5 weight switch rod and run 4 to 10 feet of T10 and a short 2x Fluorocarbon leader.

The water will be perfect soon enough. It is not now but the river is certainly very fishable.