Black Hills Fishing Report - 1/23/2020

Fishing has been solid over the past couple weeks, and the weather has been excellent this week which has enabled a lot of folks to get out on the water! Rapid Creek in town has been fishing fantastic, as well as below Pactola. Spearfish Creek has been another good option as well, particularly right in town. Get out and enjoy the nice weather this weekend! Rapid Creek below Pactola has been fishing well, and there's been a good number of fish in the 12-16" range. There's plenty of larger fish around also, but the average sized fish are plentiful and will keep you busy. Nymph fishing will be the most productive, but there's a few fish around on the surface as well. Nymph fishing with pretty standard stuff will get the job done. Use a Boat Anchor Scud, Mop Fly, Leech, or big jig as you lead fly to help get you down, and trail a Two Bit Hooker, Quilldigon, Flying Zebra, or Skinny Nelson below in size 16-20. There's a lot of midges around subsurface, and the Blue Winged Olives are starting to make an appearance as well. If you run into some fish eating midges on the surface, try a Morgan's Midge, Eric's Midge, or F Fly in size 18-20. Fishing has been good from the dam down to Placerville. Rapid Creek in town has been fishing excellent, and is one of the best options around right now. Nymph fishing has been fantastic, with tightline and Euro presentations being particularly effective. Flies have really varied, but a few good larger patterns have been Purple Pheasant Tails, Jig Green Weenies, Assassins, Duracells, and Blowtorches in size 12-14. Good dropper nymphs have been similar to below Pactola - Quilldigons, Flying Zebras, Skinny Jigs, and Green Weenies are good droppers in 16-20. The fish are really spread out it seems like, so don't hesitate to fish everything - riffles, holes, and runs will all hold fish right now. There's a few fish eating midges off the surface midday as well, so have a few smaller midge dries if you're heading out in the warmest part of the day. The rising fish are particularly prevalent in the tailouts of runs, so keep an eye on the tailouts before you march up to the meat of the run. Spearfish Creek is fishing well, particularly in town. The canyon is fishing well also, but getting around can be a little difficult with the deeper snow. Nymph fishing is the name of the game on both sections. Brighter flies have been producing good numbers of fish - Duracells, Yellow Spots, and Soft Spots have been particularly effective patterns. If you're fishing some of the slower holes and runs, fish a smaller midge or BWO dropper and you'll pick up some of the pickier fish. As with Rapid Creek in town, tightline and Euro techniques will definitely up your catch rate if used properly! Crow Creek and Sand Creek are fishing well right now, with some particularly good dry fly fishing on Sand Creek. Midges are the name of the game right now, but Blue Winged Olives are just around the corner. Morgan's Midges, Eric's Midges, Purple Hazes, F Flies, and Griffith's Gnats will get the job done if the fish are eating midges. If you seen Blue Winged Olives in the air, get ready for some of the best dry fly fishing in the Black Hills! Sparkle Duns, Hackle Stackers, Parachute BWOs, CDC Thorax Duns, and Students are great flies in size 16-18. Crow Creek has been fishing better with nymphs than dries, but the fishing is still excellent. The same flies as Spearfish Creek and Rapid Creek will work great. Fishing has been fantastic, and the weather is forecast to be in the high 40s this weekend - make the most of it and get out on the water! Swing by the shop or give us a call for the latest intel or hot flies.