In Town – Fishing in town remains outstanding, especially with our new Tenkara techniques. Nymphing in the shallow runs and riffles is great with smaller nymphs, such as 14-18 North Forks, Psychos, Tung Teasers, and UV Czechs. The Trico hatch in the morning is outstanding, mostly between 6-8am using size 18-22 Chubby Tricos, Trico Spinners, and Black Parachutes. Also, the evening caddis hatch is good, mostly between 7:30 and 9pm.
Below Pactola – Fishing is tricky, but rewarding. Fish are keying in on Baetis, Caddis, and PMD nymphs, with good patterns being Split Case PMD or BWOs, T Ready Baetis nymphs, Barr's Uncased Caddis, and Psychos. The fish are eating PMD and Midge Dries on top, with Viz-A-Duns, Sparkle Duns, Morgan's Midges, and CDC Thorax Duns producing well. Terrestrial patterns will be a solid bet over the next few weeks as well, with hoppers becoming more and more prevalent.
Silver City – Nymphing in the slower runs and pools with larger nymphs is your best bet, with dry/dropper combos with a terrestrial on top producing in the shallower runs and riffles.
Spearfish Creek
The canyon is fishing great, with most of the fish in the faster water. This is the model stream for Tenkara fishing, and we have been seeing outrageous numbers of fish since we've started using these techniques, and fishing the water that was previously unfishable using western techniques. Dry fly fishing is decent in the canyon, with caddis and PMDs in the evening. In town is also fishing well, with tungteasers, psychos, and Red Fox Squirrel nymphs producing well in the fast water.
Spring Creek
Warming up, hopefully they get the valve opened up soon.
Castle Creek
Fishing is great, especially below the dam. Fish are willing to come up to the surface and eat BWOs, PMDs, Caddis, and a number of different terrestrials. Nymphing has been quite productive as well.
Box Elder Creek
Box Elder Creek is fishing well, with Stimulators, Click Emergents, and a number of different terrestrials producing good numbers of brookies, mostly from Steamboat Rock upstream. Nymphing, as always, is working great.
Custer State Park
The streams in Custer State Park haven't been fishing the greatest (French Creek and Grace Coolidge). If you are in the park, lakes and ponds will be your best bet. Try the Grace Coolidge Walk-In area ponds are productive. Fish a dry dropper rig on the ponds, use a beetle or stimulator with a copper john dropper. Try Sylvan and Center Lakes early and late in the day. On the lakes small leech patterns and black streamers have been productive.
Black Hills Lakes
Horse Thief, Sylvan, Center, Roubaix, and all of the other small lakes are fishing well with Mini Leeches, Wooly Buggers, and Sculpzilla’s down under, and with Parachute Adams and Callibaetis Spinners fooling some of the rising fish.
