Sneakiness will go a long way
This week's less than clear skies, whether from clouds or from smoke drifting down from fires in B.C., are affording much better dry fly fishing during the day, said Pat Way of Orvis Northwest Outfitters in Coeur d'Alene.
It's still terrestrial time, so ants, beetles, hoppers and spiders continue taking fish out of area rivers, Way said. In the evenings, they're seeing good evening caddis hatches.
"As this water continues to drop, you're going to have to get progressively stealthier," Way said. "Use longer casts, smaller leaders and tippets. A little bit of sneakiness will go a long way.
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For the first week of August, the Coeur d'Alene River is running as it should be. That means it's running low, and there are only a few more weeks of good fishing up there.
Cutthroat salmon are swimming in the fast water up the middle of the river and down in the holes by the banks, but never on the flats said Brad Zierer, of Black Sheep Sporting Goods.
Using sized 12 to 14 caddis flies with olive wide-bodied can land a few fish, as can using green strip leach patterns tossed in the holes closer to the banks, he said. In the evening, parachute adams hatches are under way, so use size 10-14 on those.
The river was running quickly after a rainy June, but a dry winter means that the summer season will only be fishable for a few more weeks.
"It's normal for this time year," Zierer said. "It's right on target."
St. Joe and Coeur d'Alene rivers
Most of the action is on Lake Coeur d'Alene these days, says Jordan Smith with Fins and Feathers Tackle Shop and Guide Service.
Most fishermen are snagging Chinook salmon with mini squids, Smith said.
"They range anywhere from 3 to 8 pounds," he said. "And they get bigger than that. Some guys have been catching them in the 10, 12 and 13s."
Smaller Kokanee are also plentiful on the lake, Smith said.
They're mostly chomping on wedding rings and Hildebrandts, he said, and can be found around 35 feet deep.
Both Lake Coeur d'Alene and Hayden Lake are hot spots for smallmouth bass, he said, which are currently at 15- to 20-foot depths.
Using twin tailed jigs is the best method, he said.
"You're doing that on Coeur d'Alene and Hayden Lake," Smith said.
Both lakes are also good for northern pike, which are biting on spinnerbaits, he added.
Some are still fishing for catfish on Lake Fernan, but with little success, Smith said.
"That hasn't been real hot lately," he said.
The St. Joe and Coeur d'Alene are still fishing well, said Mark Roush of ROW Adventures in Coeur d'Alene.
"It can be hit-and-miss depending on the weather patterns and the heat index during the middle of the day," Roush said. "The best times to fish will be in the morning and evenings, especially when there is some sort of cloud cover."
Be sure to have plenty of pale morning duns, hoppers, small parachute adams and a variety of caddis patterns. Other terrestrials will often work well throughout the day.
Very small nymphs will work well mid-day when drifted under a large hopper or stimulator pattern.
Area lakes
Small mouth fishing is outstanding when presenting the correct techniques, Roush said.
"It is hard to beat a night crawler drifted along the bottom," he said. "Senko worms are also producing well."
Top water lures like Zara Spooks will work well in the early morning and late evening.
Try drifting red worms under a float in shallow water to trigger a strike from a perch or blue-gill.