[Roger Stephens]

My wife and I will be doing a 5 day rafting trip through Hell's Canyon from Sept. 4th through 8th. We will be launching below Hell's Canyon Dam and taking out at Heller's Bar. We are going with Zoller's Outdoor Odysseys since we have done several other trips with them.

The water temperature at that time of year is usually at it's highest. It sounds like the trout fishing doesn't get good until Oct. while the small mouth bass fishing in the lower section usually is outstanding during the first part of Sept.

I will be taking two 6 wt. rods with floating and sink tip(type III) lines. I plan to take some trout patterns such as wooly buggers(olive and black), grasshopper or stimulator, caddis, and adams patterns. The wooly buggers should work for the small mouth bass and I have a lot of large mouth bass popper patterns(sizes small through large).

What would be good trout patterns during the first part of Sept. or is it even worth while taking trout patterns? For the small mouth bass what are: (1) some good colors, sizes, and popper patterns, (2) good subsurface patterns? Any other suggestions about the Hell's Canyon fisheries during the first part of Sept.?

I just bought a Go Pro HD Helment vidio camera to film the trip plus use to video topwater sand lance action on Puget Sound for sea-run cutthroat and coho salmon. It is going to be fun to play around with this camera!

Roger

 

[Gary Thompson]

Sounds like a fun time.
I have a friend that does the Snake every year and he has given up on the trout, cause the smallies take his trout flies before the trout do.
Eat smallies, all you want. That will help the young salmon and steel head.

 

[BFK]

I fished that section once, so I'm an expert...and it was a touch later in the year..and we ran in boats upstream from Heller.. Also, I was fishing for bass with gear, mainly crankbaits and jigs. Having said that-- the pattern is less important than putting it where the bass are holding. I'd use muddlers, marabou streamers and buggers. Yellow, black and white for the marabou. I'd also bring your sandworm pattern. I'd make sure I had the ability to get the fly deep quickly for some of those spots behind boulders and other debris. And it would be really interesting to see if you could get your floating candlefish pattern to walk the dog. That would be deadly.

One side note: i caught way more steelhead than I did bass, and that was casting crankbaits behind boulders as we were working a run. It might be worth putting that idea to the test.

 

[bigfun4me]

I've fished the Snake from the mouth of the Salmon to Heller's quite a bit in mid to late September. Just below the mouth there's great smallmouth water. The topwater bite through there can be really good. Look for rock with shelves located underneath to hold fish. Hit the shady spots in deep corners with a twitched Dave's Hopper or a white/silver popper with bleeding saddle hackle.

There are some trout in that area but it gets pretty slow as you move back towards Heller's. Your best shot at one would be above the confluence of the Salmon and Snake. If they aren't looking up for hoppers try a full sink line with weighted estaz buggers. You never know what you might hook up with on that rig.

 

[Jeff Peacock]

Spent a couple of days doing this same thing last fall. More bass than I could shake a stick at. No trout were willling to show themselves to me.
If you want to load up on the bass, crayfish patterns are the absolute ticket. If you don't get a strike in the first few minutes, move on. When you get into them, it's non stop. My experience was we almost always found then against rock faces, and boulder drops along the bank.
Sound like you're in for a great trip. Good luck!

 

[martyg]

Fishing at this time of year is tough - especially with a fly rod. The Fall is stupid fun. You will likely see some Kings in there as well. Chances of hooking one are not great.

We typically do a Summer trip and I have stopped fishing it then. I row so I have too much going on. I promised myself that the next time that I go I am going to bring a stout gear rod and set it up in the evening for catfish. Good eating!

 

[Jmills81]

search the froggy watter with floating rodents...

 

[Roger Stephens]

Thanks for all the great information!

Roger

 

[Salmon Candy]

Roger,

If I hade but one fly for smallmouth on the Snake at that time of year, it would be Leland's Beach Popper. If I had two flies, the second would be D-Dub's Crawdad Candy. And for some great fun, try the Beach Popper with a brown over white or olive over white marabou clouser trailing about 18 inches behind. Doubles will be the order of the day!

 

[6146]

For any of you who fish this section of Snake: What is the size of bass that is your average catch. Also, what do you consider a big one? Thanks.