Owyhee River, Lower
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GAGE
TIME
FT/CFS
℉/Turb
℉/Turb
GRAPHS
Importance by half-month
Super 
Major 
Minor 
Slight 
None
Hatches are matched from Westfly's database of "standard" fly patterns.
Nymph
Emerger
Flats, runs, backeddies: standard dry fly
Dun
Flats, runs, backeddies: standard dry fly
► Emergers, duns, and spinners tend to collect in backeddies and slow margins, and trout often just wait there for them to arrive.
► Cloudy, drippy weather stimulates the ubiquitous blue-winged olives. If it's sunny, look for them in areas where shadows fall on the water.
► Nymphs can be productive before, during, and after a blue-wing hatch, and even when there is no hatch that day. The key is to make sure your imitation is drifting near the bottom. To achieve that goal, you may want to team your nymph with a heavy fly such as a Kaufmanns Stonefly or beadhead Prince. You might want to look at Jeff Morgan's article on Tiny Flies for thoughts on these small nymphs.
Nymph
Emerger
Bankwater, backeddies, slow runs: standard dry fly
Dun
Bankwater, backeddies, slow runs: standard dry fly
► These mayflies migrate to slow water before emerging, and hatches usually take place in the slow margins of the river. Trout are in no hurry to sip the duns, and rises are usually lazy, head-and-tail affairs. Because the action is in quiet water, your approach and casts need to be stealthy. The best strategy is to wait until you see a rise, then cast to that trout. Blind casting usually just puts the fish down. Let your cast settle gently on the water and avoid lining the trout. You may need a downstream presentation.
Pupa
Adult
► Trout can be very picky about size and color of the pupa. You may need to swap flies several times to find the right combination. You can speed up this process by fishing two pupa at once and noting which one the trout show more interest in.
► Be prepared for midge hatches at any time of day.
► When trout are midging, a Sprout Midge or Griffiths Gnat can work well, but a pupa pattern is always a good choice.
Adult
Bankwater with grass: standard dry fly
Adult
Lakes; rivers over gravel and cobble, undercut banks: count-down-and-retrieve, slow retrieve, wind drift, deep swing
► When fishing the slackwater pools when there is no hatch, try an intermediate line and a streamer pattern, such as a Morrish Sculpin, Woolly Bugger, or Clouser Minnow; focus on deeper water near rocks.
Trout
► Don't be put off by the murky quality of the water.
► The flows should drop as the irrigation season comes to an end.
► Look for brown trout in the slackwater pools, and rainbows in the riffly areas.