Fly Fishing Strawberry River - Lower

Overview

The Strawberry River below Soldier Creek Dam runs east through canyon country to the Red Creek confluence near the Pinnacles. This tailwater has a mix of broken currents and quieter holding water, with brown and cutthroat trout in the river system. Look for pools, boulder pockets and undercut banks rather than treating each run as equally useful fishing water.

Releases from Strawberry Reservoir influence the river, but conditions vary along the canyon. Work nymphs through deeper seams when the surface is quiet, then switch to a dry fly when rises reveal a feeding lane. Blue-winged olive and caddis imitations suit seasonal surface activity; summer terrestrial patterns are useful beside streamside vegetation.

Pools, pockets and bank cover

Fish the softer edge beside a boulder before sending a nymph into the faster seam. In a deeper pool, adjust weight and drift length to reach the holding water without pulling the fly across several currents. Where an undercut bank or overhanging vegetation provides cover, place a short cast along that edge and keep the leader out of the faster water beside it.

The canyon's water and bank cover change from one bend to the next. Concentrate on places where depth, shelter and a feeding current come together. A quiet approach and a controlled drift matter more than covering a long stretch quickly.

Seasonal fly choices

Watch for blue-winged olive activity in spring and fall, especially on overcast days. Caddis patterns are useful from late spring into summer; let visible rises guide the choice of size and the lane you fish. Through summer and early fall, try a grasshopper, beetle or ant beside vegetation at the water's edge. If fish stay below the surface, return to nymphs in the deeper pockets and pool entrances.

When releases change the current, reassess the sheltered edges and adjust the depth of the presentation. In lower, clearer water, reduce the disturbance of each approach and spend more time on individual pockets and bank cover.