06/05/2026: Bear Creek

Current Conditions:

Flows on Bear Creek have come down significantly since rainy May, but the drop in water did not seem to slow the fishing down at all.

Bugs were hatching, fish were rising, and there was steady activity throughout the day. Even with less water moving through the system, the fish stayed active and willing, especially when presented with the right dry or emerger.

We started the day with a stimulator and a CDC frenchie dropped below it, mostly because that was what was already rigged.

After a short stretch, it became clear the dropper was not really necessary, and we switched over to a size 20 parachute Adams, which stayed on for the rest of the day.

That ended up being the right move. The dry fly fishing stayed consistent, and the parachute Adams continued to get attention all day. We did not see any caddis, but the mayflies were out in force, and the dry/emerger combo was clearly the ticket.

The CDC frenchie and CDC emerger both produced, but the main story was fish looking up and eating confidently. When Bear Creek is fishing like this, it pays to slow down, watch the water carefully, and give rising fish a clean shot at a small dry.

Overall, another excellent day on Bear Creek. Flows are lower than they were during the rainy stretch in May, but the fish do not seem bothered. With mayflies hatching and fish rising throughout the day, the creek is still very much worth the stop.

Flies of the Day:

sz18 CDC frenchie

sz20 parachute Adams

sz18 CDC emerger