“The west now often sees more rain and less snow, which also hurts fly fishing. Melting snowpack supplies cool water to streams for weeks or months. When a heat wave or heavy rain melts the snowpack, it leads to runoff and lower water levels later in the summer. 

Too little stream flow means the water is warmer, and that lowers oxygen levels, which can cause fish kills and prompt restrictions against taking fish after a certain time of day to prevent the fish from dying when they’re released back into the water. Shipley said the same water conditions that affect the fish also can affect the aquatic insects. 

Higher temperatures and less moisture exacerbate droughts and contribute to the bigger wildfires plaguing the west. The Congressional Research Service recently reported the number of acres burned in the U.S. is more than double what it was 25 years ago. 

The aftereffects of fires can bring changes to streams for years, in addition to the temporary disruptions from smoke and ash. Intense fires leave burn scars on slopes, with fewer trees and shrubs to stop heavy rains from flooding down the slope and washing mud and silt into nearby rivers and streams. A highway near Deeter’s home still closes occasionally when heavy rain washes debris onto the road from a burn scar left by a fire several years ago.

Warmer temperatures and changes in snowpack also harm the habitat of the revered cutthroat trout found in western North America and are allowing a non-native species of introduced rainbow trout to move in and take advantage.”