Top

Henry’s Fork

Jimmy's All Seasons Angler / Henry’s Fork (Page 19)

Henry’s Fork, September 26th, 2020

Brown trout are beginning their runs to spawning areas. The best time to encounter them is in the evening or at first light in the AM. Use streamer and woolly bugger type patterns to encounter them. On windy days look for diminished aquatic insect activity.  When the wind dies and if overcast and cool weather remains the BWO, mahogany dun and midge activity will return.

Share

Henry’s Fork, September 19th, 2020

Flow out of Henry’s Lake has been cut in half. This means fish in the Flat Ranch section of the river will be moving downstream into the Henry’s Fork. Until we have a killing frost, terrestrial insect patterns will be most effective along the Last Chance-Harriman section of the river and also along the lower river.  BWO life cycle patterns remain effective everywhere as will patterns for PM caddis activity.

Share

Henry’s Fork, September 12th, 2020

Same story for the Last Chance-Harriman part of the upper river: AM trico, daytime terrestrial insect activity. Crowds have thinned considerably. Tiny BWOs are out on the lower river along with some mahogany duns. Terrestrial insects everywhere will remain active and thus available to fish until a killing frost.

Share

Henry’s Lake, September 12th, 2020

Water remains a bit discolored from the big windstorm of September 7th. Some shoreline holds a lot of uprooted weeds.Water temperature near the surface is about 60 deg. F. that temperature keeps the biggest fish in deeper water. Weather will begin cooling enough to drop water temps to levels making big fish comfortable in moving around the lake.  Better fishing days are coming!

Share

Henry’s Fork, September 5th, 2020

The cooler weather predicted for next week should cool the lower river off enough to bring on the tiny BWOs and hopefully not hurt the terrestrial bugs. Pitching streamers on this part of the river during low light conditions will become increasingly effective as we move through the fall season. Noe might be the time to start building a supply of streamers and woolly bugger types for those resident brown trout.

Share

Henry’s Fork, August 29th, 2020

Pretty much the same conditions as our report of four days ago.  With respect to the lower river, terrestrial insect patterns work during evenings and early AMs. We are closer to cooling off and the resulting tiny BWO emergence. For the upper river’s Last Chance-Harriman section, tricos in the early AM and hopper and ant patterns after they quit.  For presenting those patterns; long, drag-free floats over good holding water near banks and overhangs will bring results.  Don’t shy away from a stout (3X) tippet when doing so.  You will need it when tying into a really good fish that wants to get down in the abundant weeds.

Share

Henry’s Fork, August 24th, 2020

Pretty much the same as last week. For the lower river fish early and late in the day and concentrate on terrestrial insect and caddis life cycle patterns.  A lot of folks are fishing on the upper river where early AM tricos and daytime terrestrial insects (including ants), a few speckled duns, tiny PMDs, and later caddis and spinner falls bring action in the Last Chance-Harriman section.  Two fly nymph rigs work well in Box Canyon.

Share

Henry’s Fork, August 22nd, 2020

Hoppers are out big time on the lower river, but the fish are after them mainly in the early hours then again during evening. They are also out big time on the Last Chance-Harriman  and Flat Ranch sections river where tricos are on during morning hours with caddis during evening. As they  fade about late AM, switch to hopper and other terrestrial insect patterns (use long drag-free floats). Fishing on the Flat Ranch section is slowing down as flow out of Henry’s Lake is dropping and warming.   It’s still a good idea to have rusty spinners (#16-18) in that fly box anywhere you try the upper river.

Share

Henry’s Fork, August 15th, 2020

If you fish the river below Ashton Dam during daytime, why not just go for a swim.  In Island Park terrestrial insects are just as abundant as on the lower river. But with cooler water fish are more active in taking them. They seem to like small (#18) rusty spinners, too. Tricos should be showing in significant numbers soon. Two rig nymphs (big pattern trailed by a small one) are working in Box Canyon.  Water is dropping and warming in the Flat Ranch portion. This means larger fish there will be moving downstream.

Share

Henry’s Fork, August 8th, 2020

Hoppers are here anywhere on the river. Unless you fish late or early in the day swimming is more fun than fishing on the lower river. So head to the Last Chance-Harriman, Flat Ranch or Box Canyon sections for the best chance for action from terrestrial insect patterns. With the heat of day, consider wading wet in each of these sections.

Share