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Henry’s Fork

Jimmy's All Seasons Angler / Henry’s Fork (Page 37)

Henry’s Fork 6-06-15

By having the Henry’s Fork running at almost 500 cfs lower flow then normal for this time of year, the hatches are beginning to occur faster from Warm River and down. Pmd’s spinner falls in the morning have been quite successful from about 10 in the morning to about 1 in the after noon. Also, caddis have been prominent in mornings and evenings. Although now with the sighting of Green Drakes, I would make sure to have them along in my box. Additionally, I would also not be afraid to fish a dry dropper with a golden stone and a small nymph. Next, the dry flies I would take are Super Chernobyl Brown size 10, Improved X-Caddis Yellow size 14 and 16, Green Drake Wulff size 10, Harrop’s Rusty Biot Spinner size 16 and 18, and finally a Harrop’s CDC PMD Biot Spinner size 16 and 18. Then for nymphs I would use a Bennet’s Brown Rubber Leg size 8, Copper John Red size 16, and Uv2 Mayfly nymph size 16.

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Henry’s Fork 6-5-15

The Henry’s Fork is currently providing some of the best fishing in the area. Let’s look at what it offers bottom to top. Below Ashton Dam PMDs and caddis life cycle are bringing action, but after the peak stonefly activity came by a few weekends ago, fish are once again looking for the big bugs, and golden stones are satisfying them especially in afternoons. Cloudy PMs bring on the BWOs. It’s the same story from Warm River to Ashton, so go with your favorite BWO, PMD, caddis, and golden stone patterns. But consider that rubber leg patterns have also been effective. Cardiac Canyon offers some great fishing, not just to those folks floating through, but also to those walking in from the Bear Gulch, Mesa Falls, Hatchery Ford, or Riverside points. Add yellow sally patterns to the “what’s effective” bunch discussed above for the Cardiac Canyon section.  The river is lower than normal here making wading a bit less dangerous. Nevertheless, take care. PMDs are coming on at Last Chance to join cloudy day BWOs, caddis, and dwindling March browns. Water coming out of Island Park Dam has been a low but steady flow of around 350 cfs for many days now. This means walk-in wading makes a better choice than dinging up that boat. In some ways this is better for encountering fish currently taking big dry stoneflies: you get more than one chance at them and can spend more time pin-pointing select locations. Further up the river, walking into the Henry’s Lake Outlet on the Flat Ranch Preserve will get you into fish as well as relative solitude. These are mostly cutthroat escapees from Henry’s Lake with a few hybrids mixed in. Remember that these are lake fish, and at first will feed on food forms familiar to them in the lake. So do not overlook leech and streamer patterns. When these fish feed increasingly on what is available in the river, spend more time with PMD and caddis life cycle patterns, and hopefully in two weeks, green drake life cycle patterns. Fish here are not present in huge numbers because a 200-300 cfs flush out of the lake was not performed earlier and flow out of the lake has been around 50 cfs for several weeks.  But there are always some big surprises in the river flowing through this Ranch.

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Henry’s Fork 5-30-15

The big stonefly hatch is about over except for some getting Coffee Pot area fish’s attention.   Golden stones are the way to go now. And don’t forget that after about a week of normal weather those big dry stonefly patterns can be effective again. For now, presenting caddis life cycle patterns can be effective in most of the waters with gradient. That means Cardiac Canyon waters and Warm River to Ashton.

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Henry’s Fork 5-26-15

Big stonefly event on the lower river is pretty much over. Just remember that several days afterwards fish will again look for the big bugs. That can be just in time for golden stoneflies to appear in big numbers.

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Henry’s Fork 5-22-15

Big stoneflies are just now beginning to emerge and fly in Box Canyon. Later this weekend should be the best time to get into fish taking them there.  From Riverside Campground down to Mesa Falls is a good bet to find fish taking the big bugs now, but be sure to have caddisfly life cycle patterns in that fly box. March brown dries still produce on the lower river.

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Henry’s Fork 5-19-15

Big stoneflies are flying everywhere in Cardiac Canyon, Warm River to Ashton, and Vernon Bridge to Chester.  As of today, they are not flying in Box Canyon, but any day now they will. Best reports we’ve had for fish responding to dry stonefly patterns come from Mesa Falls to Warm River and from Warm River to Ashton sections.

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Henry’s Fork 5-16-15

There are loads of big stoneflies out on the Warm River to Ashton section of the river, but success has been spotty recently. The same goes for the river from Vernon Bridge to Chester backwaters where action was good last weekend. The few fish we caught in both locations two days ago were stuffed full of bugs. The longer it lasts, the current cool wet weather will delay the big bugs from flying big time. But the longer it lasts, the better are chances for action to pick up on ending.  By then big bugs could be flying up the river as far as Riverside or even Box Canyon.

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Henry’s Fork 5-12-15

Big stoneflies are flying from Vernon Bridge down to top of Chester backwaters. We have reports of folks catching fish on big dries in this area.  So even though this event is about ten days early, it’s time to keep track of the adult stage moving on up the river. We have not heard of  them flying further up the river, but any day now reports will come in and we will post them.

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Henry’s Fork 5-9-15

Big buzz here is that stonefly nymphs seem to be moving in the Warm River to Ashton part of the river. So get those favorite stonefly nymph patterns into fishing shape. With our recent stormy weather we’ve also had reports of good responses to afternoon BWO emergences in both the Vernon Bridge-Chester backwater and Last Chance areas.

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Henry’s Fork 5-2-15

From Vernon Bridge to top of Chester Backwaters caddis are still emerging and fish responding. Start presenting big stonefly nymph and rubberleg patterns because the naturals are beginning to move.  With cloudy weather upcoming next week, expect better conditions for BWOs emerging. around.

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