A tunnel is being blasted to send water around Ashton Dam so construction work can begin there when the reservoir water level is reduced by about 17 feet. Release of water will begin after the tunnel is completed and is certain to impact the river below. As we receive information on Ashton Dam construction and impacts on the river below we will post such information here.
Big news here is that construction will soon begin on the Ashton Dam. To begin, the reservoir will be drained by 17 feet over the near future after an outlet tunnel is blasted. We are all hoping that this will be done in a manner that will not silt the downstream river bottom. Nevertheless with increased flows of warm water, fishing will be impacted downstream likely through the Chester Dam backwater. Terrestrial patterns presented along vegetated banks, outcrops, and overhanging logs should bring interest during daytime. Evening caddis activity should bring action, too.
Flow out of Henry’s Lake has been well over 100cfs all summer, so a lot of large lake fish have been washed into the river below. Yesterday flow out of the lake was dropped to 98cfs. That means those big fish escaped from Henry’s Lake will move downstream. Want a chance to catch a really large cutt, hybrid or brookie? Try the Flat Ranch reach within the next few days. Try streamers or terrestrial patterns for the best chance to encounter these big guys.
Best way to get action up and down the river this part of the season is through using terrestrial patterns. Expect them to work very well in less frequented locations such as Hatchery Ford, above and between Mesa Falls, below Riverside campground, and above and below Coffee Pot Rapids. They certainly will be effective at Last Chance, up and down the Harriman State Park reach, and around Wood Road 16, but you will have more company presenting the same and a greater variety of life forms for fish to choose from.
Action on the lower river has slowed as is typical this time of year. With hoppers coming on, and ant and beetle pattern having been effective for a while, we have to suggest that you concentrate on presenting these. If not, try small bead head nymphs. Don’t forget that streamers at twilight can bring out that big guy.
Nymphing (your favorites with & without beads) will bring best results on the lower river. Attractors such as standard and blond humpys, royal wulffs, renegades (#12-16) will bring fish up. Be on the look out for hoppers, they should be effective very soon. For beetle and ant patterns work. And never forget to try a streamer around cover out of sunlight during evenings. When there is added cover, those big ‘bows and browns will take something looking like a minnow before they will sip a thousand #18 bugs to fill up.
Fishing on the lower river has slowed, but a good bet for action remains trying beetles and ants. Fishing on the upper river is great with beetles and ants another great choice. Warming days means evenings and mornings can offer some of the best fishing. PMDs are smaller and a few flavs remain. PM caddis are always present. Hoppers will become important soon.
Fishing during the middle of the day has slowed on the Lower Henry’s Fork. There is still good fishing during the evening hours. If you don’t mind nymphing, Warm River to Ashton is nymphing well with rubberlegs, and an assortment of beadhead nymphs. Fish are still rising to Golden Stones putting a nymph dropper below the dry fly is also a effective fishing technique. There are still good hatches of PMD and Caddis throughout the entire river system. Will not be long before the fish will be keying in on Hoppers.
Fishing on the lower river continues to slow especially below Ashton Reservoir & Dam where waters warm up before being released to the river below. Begin thinking terrestrial insects there. Hoppers are not important yet, so beetle and ant patterns will bring fish up. Fishing on the upper river has picked up and the same strategy; presenting beetles and ants is a good way to get interest from fish now that the big mayfly emergence peak is past.
Looks like the upper river has caught up to the lower river with respect to fishing success. It’s about the time during a normal season that fishing on the lower river begins to slow, even though this year has been anything but normal. Caddis and PMDs (evening spinner falls) are present in good numbers on the lower river, but nymphing is becoming more important as the best way to fish. It’s a bit early for hoppers, but with warming and drier days, ants and beetles are more active and therefore important in a trout’s diet. On the upper river a big variety of mayflies, caddisflies and terrestrials are attracting fish. PMDs and afternoon flavs are the most numerous mayflies with a few evening brown drakes emerging. And as with the lower river beetles and ants are more important.
The entire river above St. Anthony is the best fishing in the region. On the lower river flavs and PMDs are the mayflies of the moment with plentiful caddis. The gray drakes there are past their peak, and so are the green drakes. There are a few evening brown drakes and a stray golden stonefly or two. All this makes for great fun figuring out what fish are taking during the time of a visit. There are likely more flavs and brown drakes emerging on the upper river. Wood Road 16 area would be best for evening brown drakes. For afternoon flavs, try anywhere in the Harriman State Park reach. Lot’s of PMDs and caddis everywhere. So it is the same story; it’s a game of figuring out what fish are taking at a given time.