Author: Bruce_Staples

Henry’s Fork, May 26th, 2023

As of yesterday, none of the big stone flies are flying and egg laying around the river between Ashton Dam and Chester. Presenting big stone fly nymph, rubber leg, woolly bugger types, streamer and San Juan worm patterns are likely to bring the best chances of fishing success up and down the river for a while.

In the Island Park area, Buffalo and Riverside campgrounds will be open for the Memorial Day weekend. Some loops within each may be closed in order to dry out.

Henry’s Fork, May 23rd, 2023

Big stonefly nymphs are migrating in the river from Cardiac Canyon on downstream, but if any are flying and egg laying, their numbers are small enough that trout are not yet attracted. Aquatic insect activity is several days behind across the entire Henry’s Fork drainage. Here is an item from Rob Van Kirk’s SWE report filed yesterday concerning aquatic insect activity in the drainage: “Timing of aquatic insect hatches is running around 2-6 days later than average in the upper watershed and 4-11 days later than average in the lower watershed. Given continued snow melt, increased cloudiness, cooler temperatures, and rain, I do not expect hatch timing to catch up to average any time soon.”

Back country road and campground openings are also behind for this time of the season. With Memorial Day weekend coming up, the Ashton/ Island Park Ranger District office will have the best information on road and campground openings/closures.

Henry’s Fork, May 20th, 2023

Any day now the giant then golden stone flies will be out along the lower river from Cardiac Canyon downstream to the Chester backwaters. Until these emerge, then fly and begin egg-laying activity, presenting nymph patterns of these will be effective. Caddis activity also abounds along this stretch of river. Discolored water persists from Warm River to Ashton Reservoir.