Damselfly nymphs are very active on all reservoirs to the southeast (Chesterfield, Daniels, Hawkins, Springfield, Treasureton, Twenty-Four Mile), and patterns simulating them are producing very well. No reports of damselflies hatching big time yet, but fish are also taking midge pupa patterns on all these places. When we hear of big time damselfly hatches, we will pass that info on here.
Any stream not draining high country such as the Teton Range, the southwestern parts of the Madison and Pitchstone Plateaus of Yellowstone Park, or subject to an increase in irrigation water are currently in great fishing condition. Some of these include Willow Creek (tribs are closed until July 1), South Fork of the Madison River, Palisades Reservoir tributaries (catch & release for cutthroat trout), Warm River and Buffalo River. With action heating up on the Henry’s Fork and the South Fork, these make great alternatives with good fishing and a better chance of solitude. Come into the shop and let us advise as to which may be best to visit.
The water flows have leveled off at 10,300 cfs. The nymphing and streamer fishing is really good right now. The water temp is still pretty cold but the fish are beginning to move into the riffles and the banks. Right now Rubberlegs and a san juan worm have been killing it. Various other bead heads have been working as well. If you don’t mind nymphing the South Fork is an awesome place to fish right now and avoid crowds. This is a great oppertunity to do an overnighter as well. I have a feeling we will be seeing an early hatch this year for the Salmon flies. So get ready!
The Henry’s Fork is fishing really good right now! The Salmon flies have moved through the lower river and are up into Box Canyon. However the Fish are still looking up and are still eating big stonefly patterns on the surface. Chernobyl Ants have been working the best for stonefly imitations on the surface. The Golden stones are starting to emerge and there has been some Yellow Sallies and PMD’s hatching on the lower river as well. Things are about to come into full swing on the Henry’s Fork. This is prime time to be fishing up there.
The fishing is pretty good on the South Fork right now. It’s all nymphing and streamer fishing. No dry flies yet. Look for fish on the seam lines and in the tailouts of riffles. The water is still pretty cold so a moderately slow retrieve is effective for streamer fishing. Stonefly nymphs, San Juan worms, and pheasant tails have been working well. Go deep on those nymph rigs 7-8 feet should get you on the bottom.
Flows have been dropped down to 11,400 cfs today. We were informed it would hold steady at 13,000 cfs however the demand for irrigation must not be there to warrant the higher flows. Once flows level out we will report it here. As for now if you want to get away from the crowds chasing dry flies on the Henry’s Fork, Rollin says he and a friend were the only boats on the river yesterday.
Lots to talk about for the Henry’s Fork. The Salmon flies are still hatching. There are really good numbers above Warm River through the Canyon. Walking into Hatchery Ford or Riverside is a great idea for wade fishing. The Box Canyon has very few Salmon flies as of yesterday. Nymphs are all over the banks and that section is literally going to explode any day now.
As far as the lower river goes the majority of the hatch has moved through. Warm River to Ashton still seems to have more Salmon flies that below Ashton dam. However fish are still feeding on them. I was between Ora and Vernon yesterday from 2-6pm and we caught fish on Dries and I saw many fish rise while floating with my family. Other insects flying were lots of caddis, some Yellow Sallies, and a few PMD’s. These bugs will continue to hatch during the next few weeks and expect the fish to key into those hatches.
If your looking for a shuttle on the Henry’s Fork Idaho Irresistible in Ashton does a great job.
This time last year Henry’s Lake Outlet was full of escapee trout from the lake. Flows as high as 300 cfs had flushed these into the outlet, and good fishing resulted down into the Flat Ranch well into the summer. Fewer fish are in the Outlet this year because flows out of the lake have not exceeded 80 cfs. Unless there is a flush out of the lake equal to that of last year, fishing will be slower here this year. If a significant increase if flow out of the lake happens, we will report it here because such an event would have a good impact on fishing.
Best days are ahead on almost all still waters, but try them before irrigation demands set in. Both Chesterfield and Daniels reservoirs are several feet low. This is not the best situation for going into the irrigation season. Twenty-Four Mile, Springfield, and Hawkins reservoirs appear to have full pools, so these should remain in good shape well into the irrigation season. For now try midge life cycle and damselfly nymph patterns on all these. When fishing on these reservoirs picks up, we will report such here.
The big attention getter right now is the giant stonefly “hatch.” Folks come from far and wide to try for that big fish through using a big dry fly. So some locations can become quite crowded. Knowing this, I seek out locations sure to be less crowded. Yesterday I walked into Hatchery Ford from Highway 20 to fish the west side of the river. Two fly-fishers had walked in from the east side boat access, but they left early. Only three boats came by ( that won’t happen at Box Canyon, Warm River to Ashton or Ora to Chester!) during the time I fished. Action began just after 2PM when big bugs were warmed enough to fly and deposit eggs. Some olive duns, BWOs, midges and a number of caddis species were also active, but only small fish responding to them. I did not catch a big number of fish, but had two “hogs.” All fish I caught appeared to be in early stages of keying on the big bugs. None were “full of bugs.” Based on this experience I recommend that during the next few days Riverside Campground to Hatchery Ford will offer some terrific fishing with adult stonefly patterns whether you fish from a boat or by wading.
Yellowstone Park’s fishing season opens today, so it is time to pass on some information on fishing there this time of year. The Firehole River will be the stream drawing the most attention for a while with legendary BWO and caddis activity (Don’t overlook presenting dragonfly and damselfly nymph patterns on slower reaches). Gibbon River, Duck and Cougar creeks are in fishing condition. The Madison River will host a few Hebgen Lake rainbows heading home, but better fishing days there are around the corner. The Ashton-Flagg Road will not open until the end of June, so those great fisheries east of Calf Creek Hill along the Park’s south boundary are not accessible until then. You can walk into Bechler Meadows and even fish some of Fall River Meadows, but high water will limit you big time. The best days fishing in the Park are ahead, and we will keep you well informed of their arrival and progress on this web site.