Cold water temps slow fishing everywhere on the river. Access remains good, especially upstream from the Shelley-Firth area and flow is at normal seasonal amounts.
Below American Falls Dam access is not quite as good at certain locations thanks to some snow banks. The closer you get to the dam, access improves, but you will have more fishing company. River flow is around 300 cfs there. Streamers, woolly bugger types, and big rubber leg patterns seem to bring most success anywhere on the river. Fish these deep with either sink tip or full sink line.
That facial slice resulting from a Clearwater River client errant cast a few years back has healed, but Ken sports it as a mark of a “passionate steelheader”. Ken is our most renowned steelheader to the point that he has guided for these fabled fish on the Clearwater River via Clearwater River Company for years and has great experience on our Salmon River and other famed fisheries. He does all this during the Fall season but takes time to enjoy “steelies” on his own. In fact, after working for many fishing related businesses, he has retired to be able to fish when the urge beckons. During the off-season he returns to fly tying, not only for steelhead, but also for trout patterns. Having grown up in Swan Valley, the South Fork was on his doorstep. he began his fly fishing and fly ting there(Ken remembers fishing the South Fork before Palisades Dam was built). All this gives Ken a range of experience to be hired as a guide as well as a tier of patterns, including his own creations in demand for that river. Ken has demonstrated his fly tying skills at Jimmy’s, other area shops, the Eastern Idaho Fly Tying and Fly Fishing Expo, and other fly fishing shows around in the west. Generous, personable, and experienced to the extreme, Ken will be sharing his fly pattern ideas for steelhead and inland trout and how to present each during his demo.
Ice is five to six inches thick, so plenty safe for walking, skiing, etc. December is historically best month for ice fishing success, so about three or so more weeks for to enjoy at best level.
With flow out of Mackay Dam is down to 67 cfs, fish are concentrated in deep water below where nymph fishing is productive. Tough access makes skis or snow shoes a must, and middle of the day is most suited for fishing.
Lance Egan has had a passion for fly-fishing for nearly 30 years and has made a career of fly-fishing. Having worked for an all tackle store, 2 independent fly shops, and 12 years with Cabela’s he has worked with thousands of anglers and aided each in learning more about the fish they intend to catch, along with teaching them the benefits and advantages of various types of tackle and rigging. All the while, Lance has been a student of the sport and continues to learn about the intricacies of fishing. Currently, Lance works for Fly Fish Food, an online and storefront fly-fishing retailer in Orem, Utah, as the shop manager. In addition to his fly shop duties he is a Signature Fly Designer for Umpqua Feather Merchants, and, Lance, along with Devin Olsen, and Gilbert Rowley, created instructional fly-fishing videos available as digital downloads from Vimeo.com or as DVD’s (Modern Nymphing, Modern Nymphing Elevated, and Adaptive Fly Fishing). Lance is also the co-host of the Newb And The Knower fly fishing podcast. Lance lives in Lehi, Utah, with his wife, Autumn, and their two children.
Lance is a 3-time National Fly-Fishing Champion, 2-time ESPN Great Outdoor Games Fly-Fishing Champion, Fly-Fishing Masters Champion, Teva Mountain Games Fly-Fishing Champion, 3-time Utah Single Fly Champion and a current member of Fly-Fishing Team USA. With Team USA, Lance has represented America 15 times at the World Fly-Fishing Championships and is a 3-time World Fly-Fishing Championships medalist (1 Team Silver, 1 Team bronze, and 1 individual bronze).
Lance is a pro staff member of Scientific Anglers, Hyde Drift Boats, Flycraft USA, and often works with various fly-fishing companies to help design rods, lines, waders, boots etc. Social media channels for Lance include Facebook (Lance Egan), and Instagram (@lanceeganflyfishing).
During his Saturday demo at the shop, beginning at 10:30 AM, Lance will focus on tying patterns offered by Umpqua Feather Merchants, Fly Fish Food and in his DVDs, For certain he will offer” how to fish” information on each.
Access is declining. For example, the River Road above the Table Rock Road is closed to motorized access. Boat launch facilities are becoming snowed in ( Spring Creek) or low water makes dragging boats across river substrate (Conant Valley).. Flows remain at “maintenance levels”: about 900 cfs at both Irwin and Lorenzo, and a little better, 1300 cfs at Heise.
Headlines From Dr. Rob Van Kirk’s Henry’s Fork Drainage Water Status Report Filed on November 30th.
Another dry day dropped water-year precipitation to 93% of average and SWE to 49% of average, as we await a large winter storm forecast to arrive in the watershed late tonight.
At an average outflow of 226 cfs, Island Park Reservoir gained 395 ac-ft yesterday and is 86% full, compared to 63% full on average.
Outflow from Island Park Reservoir will be increased by roughly 165 cfs tomorrow.
Some fishing closures begin on December 1st in IDF&G’s Upper Snake and Southeast Idaho regions.
The Henry’s Fork in Harriman State Park, Sand Creek Ponds, Blackfoot River tributaries above Blackfoot River Reservoir, and Fish Haven Creek are included. Portions of Silver Creek also close to fishing on December 1st. Refer to to the 2022-2024 Seasons and Rules booklet to see these.
As with the Henry’s Fork below Ashton Dam, water temps are dropping to a level where fish are less active. Brown trout are still in a spawning mode, so streamers of choice are still effective when presented away from redds. Don’t overlook such patterns as rubber legs and San Juan Worms.
A gated closure to all motorized vehicles from the River Road-Table Rock Road junction upstream by the US Forest Service will begin December 15h to protect wintering wildlife. Access via skis and snowshoes is permitted as fishing remains open on the river.
