Henry’s Fork

Henry’s Fork 6-22-19

Green and grey drakes, flavs and PMDs are coming out on the lower river,  fish are hitting these very well, and word is out.  This shifts fly-fishers from the upper river as well as bringing in those in waiting.  So both places are well attended.  Looking for a Henry’s Fork location with fewer fly-fishing attendees but with good fishing?  Try the river in the Nature Conservancy’s Flat Ranch. It’s really the Henry’s Fork according to the USGS even though the rest of us call it Henry’s Lake Outlet.

Henry’s Fork 6-18-19

The lower river offers the most consistent fishing with green drakes, PMDs, golden stones, and caddis all offering action for dry fly enthusiasts. If nymphing is preferred, rubber legs with small bead head droppers, or bead head  nymph patterns by themselves and evening time streamers suffice. Best fishing here is above Chester Dam because Fall River  contributes run-off.   With less variable weather fishing in the upper river would become more consistent.

Henry’s Fork 6-15-19

Harriman State Park opens today and you can bet that the river within is well populated with fish, fly-fishers, and flying insects (PMDs, increasing green drakes, wind-blown stoneflies, & caddis). A less human-crowded alternative is the lower river where green drakes, PMDs, golden stones, caddis and  left-over giant stoneflies are providing good fishing.

Henry’s Fork 6-11-19

The  Highway 20 road construction on Ashton Hill replaces about four miles of damaged pavement. Travel is down to one lane and flaggers hold back traffic with delays up to twenty minutes depending on flow. This situation could extend through the summer. Consider at least during morning taking the Mesa Falls Scenic Highway to avoid delays and get to fishing destinations (including Yellowstone Park, Henry’s Lake, and Montana waters) on time.  On doing so you will see wind-blown stone flies along the Mesa Falls Scenic Highway for a while. It’s a tip that fish are likely full of them in the Cardiac Canyon stretch.  So come back there in about a week or so when fish will be looking for them again.  Meanwhile, they are in Box Canyon and likely around at Coffee Pot. Up and down the river fish also key on AM & PM caddis activity.  Green drakes will be arriving soon.  Adult stone fly patterns, giant and golden, remain effective during the first days of fish responding to green drake activity whether on the upper or lower river.

Lost Net

I lost a Snake River Net Company Owyhee net below the Ashton dam. I am checking with local shops to see if anyone has seen/picked in up. My name, Colby Burr,  is etched on it.  Please contact me if you find it: [email protected].

 

The Ora Bridge project requires additional blasting that puts the parking lot in range of debris. On Tuesday, June 11th there will be a parking lot closure at Ora from 2-4 pm. No new vehicles will be permitted into the site from 2-4 pm. HFF staff will be on hand that morning to answer questions. There will be limited parking near the boat ramp for those who cannot complete a shuttle prior to blasting or who are wading in at Ora.

All anglers wading in or floating the river right next the bridge will also need to exit the river or float downstream prior to blasting.

Henry’s Fork 6-8-19

Big stoneflies are flying and laying eggs in Box Canyon.  This has helped thinned out the fishing pressure on the lower river. Some of the big stoneflies remain flying on the lower river and golden stoneflies to begin doing the same any day now followed by green drakes. Do not overlook early and late day caddis activity anywhere on the river.  If you want to escape the stonefly madness, consider trying the river on the Flat Ranch Preserve. We call it ” Henry’s Lake Outlet”, but the USGS calls it the “Henry’s Fork.”  Most of the larger fish within it are Henry’s Lake escapees, so present what you would in Henry’s Lake for now.

Henry’s Fork 6-4-19

The big fly-fishing event in the area, as expected this time of year, is  giant and golden stone fly emergence. The big bugs should be flying & egg dropping as far upstream as Riverside by now.   With the predicted good weather  for next few ays, they are likely to be soon doing the same in Box Canyon. Best dry fly strategy for finding where fish are taking them is to walk or boat down to where they are rising.   Some big stonefly activity is also ongoing in the lower river, but early and late day caddis activity seems to be just as interesting to resident trout.

Henry’s Fork 5-25-19

From just above Chester backwaters to Bear Gulch in lower Cardiac Canyon stonefly nymphs are moving big time, and some are on the shoreline just waiting for enough sunshine to molt into adults, make whoopee, and go back to the water to lay eggs.  If you have any connections with ” Ma Nature” try to convince her to produce enough sunshine to warm us up so all these big bugs get going!  Trout and fly-fishers are waiting!

Henry’s Fork 5-21-19

Everyone is anticipating the big stonefly event, and it will happen for sure. However, Mother Nature has decided to put it in the “delay mode” by giving us cool and rainy weather for a while. Nymphs are moving, so any rubber leg, wooly bugger, or stonefly pattern fished not far out in the river will bring interest from resident trout.  Any adult stonefly out now, if any, is hunkering down waiting for enough warmth to give it some “get up and go.” When warmer weather happens you will see bugs flying and soon after rise forms in the river that will make top water fishing hard to resist.  Just be patient!

Henry’s Fork 5-18-19

Fall River flow is very high and discolored because of recent warm weather.  This means forget about fishing the Henry’s Fork below Chester Dam until Fall River subsides.  On the Henry’s Fork from Warm River to Chester backwaters presenting streamer patterns seems to give best results when compared to presenting big nymph patterns. This could be temporary because big stonefly nymphs are beginning to migrate toward banks and trout will soon take notice big time.

Henry’s Fork 5-14-19

A great technique to try if you are float-fishing is to concentrate presentations on the bank out of the sunlight. Drift by and present streamer, rubberleg and such as super-x patterns in towards the bank.  This technique has been working well on the river from the Warm River confluence to the Fun Farm bridge.

Now is also the time when big stonefly nymphs begin migrating toward banks, so fish will begin concentrating there, especially during low light conditions.  So here is another reason for paying attention to fishing bank side waters whether wading or float-fishing.  It is only a matter of several days before the big stoneflies begin flying to return to the river to lays eggs and become the reason for some superb top water fishing!