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Henry’s Fork

Jimmy's All Seasons Angler / Henry’s Fork (Page 36)

Henry’s Fork 8-4-15

AM and PM spinner falls and daytime terrestrial insects (particularly ants and hoppers) are providing most of the action on the upper river. So have patterns for these available. Are you fishing the river in Harriman State Park just before and after sunset? Don’t be shy about offering a hair mouse pattern along grassy banks especially if deeper water is nearby. Big Daddy may be waiting!  In middle reaches of the river terrestrial insect and caddisfly life cycle patterns rule the effectiveness roost, particularly during PM hours. On the river below Ashton Dam warmer waters are present, so early in the day visits require spinner patterns, rusty and otherwise.  Caddisfly and terrestrial insect patterns are appropriate for later in the day. Also be sure to have streamer patterns ready as sundown comes about.

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Henry’s Fork 7-28-15

It’s time to break out those terrestrial patterns for fishing the upper river. Except for speckled duns, upcoming tricos, and late season BWOs, the big mayfly emergences are over. Long drifts of ant, hopper and beetle patterns in front of bank side cover where water has some depth will one of the best places to target.  Breezes will help not only to help obscure your presence, but help drop bugs into the water.

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Henry’s Fork 7-21-15

This morning flow out of Island Park Dam was increased by 900 cfs to 2000 cfs to test low-head hydro turbines at Chester Dam. Flow will remain at 2000 cfs for two-three days, then at least by Friday, July 24th, should be returned to around 1000 cfs.  Because of this near doubling in flow, take caution while wading and consider that there will be some reaction from fish.  By this coming weekend, fishing success should return to what it was last weekend. By then consider that hopper and other terrestrial insect patterns are going to be increasingly important occupants in your fly box anywhere along the river.

If you wish to get away from the effects of the flow increase, consider trying the river (Henry’s Lake Outlet to some folks) in the Flat Ranch Preserve. Flow out of Henry’s Lake Dam is nearly 100 cfs,and cooling effects on shallow, slow running water through nighttime heat radiation help fish stay active.  Therefore morning spinner falls can bring good responses from them and terrestrial insect activity should interest them well into daytime hours.

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Henry’s Fork 7-18-15

There are plans to significantly increase the flow out of Island Park Dam on July 22nd-23rd in order to test turbines at the Chester Dam low head hydro facility during July 23rd-24th.  This short but significant increase is sure to temporarily impact fishing on much of the river. Final figures on flow will not be established until Monday, July 21st.  When we see more information on this action, we will post such here.

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Henry’s Fork 7-11-15

As is usual this time of year, fishing on the river from Ashton Dam downstream has slowed as waters have warmed significantly. Early AM spinner falls and evening caddis activity can bring some action. Also try streamers at twilight.

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Henry’s Fork 7-4-15

Drake hatches in the Last Chance-Harriman stretch are pretty much over.  Now it is on to flavs with PMDs. During these hot dry days fishing early morning spinner falls with your favorite rusty spinner pattern is not only pleasant but productive. The river below Ashton Reservoir is warming meaning slowing action. Evening caddis activity and AM spinner falls is best time to fish. Below Chester Dam irrigation demands have lowered and warmed the river to the point it’s hardly worth a visit.  There is some action on the Flat Ranch section of the Henry’s Lake Outlet section for those folks using PMD life cycle and dry damselfly patterns.  But if a bigger early season flush had taken place a lot more fish would be present.

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Henry’s Fork 6-23-15

The Last Chance-Harriman State Park reach of the river is crowded, and rightfully so. One way to beat the crowds is to try the early morning or evening spinner fall.  Green drakes and PMDs are going strong, and caddis are everywhere.  Any day now brown drakes in the evening will become significant. On the lower river, Warm River to Ashton and below Ashton Dam, caddis and PMDs and diminishing golden stoneflies attract fish. As with the upper river, ant and beetle patterns fished near banks will interest fish. It looks like this will be a lean year for gray drakes in the evenings, but this time of day can be great for presenting streamers around stream side cover out of direct sunlight.

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Henry’s Fork 6-20-15

Green drakes are beginning to fade out on the lower river.  Not many gray drakes have made an appearance to date. Hopefully that is changing. PMD and caddis life cycle patterns are working just fine.

On the upper river green drakes are coming on but not yet peaked. PMD activity is good and attracting fish.  Flow out of Island Park Dam was raised on Thursday from 1000 cfs to 1160 cfs and is holding there. There are likely as many fly-fishers as fish in the Last Chance-Harriman State Park stretch of river with fewer visits in the Harriman East, Riverside and Coffee Pot  stretches.

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Henry’s Fork 6-16-15

PMDs, Green Drakes and flavs are bringing fish up on the lower river. We have not heard much to date about gray drakes emerging in significant numbers. Flow out of Island Park Dam was raised to 1000 cfs last Friday. It has been stable since then meaning better conditions for good green drake activity, and we have had a few reports saying fishing success has improved around Last Chance as a result. The river in Harriman State Park opened to fishing yesterday. We have not heard much of success yet, but we will soon.

Flow out of Henry’s Lake, which lately features slow fishing, is up to 80 cfs. This means some reasonable fishing could be had in the Flat Ranch portion of the river. Green drakes, PMDs, and caddis activity will bring fish up. Much better fishing would have resulted had a flush of around a couple hundred cfs happened earlier this spring.

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Henry’s Fork 6-13-15

Seems like everything fishing is early this year, and that is the case with Henry’s Fork green drakes.  Both have been out for a while on the lower river. Now they are out in good numbers on the upper river. Plenty of PMDs, too. The Harriman State Park section of the river opens Monday, June 15th, and you can bet that with good numbers of green drakes out now fish will be keying on them. But here’s a tip: consider trying a big dry stonefly pattern. Want to know why? Yes the stonefly event is over, but a few still hang around, and wind (like we had yesterday) blows them into the Harriman part of the river from Box Canyon above and Cardiac Canyon below.  The older fish know what they are. Need I say more? Same strategy works anywhere canyon reaches  holding big stoneflies are adjacent to habitat favored by green drakes; ie Firehole River, Lewis River, Fall River Basin streams.  Not many gray drakes on the lower river, yet. Let’s see what  kind of numbers will happen in this low water year.

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