Henry’s Fork, May 18th, 2021

The giant stone flies are out big time from Ashton Dam to Chester. Fish have been on them for a few days, so expect the best activity to be moving up the river. Also expect plenty of company from boats to walk-in wade anglers throughout the lower river especially on weekends. Right now the best place to avoid crowds on the lower river would be to hike down Bear Gulch and fish upstream.  Hard sided boats are not allowed for accessing the river from the trail below Lower Mesa Falls, but rafts can be eased down the trail and launched.  Thus an occasional raft will go by to take out at Stone Bridge.  Few anglers take time to walk down the mile or so to access the river at Bear Gulch.  With relatively low water currently in the river, use caution if you are taking a raft down the trail below Lower Mesa Falls. Be aware that small but dangerous Surprise Falls can easily flip a raft and that rocky areas just below the surface are abundant and there is no easy access out of the river down to Bear Gulch.

A good strategy for fishing the lower river is to wait several days after the peak of the hatch passes a given lower river location.  This allows fish time to digest captured big stone flies, then return to that location where fish will be looking for a repeat. Through doing such most anglers will be upstream in places such a Box Canyon and the Coffee Pot area.