Henry's Fork Report - August 29, 2024

Henry’s Fork Streamflows

Island Park Dam:  594 cfs

Ashton Dam:  1360 cfs

St. Anthony:  873 cfs

Fall River:  304 cfs

With cooler weather and water temperatures, the Henry’s Fork is coming along, decent to good fishing is being found in most reaches for anglers that are watching weather and strategizing accordingly.  Look for late mornings to 5 or 6pm to be the window of opportunity with these cold mornings and warm days.  Water clarity is good in most reaches, with a little bit of turbidity found just below Island Park Dam.  Cool mornings and warm days make for hatch activity in the late morning hours and terrestrial activity in the afternoons.  The coming weeks are some of the most beautiful days of the year, get out there and enjoy them!

Box Canyon

Flows are low enough to make the features of the Box Canyon easily read and more effectively fished with a variety of weights and techniques.  Indicator nymph rigs are the most effective choice, and can be fished with B or BB split shot or weightless in the shallow reaches.  Generally, fly choices should be small and suggestive of midges, small mayflies, small caddis, and stoneflies of a variety of sizes.  As we enter the later season, trout are feeding on smaller flies and not moving as far for food, remember that hook sets are free and anglers should be looking for the slightest of clues that a trout has eaten their fly.  We’re liking red and brown Zebra Midges #14-20, PTs, Tactical R/L PTs, Split Cases, Hare/Copper, HP Partridge Caddis Pupa #16-20, Rubberlegs, 101 Stones, and Two Bit Goldens #8-12 and SJWs in red or claret #10-12.  Peridgons are a good choice as well, we’re using the Spanish Bullet, Bullet Quill, Olive Hot Spot, Frenchie, Red Jig Napoleon and Jakes SH Perdigon #16-20.  Streamers will work in there as well in the upper reaches or when cloudy weather takes over, try an olive/black or black BFE #4-8, Copper Zonker #4-6, or an Olive Bouface #6.

Railroad Ranch

The Ranch has seen an increase in activity this past week and we hope to see the same rate of increase for the week to come.  Like a VW Vanagon that has struggled up and is now cresting the Ashton Hill, headed into the caldera, the Ranch is picking up pace slowly and will soon begin to find its rhythm with early fall fishing.  It won’t be as explosive as the 65 mile per hour, pedal to the medal start back in June, but it will increase from its current state and settle into a groove of large trout rising to small dry flies.  Don’t expect major changes immediately, instead look for generally increasing activity for rising fish.  We are seeing decent hatches of tricos, some PMDs, honey ants and their accompanying small,  winged black ant amigos, some caddis, callibaetis, and a good number of grasshoppers around.  Look for the arrival of Mahogany duns this week and more of the same to persist.  The prepared Ranch angler will arrive with a decent selection of small spinners in black, rusty, gray and cream, we like the Copenhaver’s as well as Harrop’s Paraspinner and CDC Biot Spinners in #14-20.  Small HF Caddis, Iron X Caddis, and Partridge Caddis in #16-20 are good bets as well.  Harrop’s and Heames’ Honey Ants and Shimazaki Ants #14-20 are essential as well as a few of your favorite hopper patterns #8-12.  Targets are sparse, at times short-lived, and tricky.  The ritual of flyfishing is in full effect here and will be in the weeks to come, even better.

Canyon Country

These are some of the finest days of the year to enjoy the canyon sections of the Henry’s Fork;  mornings are brisk and the days stunning.  These remote sections are a wonderful way to have a wilderness experience and a fun day’s fishing.  We generally fish these water with a dry/dropper rig but a streamer rig or plain old dry fly can be a good bet as well.  In these flows, there is lots of fishable water and everything is more easily read.  Remember that excellent oarsmanship is a must and rafts are recommended, if not required.

Warm River to Ashton

This piece of water just loves the early fall season, and accommodates varying skill levels as well as different techniques.  Indicator nymph rigs are the norm here, but a grasshopper pattern fished well in the afternoon hours can produce interesting fishing, as can a streamer fished in the morning hours.  Choose your own adventure and pick the rig you want to throw, see what you can come up with!

Below Ashton Reservoir

Fishing down here is still fairly sparse, but should begin to pick up slowly over the next two weeks.  Anglers are relying on streamers and grasshoppers down here and are reminded to keep a close eye on water temperatures, once it hits 70 degrees, these sections really begin to slow down.  Morning forays are best, and with the sunny weather in the forecast, anglers should consider a plan B for the afternoons.

Get out there and enjoy!