Blog

Box Canyon: Water releases from the Island Park Dam remain well below normal for this time of year. Present flows out of the dam are at 625 cfs which is about 300 cfs below average. These lower releases have made for some great fishing conditions for both the float and wading fishermen. The fish are concentrated in the deeper runs and pools which are mostly in the middle of the river as it flows through the canyon. Anglers have been enjoying great success dead drifting smaller sized Rubber Legs with tungsten beadhead droppers through these runs and pools. Streamers have also produced some nice fish over the past week or so. Some of are favorite patterns for the "Box" include brown, black and coffee & black size 8 Rubber Legs, red and black size 16 and 18 tungsten beadhead Krystal Zebra Midges, brown and red size 16 and 18 tungsten beadhead standard Zebra Midges and size 16 tungsten beadhead Flashback Pheasant Tails. Some of our favorite streamers include olive & white Double Bunnies, olive Sculpins and olive & white and tan & white Clouser Minnows.

Last Chance/Railroad Ranch/Wood Road: Fishing on this section of the river has been nothing short of excellent for the past week to ten days. The presence of Green Drakes, PMD's, Flavs, Brown Drakes and caddis have fish of all sizes on the move. The Green Drake hatch this year has been incredible. John McDaniel, well known local angler, guide and author of a soon to be published treatise on the Henry's Fork, was overheard the other day saying this has been the best Green Drake hatch he has seen in years. It's still not to late to get in on the Green Drake hatch if you’re here in the next few days but it should start to wind down soon after. Don't despair, the Brown Drakes have just started and we should be fishing this super hatch over the next week to ten days. Flavs, or Small Western Green Drakes, are really ramping up.  Flavs are the favorite hatch of many Ranch regulars and should provide some great fishing over the next few weeks. For the foreseeable future PMDs and caddis will be on the water and don't forget your beetles and ants. The "Ranch" is just flat fishing very, very well so far this year. I would like to believe that a good reason for this upturn in the strength of the hatches and the fishing is due in great part to the good winter flows we have enjoyed over the past couple of years. Kudos to those individuals who came together to forge a plan that has allowed for what appears to be a good water management plan for the upper Henry's Fork.

Riverside to Hatchery Ford: As I have repeatedly reported over the years this is a great place to go to get away from the crowds and enjoy some no frills flyfishing. The fish are usually not of trophy size but what they lack in size they make up for in numbers and beauty.

Cardiac Canyon to Warm River: Because of the ever present rain showers we have been having not many fishermen have ventured onto this somewhat remote section of the river. However, for those adventurous few who have, the fishing has been very good.

Warm River to Ashton: Not much has changed on this section of the river since my last report. That is to say, it is still fishing very well with dries, nymphs and streamers. Pick your favorite way to flyfish and head for this section of the Henry's Fork and have some great summer fun.

Ashton to Saint Anthony: Fishing on this part of the river has picked up considerably since my last report. This is due primarily to the arrival of the Gray Drake hatch. Best fishing with Gray Drake duns and spinners has been in and around the Chester and Fun Farm backwaters and from the Fun Farm Dam down to and beyond the town of Saint Anthony. There have also been some caddis, PMD's and Flav's present on this section of the Henry's Fork. Fishing down here should continue to get better as the PMD and Flav hatches intensify.

Henry's Lake: Fishing on the lake has ranged from excellent to good depending on what technique you choose to use. The chironomid fishermen continue to due very well out on the lake while the leech fishermen are only fairing so, so. As we enter the month of July we should start to see the damsel nymphs begin to get more active and fishing should improve greatly for the damsel nymph and leech fishermen.