News and Fishing Reports

We are more than 80% into our 2008 snow season and snowpacks are still looking very good. The latest figures for the Henry's Fork drainage puts us at 111% of average for our snowpack and 106% of average for water content. Over in Montana the most recent reports show the Madison River drainage at 112% of average snowpack and 107% of average for water content. In Yellowstone National Park snow sites are showing anywhere from 110-135% of average snowpacks. These reports are down slightly from a month ago but they still represent better than average snowpacks and this is a very good thing for everyone concerned. With these kind of reports this late in the snow season I feel confident we should have good to excellent water conditions throughout the coming fishing season.

The river is open to fishing from Riverside Campground downstream to the confluence with the South Fork, with the exception of the Ashton Dam to Vernon Bridge section which remains closed until the general season opener the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. Access to the river is pretty much non-existent from Riverside Campground down to the Warm River unless you are a serious snowshoer. With all of the snow we have been getting this winter access below the Warm River is also a bit more limited than it has been the past six or seven years. Still, for those willing to put in a little effort, there has been some decent fishing to be had around the Stone Bridge area, the Highway 20 bridge, the Vernon Bridge access and at Seeley's. Try red and black tungsten beadhead Krystal and regular Zebra midges, San Juan Worms, and Glo Bugs. Afternoons have been producing some midge activity giving the dry fly fisherman the opportunity to take fish on the surface using a variety of small adult midge imitations.