News and Fishing Reports

With the weather showing some signs of Spring, Brad Miller and I have gotten out on the water quite a bit recently.  We began in late March, swinging streamers around the Chester backwaters, and the Fun Farm and Del Rio bridges for aggressive, early season Henry's Fork fish looking to pack on a few pounds. Now we are transitioning into early season stonefly, mayfly, and midge surface activity below Vernon bridge.  Streamer fishing has started to wain lately, but fish have been susceptible to dry/drop rigs, nymphing, and the occasional dry fly. Stonefly patterns such as small, dark Hedgehogs, Green Machines, and Mr. Beams are being used to float small beads, such as Zebra midges, Baetis nymphs, or Pheasant Tails, with most of the fish coming on the subsurface patterns. Hatches of midges have been pretty consistent, but the Baetis hatches have been spotty. We've seen some Skwallas, and are expecting to see more Baetis and the start of the Rithrogenia (March Brown) hatch soon.
By Pat Gaffney