Henry's Fork Report

[troutchaser]

I just got back from a vacation trip to Idaho, so I thought I'd post a fishing report. No pics, though, I broke my camera .

I fished several sections of the Henry's Fork from Last Chance to Ashton. The Last Chance area is beautiful country, but it runs shallow and warm, which put the fish off. We moved to a section in the high water area above the lake, but it was difficult to fish. The water wasn't necessarily fast, but the bottom was silty and we sank shin-deep in it. That sort of slogging will wear a fellow out. A brief storm moved in on us here and my brother said it would be a light rain, since they rarely get Ozark's style "drench you in seconds" storms. After a very intense fifteen minutes of extremely hard rain, hail and a spectacular lightning and thunder show, we emerged from the river muddy, soaked, and humbled. So it was off with the waders again and into the truck to find the next spot.

After a brief stop at Henry's Fork Anglers and some words of advice from Mike and Chris Lawson, we went to a section where the Warm River flows into the Henry's Fork. This is gorgeous country. We worked our way around that area up to the bridge at Ashton and caught 'bows on #16 Copper Johns and Yellow Stimulators.

This is a trip worth taking, folks. The wildlife, the people and the fishing make it all worthwhile. Here are some tips from what I learned on this trip:

-Wild trout are jumpy and skittish. You have to move slow and sight fish whenever possible.

-If you can't sight fish the area, use structure to your advantage. Put your fly where you know there are fish. Look for seams between the slow and fast moving water. Trout love to hang out behind big rocks where the water is slow.

-Tossing a stimulator or a hopper pattern under overhanging brush will usually produce fish. The brush holds food and provides cover, so the trout are more confident.

-The breeze blows steadily all the time, it seems, so consider moving up a line weight. Your arm might get tired, but you'll be able to cast regardless of the wind direction. I bought a 6WF Floating Rio Grande line for my 5 Wt. Scott V2. Perfect setup for this area. Thanks to Michael at BackCountry Outfitters for recommending (and carrying) the line.

-Next time, we're going to rent a drift boat. It's only $100/day for just the boat, and you can cover more water and stop to fish with less time wasted getting in and out of a vehicle, finding the right roads, etc.

-Best of all, look around you at the scenery and the wildlife once in a while. Wild trout live in some of the most beautiful places on earth.