Author: René Harrop
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Reunion
For at least half of the year, my attention is leveled on the Caldera section of the Henry’s Fork in Island Park where gentle currents and mostly wadeable water are the primary characteristics of the fishery. By late fall, however, I become reunited with a different stretch of the river that…
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Connection
Like our ancestors and most other warm blood creatures, the instinct to leave the mountains of Island Park kicks in when the hours of darkness begin to noticeably exceed daylight. This typically occurs during the latter weeks of October and by Halloween we have settled back into our St. Anthony…
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Autumn
A September snow arrives silently in the high country like an uninvited guest. And while not a lasting feature of early autumn, the white messenger issues a sobering reminder of what lies directly ahead for the Henry’s Fork community. For those who are economically dependent on a busy summer…
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Tradition and the Ranch
Residents of the Last Chance angling community understand that the fly only water of the Henry’s Fork is illuminated by an international spotlight. The appearance of foreign anglers is about as routine as a PMD hatch in late June. It is a rare day when one does not encounter one or more visitors…
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The Beast
"Gareth is not an angler, he’s a bloody beast”. But it was not insult that Charles Jardine intended when describing his friend and fellow Brit Gareth Jones. Anyone who has ever fished with Gareth understands that he brings an uncommon approach to fly fishing. And while still waters are his…
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Fish of a Lifetime
Henry’s Fork Rainbow Date: June 2013 Length: 26 inches plus Rod: Scott S4 904/4 Reel: Hatch Monsoon 4 Plus Line: Airflo Elite DT4 Leader: TroutHunter 14′ (extended to 18′) Tippet: TroutHunter Fluorocarbon 6X Fly: CDC PhD Emerger size 16 In water you would recognize, this magnificent hen rose…
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Hokahe’ – A Good Day to Die
To the American Indian, a good death is as important as a good life. For the Lakota, Hokahe’ was a rallying cry for warriors preparing for battle. "It is a good day to die” is the literal translation, but in a broader society, it means I am not afraid. Bob Evans was not Indian but…
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Dividends
Like anyone with more than a casual interest in the Henry’s Fork, I watch for any clue that can help to reveal the health of its fishery. Weather and stream flow combined with observations from time spent on the water can contribute to a sense of the condition of the trout population….
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2013: Looking Forward
For several decades, it has been generally understood that fishing on the Henry’s Fork is shaped during the season when the least amount of opportunity is available. And while it is true that seasonal closures on some stretches of the river can provide relief to beleaguered trout that must…
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Henry’s Fork Browns
Imagine broad, clear water meandering gently through open meadows ablaze with wildflowers harboring a host of nesting bird life. When copious hatches of aquatic insects and the presence of sizable rainbow trout are added to the picture, you arrive at the conventional perception of the…