“Time is a river which sweeps me along, but I am the river; it is a tiger which destroys me, but I am the tiger; it is a fire which consumes me, but I am the fire.” ~ Jorge Luis Borges
The trout are really putting on that feed bag to stack on some extra weight before winter hits. The entire river system is fishing well and you’ll often times find yourself with relative solitude, particularly on weekdays. Low clear water, as is typical this time of year, makes it a tad easier to locate fly fishing targets. Eye candy in every direction never disappoints and the trees keep exploding with color in preparation for their big winter sleep. Brown trout get feisty and anxious as their yearly spawn ritual approaches, charging streamer patterns with reckless abandon. Yes indeed sports fans, these are the days to experience the Henry’s Fork in true fall fashion. Here’s what’s happening out on the mighty river.
BOX CANYON: 220cfs. She’s super low, but the fishing has been outstanding. Focus your efforts in deeper water around cover and present small bead head nymphs in the #16 – #22 range. Bigger offerings such as rubber legs, leeches and even the san juan worm will get plenty of attention as well. Streamers never disappoint and BWO and mahogany dries will turn fish on the lower end.
RANCH: Mahoganies, baetis, tricos and a spattering of caddis are keeping this famous reach fishing. The crowds are down, the trout are happy and it’s the most beautiful time of the year to walk around hunting fish in Harriman. The weed are still thick, play those fish fast and release them quick.
WR – A: The low clear water of this stretch has really bunched the trout up. Look for deep water transitions over shelves and present small bead heads in red, olive, black and brown. Their still looking up for hoppers and other terrestrials and the streamer fishing on cloudier days can get magical in a hurry. Bring your BWO’s too.
LOWER RIVER: The fishing through the lower beats continues to improve. The baetis and midge hatches are providing great fishing when conditions are right. Nymphing rubber legs trailed with smaller bead heads are getting plenty of attention and streamers pulled around during the low light hours are getting charged by large hangry brown and rainbow trout. These lower beats will continue to improve as we move through fall.
LAKES: Henry’s continues to improve. Some days are better than others, Strip leeches, buggers, and bigger streamer patterns. Hang a bead head midge pattern or other still water nymph pattern under an indicator in deeper water. Fish hard around the inlets and springs. The big trout of the lake are beginning to migrate to shallower water.
MADISON: The baetis are kicking in and are best on wet cloudy days. Terrestrials are still a solid option. Double nymph rigs will keep you busy through he heart of the day and the streamer fishing is getting super hot as the big browns of the Madison get frisky before their yearly dance.
YNP: Big browns are moving out of Hebgen and up the Madsion. The NE corner waters are still fishing great. The Yellowstone has slowed, but still worth a look for a shot at an over fed cutthroat. Have a fair selection of BWO’s, terrestrials, leeches and streamers.
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