The summer season continues to wind down and the fishing remains strong. Tricos, BWO’s and mahoganies are the prominent hatches now and the terrestrials are still out in force. The brown and brook trout are gearing up for the their fall spawning ritual, which equates to some great streamer and still water fishing in the area. The leaves are turning, the weather couldn’t be better and the crowds are at a season low. Mid thru late September is one of the finest times to enjoy the fishing here on the Henry’s Fork. Here’s what’s happening out in our neck of the woods.
BOX CANYON: The Box is flowing at 360cfs. That’s a pretty skinny flow, so plan on bumping a few rocks if you choose to float it. The nymph fishing is the most productive option right now and a rubber leg trailed by a smaller bead head nymph is tough to beat. The streamer fishing, both early and late in the day is awesome and a great way to put larger fish in the net. On the lower reaches of the canyon, watch for trout to be rising to tricos, BWO’s and terrestrials.
THE RANCH: The mahogany hatch is in full swing and providing anglers with plenty of opportunities to hook those thick ranch rainbows. Add to that tricos, PMD’s, callibaetis, baetis and a myriad of terrestrial insects and a fisherman can stay entertained all day long. We’re seeing good spinner activity early and late in the day, so be sure to have a good spinner selection in your box.
WARM RIVER TO ASHTON: Stick to the standard rubberleg to bead head nymph set up if you’re looking to put numbers in the net. Hopper dropper rigs are working too. You can also target good fish by fishing hoppers, ants or beetles tight to the bank. On cloudy days, or early and late in the day, pull streamers around structure and those big mid river boulders to move large carnivorous trout. BWO’s and caddis round out solid prospects on this stretch.
LOWER RIVER: The lower river is once again a viable option. It’s pretty weedy, but good fishing can be had. Focus your efforts with baetis and terrestrial patterns, or nymph with a rubber leg and small bead head dropper. Streamers are getting attention as well. This stretch will only get better as we see cooler day and night time temps.
HENRY’S LAKE: Henry’s is turning on and starting to fish well around the springs and creek mouths. Strip leech and bugger patterns or hang chironomids and other nymphs under an indicator. The fishing will continue to improve as more and more brook trout stack up around the creek mouth in preparation for their spawn. Strip around some bigger articulated streamer patterns to entice those heavy lake hybrids.
Stop by the TroutHunter fly shop to get all the right flies, honest advise or to score a killer deal on some late season sale items. See you soon!
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