Henry's Fork June 15-18, 2017

Date / Time: 6/15-6/18/2017. Sporadic fishing each day Location: Henry’s Fork Idaho. Ashton to Chester Day 1. Osborne to Riverside float day 2 and fun farm late evening. Logjam short session day 3. The Characters: Kory Kapaloski, Tammy, Anna, Malones Weather: Cloudy, cool, windy first day highs in upper 50s. Warming and sunny next day with highs in upper 60s. Last day nice, some partly cloudy as mid day approached. Water Temp: Likely mid 50s not checked Water Level / Tide: High water around 1760 at Ashton gauge. 850 at island park cfs, slight drop a few days before arrival. Water Clarity/Quality: Good clarity everywhere, ranch had a bit of color like normal. Moon Phase: Last Quarter Best Flies: Drake cripple size 12 or 200r 14 I think Fishing: Went up and camped at Riverside with the girls and Dave Malone’s family. We were going to do Warm River, but it was full. Got a great spot at Riverside and it worked out. Day 1: We floated with the families from Ora to Vernon on Friday. It was cool and overcast, but calm to start. Tammy was casting Anna’s princess pole and threw it in by accident right off the bat which was a bit of a rough start but quick recovery. There was heavy boat traffic including guides. Fish were sporadic even in the crowds. Fish were up in all the softer areas behind big boulders and I stuck a few decent ones on the drake cripple. Missed a big one or two. There were sporadic drakes and goldens and misclleaneous typical other stuff like pmds, caddis etc. Fish were wanting the drakes though so would eat it pretty readily. Eventually girls were over it after eating so motored down. Saw some good fish pushing through. Sent the girls back to camp after thinking I didn’t want to go nap and bugs were going pretty good. Dave didn’t join, his little one Ruby didn’t have a great time and it seemed he felt the family pressure too much. I ended up going up to a pod right across and above the ramp that I saw. Stuck a good brown there and lost it after some jumps and ending up fouled. Got another one or two out of there. Wind had started to kick in as I dropped girls and it was getting worse. Ended up being tons of Green drakes coming off with heavy wind and fewer and fewer folks. Fishing was killer and I went from pod to pod and stuck a ton of fish. Tammy picked me up at 6, but I left them rising and bugs still coming off. Brutal push out through the Chester backwater, but worth it! Day 2: Did family stuff with everyone in the morning, mesa falls and then horseback riding. I looked at the river at millionaire’s and there were some good fish up sneaky in the big slow moss bed above the side channel. Didn’t end up fishing, but bet there were more around if we had spent time looking. Ended up floating in the pram with Dave in pontoon from Osborne to Riverside, launched around 2:30 or so. Got one small one at the launch but had spotted a bigger one and done. There were super random drakes coming off , so I stuck with the cripple. As I was pushing through the upper stuff and scanning, I spotted one on the bank that looked bigger. I stopped and rowed back up and anchored, sure enough pig sipping on the edge very subtle. Put the drake over him a few drifts until I got it and he engulfed it. Stuck him and he ripped out and gave me a killer battle more bulldoggy than big runs. Landed the fish, likely low 20s or so and super fat, day maker! Moved down through below that and never really saw anything very consistent, but was kind of moving fast to get back to camp for dinner.  Spotted a couple more super selective mover on cliffs edge across from Henry’s Fork Lodge. Made a few casts to them with drake, no interest. Switched to rusty, no eats. Didn’t follow them or fish them too long, didn’t have much time. Didn’t see any others. Dave said he hooked one good fish on the streamer that caught him off guard and he lost it. Went back to camp and cooked dinner and debated going since weather was perfect for grey drake spinners down lower which had been happening with the big water year. Needed to drop Mike’s boat back which I had borrowed, so went for it. Was late, but still had an hour and a half or so. Got on water around 9. There were lots of boats and dudes and some spinners, but not tons. Ended up going down below bridge since only one other boat down there. Stuck a decent fish and lost it. Got a 15 or so inch fat, super strong brown. Spotted a bigger one lower on bank on river right so headed to that one. Put a few drifts on it with my grey drake spinner and he engulfed it. Good fight, pretty sweet 18 inch bow or so. Hooked and lost a few more after that, but it wasn’t going super good and was busy up above where more fish can hang. Day 3: Had breakfast at Angler’s lodge after dumping trailer. Looked for PMD sippers there, but nada. Sporadic bugs, but not going super good. Looked at the platform and saw one decent fish so wadered up for a last hour. Never saw that fish again, but saw one decent one initially that went down. Eventually was walking back to truck river left rock pile above the platform and spotted a good fish in the boulder seams. Worked him a bit with trusty and he was moving around a little bit, but eventually pegged him and he ate it. Stuck the fish and it was a big, looked like at least 20” pig. It rolled around and did some heavy headshaking, but after a bit came unbuttoned. I was bummed, but also happy to have stuck a good ranch fish on my last cast. Wound it up and headed home. Good few sessions and great times with the family, so definitely killer trip!