As a guide here at Henrys fork Anglers I am very fortunate to work at an outfitter that gives back not only to our watershed, but to our local community. One of the events that some of our Henrys Fork Angler guides and I have been fortunate to be a part of is the Youth on the Fly. This event is coordinated by Anne Marie Emery of the Henrys Fork Foundation and Matt Lyon, former Henrys Fork Anglers shop manager and now 5th grade teacher at Ashton Elementary.
The author enjoying his day with the students
Youth on the Fly was started to introduce young kids not only to fly fishing, but to teach them about the Henrys Fork and the surrounding watersheds. The 5th and 6th graders of Ashton Elementary spend the entire school year learning about the vast aquatic insect life of the Henry’s Fork, the life cycles of the trout, and the rich history of the river. Throughout the year the youth go on field trips to learn the life cycles of the trout and actually raise their own trout in the classroom so they can study them. At the end of the year they are required to write an essay about what they have learned. The end reward is a guided trip to introduce them to the sport of fly fishing.
Tyler and his students take a short break on the river
The popularity of this project went from 8 kids and four guides last year, to 16 kids and 8 guides this year. Tyler Treece and Alex Kohn joined me to represent the guide staff at Henry’s Fork Anglers. Guides from the Trouthunter and Three Rivers Ranch also participated in the event. What amazed me and all the other guides was the students’ knowledge of the Henrys Fork ecosystem and its history as one of the world’s great trout streams.
Corportate and local sponsors provided an array of great product for the students
This year a total of 120 fish were caught and a new generation of fly fisherman was brought into our sport. I would like to thank Henrys Fork Anglers for letting me be a part of this great event and to help show the younger generation how wonderful our river really is. I would also like to thank all the local and corporate sponsors who helped contribute to the event. I am looking forward to next year!
Andy Jenkins
HFA Guide