Fishing Report

On April 11^th the flow from the dam increased from about 130 cfs to 330 cfs and has remained constant since that time. This provides more holding water for trout in the Box Canyon and Last Chance area. In the canyon the best fishing has been with nymphs. Black or Brown Rubberlegs with a black, olive or red zebra nymph are good patterns to try. You might also consider a flashback pheasant tail or Two Bit Hooker. With more water in the Last Chance area dry fly fishing has picked up. The annual Baetis hatches have finally started to materialize. With warmer weather you might also start seeing some larger mayflies like the Western March Brown.

The section from Mesa Falls to the Ashton Reservoir has been a bit spotty. While there aren’t any major tributary streams this section receives quite a bit of low runoff from the local snowpack. With warm weather the water got pretty dirty but then cleaned up a little with the recent cool weather. As it warms back up it might get dirty again. The same flies recommended for Box Canyon work well in this area. Some of the best fishing on the Henry’s Fork has been from the Ashton Dam downstream to the Chester Dam. The water has remained clear with hatches of Blue Winged Olives showing up around mid-day. Recommended patterns include size 16 or 18 Sparkle Flag, Nohackle or Biot Parachute, The best action has been on cloudy days. With warm weather predicted during the week ahead we should start seeing some caddis. The best setup when these Mother’s Day Caddis are hatching is an EZ Caddis with a Partridge Caddis Emerger dropper. The best color is olive in size 16. The Hemingway Caddis is another good option. If you don’t find fish rising you can catch fish with nymphs. Along with the patterns recommended for Box Canyon you should also consider a Cocktail Nymph or Sawyer’s PT.

For the time being, runoff from Fall River has knocked out the fishing from the Chester Dam downstream. We’ll keep our eyes on this. Remember, the salmonfly hatch will get going in about a month on this section.

Currently the water is clear and fishable. The flow from Palisades Reservoir is about 2800 cfs. Normally the flows increase throughout the month of April. This is a bit of an odd year. Our bet is that the fishing will hold up through most of April while Palisades Reservoir (currently 75% full) continues to fill. However things could change depending on a variety of things.

The Upper Madison below Quake Lake has not been open for fishing at this time of year for a long time. We think it is awesome to have this great fishing opportunity again. This section has been producing some of the best fishing in the region. The best fishing has been with nymphs. Use olive, black or red zebra nymphs, Two Bit Hooker or Flashback Pheasant Tail. Glo Bugs and San Juan Worms have also been productive. Conditions could change with above normal temperatures which cause some of the tributary streams to bring turbid water but for the time being, the Madison is fishing great.