Drakes?

And just like that, in the blink of an eye, June on the Henry's Fork is over.  Another 11 1/2 months of waiting begins.  Waiting for what, I'm not quite sure of, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't already anticipating June 15, 2024.  Now on to the news.

The farmers haven't called for water yet, so the flow remains low, really low at 600-650.  Its fantastic for wade fishing, I can walk just about anywhere.   Coupled with peak season crowds however, and the fish are spooky and not very willing to rise, even when there's bugs.  I fished the bottom of the box, Last Chance, the upper Ranch, Millionaires, and below Osborne.  I'm pretty sure the masses had the rest of it covered.  Just a fish here and there for the most part, and not much of that.  The river is still not healthy.  Even in the low clear water I'm not seeing or spooking as many fish.  Fewer fish, fewer bugs.  And that's the way it is.

Brown drakes?  No sign of them.  The water is warm, and a couple of nights really seemed right.  Green ones?  For an hour or two late morning, a brief appearance in the right spots.  The gulls get most of 'em.

Ultra Low.  Posted July 1 from Livingston.  See what they did today!

New log?

Peak Season at Last Chance

Plenty of people, plenty of gulls

I've been fishing this rock since 1983.  Sometimes its hard to even wade to.  Its always fishy, even today.

Rusty's post.  I missed one, twice, on both drake patterns, just above it.  That was the morning.

The fine pool at the end of the Box.  Not a fish in sight this morning.

Green Drake water.  The gulls know it.

Speak of the devil.

Still the best match for me.  It got ate more often than not when I could find a target

A good follow-up to the spider.

Meh, well, I got a couple eats on it.

The best fly I own.  Evening fly on this trip.

Waiting on drakes.

I will never get tired of this iconic view, especially in the fading light.

That's Les way the hell out there, in his spot, with a "visitor."  

More waiting on drakes

Found this one at noon one day at the parking lot.  Blind squirrel . . . 

The last morning and I had this green drake run to myself somehow.  Saw three, hooked three.

The very next cast after the fish above.  And the last here on a drake, until next year.

Tributary

Main river got dirtier yesterday, and the slough cleared from its chocolate milk color yesterday morning.  Both didn't fish that well yesterday, but this morning the slough had cleared, by its own standards.  Had to give it a try.  Fish were all cookie-cutters out of the same mold.  Decent PMD's at 10:30, but the fish never really got on them.  I had to walk up and down a lot to find a rising fish.  They all ate though, every one of them!  Nice send-off  from this valley.

That first peek around the corner going upstream

The bend formerly known as Pennsylvania Corner

New trail on the "wrong" side of the creek

Same caddis worked well

Shined for a PMD

For a couple picky ones

In south Florida we used to call it snook-thumb.  After a few days in this valley, its brown trout thumb.  Not lipping them like a snook, but some of them just get ya.

Mayflies, Caddis, and Sallies

Oh my!  What is it with these bugs on arrival I have?  I pull in to a "new" river, and the bugs are loaded. First roll into Last Chance-march browns.  Ranch opener, PMDs all to myself.  Up to the MO, PMDs again.

This time, mid-afternoon yesterday, caddis on the water and in the air. PMDs on the water.  Sallies crawling all around, over, and in the camper. I guess it was that one summer day.  Today its cool, bordering on cold.  Yep, I can already feel the days getting shorter.   But, the fish are chompin'.  Big time. Easy fishing. Releases from the dam are a hair over 300.  The gauge just below where I'm fishing says around 120. Maybe I'll stay a few days and see if there's a second summer. This morning's PMDs started about 90 minutes before the siren. Nothing else joined them, must be too cold.  Raining and 46 at mid-afternoon.  WTF.  Oh ya, endless winter of 2023.  This evening was ok with some caddis and big PMDs.  Clouds this afternoon were all bark and no bite, except for some cold wind.  Check the slough tomorrow?

Fish are eating 1-6 inches off the river-left bank for 400 feet up, and 200 feet down.

Just walkin' up the bank both evenings, mowing them down.  Great chance to work on my straight upstream game, though from the fish here, it doesn't need work.  I wish I could do it on the Fork, like Harrop does.  Needs work!

Something about barns, wood barns, on a river, where trout are rising.

This fluffed up EZ Caddis (Lawson) took fish after fish after fish.

This was a nice change of scenery when it calmed down.

For the PMD's in the morning.

I think it was on the patch from the MO

Mmmm Hmmm