We’ve been home from Yellowstone Country for several weeks but have finally managed to get all the great photos sorted and put together a wrap up of the trip.
We hosted a group of 12 fly fishers at TroutHunter in Island Park, Idaho on the Henry’s Fork. This was our third time with a group at Trouthunter. We’ve never been disappointed but this was undoubtedly our best trip yet! We had some beautiful, mild and sunny weather along with a few cold, wet days but the week’s fishing was nothing short of phenomenal.
So many people from the group and a few guides contributed these photos we’re not even sure who took which pictures any more, but there are some good ones! And these are just the best one. You can pause on any picture by placing your cursor on the image.
The Henry’s Fork is a phenomenal fishery situated in the middle of several others. In fact there is more water to fish in the local area than anyone could touch in the time we have during our trip.
We easily saw more big trout caught this year and saw more of our anglers land big trout this year than any previous year we’ve hosted trips in the West. To give you a sense of just how good it was there were a couple of fish netted by our group’s guides that were their best for the season. One fine specimen that found its way to the net was a 23″ rainbow trout that ate a Zebra Midge.
That’s not a typo…. 23 inches…. Zebra Midge…. What else can you say?!?!
There was also a 25″ cutthroat brought to the net on Henry’s Lake. Unfortunately that fish made the several other 20″ fish brought to the boat that day seem pretty unremarkable. No one from our group last year fished Henry’s Lake, but you can see why it was at the top of everyone’s list to try this year.
Every year is always a little different with hot spots varying one season to the next, but it seemed like every place was on fire this year! And that’s without any of our anglers making it over to the Madison River or Yellowstone Park. As always Charity and I spent a great deal of time in the park.
The Box Canyon section of the Henry’s Fork was superb this year providing plenty of fish with some very solid fish in the mix. The lower river below Ashton, Idaho was was excellent this year. Even as nymphing proved very effective there were a few days with incredible Blue Wing Olive hatches and the streamer fishing turned up several hefty fish.
Charity and I stood up to the punishment the finicky rainbows hand out on the Railroad Ranch section of the Henry’s Fork while everyone else in our group opted out for the week. These fish are without a doubt the most difficult fish we’ve ever cast a fly to. They can be incredibly large and we stalk along the banks to sight fish to them. Even when we hook these fish the thick weed beds make it easy for them to either rub the hook out or break our tippet. Call us masochists for loving the abuse.
We haven’t set dates for 2014 but it’s a sure thing we’ll be heading back again next September.
Julie Tallman says
Fabulous! Emphasizes how much I missed. Hope I can swing it next year. So glad the fishing was wonderful. It was in June, too. What a year. Great pics, y’all, especially that intrepid couple neck hugging.
Mike Downey says
Ian and Charity,
I loved the Henry’s Fork slide show. It brought back wonderful memories of my trip there, and I really look forward to a return. I never did get to fish the lake. And I’m happy for your kids being able to join you. Once again, your videos, website, and company just keeps getting better. I felt bad about the park closing a worried about it’s impact on your business and fishermen. Love to all from Mike Downey