Fly Fishing Henry's Fork of the Snake River in Idaho for Trophy Trout at Harriman State Park - Day 1

Fly fishing Harriman State Park, aka the Railroad Ranch, on Henry's Fork of the Snake River, once the private retreat of Railroad and Mining tycoons with names like Harriman and Guggenheim, is the opportunity and challenge to fish for trophy rainbow and brown trout. Known by many who make the annual pilgrimage to fish these fabled waters on opening day as Mecca in the world of fly fishing.
#HenrysFork
#HarrimanStatePark
#RailroadRanch
#FlyFishing
#BambooFlyRod

[@kvgros]

Ran across this video and we fished there about a month after you last year. Was an extremely hot summer. Spent a week on the Henry’s Fork and only caught 3-4 fish. Waded that entire section of the ranch and didn’t see a single fish. They all went deep and disappeared in the heat.

[@RemoteFlyFishing]

Last June I returned for opening day, June 15th, and it was so cold and windy that all the green and brown drake hatches were delayed. And on top of this the water flows were so low due to flooding further south coming out of Yellowstone (Snake River, Teton, etc) that virtually no one was fishing the Millionaire Pool. I posted a video showing my daughter and me wading across it - knee deep. Try fishing the Warm River, mountain spring, 200 cfs, consistent 50 degrees.

[@johnpatteson8271]

This is a very popular place to fish with very educated large fish. Fishing is slow but the scenery more than makes up for it. You would be better to move downstream to Ashton or even St. Anthony.

[@RemoteFlyFishing]

Actually, I was staying in Ashton - but the Railroad Ranch was on my list after fishing for 5 days in Yellowstone NP and the Madison River below the dam. 2021 was a strange year as the heat kicked me off the Firehole river by June 15th. And because of the need for water, due the unseasonal heat, for the farms south of the park the flow was doubled on Henry's Fork the day I arrived. Still, I learned a lot and returned on Opening day, June 15 2002 and spent a few days fishing around Ashton as well as spending 4 nights in Harriman State Park, overlooking Millionaire Pool and wouldn't you know it, cold and windy, no bugs coming off, and water being held back at the Island Park Dam because further south the Snake, Teton and Fall River were overflowing their banks. Literally no one was fishing the Millionaire Pool, too shallow. I posted a video of opening day with my daughter. A few days later a nice caddis hatch was coming off above the walking bridge. I haven’t posted the video yet, but I did end up catching a small rainbow 10 - 12 inches above the Rt 20 bridge. So two trips in June and completely opposite conditions. I did post a video to the channel with my daughter fishing the Warm River - since it wasn’t affected by the flooding coming out of Yellowstone, nor is it’s flow controlled by a dam. So yes, educated fish - but on top of this, having to battle crazy water flows and temperatures.

[@johnpatteson8271]

If you don't like the weather in Idaho just wait 5 minutes and it will change. Don't give up on the area, its still my favourite place to fish. When the hatch is on it can be magical. Look for areas off the more populated stretches. Look for Del Rio bridge.

[@janeberryman3581]

Nice vibe

[@RemoteFlyFishing]

Thank you. I am starting to edit Part 2, my second day exploring and fishing Henry's Fork. As I listen to the footage I wish the microphone embedded in the camera wasn’t so unidirectional. An approaching storm really got the cattle on the ranch worked up, making a chorus of moaning sounds, really creepy, very surreal. Knowing this now, I wish I had walked up to the fence and recorded them so I could add the background noise I was hearing while fishing. What a special place to fish.

[@pattinch1543]

Vibe? wtf?

[@briggs13a]

thats a very tough section of river,most times mayflys dont work very well anymore.If you want to learn how and catch fish hire a guide from lawsons or trouthunter and fish hoppers in mid august. You need about a 20 ft leader and fish downstream to a riser when fishing mayflys on this section.

[@RemoteFlyFishing]

It is a tough section. Made even tougher by the flow out of the dam having doubled the day before I arrived. I would have preferred fishing hoppers, but there was a nice brown drake hatch ongoing. If you’ve seen any of my other videos fishing remote mountain trout ponds I love casting them and then giving them a little tweak like I’ve seen hoppers do when they hit the water. Hiring a guide is a great way to learn a river and catch fish. They also help you land the fish. Guides are a little more expensive here than what I’m used to paying, and part of what I enjoy is the challenge of not knowing and having to figure it out, which doesn’t happen with a guide - you do what they say. I do fish a longer leader on these waters and did try fishing to fish rising downstream. Not sure if I showed this or explained it as a lot of film/time on this river ended up on the cutting floor. I fished this area off and on for two days and only saw two fish caught. I also didn’t see any guides fishing this this section with clients. And I think we both know why - too hard, and too late at night when the best fishing begins.

[@CtrolokDoncov]

I agree, tough but if you're willing to fish it in late summer/fall for a few days with an open mind, you'll improve dramatically as an angler. I'm too broke to hire a guide but found some of the locals were extremely warm and helpful to fly recommendations. Your point about fishing downstream was also one of the big things i came to learn. The big fish are so spooky even when working, nothing but a 20-45 degree downstream cast with a long skinny leader will fool them. The flow state achieved by fishing to them is why we live to fish.

[@travisfishwater7734]

I had a day in that state park where i didn't even see another fisherman, i fished right at a bridge, multiple people honked at me as i was fighting fish. 20 in. Cutbow was the highlight, 18s 17, and 16 inchers with a few 12 to 14. Caught fish on streamers and nymphs. All sounds like bs until i tell you it was in November.

[@RemoteFlyFishing]

Owners of the fly shop near me highly recommend fishing the bridge that crosses Rt 20 and separates the upper half of Harriman State Park from the lower half. Good for You! Fishing in November does mean smaller crowds and lower water flows, if you don’t mind the cold. Fishing a few days after the opening day crowd in June can be tough as the trout have been hammered and reeducated to avoid our flies and presentations.

[@uramag7]

probably nobody there and people honking because it was closed.

[@travisfishwater7734]

@@uramag7 had to visit the park office for a pass, they were open. Anywhere in or around yellowstone people look at fisherman like wildlife, not everyone, but i thought it was funny when i saw photographers taking shots of me fishing.

[@davewallace8219]

nice!

[@RemoteFlyFishing]

Thanks!

[@flyfishermanj]

This is on my bucket list also. Fished the Yellowstone area several and never made to Henry’s. Got a question, love the rod, care to share details on the model and maker?

[@RemoteFlyFishing]

Thanks, I love this rod as well! It was made for me by Fred Kretchman in Kittery, Maine (www.kretchmanflyrods.com). Per my request it is based on the Payne 102 taper (a 2/2 8ft 5wt rod). The rod was then made a little more special as my wife, without my knowing, slipped Fred's wife some extra bucks and Fred used this to make a hollow butt section and personalize the rod. Since my wife was now financially involved I thought it a good idea to let her pick out the reel mount and wrap colors. She chose snake wood for the mount and to match the wood's colors she chose the black and orange jasper silk wraps normally seen on the Granger Victory model. I also own a 7ft rod Fred made based on the Granger 7030 taper. Both rods are sweet casting rods!

[@markhiggins6628]

Didnt Hemingway fish there at Snake River in Idaho?

[@RemoteFlyFishing]

Earnest Hemingway and his son Jack fished creeks and rivers all over Idaho and neighboring states especially those along Rt 20, referred to as America’s Fly Highway. There is even a Trout Unlimited chapter in Idaho named after him. And there is a plaque dedicated to him on the banks of Silver creek as this stream is reputed to be a favorite fishing spot.

[@michaelwoehrl1746]

What rod is that?

[@RemoteFlyFishing]

Hi Michael, It's a bamboo rod - 5 wt, based on the Payne 102 taper, but with a hollow butt section - made by Fred Kretchman out of Kittery Point, Maine. www.kretchmanflyrods.com

[@michaelwoehrl1746]

@@RemoteFlyFishing Excellent, just curious. Pretty rod.

[@helok9]

I’m afraid all the fish have drowned. You’ll have to fish somewhere else.

[@RemoteFlyFishing]

LMAO - no not drowned, eaten by otters and merganzers. I've caught trout with big "v" shaped bites taken out of them from mergansers. I wish merganzers tasted good so that duck hunters would target these birds. And check out the pelicans on this river - I've never seen a pelican so far north.

[@markhiggins6628]

No bears?

[@RemoteFlyFishing]

Oh, they have bears. A couple of years back a friend shared with me that there was a mother grizzly and cubs feeding on a carcass not far from where I was fishing. The area was posted to warn off folks fishing in the area.