Finally I got there and fished there: The Henry's Fork of The Snake River. Being a spring creek enthusiast who promotes Livingston's spring creeks for their superb fishing opportunities and guiding their challenging nature of those creeks, I've been hearing the legend and storied of The Fork and been asked if I have fished or would fish often. The answer had been "No". Although I have passed along many times as I attended East Idaho Fly Fishing & Tying Expo and in spite of the fact that The Fork is not any further than going to the Bighorn from Livingston, I'd never fished or even tried to fish. One persistent reason had been, well, I must have been stingy about buying a license in other states. Besides there are enough miles and gallons of waters in Montana, a resident license fee feels like practically free.
Things started to changed during the past few years. Chiefly because of my spring creek book project and its sales. Along with the COVID pandemic, I started to read and write even more than before. Then my copies had been bought by the spring creek enthusiasts from near and far including those who fish Henry's Fork. That's right, one of the concepts of my book is my spring-creek patterns, skills, power of observations, and many other facets that one can develop on the spring creeks can be applied to any other waters with similar characteristics. On the Bighorn, the Missouri, the Firehole, and many other, these have been proven. It's just time for me to try the legendary water of Henry's Fork.
This evolved into the next factor. With the release of the second edition of my spring creek book, I started to promote more and to wider audience. I started to talk to fly shops in Idaho. Now I really gotta go.
I visited Todd with Henry's Fork Anglers. He showed me around. Unfortunately weather was unseasonably uncooperative - winter popped back again. Cold & windy & some snow. Though I have lived in the windy town for a long time, the one I just had was very cold. Yet the insects were hatching and trout showed some eagerness to rise. We started to headhunt.
Well, a nice brown = in terms of "pumping" of course = came up.
Their lunch were.......
I switched to my original Buddy Wing Emerger size 20 baetis. I saw a quick and tiny nip. As such I assumed another "pumpable" size. As it got closer and put some resistance on my rod, I figured it would be a fair size.
This was also the first day on the water with the newly acquired Livingston Rod Company Signature Western Fibergrass 5wt 8'6". In spite of winds, this rod won't wobble but hit the targets every time!! Highly recommended for the serious dry-fly & match-the-hatch anglers.
Then again, things i have developed and honed on Livingston's creeks did me a favor.
And I know this is only a beginning. I will visit more often from now on!!
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