Our favorite underwater photographer and eco-warrior Pat Clayton aka “Fisheye Guy” sent us this excellent – but depressing – article by Trouthunter guide John McDaniel regarding the “Ranch” section of the Henry’s Fork. It’s a lengthy article with a depressing conclusion, but a must-read if you care about the resource. And if you’ve fished The Ranch, you know it’s an incredible resource.
While the Henry’s Fork and the Missouri are very different systems, they do share some similarities, and anglers who frequent one often frequent the other. Missouri River anglers will identify with some of the issues McDaniel and commenters are seeing on the Ranch.
I took the above photo while my friend Shawn and I were experiencing some crappy fishing just below the Ranch in 2022.
Click below to read the article…
2022 Season on the Harriman Ranch
4 Comments.
Hi Mark.I just finished the article.It is indeed depressing. Unfortunately much the same thing is going on in the Beaverhead.The fish counts are down,and every year,due to low reservoir water the river starts running dirty in late July or August. The river becomes almost unfishable due the silt in the river from the reservoir .There is no cheap or easy solution other than dredging the reservoir or having more water,neither one of these is likely.
Hmmmmm….was very excited after reading Lawson’s book about the HF.
Now? Not so.
Maybe I will stay on the WB and main stem this year.
Regards from Narrowsburg.
TR
Hey Tony,
Fellow Upper Delaware guy here and have also fished the Henry’s Fork every year now for 10 years. For the first 5 years or so the author of the article was my guide. He is incredibly knowledgeable and cares deeply for the system.
In my view the article was fair and complicated issues need to be addressed. However in late June the lower part of the Henry’s fork fished extremely well last year and I managed to do pretty well on the ranch as well. There is still great fishing to be found and you will find the ranch rainbows exceed even our mainstream bows.
I encourage you to see the place for your self as it is special.
Greetings Chris.
Besides his annual report which I found of interest, I also read the numerous comments (Lawson’s included) which supported his data and observations. I found his critique of the HFF, the premiere advocacy group for that water to be startling in that with such a moneyed crowd out there, they are allowing that ecosystem to degrade. Send me an email…I have some ‘Slim Woodies’ for you as well as EC Caddis. Kind regards and tight lines. Tony