Use of Tributaries by Junvenile Trout in the Caldera

One of the questions the "Caldera Assessment/FAQ document" addressed, was do the small tributaries found on the Ranch and in Last Chance provide over wintering habitat for Henry's Fork fish during the harsh winter months? This question directed us to take an intensive look this fall and winter at the three tributaries known as Blue Springs Creek, Thurmon Creek and Fish Creek. Looking at these tributaries and how fish use them will help further our knowledge of how age 0 rainbow trout survive their first winter, and to what degree these waters are used by trout.

For the past two weeks, HFF has been in the field marking fish from these tributaries so that they can be followed for the months to come. By using a technique known as "Visible Implant Elastomer" or VIE tagging, HFF has marked over 900 trout from the tributaries that will be followed throughout the coming months.
VIE tagging involves injecting a fluorescent elastomer into the fleshy skin of a fish to provide an externally visible internal mark. A unique color of elastomer was chosen for each tributary, therefore three different colored elastomers were used on the fish depending on which tributary they were collected from.

Already our marking has unveiled some surprising results as four fish marked from Thurmon Creek were found in Fish Creek one week after being tagged. These fish traveled over 6 kilometers downstream in the river and 2 kilometers up Fish Creek!

In addition to marking fish, HFF has placed thermorgraphs throughtout the tributaties to record winter water temperatures and are noting any possible habitat restrictions these systems contain. By addressing these factors, we can understand if young of the year trout are seeking thermal refuge, habitat concealment options, or both in the winter, while also looking at habitat restoration options. We look forward to understanding the part these spring systems play in regards to the mainstem river fisheries in our commitment to the Ranch and would like to offer any snow-enthusiasts to join us for a day in the field this winter!

Anne Marie Emery Miller
HFF Conservation Technician

Winding Down on Henry's Fork

Well, another fall is drawing too quickly to a close. This is my first (and only) post. Doing angler surveys has given me the chance to meet a lot of interesting and friendly folks from all over the country and world.

If you take the time, and it is worth taking, you can still see some views of beautiful country, even if the autumn colors are fading. Those of us who are blessed to live here sure should not be ones to take it for granted.

There is still good fishing to be found but with each day the weather becomes more of a gamble, so don't put it off. Insect hatches are still happening but really sporadic, you have to really get a sense of the timing for them. You wouldn't think there were any less, looking at my windshield every evening heading back to Ashton.

People are finding respectable rainbow trout but they seem very canny this late in the season. Comes from having to outwit good anglers all summer I guess. The old hands say to be prepared to hunt and use your knowledge of behavior, just like you would with any game. And of course, hope for a healthy share of luck.

There are large numbers of whitefish moving now and have been over the past week, spawning I suppose. At any rate there are some quite large and providing some great angling. I watched one do several runs and even tail dance before being brought in. They may not be rainbow, but they are providing some great sport.

One word of caution by the way, DRIVE CAREFULLY! The big critters are starting to move around. In the past couple of weeks there have been two moose and several deer struck by traffic during the evenings and nights. Don't end a fishing trip with a large mammal in the front seat unless it is related.

Well, thanks to everyone who let me interview them this season, your cooperation will give the Henry's Fork Foundation some good information to draw from to help you keep the river healthy and improving.

Also, my thanks to all the great folks who put up with my sometimes dumb questions. I appreciate the time you took to share your knowledge and expertise, I have tried to absorb everything you told me. Yep, I confess, I am not a fly fisherman, or rather, was not a fly fisherman. You have made it look too interesting so next year you will have another newbie trying to learn the sport and, more importantly, trying to learn the etiquette of the Henry's Fork congregation.

Have a good winter, folks, the pleasure has been mine.

Bill Puckett
"The survey guy"

Electrofishing the Ranch

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) will be electrofishing the Ranch over the next couple of weeks to obtain fall population estimates.

To estimate the Ranch population, IDFG will use a "mark-release-recapture procedure" in which a sample of the fish population will be captured from the river by electrofishing from a raft. When caught, each fish will be marked (usually by clipping a fin) and then be released back into the river to mix with the remainder of the population. Later, a recapture procedure will be repeated in which the proportion of marked individuals in the second sample can be used to estimate the number in the total population. Marking runs will take place from the Log Jam downstream to Osborne bridge today and tomorrow (October 6th & 7th) and the recapture run will occur next week (October 15th and 16th).

These estimates will be compared to those obtained in the spring to see how fish hold in the Ranch later in the season when macrophytes have become well established.

Outlet Repairs at IP Dam

Over the next few days, flows out of the Island Park Dam will be ramping down to the 350-400 cfs range (through the powerhouse) to allow FMID (Fremont Madison Irrigation District) into the old outlet tunnel to make repairs. The repairs should last no longer than a week, and flows will remain in the 350-400 cfs range this point forward for the next month to 6 weeks. Flows will likely be cut back again in November to store water for later winter releases to benefit the wild trout fishery.

Appealing to All

By Anne Marie Emery Miller

The sights and sounds of Harriman state park appealed to an array of interest groups yesterday, reminding us of the recreational opportunities "the ranch" has in lieu of the world renowned fishing.
A cow moose enjoying a breakfast of plentiful macrophytes above the log jam in Last Chance created quite the scene in the morning as local commuters and Yellowstone visitors pulled off the road to take photos. Anglers awaiting a mid-morning hatch were seen on the banks with smiles on their faces, not minding the momentary interruption to their solitude. The spectacular fall colors and hundreds of migrating waterfall inspired artist Andy Skaff, a plein air painter from California, to set up his paint station at Ranchview and abridge the famous scence of Millionaries hole permanently on canvas. A first time visitor to the area, Skaff is anxious to encapsulate more the area in his art in the future.

A group of hikers enthusiastically approached me about the Elk heard bugeling on Thurmon ridge last night and inquired about the five grizzley bears that have been rumored about in the area as of late.
An increase of anglers between Sage Flats and the Gravel pits have indicated good fishing and warmer temperatures and the September full moon has been keeping them out later. This time of year is appealing to all and reminds me why "the ranch" will always be a place to return to for all.

Hoppin Action on the Ranch

by Anne Marie Miller

A variety of insects on the water has made early fall/late summer on the Ranch a fun place to fish the past few days, with many anglers excited about the number of rising big fish. With partly cloudy conditions and temperatures warming up around noon, PMD’s, Mahogany’s, caddis, black ants and hoppers have been excellent choices to have in your fly box.
A strong Trico hatch has been occurring below the observation deck at the log jam down to “the bay of pigs” early in the morning, and many big heads have been seen responding to them. In the afternoon, hoppers have been especially active with breezy afternoon conditions helping them to the water. There is much going on throughout the ranch, but expect to dedicate a hike on the famed banks to find the exact spot of the action!

Just another day at work

by Steve Trafton

When I was a teenager with a college professor father, I spent three years living in England. On one day each spring we would make the trip south to Hampshire, getting up early in the morning and driving out of London to the lush countryside and fertile chalkstreams that are part of every fly fisherman’s common history. The Test and the Itchen, rivers made famous by Halford, Skues, and other fly fishing pioneers, are found there, and we, pilgrims to the shrine, would spend the day casting dry flies to big trout in splendid surroundings. It was all wonderful, despite the minor irritations of a several hundred dollar daily rod fee and the nagging knowledge that the trout were, in all likelihood, recent arrivals from a hatchery.

Two days ago Tom McMurray, a friend from Jackson and one of the lead funders of the Henry’s Fork Foundation’s Caldera Project, took the afternoon and walked from the Last Chance angler’s parking lot to Pinehaven. We took in the length of the Ranch on a blustery late August day that had the feel of autumn by evening. At first, though, it was hot and bright, with the sun on the flowers in the meadows and grasshoppers underfoot, in the air, and on the water.

We followed the streamside path into the heart of the Ranch, looking for fish and rejoicing in the extraordinary scene that surrounded us: the Centennials on the horizon to the north and the Tetons to the south, the nearer, wooded ridgelines ever more clearly picked out by the sun as the afternoon progressed, the great open expanses of the rangeland in the foreground, and at our feet the incomparable Henry’s Fork, its surface constantly buffeted by the wind but every now and then – and often enough to hold out attention – broken by the snout of a feeding trout.

It was a different river from the one that I floated in late May with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game during an electrofishing survey. Then, in the midst of a long, cold spring and at lower flows, we encountered many long stretches of barren-looking shallows, with little habitat to appeal to trout. Three months later, after summer heat and at higher flows, the aquatic weeds have appeared in comparative abundance, and wading across the river was, even at one of its wider, shallower points, hard work.

The trout were there, too. In May, we surveyed decent if unspectacular numbers of trout, but long stretches of the river, in particular the upper end of the Ranch, appeared to have virtually no fish in them. Two days ago, Tom and I found fish throughout the upper Ranch, and over the course of the afternoon encountered fish from the top of Harriman State Park to the bottom. Ours was an unscientific survey, to be sure, dictated by the wind and the ratio of distance to be covered to time before dark. But the fish were there.

By the time we reached Osborne Bridge the shadows were lengthening, and the wind was howling. We did more walking than fishing, alternately stumbling along the steep, loose streamside and weaving our way along the narrow gap between the sagebrush and the electric fence. Just before dark the wind dropped, caddis appeared, and fish started to rise. We caught a couple of small, fat, and intensely lively trout, and then walked out to our car in Pinehaven. Although I had walked or boated piecemeal all of the water and ground that we covered that day, I had never done it in a single push. I wish that I had done so sooner.

In most places in the world, a readily accessible, gorgeous spot like Harriman State Park, run through with a trout fishery like the Henry’s Fork, would be private, or available to that tiny portion of the public able to pay the fee to gain access. On Wednesday, we paid $4 (on top of an annual pass). In most places in the world, if a place like Harriman State Park was open to the public, it would be overrun with people. On Wednesday, we saw 1 other person, and angler that we encountered in the first 15 minutes. When I fished the Test as a boy, on those painfully expensive occasions, scheduled months in advance and occurring only once a year, we caught the fish that were provided for us, graciously but artificially, by our hosts. This week, Tom and I decided to meet in Ashton the evening before, and we caught the fish provided for us by the Henry’s Fork. I went back for a couple of hours the next day, too.

We are lucky indeed.

Historic Railroad Ranch Slideshow

A collection of black and white photographs documenting some of the history and happenings of this special place prior to it becoming a park. Stringers, hunting trips, scenic shots, and portraits of ranch life are all included in this slideshow that dates back nearly a century.




All photos are courtesy of Harriman State Park of Idaho archives and may not be copied, reprinted or otherwise used without express permission. Enjoy !
(You can click photos to view in a larger window)

Be on the lookout...

Some Tricos as well as a strong caddis hatch this morning at Osborne Bridge. Also noticed this large plume of smoke to the West, on the far side of Thurmon Ridge. Photo was taken at around 1 pm this afternoon from the parking lot at Osborne. So far not sure what the cause of this fire is - watch for smoke to come into the caldera depending on wind direction. So far there is no threat to Harriman State Park, or the Henry's Fork, but will post more as it becomes available.

Mid Summer Slideshow

Mid Summer Post

A collection of photos - both scenery and fishing action - from the past several weeks in Harriman State Park

Ranch Update

Despite a return to lower flows (currently 1040 cfs from Island Park Dam), better water quality and cloud cover providing for improved fishing over the past couple of days, things have remained fairly quite here in Harriman State Park. Perhaps fishing pressure will pick up again over the weekend. Yesterday morning the water below Millionaire's Pool was filled with rising trout and no anglers in sight - there were however callabaetis spinners and honey ants.

See you on the river!

Higher Flows and Turbidity in the Caldera

As recent posts have noted, the past several days have brought higher water, some rain and decreased water clarity to the section of the Henry's Fork downstream of Island Park Dam. Water clarity and sediment content started to change in the afternoon last Thursday, 8/7, which coincided with greater discharge from the dam. Since the beginning of the month flows have come up from an average of 960 cfs - the maximum that can be used for hydropower generation - to a maximum of almost 1500 cfs yesterday.

With the increased flows the fishing quality has declined recently, as has the amount of use the river is getting. This has been due in part to the sediment that appears to be entering the river through Island Park Dam. Water managers are in the process of lowering the flows back down to address this issue.

The picture was taken yesterday afternoon from the top of the dam looking downstream - notice the difference in water clarity on river left and river right. Also, you can check current flows by flowing the link to the USGS gaging station site in the sidebar.

More Rain

The rain continued, and with it came more suspended particles in the water. Today It was hard to see the bottom in most places, which seemed to scare away the anglers. Flows were also much higher than usual at around 1500 cfs. Two pelicans were left as sentries at the log jam after yesterday's take over.

Day after the Rain

Last nights rain left the river a little cloudy from the extra runoff. There was a decent trico hatch this morning with a spinner fall, but the trout just weren't taking them. Slow fishing day, bright sun, and a pelican takeover of the logjam.

More fish

Ranch Update

The past several days have brought some of the hottest days of the summer here on the Henry's Fork. With that, anglers have been favoring morning and late evenings as action has seemed to diminish during the heat of the day. In the forecast are more warm temperatures, though not quite as hot, a no precipitation - expect for early and late in the day to see the most activity.

Also, Rene Harrop of TroutHunter posted a great word and photo essay of a recent experience in Harriman State Park. It is a good reminder of why this place is cherished by so many, and has been for so long. It can be found here : http://trouthunt.com/blog/view/134

Fishing on the Ranch

Last Chance Fencing Project

HFF Intern Zachary Segall works on the Last Chance fencing project.

They say that good fences make good neighbors; they can also make good conservation. However, good fences take a lot of hard work to construct and maintain. An electric fence has been keeping cows out of the river and protecting the fragile banks of the Henry’s Fork across from Last Chance and Pinehaven for over twenty years. This electric fence was failing and required almost daily attention to keep it functioning. Therefore, the Henry’s Fork Foundation partnered with Harriman State Park, the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation, and the Caribou-Targhee National Forest to replace about five miles of the exhausted electric fence with a let-down barbed wire fence over the past two summers.
Our summer interns and I visited the new fence recently to get it ready for the season and the arrival of cows to graze nearby. We felt confident that we could get the barbed wire tightened and posts put up before the cows’ debut on June 28th. However, when we arrived near the log jam to look at the fence, we discovered a maze of broken posts and split wires. Our work was cut out for us as we had a job to do that even a practiced cowboy would grimace at. Winter is always hard on all fences, and this past winter was no different. Just as the mighty lodgepole pine may buckle under sub-zero temperatures and relentless snow pack, it seems so will a 3 foot bare post.
The next few days were committed to repairs and replacements that will need to be made every year due to the extreme winters that occur in this region. To add another dimension to the project, we discovered that the fisherman’s access gate had been cut with wire cutters. This gate at the north end of the fence has been a complaint of many fishermen over the years, as it is difficult to open and is strung with barbed wire that can easily tear waders. To address these concerns and eliminate a weak spot in the fence for the cows, HFF is going to construct a stile at this point to allow angler access. Presently, there is no gate, only barbed wire, meaning that until we construct the stile, fisherman will have to walk into the river to get to the other side.
Concerns have also been voiced about cows going around the north boundary of the fence and getting into the river across from Box Canyon villages. Because the fence is not an allotment boundary, but a rather a riparian buffer that keeps cows off the banks, building more fence would only push the cows further upstream, where at any point they will go around and get to the river – (note: the thought was to bring it up to the cliff area, where a cow theoretically would not be able to climb down for most of the Box Canyon). The logic behind the placement of the fence was to keep the cows off vulnerable banks, where they would do the most damage – not to enclose them completely. I spent quite a bit of time walking past the northern end of the fence, and I feel that the fence ends at a good location. If cows do go around it, they are not causing much erosion as the banks at this point have a foundation of volcanic rock that extends itself into the river. A cow accessing the river here is not going to cause damage as it is literally walking on rock.
Currently the fence is up and the cows are giving it the final test of its effectiveness . While this fencing project has gained epic proportions throughout the years, we believe it will make good neighbors between the people, cows, fish and wildlife of the Henry’s Fork.

Ranch Update & This Week in the Caldera

The last several days have been predominantly clear, sunny and hot here in Harriman State Park. The fishing quality has remained about the same, though insect hatches have been less consistent as Green and Brown Drakes seem to have faded away recently. The most, and best, action has been in the evening at the tail end of these warm mid-summer days.

For more information about the fishery in the Caldera reach of the Henry's Fork, as well as other components of this project, please check out This Week in The Caldera - a weekly article written alternately by HFF Executive Director Steve Trafton and Conservation Director Jim De Rito. The most recent article discusses fish population estimates in the Box Canyon and Harriman State Park.

A permanent link to This Week in the Caldera, including previous articles, exists in the sidebar under Resources.

Week of July 4th

Action has been picking up here on the Henry's Fork over the past couple of days with increased hatches and greater fish response to the surface. Brown Drakes have been really strong from Osborne Bridge down for the past few nights until almost dark. This morning saw a great Green Drake spinner fall, with some good flav action as well on the upper Ranch, all under calm patchy skies. Angler traffic has also increased - today was probably the busiest since opening day on Harriman State Park. To see highlights from the past week - bugs, scenery and fish action - check out the slideshow below/

Today on the Ranch

Green Drakes, Brown Drakes, PMD's, flavs, caddis...all seen in the last 24 hours on the Ranch. After a few cloudy drizzly days at the beginning of the week, and a brief surge of 2000+ cfs, the weather and river have cleared up. Reports from the river have been quite positive overall for the last couple days with higher numbers of fish caught being supported by some more robust hatches of a variety of insects. There were 14 vehicles at Osborne bridge at 9 pm last night. Can anyone say Brown Drakes? One Ranch veteran of 50 years told me today in his survey that he was just coming off of one of his best days ever. That's encouraging.

The Caldera Project is going great with a couple hundred Angler Surveys completed. We will continue to be out each day talking to anglers in addition to entering some of th e data we're collecting. If you haven't gotten a Caldera Project brochure, or the full Caldera Assessment, go to the Resources link on this page. Be sure to keep checking back in for new articles each week, updates from the river, and in a few weeks, interviews with some notable locals.

Today on The Ranch

It seems that things are beginning to pick up on The Ranch. Just this week, reports of Green and Brown Drake hatches. Anglers have continued to access Harriman, with many fishing "The Islands" at Big Bend. The heat has contributed to a large concentration of anglers frequenting the park in the early morning and evening hours. One angler at Fisherman's Access reported catching a few fish on nymphs this morning, while another angler reported catching a few more on-top. Flows appear to have stabilized following the massive release of water from the reservoir (see post below). We are hoping that, as this late season progresses, more anglers will experience better luck on The Ranch.

Wood Road 16

A slideshow of pictures taken from this past week from an access point that has been seeing a lot of attention from anglers.



Here is a Google Map of the access point.

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A power outage at the Island Park Hydroelectric Project around 11:00 AM today caused flows to more than double, from 900 cfs to over 2000 cfs, in the Box Canyon.

Flows from the dam are usually regulated by the Island Park Hydroelectric Project. During the power outage, control of outflow is transferred to the Bureau of Reclamation gates (pictured above at about 1:00 PM). During the routine transfer, a calcified cable for one of the lower release gates failed. As a result, flows continued increasing from the BOR gates.

A gage station below the dam measured flow at 904 cfs. By 11:45, flows were recorded at 2010 cfs, according to the Bureau of Reclamation Hydromet site. The latest available flow reading available was 2050 cfs at 12:15.

Workers from Northwest Power Services manually adjusted the outflows from the BOR gate after discovering the problem. The Henry's Fork Foundation hasn't heard any reports of injuries from the increased outflows.

Opening Day Images Map

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Click "View Large Map" to see the full map.

What's Happening - Opening week on The Ranch

This is the first installment of What's Happening...on the river. Look for updates about the Railroad Ranch and the Caldera Project throughout the season. With a break in the winter-like weather on Saturday, just a day before the opener, the season seems to be off to a slow start. While anglers aren't seeming to agree on too much with respect to the survey - it's too soon to start drawing out patterns, let alone conclusions from the sort of experience folks are having on the water - a nearly unanimous sentiment exists that it just seems "early." We've had reports of PMDs, March Browns, caddis and yellow sallies among other insects, but no prolific hatches as of yet.

Since Sunday the weather has held warm, sunny and breezy in the afternoons, while most of the crowd has cleared out from Harriman State Park. The fishing does seem to be improving, if slowly, and we're hoping to see more bugs and rising fish in the next couple weeks. Stay tuned here for weekly updates on the project, photos, interviews and other reports from the river as the season progresses. Make sure to talk with me or one of the interns doing the angler survey if you're out on the river.