FISHING THE FORK
Disguised As A Tourist
saw big spring
fooled no one
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.. It's just a short drive over the hill and into the 
Pacific Drainage. We do it frequently... It's a change of scenery, and it's nice to keep up on road construction on that side of the divide.
.. The road is coming along just fine, thank you.
.. We stopped at Big Spring to feed the birds some trout food. They posed and so did a couple of fish. The blustery weather produced enough hail to drive most folks from the river about 5:00 PM.
.. The quiet time has hit the "road water" on the Henry's Fork.
.. Despite the slowdown in catching, fishers continue to 'elbow-up' in all the usual places.The truly committed folks fish the ditch, and around the memorial out house.
.. Fish are taken by those that have the patience and dexterity to try many fly patterns.
.. The prolific hatches continue to roll on - the fish love it. They can, however, tell the real ones from the fakes since they have been pounded unmercifully... Spinners are the action right now. But what kind? Baetis, Callibaetis, Flavs, PMD's, Caddis? Yup - all are working occasionally. So are the classics and the cripples - on occasion!
.. Keep a full box exercised and present your fly gently to the mirror smooth places in the never-ending riffles.
.. Some of the time a fish will surprise you. Most of the time you will surprise, (or amuse,) the fish.
.. Hoppers have begun to make their appearance felt; along with Beetles and Ants. Keep some of them handy too.
.. Oh, and of course that tickle in your nose and ears lets you know that the midges are about as well!
.. No big fish were fooled by us. They must have known we were coming. A few 12" youngsters grabbed a floating Feather Duster. And the village idiot took a midge cluster that was mostly thread. Oh well, at least the cormorants were entertained.
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.. However, the most entertaining interlude of the sojourn was the visit to Big Springs. It's a source of constant delight to see a whole river just boiling up from the ground... The crowds on the Henry's Fork were dwarfed by throngs at the springs. Inclement weather or not this place is a big draw.
.. There seem to be fewer fish nowadays, and even fewer big fish. Rumors of poaching have been legion for the last 40 years that we know of.
.. Yet there are still some dandy fish. The
splashes in the spring pool attest to the population density of smaller fish... The serenity and beauty of the locality is stunning. Dedicated photographers have been known to spend days and weeks trying to capture it's essence. Winter or summer; rain or shine the images are plentiful and can be spectacular.
.. We just point and shoot - sometimes we get lucky. Posted images are inordinately large - click on them to see detail.
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