Day 5 - The Henry's Fork

What can I say about the last day of the trip except that I wish we had gone back to the Madison River. Not that I didn't catch any fish, I did, and some nice ones. But try as I might, I just can't get into fishing a river that's as huge as the Henry's Fork, over 100 yard wide in many spots, where people feel they have to fish in your waders to catch fish.

Yep, no one within a quater mile of me one minute, and catch a couple of fish, and suddenly I'm surrounded by a couple idiots. One guy got within 30-35 feet of me, and then when I politely asked him if he could give me some space, he told me I should have some manners.

That was around 6 o'clock or so. When the third guy came wading over I had enough. I made it clear to the three of them that they needed a class in stream etiquette before I made way back to the bank to go somewhere else. And that was the problem, by now half the world was fishing here. I looked up river, and down, and there were people every 50 yards or so. They came out of the woodwork! Not my cup of tea. I walked a ways downstream and found a pod of trout rising well away from the masses and waded out to them. After a few casts I hooked a nice fish and landed it shortly afterwards. Another 15 minutes later I hooked and landed another, and then within 5 minutes or so I had company!

It was unbelievable to say the least. Mind you, trout were rising up and down the river as far as the eye could see, yet these bozos.....new bozos, not the ones a mile up river......had to practically jump in my waders. That was it for me. I headed out of the river and walked up the bank to the car where I opened a beer and munched on pistachio nuts while I waited until the others got back. I did get to enjoy a wonderful sunset though.

Bottom line, this river gets way too much national and international press on a steady basis........sometimes you can love a river too much.

Life is good. Just don't fish the Henry's Fork if you want some solitude.