Adapting to Climate Change

Climate change is a scary word in these parts, and anything you say can be held against you in the court of public opinion. I'm not here to change anyone’s mind or debate causes—I’ll leave that to the politicians. But as someone who has lived and fished in this region for over 50 years, I’ve seen firsthand that things on the river have changed.

Sheralee and I have lived within 35 miles of where we live now for our entire lives. I have been actively engaged in the fly fishing business for more than 50 years. As an old fossil, I have seen lots of changes. I never saw a racoon, fox squirrel, blue jay, whitetail deer, wild turkey or brown trout until my adult years. Some of them were introduced including wild turkeys and brown trout. I don’t know how the others got here. 

Our fishing has changed. The salmonfly hatch has always coincided with the blooming of the chokecherry trees adjacent to the river. That virtually never occurred until after May 20th. The Green Drake hatch in the Ranch rarely started until after June 20th. Now the Salmonflies almost always start up at the Vernon Bridge before May 20th. The Green Drakes are often going strong when the Ranch opens on June 15th.  It is frustrating that climate change has become a political football. Wherever you stand on this, it is difficult to deny that things haven’t changed with regard to our fisheries. 

A number of hatches - especially Salmonflies, PMDs, Green Drakes and a number of other aquatic insects - are now emerging earlier in the season and with less consistency. What used to be predictable has become compressed or erratic. Local anglers have adapted, often fishing weeks ahead of traditional hatch calendars. Visiting anglers, on the other hand, sometimes arrive at peak season only to find hatches have passed or are sputtering under heat stress.

By mid to late summer, warming water temperatures and higher flows due to increased irrigation demand can lead to challenging fishing conditions. Montana, in some seasons, "hoot owl" restrictions (which limit fishing to the coolest hours of the day) are implemented to protect stressed fish. Idaho has a different take on this, but the fact is, higher water temperatures definitely stress trout.

But the Henry’s Fork doesn’t exist in a vacuum, and neither should your fishing plans. The Henry’s Fork region offers tremendous flexibility. When the Fork slows down, nearby rivers like the South Fork of the Snake, the Teton, the Madison, and several terrific rivers in Yellowstone Park often pick up the slack. These waters may be at their peak just as the Fork begins to fade, offering anglers solid fishing without compromising fish health.

Here are some thoughts on how to fish “smarter” with a changing climate:

Shift your timing: Consider planning trips earlier in the season to hit prime hatches. Late March, April and May often produce the best dry fly fishing of the year. The downside is the weather can be impactful. Warm, clear weather can limit dry fly action while cool, wet weather can help the dry fly fishing. Be prepared for whatever the weather throws at you. If you aren’t set on fishing dry, nymph and streamer fishing can be spectacular.

Stay flexible: Stay informed with local fishing reports and be ready to change rivers based on conditions. If you’re specifically set on fishing dry flies on the Henry’s Fork, you’ll be limiting yourself and you’ll be competing with a lot of other anglers. Yet there is always a stream, river or lake close by to find good dry fly fishing throughout the season. You should also be flexible with your fishing methods. One of the most effective methods to catch trout is with a double nymph/indicator rig but you better be proficient in undoing tangles. Using a dry/dropper technique can be less stressful but equally effective.  You should also consider adjusting to the time of day. Consider fishing early in the morning when the weather is hot and dry.

Fish responsibly: Use barbless hooks, land fish quickly, and avoid fishing when water temps exceed 70°F. During the summer you’ll often need to use small flies and light tippets to catch picky trout. Don’t use a lighter tippet than necessary. I like to use the rule of “3”. Divide the hook size by 3 and always round down. For example, divide size 16 by 3 for a tippet size of 5X. When I first got into dry fly fishing for selective trout, a 6X tippet had a breaking strength of roughly 2 lbs. Today a 6X Rio Powerflex Plus tippet has twice the breaking strength at 4 lbs. Whenever possible, limit your tippet size to 5X or above. If you use 6X, you should fight the fish as if you were using 4X. 

Photos and Video: Today I fear there are many who think that they are not much of a fisherman unless they smatter their social media pages with “grip-n-grin”, hero pictures. These photos and videos often generate lively discussion on photographing trout. The fact is, if you get all of the camera settings correct, you can wet your hands and quickly and carefully lift a trout out of the water for a quick picture. Don’t do it until you are ready to take the photograph. 

Climate change is reshaping the rhythms of fly fishing in the West, especially on the Henry’s Fork. Anglers who adapt, staying informed, flexible, and conservation-minded, can continue to thrive on the Henry’s Fork and beyond.