[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-detail-146510-en":3,"doc-seo-146510-105":30,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":91},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",{"doc_id":7,"user_id":8,"nickname":9,"user_avatar":10,"doc_module":4,"category_id":11,"category_name":12,"doc_title":13,"doc_description":14,"doc_content":15,"file_id":16,"file_url":17,"file_type":18,"file_size":19,"view_count":4,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":20,"is_downloadable":20,"audit_status":20,"page_count":21,"language":22,"language_code":23,"site_id":24,"html_lang":23,"table_of_contents":25,"faqs":26,"seo_title":27,"seo_description":14,"update_tm":28,"read_time":29},146510,8796095027276,"wps_ap_test_251126_0180","https://avatar.qwps.com/avatar/d3BzX2FwX3Rlc3RfMjUxMTI2XzAxODA=",10,"Lifestyle","RAISE A GLASS TO CLOSING TIME ATAN EAST IDAHO FLY-FISHING OASIS","A reflection on the A-Bar, an East Idaho fly-fishing gathering spot on Henry’s Fork, recounting its charm, memorable hospitality, and the community it fostered from the late 20th century until its closure in 2008. The piece describes the scenic setting, bar and motel operations run by the Thompson family, and the menu that anchored Island Park nightlife. It also covers WorldCast Anglers’ purchase, renovation challenges, and plans to preserve the bar’s social role through a quieter “Plan B” concept.","Story and Photographs By Jim Dean  \nLast  \nC  \nS  \no the rumors were only Park, Idaho, in mid-June,   \nbulldozed into a pile of  \nangling friends had heard. But the big gravel parking lot that  \ndusty cars, trucks and SUVs, many towing driftboats; no waderclad fishermen coming and going from the bar or the rooms upstairs; no loose groups loading boats or standing around sipping cool ones. The A-Bar sat vacant and forlorn, a “Closed”sign taped to the glass doors.  \nI parked in front and got out. Just behind the building, Idaho’s famed Henry’s Fork of the Snake River flowed through the ancient Island Park caldera in a gentle curve, its banks ablaze with yellow and white wildflowers. In the distance, Sawtelle Peak was covered with snow. How many hours had I, and so many others, sat inside at the horseshoe-shaped bar spangled with silver dollars and viewed that scene through back windows festooned  \neast Idaho institution and the embodiment of the popular twist,“this is a drinking town with a fishing problem.”  \nThe A-Bar is so fondly regarded by fly fishermen that writer Kirk Deeter described it in a lyrical tribute in Big Sky Journal as the student union of The University of the River, Henry’s Fork Campus. There are, of course, many great bars beloved by anglers and worthy of tribute, but this one can’t pass into history without some attempt at a eulogy for all the parched fishermen, guides, cowboys, loggers, hot babes, local dipsomaniacs, bikers and random tourists (if not outright lost, at least temporarily disoriented) who found a second home here since 1980. That was the year Larry and Helen Thompson bought  \nA long-time angling institution along the Henry’s Fork of the Snake River, the A-Bar closed in 2008 but is remembered fondly by fly fishermen.  \nCall  \nRAISE A GLASS TO CLOSING TIME ATAN EAST IDAHO FLY-FISHING OASIS.  \ncommanding A-frame construction supported by flying buttresses at the entrance, but because he decided it was going to be just “a bar.” Even so, upstairs motel rooms were added in 1984, a year after their daughter, Korre Thompson, moved back home to help run the place. Her sister, LoAnne Strandberg, joined them a year later.  \nIn 1986 Larry died, at 51. LoAnne, Helen and Korre decided to continue the operation and it flourished, partly because fishing was good in the late-1980s and because Korre and LoAnne had a flair for promotion.  \n“(Once) we were sitting around one hot summer day and realized that a lot of regular and potential customers were getting  \n“What really impressed them was that we had any brand they wanted,” added Korre,“and we gave them away ‘Compliments of the A-Bar.’ The place was packed that night.”  \nW hen I first fished the Railroad Ranch on the Henry’s  \nFork in 1974, anglers coming off the river late had  \nto drive miles to find supper or drinks, but the A-Bar solved that problem with a menu of massive cheeseburgers on buttered-and-grilled slabs of Texas toast, Killer Chili, steaks, fried shrimp and a salad bar. With Korre, LoAnne and Helen tending the herd until the wee hours, the place was the center of Island Park’s nightlife.  \nFlyRod&Reel 73  \nNext StepS in Island park  \nWe could call this a recessionary tale. In 2008,  \nWorldCast Anglers initiated the purchase of the  \nA-Bar property from Korre Thompson and LoAnne Strandburg. The company, which had earlier purchased the Hyde Outfitters property across the highway from the A-Bar and now operates a fly shop at that location, had plans to keep a version of the A-Bar open, the goal being to preserve the much-needed social nucleus of Island Park—fly-fishers looked forward a little A-Bar time after a day on the Henry’s Fork. WCA ([worldcastanglers.com](worldcastanglers.com)) also offers outfitting services on the Henry’s Fork, Teton and South Fork of the Snake, as well as in Yellowstone Park.  \n“Before we bought the A-Bar in the winter of 2008, I was a frequent visitor to both the Henry’s Fork and the bar. I was fortunate to experien","cbCaifT24ma7JJWV","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaifT24ma7JJWV","pdf",13590102,1,5,"English","en",105,"# Next Steps in Island Park\n## Closing time and community legacy\n## The A-Bar’s appeal and history\n## WorldCast Anglers purchase and rebuilding challenges\n## “Plan B” and preserving tradition","[{\"question\":\"What made the A-Bar a beloved stop for fly fishermen in Island Park?\",\"answer\":\"Its location by Henry’s Fork, the welcoming atmosphere, and the practical convenience for anglers—plus its famed food—made it a central social stop for visitors and locals.\"},{\"question\":\"When did the A-Bar close, and why?\",\"answer\":\"The A-Bar closed in 2008 after WorldCast Anglers bought the property and determined that renovation would be too much work compared with rebuilding, with significant electrical and roof issues preventing re-opening.\"},{\"question\":\"What is WorldCast Anglers planning to do instead of re-opening the full A-Bar?\",\"answer\":\"They considered a low-key temporary watering hole in the nearby Hyde building, potentially using a keg and maintaining continuity—an informal “Plan B” focused on tradition, friends, and the river’s nature.\"}]","RAISE A GLASS TO CLOSING TIME ATAN EAST IDAHO FLY-FISHING OASIS | 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made the A-Bar a beloved stop for fly fishermen in Island Park?","Question",{"text":75,"@type":76},"Its location by Henry’s Fork, the welcoming atmosphere, and the practical convenience for anglers—plus its famed food—made it a central social stop for visitors and locals.","Answer",{"name":78,"@type":73,"acceptedAnswer":79},"When did the A-Bar close, and why?",{"text":80,"@type":76},"The A-Bar closed in 2008 after WorldCast Anglers bought the property and determined that renovation would be too much work compared with rebuilding, with significant electrical and roof issues preventing re-opening.",{"name":82,"@type":73,"acceptedAnswer":83},"What is WorldCast Anglers planning to do instead of re-opening the full A-Bar?",{"text":84,"@type":76},"They considered a low-key temporary watering hole in the nearby Hyde building, potentially using a keg and maintaining continuity—an informal “Plan B” focused on tradition, friends, and the river’s 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