Utah Fly Fishing Report, August 6
Well, sorry for the gap in fly fishing reports. The fishing in July has been so good that we haven't had a chance to get off the water. The fly fishing in Utah is absolutely fantastic right now and it should stay strong through the month of August and into September. We have had some of the best hatches we've ever seen on some of the tailwaters and with all of the water the mountain streams have been very good.
Fly Fishing in Rivers
The rivers are warming in the low elevations but this year has been delayed a bit by all of the Spring water so we are fishing now like it normally does in mid July. Water is still pretty high on the middle Provo and we've had mixed success. PMDs are hatching but with the high flows the fish haven't really keyed on them yet. Should happen this week and next. The Weber continues to fish well with nymphs, but the real stars right now are the high mountain streams, which are fishing amazingly well, and the exclusive private fly fishing waters that UFG has access to. We are heading out to two of the private ranches today to do some "research" which really means fishing for fun. Should be amazing. We'll post pictures, even if we don't catch anything bigger than the last fish I caught at this place (check out this 25 inch rainbow).
Fly Fishing in Lakes
The flyfishing on most of the lakes has slowed a bit, although it continues to be good on some of the private waters. Fish are starting to really feed only early and late in the day. Although, with afternoon thunderstorms being the norm, we are seeing some good fishing just after the 2-4 o'clock showers cool things off. This pattern could last through much of August but September normally really starts to pick up and get good for big fish that feed heavily before spawning and winter.
Things Change. Fast.
This afternoon my sweetheart suggested that we go up Provo Canyon so I could fish for a bit while she sat in the shade and read her new book. . . . What a woman!!
It was a beautiful day today and as some of you may know, here in Utah it's the start of a long weekend. The 24th of July is a state holiday, Pioneer Day, so the canyon was lousy with people. I figured we could avoid the river pressure by going to the lower end of the Lower Provo. We pulled off Nunn's Park, a park and campground that is pretty popular but which affords easy access to river that isn't fished too hard. It's a nice place to read a book and since the river is running high right now, I thought it a good choice because there is a stretch of river there that is flat and wide. I hoped I could fish it without getting into too much trouble wading. What I hadn't counted on was having an audience.
As I sauntered across the grass to drop down into the river, I passed by a family who were sitting on a blanket just enjoying the shade and the sound of the water. By the time I eased into the water and stripped out some line, I realized the entire family had slid to the riverside and were anxiously watching me. I thought, "Okay, maybe I can entertain them." The problem was that while the water was littered with bugs, the fish were briskly ignoring them. Apparently they've seen it before.
It didn't take too long before the family grew tired of watching me cast, change flies and repeat. And I couldn't help but feel like I'd let them down. Eventually, I hooked up with a nice fat 14" brown. The take surprised me a bit, but more shocking was how quickly my audience was back. And they'd tripled.
The fish took in heavy water and it had me in a bit of trouble right off the bat. By the time I had him slowed, there was a guy with a big black camera with a long lens in the edge of the water taking my picture while a woman watched from behind him. The family was back; a boy of about 10 was clapping and his dad was filming me with his cell phone. Other folks gathered around and my little audience was soon over a dozen. I landed the fish and held it up for the kids to see. When I released the it, the crowd thinned a little but the original family seemed to have new hope. And why not? So did I.
As I started fishing again, I noticed that the little boy and a girl of about seven were now wading in the shallow water of the small eddy where I had entered the water. As I stood there on slick, loose rocks in water up over my thighs, I got the same sick feeling I get when I see a toddler unattended in a shopping cart. The kids seemed okay and their parents seemed pretty attentive but I still worried.
I fished half way back across and turned to fish the bank opposite the family. It couldn't have been thirty seconds before I heard a shout. I turned to see the little girl, still against the bank, but now downstream about fifteen feet below the eddy. I started for her but realized simultaneously that I wasn't going to get there through the current and that her mom, who was hip deep in harried had her.
The girl had flip-flops in her hands and tears in her eyes. I presume that her shoe came off and started floating away and she went after it. She was so close to never coming back that once I got my heart rate down, I packed it in and headed for shore. As the family watched me a little sheepishly and attended to the girl, I took pains to make it clear that I was being extra careful and that it was hard. I wade rivers for a living, and while I never felt like I was in trouble at all (and I have been before), I also know that wading is a skill guides often take for granted. When I climbed out of the water, the little boy's gaze met mine, I smiled just a little and gave him my best grave head shake.
It's funny how fortunes can change. I was disappointed that the fish weren't really active when I got there, but I was feeling pretty good when I caught that fish. Then, within minutes I came within inches of having this become one of the worst days of my life. So, here's a little reminder to be extra careful wading. And when you're out with the kids this summer, make sure to keep a close eye on them in tame water and just don't let them near fast water. Rivers are too great to have them be the source of so much pain.
French Nymph Fishing Techniques
The French: I Like their Fries and their Flies
So that headline may have included one of the worst jokes I've ever dared to write down, but this video is some of the most effective nymphing I've seen. I found it cruising Facebook today and liked watching this guy fish. Those familiar with international fly fishing competitions will tell you that the French team knows their stuff (unfortunately for us Americans), especially when it comes to catching fish from shallow water with nymphs. This video is a little long and the music may give you a headache too, or at least make you nervous in some form, but this is a great technique to have in the quiver for the appropriate situations. So turn the sound down low and enjoy some great French nymphing footage.




