Posts tagged Provo River
Early Spring and a Hatch or Two
Mar 7th
When the fishing is great, the great do whatever it takes to be on the water. This past week the fishing has been great. The famed Blue Wing Olive Mayfly has been hatching daily on a local trout stream, bringing some of the best top water action of the year, as well as producing a hatch of die hard fisherman. With the fishing off the charts I couldn’t sit around until Saturday to get back on the water. Fortunately I have a flexible job and was able to take a couple of half days and fish the river with some friends as well as hit it on Sat. So with 4 days on the water this week, I was able to witness first hand the majestic beauty that God has giving us to experience and respect. During these days I have learned some great lessons about fly fishing as well as life. So here they are:
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Thanks-Giving Morning
Dec 4th
Thanksgiving to most is a time to be with family and friends. For the first time in 27 yrs I found myself wondering what I was going to do before the big feast. Normally I have plans to play football or basketball with the family, but with 
everyone in Cali visiting my bro, I found myself free until noon. So, I decided to hit the river and spend a little time with my third family (The LP). I am glad I did, the scenery was serine. You know those freezing winter mornings where the steam lifts off the water like hatching BWOs and fills the canyon walls. The fish were even in the giving spirit in the short time I spent on a familar run. It really was a great time to stop and reflect on what is important in life and think about those that I am thankful for. It was a great way to spend a Thanksgiving morning.
A few pics of a quick trip to the LP with Hoss…It was a good time (see Hoss’s movie he made in the last post)
Early Winter Midge Storm
Nov 20th
With snow in the forecast I didn’t think much about fly fishing this weekend, in fact I was thinking bird hunting or some late season deer rut. Saturday found me chasing birds in the morning and after that I had the whole afternoon to hit the river. As I drove up the canyon I though what a beautiful day to be out, it had snowed 
earlier masking the trees in a blanket of pure white. I couldn’t help thinking back to last seasons amazing winter midge fishing that I missed so much. As I stepped out of the truck I was instantly greeted by the canyon’s bitter cold breeze. Wow, I thought it is going to be pretty tuff fishing on the hands today. (Cause anyone who knows me, knows I hate to wear gloves and only do on the coldest of days) I got to my spot, tied on my outfit and my hands were already done…I could barley move them and they had that uncomfortably hot feeling. I made a couple casts with my 
nymphs at the end of a run, when I looked behind me and noticed the water boiling with rising fish. By this time it had started to snow again and I though no way am I changing my whole outfit again!!! But as I watched 50 or more rising browns the excitement of small flies, light tippet, and sippers overcame my frozen hands. I took my sweet time re-tying my set up to make sure it was right. I decided to go with an #16 orange asher and a WD-40 as my emerger. I thought that the asher would help break up the hatch and the WD would be a perfect match for the smarter-picker fish. These flies did the trick and after a few missed hook sets (Ok, way too many) a small brown fail to the asher. Just as I thought things were starting to heat up, I caught a tree behind me and had to once again re-rig again. This time I sized down the asher to a #18 and used a brighter orange and I dropped a #22 para adams behind. This set up was deadly, I hooked more hungry browns than I could count. In fact I got to the point where I had to put on my mitts, but nothing mother nature could throw at me would push me off the river. Days like this where you’re the only one on the river and the fish are rising like it is their last super only happen so often. So as I sat on the banks half-frozen waving my 9ft stick to happy fish, I couldn’t feel any of the cold…I was living a fly fisherman’s dream.
Utah and Me
Nov 12th
There is something special about living in Utah that I really hadn’t noticed until now. It had always been part of my life so I never really took the time to notice it or realize why it makes me do the things I do. So here it is; The thing that makes this state so special is the array of unique opportunities it offers to the person with an adventurous spirit. Take me for example, fall means big game hunting and bird hunting, but it also means fall mtn biking, big browns, four wheeling and climbing mtns. Then comes winter, my mind instantly changes to deep powder, top water midges, ice fishing, and snowmobiling. As the snow melts and spring shows it self, so does my need for top water BWO fishing, mtn biking, moab, jeepin, running rivers, turkeys, ice off trout, and exploring mtns with my quad. Then it heats up and so does my soul for adventure, I am overcome by the need for excitement. Camping, fly fishing, biking, climbing, boating, back country hiking, lakes, rivers, whatever!!! Then August arrives again with a need to bow hunt…So I guess what I am trying to show is that with the seasons Utah changes me into whatever opportunity it shows itself.
So back to the post. I have been pretty occupied with hunting this fall, (more than ever in fact) but I had an itch that wouldn’t go away. I knew it was time to chase big browns with big ugly flies…So just like any addiction, I gave in and spent a few hours after work trying to shake the rust off. It was a beautiful fall day, you know the ones you don’t want in the spring…I had the river to myself and I couldn’t be any happier to be out on a familiar water. The browns after a few terrible missed hook sets, gave me a break and started to play along. In fact it was one of those days that you wished you invited your friend who never really has that good of luck, but you constantly are telling him how good it was, even though he can’t believe it. You know those days? But maybe the reason it was such a good day was because I didn’t have anyone tagging along? Who knows and really I don’t care…It was what I needed to fix my itch and to renew my respect with a part of a river that I hold very close.
Utah is a perfect place for me.
