Spring Utah trip

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My buddy and I planned an April Utah trip awhile ago…unfortunately, after coming back from the east coast attending a funeral, he caught something that made him very ill with flu like symptoms…and he couldn’t go.

I drove up to Dutch John yesterday from southern Nevada…it was 34 & lightly snowing at 8 am this morning, but stopped snowing by the time we were in the river
 
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IMG_6127.jpegSpring runoff wasn’t bad at all…parts of B section were a little colored after Red Creek…

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The streamer bite was slow to start…might have been due to mid 30’s temps and the hail shower…but picked up right after lunch…put half a dozen in the net, missed more than that. Late afternoon baetis hatch put another half dozen in the net on dries…
 
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I hiked up the trail from Little Hole towards A Section…these fish are smart; when the late afternoon baetis went off, they came close to shore to slurp the tiny bugs…if you look close , there is an 18” brown in the middle of the pic. There were many fish like this everywhere. I spent an hour in one spot watching 4-5 fish refuse my offerings…changing flies multiple times. I did manage to fool 3 of them to eat my fly…I had to tie a larger dry in front of the 18 they were eating just so I could see it…I missed so many eats because of my eyes…humbling
 
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Fished Antimony Creek today…I couldn’t believe how such a tiny creek could hold decent sized rainbows…caught a half dozen, hooked and missed as many…
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The East Fork of the Savier gave up several browns and a couple chunky rainbows
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Tried to find a couple smallies near Otter Creek Reservoir…only found three of these suckers, which is a new species on fly for me…
 
I love that place. I'll be back there this June. Hopefully, I'll catch the caddis hatch again, because last year, the dry fly fishing was absurd. I mostly fished that section above Little Hole, and those tough fish get a lot easier when the caddis and midges are popping steady. I think I caught a dozen browns over 18" one morning on a purple X-Caddis and a No See Um, all from the same corner. So many fish in that river....
 
Brute said:
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Fished Antimony Creek today…I couldn’t believe how such a tiny creek could hold decent sized rainbows…caught a half dozen, hooked and missed as many…
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The East Fork of the Savier gave up several browns and a couple chunky rainbows
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Tried to find a couple smallies near Otter Creek Reservoir…only found three of these suckers, which is a new species on fly for me…
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That’s the famous Utah Chub, the most vilified fish in the inter mountain west.
Did you try Em creek near Loa.?
 
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Hiked into a tiny stream Um Creek…this was the very widest part, then narrowed considerably…I wish I had my 7’6” 3 wt…IMG_6149.jpeg
Tight quarters, lots of overhead branches…basically lobbing a micro leech underhanded into the pocket pools behind boulders or logs…land quite a few small bows, one brown, and a decent sized splake, which is a new species for me, a hybrid lake trout/brookieIMG_6151.jpeg
That’s the creek from above when we hiked out…got my exercise today
 
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Fished a high alpine lake that had tiger trout…which is another new species for me…caught two, and another handful of small bows.

Finished the day checking out the lower Fremont Creek n Bickell, called “ the bottoms”… Hoping to find a big brown this area is known for, it was extremely low, clear…and seriously windy, with a steady 20 mph breeze with gusts to 30…it was tough sledding. Most spots it was a foot deep, with undercut banks and very narrow slots along the bends…only saw a few rainbows, and most of them were big…and spooky. Didn’t manage one eat…a couple follows, then they skittishly bolted for the bank.

All in all, a good trip…heading home in the morning
 
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