Diamond Fork and the Rowley Stone

Last fall I had a lot of success fishing the Rowley Stone on all the rivers I fished that have giant stoneflies. I also caught a lot of fish on size 10 and 12 Rowley Stones imitating drake nymphs on rivers that don't have giant stones. Turns out, it works just as good in the spring.

Diamond Fork is full of a variety of large stoneflies like this salmonfly nymph. Heavy stonefly patterns make the trout go silly!

Pocket water and seams along fast moving (well oxygenated) water are full of stonefly nymphs and trout. We had a great time catching trout from these areas.
We slid down the canyon a few miles to target some larger browns and lucked out once again with the Rowley Stone.

Weber River Sow bugs

The Weber River is full of sow bugs and large trout. No kidding! Brad, Phil, and I fished the canyon section just above Ogden early Saturday morning, and the bite was on. Almost every fish was caught on sow bug patterns, and despite the warm spring day there were very few fish rising.

On most rivers that have cutts and browns I automatically assume the big fish to all be browns or the odd white fish. Man was I wrong today! This giant cutt ate a sow bug just minutes after the big brown pictured below had taken one. Both were caught in the same riffle.
You can tell this fish had a long winter... skinny but a fighter!

Provo River Midges

I love to fish the Lower Provo in the early spring. Its this time of year when I see beautiful trout rise to take almost invisible bugs from the surface. What I really love to see are those same beautiful trout rise to take my tiny imitations from the surface then barrel and roll when they feel the prick of their lip, similar to the way this rainbow did.
Kohler had some nice fish take his 6X for a ride.
Adult midges were everywhere, and we even saw a few blue-winged olives, no doubt some of the first of the year.

The dries were fun to fish, but it was the pupa dropper below a cluster pattern that really hammered the fish.

South Fork Cutts

Kohler, Devin, and I fished the South Fork a week ago. Our day consisted of tons and tons of white fish and a few very nice cutts and bows. It was a lot of fun, especially when Kohler caught a dolphin-looking hog of a white fish. I still wish we would have got a picture of that pig. We caught most on nymphs and a few on adult midge patterns, including the biggest cutt of the day (Devin's 19 inch beauty). The fish were amazingly beautiful and I can't wait to get back up there.

Reminiscences of Spring Fishing

After Christmas and New Years have passed, while the skies are gray, the flies are being tied, and few fish are being caught, many people settle in for the rest of the cold, gloomy winter by simply enduring what seems like a never-ending torturous cold spell. I on the other hand, become restless at about this same time every season. I begin to look forward to spring fishing the same way a five year old looks forward to Christmas during the final week before it's arrival as it inches closer and closer. This is the time of year when large magnificent monsters awake from their wintery hiding places to eat teeny, tiny, itty-bitty flies. Its great!

Kohler with one of his first browns of the year.

Provo River in January.

Early season Provo River brown.

Fatty! He had been eating sow bugs all winter, guaranteed!
Kohler with another nice Provo River brown.

I love fishing in the snow!


Its the middle of January now, and I can't help but think of the wonderful days that will soon start another magnificent year of fishing. I haven't stopped fishing during the winter, but I have slowed down about as much as the fish have: I only go out when my starvation (for fishing) drives me to brave the cold current to try and capture my prey that will somehow give me new life to help me endure until spring. Spring starts for me much earlier for me than for other people. By the middle of February there are enough 40 degree days popping up on the five-day forecast that push me out the house door and into the river. I can hardly wait!

Bloody Prince

This is one of my favorite winter and springtime flies. Last year was the first time I fished this variation, and it was deadly! It is very quick, easy, durable, and inexpensive to tie. I'm sure if you give it a chance it will earn a spot in your springtime fly box.

Recipe:

Hook size: 12-18

Bead: Gold or Black Tungsten

Thread: Red 8/0

Tail: Pheasant tail fibers

Ribbing: Red wire BR

Body: Black super-fine dubbing

Wings: White goose biots

Dragon Warrior

A few months ago Derek made up a fly that is similar to the rainbow warrior, except that it is tied with black flashabou for the abdomen, and mallard flank for the tail. It is black and white, and looks like a panda ready to kick some butt! That is why he named it the dragon warrior ( If you don't know what I am talking about, watch Kung Fu Panda and it will make sense). So, today Kohler and I fished the Weber. It was a nice day to be on the river even though the fishing was pretty slow. The only fly to produce fish was the Dragon Warrior.

"There is no charge for awesomeness ...or attractiveness."

Dragon Warrior

Nice brown deceived by the panda fly.

"The universe has brought us the Dragon Warrior! "

Master Oogway
Kohler fighting the big one. No doubt this fish doesn't want to give in to the power of the Dragon Warrior!

"Hey, what you got? You got nothing because I got it right here. You picking on my friends? Get ready to feel the thunder. Come out with the crazy feet. What you goin' to do about the crazy feet. I'm a blur! I'm a blur! You never seen *Bear* style!"

Go get em Kohler!

Oh, and a muskrat surfaced at our feet at the end of the day. He must have thought one of us was PO because he peaced out in a hurry! "Skadoosh!!"