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Some Background...

WHY FISH?

Why not go jogging, hit the gym, start a garden or whatever it is that normal humans do? What's so fascinating about these slimy little animals that live in the water?

Fishing is a bit more to me than a hobby or a sport. It's an essential part of life that helps me connect with the Earth in ways similar to the long practiced traditions of mankind. Wherever man has had a water source, there has been fishing.

It's only natural.

THE PAST

As a fingerling, I only fished a few times with uncles or my father. We typically never went out of the valley except for a couple of trips to Deer Creek, where I remember catching my first perch.

My Dad took me to the Provo River a few times and once up to Ruth Lake in the Uintas. It was always a fun trip, no matter where we went and it got us out of the house. I wish I would have asked to go more often at that age.

At age 14, I went with the Scouts to climb King's Peak, the high point of Utah. We had to hike some 8 miles with heavy packs to get to our campsite at Dollar Lake in the High Uintas. At that lake, I caught my first trout and never got around to fishing again for several years.

When I rediscovered the joys of fishing in my early 20's, a close friend named Holdsworth and I spent a lot of our time at a handful of places within a reasonable driving distance. The first lake that gave us any trout was Currant Creek Reservoir. The fish weren't huge, but they were gorgeous and plentiful once found.



We made it a high priority to fish there every weekend for much of the summer. Every time we went, however, the monkey on our collective back grew a little bit stronger while passing the intimidating Strawberry Reservoir.

Eventually, the seduction of the Berry's fame lured us to turn onto the Soldier Creek Dam Junction. Never having fished it before, we thought we'd start at the dam and test our luck.

We didn't get a bite for over an hour and I started to doze off. I was awakened when my Ugly Stik swept over to the other side of my lap from where I had it resting. Coming to, I started reeling and fought in a feisty rainbow of around 18 inches and fat. We'd never caught anything like it up at Currant Creek, so a new weekly destination was born.



Moving forward a few years, Holdsworth had since moved to Germany, but I continued to feed my passion for fishing. I joined a wildlife forum online, sponsored and run by the Utah Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR). The DWR forum had an eclectic stew of sportsmen and women from all over the state and abroad.

Participating in the forum made me realize that my fishing license was valid anywhere in the state and that taking on a few new venues couldn't hurt. Ever since I joined, my summers have been spent trying out new waters in between trips to the usual haunts and fishing has never been better for me.

Much information was shared freely between the sportsmen of this online community and it was a good place to get in some useful reading. Being active in discussions there and applying new ideas really helped me develop into a better fisherman.

In the "Fishing Reports" section, you could read about recent trips to places all over the state. Reading the reports, I was inspired to begin recording my own experiences. Why not? Writing was always something I enjoyed doing plus I had a camera and web access...

From then on, I posted detailed write ups of my exploits quite regularly. Positive feedback prompted me to continue and now I have almost as much fun putting the report together, as I do actually fishing.

The DWR forum was shut down abruptly in September of '07 due to bureaucratic red tape. A slew of new "replacement forums" popped up in hopes of gaining the now disbanded 5000+ members.

Once the dust settled a bit, a clear replacement appeared when the former moderators of the DWR forum got together with a former member named "Petersen" to start the Utah Wildlife Network.



Quite a few members donate (myself included) and that helps to keep the site running. Additionally, we're not in any danger of the gov. stepping in and pulling the plug, as this forum is privately owned and operated by Petersen.

Once the news caught wind that a true replacement was found, the pages started looking more familiar with old screen names showing up left and right. It didn't take too long and we had our spot back, essentially.

Aside from the UWN, I also make it a point to hang out with the guys from Utah Fishing Talk (UFT). It's a good bunch with fewer members and a more intimate feel. Another great resource is Big Fish Tackle. This nationwide forum is full of knowledgeable anglers from all over the world.

...But really, if I burn all of my time on the internet, there won't be any left for fishing!

Due mainly to the forums, my fishing eyes have been opened. Now more than ever, I really make it a point to explore new waters and fish the spots that nobody talks about. My day trips have gotten much longer and involve many more stops than before.

Please stay tuned for trip reports and feel free to explore the links in my highlights section, where I go into more detail about specific waters and areas.

Happy Fishing, Humans.

HIGHLIGHTS SECTION

Welcome to the Highlights Section!

Blog Posts

Welcome to the blog section!

10/25/11

Family Day at Currant Creek

My family and I got out this weekend to poke around the Currant Creek area. It was a pretty good trip and both Sonia and I caught fish, which makes it a success.

Using the Co-Op Creek route (gates closing Nov.1), we dropped down into the valley and my little lady was kind enough to let me have some fun on the beaver ponds before we got to the lake. The scrappy little cutthroat were more than cooperative.





Our first stop at the lake was at the north end, where we watched thousands of whitefish make their annual run to the inlets. Hoping to find some trout in the mix, we fished the immediate area for about an hour without a bite. It seemed time to find another part of the lake to fish.


We drove around to the dam, only to find a stiff breeze blowing directly toward it. This foiled my plans to get in a float on my tube, and it didn't seem conducive to a good time for my family either. Back the way we came and a little farther toward the campground, we settled into a fishy looking bay and got busy.

Happily, we found the trout and they were quick to take a spinner or a minnow. Whenever I hooked one, I let my boy reel it in for me and that kept him in good spirits, despite the chilly wind.


Momma got herself a few fish and that made everyone happy.



A couple that James and I caught:



The catching was pretty good for awhile and many smaller fish were released. There was a bigger fish that felt pretty good, but it slipped away before I could pull it in. Probably a good tiger, but we'll never know for certain.

Before we knew it, the sun crept behind the hill we were by and the wind got a bit colder. It was time to move along.

Of course, on the way down (we took the mostly-paved route back), the beaver ponds on the lower creek were too much to drive by and I just had to check on them.

As nice as they looked, most were rather shallow; on the rebuilding stage after this year's blowout spring runoff. Finding a decent hole was tricky and it was frustrating to cast into what looked to be a perfect pool, only to reel in some weeds.

Finally, I found a good run between ponds and missed a couple of bites before connecting with a surprising catch for the creek:


It isn't hard to believe that a few tigers could have washed down the spillway this year. A little brown also made my acquaintance and we hit the road.


The fishing was really good on the creeks above the lake. The lake was alright, although I really wish I could've seen the bigger one. The creek below showed promise and we all had a great time spending the day together.


Happy Fishing, Humans.

2 comments:

  1. First of all, just let me say what a great looking family you have. I think it is wonderful how you do many trips together and include all in the fun. Strong family base for the outdoors there. As usual, congrats on some very nice looking fish, and, once again a Tiger Trout makes me envious all over!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks, Mel. I can't wait until he gets more excited to go with. I foresee many father and son trips and really look forward to them.

    ReplyDelete

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