I work for Nova Engineering in Cincinnati, Ohio and recently attended a conference in Utah hosted by our corporate office, L-3 Communications Group. After receiving travel arrangements I started a search for Salt Lake City fishing.
Trout is the prevailing species and the Provo River is a top ten blue ribbon trout river where I read there are 4500 trout for every quarter mile. I wrote down the names and numbers of five guide services and started calling. Since I’m in the process of learning how to fly fish, how cool would it be to fly fish a blue ribbon trout river?
After the conference was over, I stayed an extra few days to fish the Provo. I bought my license at a local tackle shop called Sportsman’s Warehouse and met a guy in the fly tackle area named Lee Mayo. He said he caught nineteen trout in one hour on the “middle,” “The fish are in the deeper holes” he added. He picked two flies out of the bins to show me what he was using. We shared a few fishing stories and I bought five each of the flies he suggested. Even though I hated the thought of paying to fish, the guide I had booked for Saturday had already been rented and considering I was fishing on short notice in unfamiliar territory, I could live with it. I also told Lee the next time I get to Utah that we would get together and go fishing.
I left there and went to Western Rivers Fly Shop. Three guys were there, two employees and a fisherman friend of the two. I walked in and one of them asked if they could help me and I said I was just browsing. I ask where are all the fish at? One of them said “in the river”. I ask, Where at in the river? One of the guys asked me ..Do you plan on fishing? Tomorrow! Why tomorrow the best time to fish is right now. The hatch is on! Between 11:00 and 3:00 is the best time to fish and they shut off around 3:00. I told him I met a guy who caught 19 fish in an hour and he said he knew a guy that caught 19 all day.
I can give you everything you need with a map on where to go.” “For how much?” I asked. By then it was 12:30 and there wasn’t much fishing time left. The fishing spot was forty minutes away and they close at 6:00. It wasn’t hard to convince me to go, so he set me up with gear, waders, and also gave me one of his sweatshirts to borrow. I asked if anyone wanted to go? They all wanted to, but nobody could. So, with a very cool map in hand, and several places plotted to try, I headed out by myself.
I found the place where everybody was parked and got out to scope it out. There were several guys in the river right there. I asked if anyone was catching anything? “No” was the consistent reply. I walked further up the river and met a guy in the water named Ben, who was new like me. He said there was a guide with a client out earlier and they caught ten (pointing to the area) one right after another. On their way out the guide rigged up Ben’s pole with what they were using adding a strike indicator to his line. That’s a little bobber that looks like a little hollow plastic ball; it’s a special type of fly fishing bobber.
We both fished hard but didn’t have any luck. I walked on up the river to try another place. There were only two small fish caught the whole time. It was getting late so I loaded the gear and headed back to the fly shop making it right at 6:00.
Nick Taynor was there running the shop, I returned all the gear and he asked how I did. “I didn’t do any good.” He said “don’t sweat it, it’s all good.” “It took me a year before I caught my first fish.” I told him I wouldn’t tell anybody that if I were him. He said “why? It made me who I am today.” I was just kidding with him. He asked if I was fishing tomorrow and when I was leaving. He felt so bad that he couldn’t go with me and if I had the time he would give me a few tips. I said sure and he gave me a free casting lesson out in front of the store. Drop casts, roll cast, overhead drop cast, side casts.
I found that I had been doing all the “don’ts” – for example, using my body weight to cast and bending my wrist. Nick’s guidance quickly corrected my bad habits. He said he likes teaching women more than men because, “They really get it. Men are more stubborn and won’t listen.” I was exhausted and overall had a great day.
The next morning my guide, Scott Harmon with Rocky Mountain Outfitters, picked me up at the hotel. Before we left I told him I didn’t want to use a strike indicator and don’t want him to net my fish. “I can feel the fish and don’t need a bobber.” I openly admit that I fall into the stubborn category. He said “I use a strike indicator and highly recommend it.” I said I would try very hard to let him be the boss as we drove to the first spot.
Scott started me out with basic training on techniques for “stripping” (pulling the line in) and “mending” (making an adjustment to keep the line behind the rig) Nymphing and dry flying and letting the line drift naturally. We hiked a ways and tried several places. One place, Deer Valley resort area, is a Provo restoration project also known as the “Bunny farm”. We trekked across beaver dams and beavers ponds. There was a beaver that swam across right next to us. We side stepped down snow banks and hiked through some beautiful country.
We chipped ice off the eyes of our rods for the first two hours. I’m very use to that. I wade in the river for Saugeye all winter long in Ohio. I told Scott 21 degrees (air temp) is the cut off, anything colder than that and I wont go. He called me hard core and I agreed. I wanted him to know who he was dealing with. He said he started feeling pressure to put me on fish about ten minutes into the trip.
We fished hard all day trying many places. It was just one of those days and a definite learning experience. The Provo is heavily fished. I think if you know where the holes are and get there at daybreak to get one of those spots you might catch a fish. Or take a road less travelled and fish a remote area where people don’t frequent, your odds would be greatly increased. Late in the day 4:30 or so, the guy up the river from us caught a fish. Then shortly he caught another. I handed Scott my rod and told him to show me what you’ve got! Let’s see how it’s done! He laughed and told me to quit! I pulled out my camera and walked over to the guy with the fish.
“Do you mind if I take your picture? I want to see what a fish looks like! He said “No, n
ot all”. Are you with a guide? I replied with a yes! Have you been doing any good, He ask? No I haven’t caught a fish. We’ve fished all day. I ask him what he was using and he said here use my pole while he rigs up yours with the same rig I have. I’ve caught plenty of fish and I fish here all the time. I’d like to see you catch a fish! His name was Steve. Scott rigged up our poles and I used Steve’s for a minute. Remember the comment previously about me being stubborn (… I couldn’t wait for 2 minutes. Understand I wanted a fish. He had a walkie talkie and radioed a buddy of his who was fishing up stream.
Steve told me where to cast behind the eddy where he had been fishing. It wasn’t long and I had a bite. I missed it. It happens! I was so excited! Steve watched for a while hoping to see me catch a fish, then he was on his way to hook up with his friend. Scott caught a fish! A beautiful brown! Then finally after fishing so hard for so long I caught a fish! I really didn’t know what to do for a few seconds, I was stunned, and stupid, and then I started reeling it in. I was afraid I was going to loose it while bringing it in. It jumped and flipped off the first fly and caught the second fly. I had two flies tied on my rig. I pulled the fish out of the net and I yelled Thank you Jesus! Thank you Jesus! Thank you Jesus! … Again and again! I was so thankful for that one little fish and I wanted everybody to know it. I think they heard it for a mile or two! Sometimes it’s about the experience and not so much how many fish you catch. So, if you’re ever in Salt Lake City make sure you check out Rocky Mountain Outfitters you won’t be disappointed. I had a blast! It was an outdoor adventure of a lifetime! I truly hope to fish with Scott Harmon again someday.