Red Rock Adventure Blog

See more photos from these streams:
East Fork of Sevier in Black Canyon
Antimony Creek

I found myself down near Bryce Canyon over the weekend and took the opportunity to fish area steams. Action was good for feisty 8-13 inch browns, rainbows and brook trout. The weather was nice – warm for March. The scenery was spectacular, of course, and it was a very enjoyable trip.

I was in the area checking on a recreational lot on the edge of the forest near Pine Lake, just north of Bryce Canyon. I love that area and go there often to fish, hike and engage in other activities. Since I enjoy the area so much, I am considering buying land and putting up a cabin. Decisions, decisions...

Anyway, the East Fork of the Sevier River usually offers good brown trout fishing in Black Canyon, north of the town of Antimony. The stream has been a family favorite for many years and it rarely disappoints. However, the stream is still recovering from a fish kill caused by ash from a fire on Mt Dutton, located to the west. The browns are coming back, but fishing is still far below the glory years of the past.

We camped along the stream and it rained steadily through much of the night. The next morning the water level was up and the stream was quite muddy. That is typical of this stream – it is susceptible to flooding from snowmelt or runoff from rainstorms.

I had planned to fly fish but the high, muddy water discouraged me. The runoff interferes with insect hatches and keeps the fish down – I’ve never done well fly fishing under those conditions.

I love fly fishing but I’m not a purist. If flies don’t work then I try something else. Rapalas are my weapon of choice for trout in water that is a little high and muddy. I use an original floating Rapala and work it slowly along the edge of the current and next to overhangs. I often cast it into the current, let it float to the bottom of the hole, then retrieve it slowly against the current.

Brown trout can’t resist such an offering. Several anyway, couldn’t resist on this trip. They struck aggressively and fought hard for their size.

The Rapala is perhaps the single most versatile lure ever invented. Variations are great in lakes and on streams, for almost any game fish. I usually remove the first hook and flatten the barbs on the other hook, to make it easier to release fish. If both hooks are left in place it is difficult to unhook a thrashing fish, but very easy to injure it. Flattening the barbs makes it harder to play and land fish, but the added challenge is enjoyable.

Deer Creek is a small tributary to the East Fork. It was running clear, albeit a little high. Three large beaver ponds on the stream’s lower end produced nice browns.

Antimony Creek is a larger tributary that offers a smorgasbord of fishing opportunity. It is often almost completely dewatered by the time it reaches SR 22, but always has a good flow up the canyon. Browns and rainbows thrive in its lower reaches and brook trout are abundant farther up the canyon. It flows off the west side of Boulder Mountain, offering mile after mile of good fishing in a scenic canyon that gets little fishing pressure.

I had a blast catching trout on a black beadhead leech pattern. Several rainbows got up and danced on their tails.

I wore Neoprene waders and was actually hot by afternoon. It felt very much like early June. In that country it often snows in early June, then gets hot a few minutes later when the sun comes out.

Actually, I might get into trouble with my brothers for writing about this area. It is supposed to be our family’s secret. Oh, did I mention there are rattlesnakes? And cougars? And Black Canyon cuts through ugly, black lava. You probably don’t want to bother fishing there.

Several popular ATV trails cut through this area, running up the canyons and along ridges. I’m not a big fan of ATVs. I don’t hate them and I see the need to have designated tails where people can ride. Unfortunately, many riders don’t stay on the trails and they are wrecking havoc in many areas. They pound the trails hour after hour, kicking up dust and smashing vegetation.

I wouldn’t mind if they were riding to get to a destination – a fishing hole for instance. But most don’t do that. They pound the terrain hour after hour, riding just for the fun of riding. So, when I’m 10 miles up the canyon enjoying solitude on a seldom-fished stream, it bugs me a bit when a swarm of these pests come thundering by, and then they thunder by again and again.

Anyway, it was a good trip.

Now I’ve got to decide if I love the area enough to buy land and put up a cabin.

- Dave