Red Rock Adventure Blog

This is a recent email exchange including a brief fishing report:

6-11-09
Hi Dave,
I will be fishing with my son in the Antimony (Otter Creek Reservoir) area starting on June 12. I'd appreciate your time and recommendations on which streams have good fishing now. How is the East Fork of the Sevier River (Kingston or Black Canyon) looking? What about some of the streams near Fish Lake?

Thanks for your time.
Regards,
Mike Z


Mike:
Runoff is just ending and so streams in that area will be high but they should be fishable. We've been getting rain many days - if it rains hard they may become muddy and that would interfere with fishing success.

The East Fork should fish well in both Black Canyon and Kingston Canyon. Kingston Canyon has a lot of private property with restricted access, but there are a few spots where you can get on and find nice fish.

Black Canyon is overgrown and rugged, but that helps keep the fishing good. It amazingly big holes where fish are often deep. If you are fly fishing it can be a challenge casting in thick brush and getting down to the fish.

Antimony Creek comes in just south of town. If you follow it up into the forest it usually offers fast fishing for mostly small trout.

Two small streams in the Fish Lake area are usually good, again for small trout. They are Sevenmile Creek above Johnson Reservoir and UM Creek above Forsyth Reservoir. They are beautiful streams.

The Fremont River below Johnson Reservoir also offers good action. It flows in and out of private property but can be quite good where access is available. Up high the fish are mostly small but there are some nice sized browns lower down.

Good luck on your trip.
Dave


6-18-09
Dave, Thanks for taking the time to respond. We fished most of the areas you mentioned and the fishing was excellent.
Mike

When you go to Lake Powell, what's more important than catching fish?

Well, perhaps building relationships.

I enjoyed a great trip to Powell last weekend and but I didn't even fish. That is a little bit sad, because fishing is hot down there right now, but it just means I'll have to go back in a week or two, before the fish frenzy ends.

My son, Dan, went and joined the Army Reserves. He heads off to basic training in a couple weeks. After basic, who knows where he will be. He has always loved Powell and so I wanted to give him one more trip before he goes.

Dan's wife, Jenny, came along and she is quite pregnant. Son Aaron and his pregnant wife Rebecca were also there, along with their 2.5-year-old daughter Katie. The wives and Katie had never been to the lake and so we elected to go sight seeing, hitting some of my favorite spots while avoiding long boat rides, rough water and excessive exposure to the sun.

We boated through scenic canyons, pulled people - slowly - on a play tube and enjoyed being on the lake. Katie had great fun chasing lizards. Most of us did get sunburned and I think everyone had fun. It was a great trip to build relationships.

When I go to Powell I normally camp on the beach, sleeping near places I want to fish. That provides a great advantage because the best fishing usually occurs during the early morning and late evening hours. If you have to boat from one of the marinas, you often miss great action.

This time we stayed in the developed campground at Bullfrog. It is very nice, with flush toilets and other modern facilities. During warm weather the campground is like a small city, meaning you have to put up with neighbors with dogs and loud music, but it worked out well this time.

In a couple weeks I'll do a serious Lake Powell fishing trip. I might even go down there Memorial Day weekend. That weekend is crazy on the lake, with boats and people and confusion. But the Hite area will be serene - meaning it won't have very many people - because there are limited facilities, you have to launch on an old road bed, and the water there is muddy because of runoff coming down the Colorado River.

But Hite is the closest launch point to some of the best fishing on the lake. I'll probably launch at Hite and boat down-lake toward Good Hope Bay. I'll get down past the muddy water and then camp on the beach - away from the crowds.

Bass fishing is very good right now lake-wide, and some of the best fish are being caught on broken rock in the Good Hope area. Stripers are also coming on and some nice fish will be caught trolling near the mud line (the spot where muddy river water gives way to clear lake water).

With that strategy I can enjoy a nice trip, even over the popular holiday weekend.

- Dave

The upcoming weekend looks perfect and so I'm heading to Lake Powell. I'll do a little fishing, a little sight seeing, plus relax and enjoy time with family.

My son, Dan, joined the Army - he heads to basic training in a couple weeks. He loves Powell and so we decided get him down there once more before he ships out.

Dan's wife, Jenny, will be coming - her first trip to the lake. They are pregnant, some 6.5 months along, so we will be taking it easy - hunting calm water.

Fishing should be superb. There will be a full moon, and that can interfere with fishing during the morning hours, but I don't think it will constrain things at this time of year. It will be beautiful camping out under that moon.

I normally camp on a beach away from the marinas - nothing better than having a remote canyon all to yourself, where you can't hear or see other humans. But this time I've elected to stay in the developed campground at Bullfrog - close to the restrooms.

My boat is running well. Had to rebuild the axle on the trailer - hope they welded the spindle on straight. The spindle is the part the wheel bearings ride on, so it holds the wheel on. Last time I towed the boat a set of bearings burned out and ruined the existing spindle. I wanted to replace the entire axle but couldn't find one that fit my boat. So I had a shop rebuild the old one. Cross your fingers.

My recreational habits are a bit streaky. For the past couple years I've been into canyon hiking, doing more of that than fishing. I think this is the year for Lake Powell. Oh, I'll do a few hikes, but I hope to get down to Powell 4-5 times. I'll buy an annual pass, so friends and family members should encourage me to use it.

I'll try to send a few Twitter messages to report from the lake. Follow me on Twitter.
- Dave

Why do I hike? Why do I fish? I throw countless hours and dollars and miles at these activities - what do I get back?

I've been asked to speak to a group of engineers and I will try to convince them that hiking will improve their lives and help fix the world. The company they work for offers a monthly lunch where employees can eat free if they listen to a healthy lifestyle presentation. I get a free lunch out of the deal. Not bad.

So, why do I hike and fish? Guess I better work that out before Tuesday. Here's a start.

1. I enjoy it. I enjoy being out in nature - particularly in areas with great natural beauty.

2. It helps me stay sane. The serenity in nature helps me keep my life in perspective. The rhythmic actions provide a focus for my conscious mind but leave my unconscious free to process - to sort things out. If I don't get out of town at least once a month I start to go crazy.

3. It's healthy exercise.

4. It's good for families. Spending time together, communicating, having fun... It's good for parents to structure activities that promote those things.

5. It's good for the world. Don't stop with your own kids. Take your neighbors. Work with a Scout troop. Help other people's kids.

It's good when people learn to love and respect the nature world, and to work to restore nature's balance.

I do believe activities like hiking and fishing help people fix their lives and improve the world. Convinced?

Why do you hike and/or fish?

With the economy picking up a bit, recreational property is starting to move. The little property marketplace on my website has been getting quite a lot of use, both from people posting properties and from potential buyers. It is turning into a good service.

I'm particularly interested in property near fishing waters. Here are a few recent posts I found tempting.

160 acres Near Yost, UT - This mountain property includes a small trout stream, complete with a good population of cutthroat trout. It is located in extreme NW Utah, in a secluded area surrounded by the Sawtooth National Forest.

2.05 Acres in Causey Estates - Above Causey Reservoir, east of Ogden. Causey is a beautiful little reservoir full of rainbows, splake and kokanee.

Strawberry Cabin - This is an existing cabin in the Bryants Fork area at Strawberry Reservoir.

There are plenty more, all around the region. Check em out.