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July 24, 2008
July 24, 2008
Fishing Overview
This is an abbreviated report. It is a summer holiday weekend and I'm out playing, with limited computer access.Fishing continues to be good in most waters - little changed from last week. The high country is very attractive. Our streams are in good shape and offer good to very good action. Lake Powell is hot - both the air temperature and the fishing. In other reservoirs trout are moving deep but can still be caught near the surface early or late in the day. During the middle of the day you need to troll deep or fish baits deep.
Catfish like hot weather and can be caught easily at Utah Lake, Willard Bay, Lake Powell and many other waters. (See our excellent overview article on catfishing.)
The Green and our other important streams continue to fish well. On the Green, Cicadas are gone but ants, hoppers, beetles and other terrestrial patterns are providing good fishing, along with PMDs, small Golden Stoneflies and Caddis patterns.
Provo River has very good action right now. Steve Schmidt reports: "Everyone is looking for the Provo River's Green Drakes. You'll find the most prolific hatches above River Road. You'll also find a plethora. The fishing on the Middle continues to be excellent and the big Drakes have overshadowed all the other stuff that is going on; PMD's, Caddisflies and Sm. Golden Stoneflies hatches. There is a lot going on and the Drakes aren't the only insect providing great fishing." Read his complete report.
Lake Powell continues to offer great bass and striper fishing. The lake has peaked and is now about 45 feet higher that it was last summer. The upper lake has finally cleared and it now offers great fishing opportunities. Hite Marina is officially closed but boats can be launched there on an old roadbed. Wayne Gustaveson reports:
"These are real boils now in the northern lake. That means shad are larger and stripers have to work harder to capture their prey. School behavior is more aggressive. Casting precision is not quite as important. Long casts are still required. A full size surface lure landing in the middle of the melee will no longer spook the entire school. A big lure will be readily accepted and fought over if the first fish misses. Schools will not be quite as boat shy but it will still require knowing how close the boat can be to feeding fish without putting them down." (Read his complete report.)
Important Court Ruling Favors Utah Fishermen
More stream sections in Utah are now open to fishing and other recreational activities because of a recent Utah Supreme Court ruling.
Until last week Utah law held that the water in most streams belongs to the public, but the land under the water could be owned and controlled by private landowners. For instance, some sections of the Provo River flow through private property. Anglers were allowed to fish the private sections if they did not touch the land - they could float and fish but not wade and not touch the shoreline.
But last week the court ruled reasonable public use of the water must include the right to touch the riverbed between the high water marks. The court ruled:
"The public has a right to float, hunt, fish and participate in all lawful activities that utilize state waters. The practical reality is that the public cannot effectively enjoy its right to 'utilize' the water to engage in recreational activities without touching the water's bed."
Anglers must still enter and exit the riverbed at public access points - they can't trespass across private land.
Ray Grass explains some of the implications of the ruling in this Deseret Morning News article.
What's New
Rock Art along Mill CreekWherever I wander, I enjoy searching out ancient rock art. I found a great site with unusual images in an alcove along the North Fork of Mill Creek east of Moab.
Hiking Mt Timpanogos at Midnight
Xanthe and her buddies decided they wanted to watch the sun rise from the top of Mount Timpanogos, and enjoy a great adventure getting there.
Events
Park City Arts Festival, Aug 1-3. More than 200 selected artists, live music, wine & beer gardens, and the Kimball Kids' Corner. Park City's historic Main Street is closed to traffic and open to festival goers! The longest running arts festival in the West and the biggest summer event in Park City. The Kimball is a nonprofit community art center.
Bear Lake Raspberry Days, Aug 7-9. The harvest of the delicious raspberry crop during August brings tourists from all across the U.S. and the world to sample these succulent treats. Come join in the festivities with craft booths, parade, rodeo and fireworks.
CAST for Kids, August 9, Rockport Reservoir. C.A.S.T. for Kids is an all-volunteer fishing and boating event for disabled and disadvantaged children and their families.
View Mountain Goats
Aug. 9, Tushar Mountain east of Beaver. This is a DWR Watchable Wildlife event. DWR will provide equipment needed to view the goats. But you may not need the equipment—at some of the past events, the goats have gotten as close as 35 feet from those viewing them!
Lake Powell Shad Rally North
Sept 19-20 at Stanton Creek (near Bullfrog). Meet other fishermen, share information and food. Socialize. But mostly just fish.
See our events calendar
- Good Fishing, Dave Webb