Mill Meadow Reservoir Dec 31 2014

 

 

 

MillMeadow Reservoir Today.

Looks like the last couple of days have thickened the ice up

be careful out there. 

Ice Report for Millmeadow and Forsyth Reservoir, + Fremont river Fishing Report.

Forsyth Reservoir.

Checked the ice condition today looked like there was about 6 to 8 inches

of ice.

 

 

 

 MillMeadow Reservoir. Checked today, as you can see there was a good cover of ice, however those cracks look wet, the fremont river inlet has had ice for a month now and may have safer ice, use extreme caution here. it is currently filling with increased flows from U.M. creek.

 This guy and his friends come to visit the fly shop area each night.

 Upper Fremont has been fishing well with Midge patterns, hares ear, pheasant tail nymphs
and buggers in the deeper holes.

Fishing southern utah, road and water update.

I drove over the thousand lakes mtn road into Solomon basin.

Farell pond was half way open, no luck for me there, floating island had about 15 % open water! I did really good there fishing a black bugger, Meeks was completely covered in ice the edges were really soft though, morrel pond was half way covered with ice, my neighbor fished neffs and said they iced fished, there was 5 inches of ice, they did really well for 10 to 12 inch brook.

The road over the top in to Solomon had about 1 and a half inches of snow in the trees.

Also....

Drove the fishlake loop road yesterday, snow on the road but passable with 4 wheel drive.

 the main body of fishlake is completely open, even the marinas had thawed out... Pelican bay was still frozen though, Johnson's was covered in ice, the edges were really mushy looking though. Mill meadow had opened up some but still had a lot of ice from the Fremont inlet to the boat ramp, Forsyth still has ice cover, it's thin, there was some open water by the springs.

Southern Utah fishing report

Fish lake.
The lake still has plenty of open water, there was ice in the pelican bay area and in the marinas, the main body remains open water. The splake have been stacked up at the twin creeks area and the fishing has been really good, a number of patterns have been useful, orange glow bugs, pheasant tail nymphs, olive or white buggers are a handful of the patterns we have been successful with.

Mill meadow reservoir.
The reservoir is fairly low.
The fishing for browns and rainbows has been really good to really slow,  we have used black and red simi seal leech patterns and done well.

Forsyth is nearly full, fishing has been best in the cove next to the boat ramp.
Leech patterns and zug bugs have worked well for us.

Fremont river.
The upper Fremont has been incredible, fishing has been awesome for browns. Fish the pools and runs now.  Useful patterns.
Hares ear sz.14 pheasant tail nymph, sz 14 and 12. Also polish pheasant tail.
Bicknell bottoms, has been slow, we have done best using nose pickers in sz. 16.

Boulder mountain.
Most lakes are closed, there in 3 to 6 inches of snow below the rim, and more likely to accumulat this weekend with the current storm.  There is thin ice on several of the lakes.

Thousand lakes.
Access is possible from the Forsyth reservoir side for those with 4 wheel drive, that could change this weekend.
There was still some open water at Meeks, most of the other lakes had thin ice covering most of the surface.

Koosharem reservoir.
Has an inch of new ice covering the whole lake.

Southern Utah Fly Fishing, Guides Report

Southern Utah Fly Fishing, Guides Report.

Fishlake.

               The Browns and Splake have started to sack up at the twincreeks area, we always start with a olive bugger and then a soft hackle or pheasant tail nymph as a trailer fly. fishit deep and slow along the bottom.

Johnson Valley Reservoir.

               The Dam Is shut off and the reservoir is filling, water level is still pretty low, the water clarity is bad, whole reservoir is a muddy mess, there are still good numbers of Musky in the lake through out the summer we managed to hook in to a few, fishing currently has been slow.

SevenMile/Um Creeks

               Seven Mile is fishing good, the Brook trout are spawning so watch for the Reds, they are typically at the tail out of the pools, we fish a pink and black bugger sz 12 in the meadow section.

farther up stream we nymph using a bloody mary sz 14 or even a 12. other worth while patterns have been, Birds Nest, sz 14, hares ear, sz 14, royal wullf, sz 12.

Um Creek. fishing has been slow, the fish tend to really move in into deep water and up in to the undercut banks at this time of year, October caddis nymphs and dries have worked best for us.

Fremont River.

               The upper Fremont is low and Clear, a good number of browns have moved up from the reservoir in to the river, watch out for the spawning beds, aka Reds, they are typically found at the tail out of the pool sections of the pools where the water is a little faster and more oxygenated. we have fished a Hares ear flash back sz 14, or Birds nest in sz 14 or 12, in the pools, glow bugs, pheasant tail, and hopper patterns are a must have too. the Bicknell bottoms area has been fishing really slow, look for it to improve later this fall as the fish move back in after the spawn, section below hiway 12 was off color.

Thousand Lakes Mountain.

Fishing has been great for the Brook trout at Deep, and Meeks, bloody mary and brown buggers have worked well for us, we also use a sz 10 olive bugger with a touch of orange in the tail and do really well. the cutthroat and tiger trout fishing has been really good too.

Boulder Mountain.

               The Mountain closes on November 1^st, with the exception of a few lakes, check the Utah fishing proclamations for the lakes that remain open. most of the lakes are low at this time of year, often the deep side of the lake is on the inlet side as apposed to the side that the Dam is on, the fish typically concentrate on the deep sides of the lake at this time of year and become very aggressive. there as been some really nice Brook trout caught on the Mtn this year, also some really nice tiger trout. some must have flies for this time of year are, scuds, tan, blood, and olive, sz  12 and 14. we also use glow bugs, birds nest, half backs, rainbow warriors, and prince nymphs and zug bugs.

Fly fishing boulder mtn utah late fall

southern Utah Fly Fishing Pictures

Fishing report.

Millmeadow reservoir.

Fishing has been decent for fat healthy browns and rainbows.

We have been using hares ears and brown buggers.

Forsyth.

Fishing has been slow. 

Have not spent much time on this water, the reservoir is filling.

Thousand lakes mtn.

Fishing has been good for smaller cutthroat and rainbows, some nicer fish are being caught in deeper water using brown or olive buggers.

Boulder mtn.

Fishcreek water levels are really low, fish are congregated at the spring, many of the north slope lakes are low, fish have been holding in the deeper water or near the springs.  

Still waiting for the cold fall snap to get fish more aggressive in feeding, should be soon.

Fremont river,

The upper Fremont is still pretty off color due to irrigation releases from Johnson's making fishing difficult, the bottoms water level has been higher this fall, fish have been actively feeding till  around 10:30 am then moving back to deeper water and cover.

There has been some pmds present and the fish have been feeding on them.

Southern Utah Fly Fishing Images

Southern utah fly fishing, guide report.

Fly fishing southern utah in the fall can be the most rewarding or heart breaking experience.
This is the time of year to consider the hatches on the lake or river you are fishing and discover the exact stage of that hatch that the fish are feeding on.

Mill meadow res.
      The reservoir is mostly full, fishing has been slow to fair, the fish that are there are in beautiful condition, meaning fat and healthy, we fished a olive bugger today trailed with a sz 12 half back nymph, the takes were violent!!!

Forsyth res.
Reservoir is filling. Outlet gate has been closed for nearly a month now.
  This reservoir is still painfully slow, fishing shoud improve next year as fish planted this year will ad to the numbers that are currently there.

Lower bowns.
Fishing remains good, it has been best from a boat or float tubes, we have caught them on a number of different patterns, hares ear sz 10 and 12. Brown buggers sz 8, and 10. Bead head pheasant tail sz 12.

Boulder mtn....
Most of the lakes have been fishing good, fishing should continue to improve as the weather cools,
A number of patterns have worked well for us, think fall colors, browns , tans, reds, and orange.
We target the caddis hatches, Baetis, and scuds at this time of year.

Thousand lakes.
Brown buggers in sz 10 trailed with a soft hackle have produced well for us, we have also used renegade, bloody Mary's, and zug bugs, in sz 12 and smaller.

Upper Fremont
Is off color with flows from Johnson valley reservoir. It's very difficult to fish right now.

Seven mile, fishing has been good. Please hit this water only on Saturdays, technically the road is closed Monday through Friday for construction, please honor that.

Um creek.
Fishing remains good here, we have switched to smaller dries in order to get fish to eat, there are lots of hoppers up there as well, pmx hoppers and Dave's hoppers have wored well too, sz 12 and 14.

Southern Utah Fly Fishing Guide, from my past.

I always seemed to be attracted to water, ever since I could remember, I suppose that’s what found me on the banks of a canal in Idaho watching for fish to rise, my family after all had come here to camp, visit friends, and fish: when it became to dark to watch the water any longer I went back to the house, my Fathers friend Chris sat at a desk in a dimly lit room where my siblings and others sat watching TV and playing. my attention was drawn to Chris, he had a desk lamp perched above a vise and was busy tying mosquito patterns and Adams, I remember the tv holding little interest for me, and became fascinated by this man who could make something to catch fish out of feathers and fur, as he finished each fly he carefully placed it in an old film canister and would start another, I was curious but it meant nothing to me till after we had left; there were 11 of us kids and we all piled into the back of a old blue ford truck with a shell on it, that coupled with all the camping gear made for a snug ride as we bounced down dirt roads looking for that magic spot that Daddy always seemed to find, it was there camped against a old fence that we stopped, I remember the old green Coleman cooler, and momma putting together sandwiches for everyone with a loaf of French bread. then going to bed. the next morning it all came together for me,  we crossed the fence, crested a small hill and there on the other side was a river, far more beautiful then the canal I had watched, my father took the time to take each child and help them catch a fish from a beautiful run with the flies from the old film canister, upon making the connection I could hardly wait for my turn to catch a fish, naturally I believed  mine would be the largest, I just knew it,  it was there, with my fathers arms around me, the prickle of his unshaved face, the soft hiss of the fly rod, and the rise of a trout that I knew that fly fishing would always be in my heart.   

Fly Fishing Southern Utah Quiet Fly Fisher

we arrived at the Fremont river at 8:30 this morning, the sky was slightly overcast, and the Trico's were nowhere to be seen...
Yet...
as we set up are rods the clouds parted and the sun broke through, the Caddis and Trico's showed up everywhere... noses started sticking up all over the river... and then... it was on!!!

Southern utah fly fishing report.

Tips for southern utah during the dog days of summer.

As the summer stretches out the hatches remain strong on most waters in southern utah, 

The insects that are tied to the water like the caddis and May flies ect continue to hatch and often in good numbers, however the size of the emerging insect is often considerably smaller then ones that occured early on in the season. They also tend to hatch earlier in the day and then return in the evening, most hatches start at sun up and are finished by 10 am . Then are noticed again at 7 to 8 pm till dark. So if you go during these dog days of summer ... Get out early... Or sleep in, then hit the water in the cool of the evening. 

Sevenmile creek and the sevenmile road is under construction, stay off it and give those guys a chance to work with out worrying about you. Hit this water on the weekends or after 5 pm when there    

Is no work up there. The brook trout fishing is starting to pick up, use h & l variant or royal wullf, also caddis.

Um creek.

Fishing is best early early early in the morning.... Or late evening... Caddis has been are fly of choice.

Millmeadow, fishing has been hit and miss... We found that fishing was good using sz 10 olive buggers, and soft hackles sz 12. And zug bugs, double renegades also worked great late in the evening.

Forsyth.

The reservoir is low, fishing has been slow, zug bugs and pheasant tail nymphs have worked best for us.

Thousand lakes mtn.

Fishing has been good on  some lakes and slow on others,  the damsel flies are out and fishing has been best right along the weed beds. Watch for cruising feeding fish and cast to them.

Boulder mtn.

The mtn has had a lot of fishing pressure this year, it seems I could always find some where quiet... Not this year...  Be prepaired for company if you go.

That being said the fishing has been great this summer...  This is the time of year to really focus on the Baetis hatches, they often hatch at the exact same time each day, finding the time table for your favorite lake can be key to having success on the mtn at this time of year.

Call or text questions to mike, be aware that I'm often out on the mtn myself, text is often best or email...  Mikejames@scinternet.net.      435 616 2319 .... Thanks guys and good luck out there on the water.

A beautiful morning on the Fremont river, the trico hatch was superb, there were rising fish everywhere....   Check out are trip this morning...

Southern utah fishing report fly fishing

U.m creek and seven mile.
 Both stream continue to fish really well with dry flies.
We have been using fat alberts and caddis on um, seven mile we have used royal wullfs and h&l variants.
Upper Fremont.
has increased flows from Johnson valley reservoir, fishing remains good though with a variety of dries,new have caught them on caddis. Fat alberts, h&L variants, and Adams.
Millmeadow reservoir.
 There has been a lot of pressure on millmeadow the last couple of weeks. Fishing has been good for some fat rainbows and good browns.  We have done best with olive buggers trailed with double renegades and pheasant tail nymphs.
Thousand lakes mtn.
Fishing has been good at all the lakes ... The damsels are coming off good now and the fishing has been dang fun throwing dries, we have also used the damsel nymphs with good success.

Boulder mtn.
The Baetis hatches are in full swing, the fish are actively feeding on them. Do your best to immitate the adults and the emergers.  The damsel flies are ON too, the lakes that have good hatches are bringing some great fish up, and they are crushing the adults.
Call or text 435 616-2319 for up todate conditions.

Fly Fishing Southern Utah (Boulder Mtn Area)

U.M Creek.
  The dry flies have been actively hatching for the last week, Caddis, Stone Flies, P.M.D's and even a small handful of drakes.
on the nicer days the trout have been hitting almost anything big and bushy on top, fish the seams close to the banks and be ready.
early morning hours have found the fish holding tightly to the bank and more likely to intercept a pheasant tail dropper rather then the dry.

Fremont River.
   The Caddis, Stone Flies, and Baetis, have been coming off in great numbers on the upper fremont
and the fish have been actively feeding on them. the water level is up due to increased flows from Johnson Valley reservoir, this causes the water to be slightly stained, the fish still actively feed though and it's well worth the trip.

Millmeadow/Forsyth
 both reservoirs are dropping from irrigation releases.
the fishing has been better at millmeadow so far this spring with some very nice browns and rainbows being caught, forsyth has been slower this spring, we have used a zugbug on both reservoirs for the best results.

Johnson Valley.
there have been a few smaller musky caught, the water seems to be a little more murky this year,
patience has paid off though. we throw sz 4 black and green zonkers.

Fishlake.
reports remain good for those fishing the twin creeks area, there has been a hatch of baetis in the mornings and the fish have been actively feeding on them.

Thousand Lakes Mtn.
the fishing has been good at all lakes.
The damsel flies are just starting to come off, as the hatch increases it brings some of the best dry fly action. with big rainbows and cut's crushing the adults off the weed beds. currently we have been stripping brown leech patterns with good results.

BOULDER MOUNTAIN.
fishing has been great in the fishcreek beaver dam areas,  using a renegade, and baetis imitations.
we have also used mohair leeches with good results, Blind Lake has been really good this early summer too, everybody we saw and talked to was catching fish, we fished mohair leeches and prince nymphs, brown buggers, baetis nymphs, Chernobyl ants, and renegades and did really well, having a float tube is an added bonus on this lake.
access is possible to most of the top. fishing has been good at several of the lakes we have made it to so far with minimal winter kill.

Southern Utah Fly Fishing Boulder Mountain Flies.

BOULDER MOUNTAIN
The Snow is finally receding on the mountain and access is always improving, most of the lakes below the rim are accessible and the fishing has been good, early season fishing on the Boulders can be both good and bad, being prepared with the right flies is always a good thing.
with the ice newly off most of the lakes the water remains cold, and before it warms the hatches remain suppressed, the fish are feeding though, mostly on leeches, having a good selection of patterns is a must.

  Thousand Lakes Mtn.
the lakes here warm much quicker then those on the boulder, this often results in better spring fishing,
currently the Solomon lakes basin and round lake are fishing well, access is good,  the fishing has been good with light olive and tan leech patterns as well as pheasant tail nymphs.

FREMONT RIVER.
the upper fremont is now running high due to releases from Johnson valley reservoir,
these increased flows will likely remain most of the summer to meet irrigation demands down stream.
with the flows up swinging a bugger is often very affective, using a large attractor fly on the surface and a sz. 14 caddis nymph below can be very affective.

SOUTHERN UTAH FLY FISHING REPORT

Fish Lake.
The Ice is gone.  fishing at night for Splake has been excellent, we have been fishing the inlets of twin and doctor creeks and have been doing well. we have caught them on red larva, and brown buggers,  soft hackles in black have been working good too.

MILL MEADOW/ FORSYTH
these two reservoirs have been fishing good, millmeadow has been the better of the two,
fishing the inlets with hares ears, green caddis larva and buggers have work well.

Lower Bowns.
Fishing has been Great, brown buggers have work really well.
fishing has been fast.

BOULDER MOUNTAIN.
access is possible to Fish Creek and Beaver Dam, ice is pretty much gone,
access is possible as far as round lake on the donkey road.
fishing has been slow when the storms have rolled through, and good on the warmer days,
there have been lots of fish actively feeding on midge patterns, and leeches, no sign of any baetis hatching yet.

access is possible to mcgath,  oak creek we got close enough to walk.

Thousand Lake Mountain,
Access is possible to... Round, Solomon basin, Neffs from the lyman side.
fishing has been fair to good.  leech patterns have been are go to fly.

UM and Seven Mile.
access is possible to both.
seven mile still has run off, the fishing on UM is still really slow, and will be until the hatches start later in may and june.

MAY 6th FLY FISHING PICTURES

May 2nd SOUTHERN UTAH FLY FISHING REPORT

Fish Lake.
the Ice is about 80 % gone today, with the warmer weather the rest of the ice should go quickly,
we fished it today with red midge larva and did well, we also used brown buggers trailed with a smaller nymph and did well.

Johnson valley Res,
the Ice is coming off quickly now, there is a lot of open water on the south end and the edges have receded out about 80 to 100 feet.  look for the fishing to pick up for the Tiger musky as the water temperature warms.

Seven Mile creek and U.M. Creek.
Sevenmile is currently running high with snow melt, access is possible in to the meadow area above the first bridge crossing.
U.M Creek had some run off in the stream, the water was clear enough to fish though, fishing at this time of year is often slow. it should improve as the hatches start in May.

MillMeadow.
the reservoir is fishing well this year the fish are really good condition, the inlet areas have been best.
we have fished a sz 10 leech pattern trailed with a pheasant tail nymph with good results.

Forsyth.
I had the opportunity to help with the survey on this water as well as milmeadow, the fish were in excellent condition, the numbers appeared to be low, those that were there are really fat, all fish looked to be feeding very heavily on midge larva near the bottom.

Upper Fremont.
 Fishing remains good, there are a good number of fish closer to the reservoir now and we have been doing well there, there has been some pressure on the upper stretches,  the water level is currently still low and clear.

Thousand Lakes Mountain.
access is possible to round lake, you can also access the Solomon basin area, fishing was good at morrel pond, and round, there is still drifts blocking access to deep creek.

BOULDER Mountain.
Fishing has been good at the lakes you can access, there is still snow blocking access to the lakes right below the rim, the lower elevation lakes are accessable and the fishing has been good.

Lower Bowns.
 Fishing has been very good. brown buggers trailed with a pheasant tail nymph have been working great.
call the shop if you have questions, 435-616-2319

FLY FISHING SOUTHERN UTAH FISHING REPORT

Fish Lake.
 There is still a good amount of ice on the lake, the temperature was 56 deg.
the ice was very rotten and soft, there were cracks running through most of the ice that is left, I would guess that in a week or so it will be mostly if not all gone.
 people have been fishing at the twin creek area and doing well for 12 to 18 inch rainbows.
we suggest a pheasant tail nymph and midge patterns.

MillMeadow.
the reservoir is ice free and fishing well, it was stocked with an additional 5000 rainbows,
fishing has been fast for those, there are still some nice browns and rainbows in the reservoir
that run between 12 to 18 inches.  we have been fishing brown buggers trailed with a pheasant tail nymph with good results. 

Forsyth.
the reservoir has open water, fishing remains slow, the fish that are there are small.

THOUSAND LAKES.
access is still difficult from the forsyth area road, some 4 wheelers have gotten through, access is primarily from the desert side. road should be clear by the end of the week, into the Solomon basin.
it will still be some time before access to deep creek and round is possible.
the lakes are ice free in the Solomon basin area, fishing has been good.
we have been fishing a leech pattern and doing really well.
UPDATE.  as of Wednesday April 23rd access is now possible to the Solomon basin area from Forsyth, access is also possible to round lake.

BOULDER MTN.
the Boulder mtn area is open!!!!
access however is limited, there is access 7 miles of the donkey road, snow stops you just past bobs hole, 4 wheelers have made it as far as round lake, they reported ice on round lake Saturday.
bobs hole had some ice, that should be gone soon though, as it was there is plenty of open water to fish. access was also limited to the fishcreek and beaver dam area, one gentleman reported that there was still ice cover at both. most of the lower elevation lakes have open water, we suggest fishing a leech pattern early spring in black, browns, and purples, the takes are light so be ready, fishing has been good at the waters we have made it to so far.

Lower Bowns.
the fishing here has been some of the best over the weekend, the fish have been crushing leech patterns and pheasant tail nymphs, fish have been between 8 inches to 18 inches.

Fremont River.
 the upper fremont remains low and clear, fishing has been good for small browns using pheasant tail nymphs, hares ears, and zug bugs, in sz 14.  access is possible all the way around highway 25 from fish lake to millmeadow.
the bottoms have been fishing slow, use patience while fishing there.
below highway 12 is finally low and clear!!!!  fishing should be really good, you have a limited window of good water clarity on this stretch, that window is open now.

Johnson Valley Res.
the ice is opaque and cracking, there is a fair amount of open water in the sevenmile creek area,
spring can be a good time to target muskie, we suggest sz 4 zuddlers in tan and white, or olive and white.

The Boulders in the spring often requires a good assortment of leech patterns, we suggest fishing them slowly, the fish take them very lightly so be prepared.
here is a couple favorite patterns for spring....

SOUTHERN UTAH FLY FISHING REPORT EARLY SPRING

Fish lake.
 when I visited the lake on Monday there was still a lot of ice cover, there was actually a group of guys ice fishing straight out from the mackinaw camp ground area, they were fishing the weed line for perch and had been doing well.  there was a lot of open water in the twin creeks area, and there area good number of rainbows there. we are still catching plenty with buggers trailed with a pheasant tail nymph.

Thousand Lake Mountain.
access is still limited on the forsyth res side,
there is snow in the trees just past heart lake that is limiting access.
Solomon basin is accessible from the desert side, a 4 wheel drive is needed.
ice is off meeks, and mostly off of floating island, fishing has been good.

Boulder MTN.
 the mountain opens for fishing this Saturday.
access is possible the first seven miles of the donkey road, you will need a 4 wheeler from there, ice is coming off fast from bobs hole.
access is also limited to the fishcreek and Beaver dam areas, a 4 wheeler is helpful at this time of year.

Upper fremont
fishing remains good. we have been using a variety of bead headed nymphs with success.

FISHING SOUTHERN UTAH REPORTS

Fish lake.
air temperature at the lake today at 9:30 am was 35 deg.
The lake still has lots of Ice cover, the edges are very soft and rotten.
the twin creeks area as open water and we did really well with a brown bugger trailed with a pheasant tail nymph.

Forsyth, Millmeadow, Koosharem, are all ice free.
access is possible to lower bowns.  access is also possible on the boulder mtn donkey rd as far as bobs hole, with a four wheel drive. ice is half to 3/4 gone on coleman.
 Thousand lake mtn.  access was possible as far as riley springs. youcan access the Solomon basin from the desert, you will need four wheel drive to cope with mud.

Southern utah fly fishing report

Fishlake.

Ice still covers most of the lake, the edges are very mushy and unsafe. 

There is open water at the twin creeks area, there were several large fish feeding right along the ice sheet yesterday. We suggest pheasant tail nymphs there at this time of year. 

Millmeadow.

Ice is off, reservoir is nearly full.

There are still a good number of rainbows and browns in the reservoir, the rainbows have been staging any where there is gravel trying to spawn. They have averaged 14 to 18 inches.

Midge patterns and bead head hares ear have been working well.

Forsyth.

 Ice chunks still present in the reservoir so use caution, there is very little pressure at the lake.

We fished it for a little while with no luck.

Johnson.

Access is difficult due to snow on highway 25.  

No reports of anyone fishing it lately.

Lower bowns.

Access is possible.

Fishing was fair when we fished it Friday, we caught 3 in the 45 minutes we were there.

We used brown buggers.

There is no ice left on the lake.

Fremont river.

The upper Fremont.

Access remains good as far as mamoit springs, there are lots of small browns in the river and some larger rainbows closer to the reservoir. We suggest a hares ear in black or natural. 

The bottoms have been slow. We have fished brown buggers there for best success.

Koosharem reservoir.

Ice is pretty much gone.

Fishing has been slow to fair. 

We have been fishing brown and black buggers deep and slow for the best success.

Boulder mtn.

Access is possible to Coleman res.

There is still ice over a lot of the lake.  There appeared to be some fish at the inlet.

Most lakes remain closed until April 19th.

Thousand lakes mountain.

Access is still only possible from the desert side, there is enough open water in the Solomon basin area that fishing is possible.

Access from the Forsyth reservoir area will likely need at least 2 more weeks of warm weather.

Boulder mountain fishing utah

Hello Guys.
as many of you Know I have been Part of the Boulder Mountain Fishery Committee,
The Last Two Meetings there has been some serious discussion on whether to Poison Donkey Lake,
as Well as Upper Bowns also Known as Oak creek,  the argument is that the brookies are small and stunted.
one gentlemen tonight commented as saying... " I fished Donkey Lake 3 Times Last Summer and only Caught One
little Brookie and I'm a pretty good fisherman, also there is no food in that Lake for them fish to eat".
what are your thoughts on Donkey? Do you Feel It is Under Achieving? would You Be in Favor of treating it, or would you rather that
I fight for a different management plan to improve the fishery?  one suggestion was introducing a small number of tiger Musky to Help with population control.
Thoughts people Please.... if you like Donkey or Upper Bowns PLEASE, PLEASE, send me an email I need the input of you the Fisherman.
Second...  Cutthroat Trout... How many of you enjoy catching them? would you like to see more of them? or Less? 
also Grayling... More or Less of them? Do you Like the diversity of the fishery or would you rather see it narrowed???   please don't Just ignore this Email.
I need Fuel and Support From YOU THE FISHERMAN...   pass this around to all those you Know Who Have Fished the BOULDERS... I need Your opinions and Thoughts...  an effective thing is to right a letter addressed to the Boulder Mtn Fishery Committee. let me share your feelings, I need support please let your voices be heard.
Thanks Guys MIKE JAMES
Quiet Fly Fisher.

Mikejames@scinternet.net.
And thank you

SOUTHERN UTAH FLY FISHING REPORT

FISHLAKE:    the air temperature at the lake today at 12pm was 48 deg,  the ice looked pretty slushy and rotten over most of the lake, there were soft edges over most of the east shoreline, the twin creeks area had open water, there were rainbow trout stacked up in the area, some were in twin creeks it's self, fishing is typically good at this time of year there, we recommend soft hackle patterns. and midge larva imitations.
BOULDER MOUNTAIN UTAH.
 most of the lakes remain closed until April 19th.
Lower Bowns is open, access is possible to the lake now, there is no ice left on the reservoir.
typically fishing is good early spring for Rainbows, we recommend the inlet area with a brown or black bugger fished deep and slow, takes can be subtle so be ready.
FREMONT RIVER.
Access is good to the upper fremont from the highway 72 side, water levels are still at winter flows.
we recommend a pheasant tail nymph fished shallow below an indicator. fishing has been good for small browns.
THOUSAND LAKES MTN.
Ice is coming off the Solomon basin lakes use caution. fishing the open water as been good this spring access is currently only possible from the desert side, access was only possible as far as riley springs from the forsyth reservoir area road.
FORSYTH RESERVOIR.
access is good to the reservoir the ice is broken up and going fast, the fishing has been slow this spring for smaller tigers and splake.
KOOSHAREM RESERVOIR.
The Ice is broken up and with the wind it to is going fast.
fishing has been slow but steady for some nice rainbows and cutthroat at the outlet area, fish have been in the 2 to 4 pound range. it can be hit and miss on this water this spring, if we have not been hit with in 20 or so minutes we usually call it quits for that spot, fishing should improve until late spring winds help to turn the reservoir off color.
BICKNELL BOTTOMS.
Fishing has been slow, we have been picking up a few nice fish on san jauns and neon nightmares, you must exercise patience while fishing there in the spring.
MILLMEADOW RESERVOIR.
fishing remains consistent for both browns and rainbows in the inlet areas, the ice is broken up and with the wind disappearing fast. we have been deep nymphing with Rhyacophlia larva imitations with really good results.

BOULDER MOUNTAIN UTAH ( BROOK TROUT)

the latest video of the Boulders and the beautiful Brook trout found There.
Here is the address to it.  http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JBNQOdnWzEc

Fishlake march 11 2014

Fishlake
The wind was really blowing good today, there was no one on the ice at 9:30am  outside air temperature was 20 deg... Probably colder with the wind chill.
There looked to be still some safe ice but it could start breaking up any day, there was open water in the twin creeks area.
Koosharem res,
Bad ice now reservoir is icing out now, there is open water at the edges and at the inlets and out let.

Fishing has been great on the upper Fremont, buggers and hares ears have been working great.
The bicknell bottoms are is starting to fish a little better also.
Access is still limited to lakes on the boulders and access to thousands lakes is limited to the emery county side.

Fish lake Ice report March - 3- 2014

at 9:30 am the temperature was 17 deg and calm, there were two groups on the ice, perch was all that had been caught, ice was still in the 10 to 14 inch category over most of the lake,  the fishing for rainbows typically heats up at this time of year as rainbows move towards the shallow gravel shorelines in preparation to spawn, the twin creeks area had good numbers of rainbows stacked up at the inlet.

the ice is breaking up on ottercreek ... time to get ready for ice out....

Feb 27 Ice condition fishlake

The ice is still good on both the south and north ends, there also  is good ice out from joe bush and most of the west shore line, there is open water at the twin water at the twin creeks area and the rainbows have been staging there preparing for the spawn.  Use caution on the ice especially at this time of year.

Mill meadow reservoir is covered in soft ice, the inlets have open water that is fishable  we have fished a brown or black bugger for the best results.

The upper Fremont continues to fish well, there have been midge hatches at 11 am that have been bringing the fish up.

Call for current conditions at 435 616 2319

Come on Spring Fly Fishing ( baetis and the Boulders )

Calibaetis nymphs are a must for the Boulder Mountain area Lakes, one often hears that leech and or scud imitations are the way to go when fishing the boulders, however there are more baetis on the mountain then most high mountain lakes due largely to the geological formations of basalt, rather then the lime stone, of most alpine lakes, so when you hit the Boulders this summer, remember to have something more then just scuds and leeches in your fly boxes.

 

 

FISHLAKE ICE REPORT 2-18-2014

There is still good ice on the lake. there were three groups of fishers on the ice today, 2 groups just off the weed bed, and one group fishing in about 80 feet of water, the temperature at 10 am was 40 deg, the ice was still solid at that time with no slush, as the temperature warms it looks like there is anywhere from 2 to 4 inches of slush on top of the ice. at the twin creeks area there is some open water, there was a good number of fish stacked up at the inlet. ice appears to still average 10 to 12 inches most places on the lake.

Ice report for fishlake February 12

Ice conditions remain decent over most of the lake, there is about a foot of snow up there around the edges of the lake, the temperature at the lake was 41 deg at 12:30 today, there were 10 groups of ice fishers on the ice, many of them had brought snowmobiles with them to the lake, all opted to not use them because of slush on the ice and the soft edges,  they were doing well for perch and rainbows, there were no reports of lake trout from those we spoke to.....

This some beautiful footage of trout crushing damselflies...



http://vimeo.com/85147880

Mill meadow and Fremont river road update

The recent snow storm has closed the road access to Johnson valley reservoir, the inlets at mill meadow have frozen back up some making fishing the open water more difficult, fishing on the upper Fremont was pretty good, yesterday when we were there, we fished a prince nymph part time and a bugger part time, we caught fish on both. Flows are good up there,  there where bald eagles fishing on part of the stream, that, coupled with the new fallen snow made for some beautiful scenes and fishing.

southern utah fishing

Fishing report southern utah

Fish lake.

 Ice conditions remain good on both the south and north ends. There is still some very thin ice, that changes to open water at times towards the center.  Fisherman have been fishing on 6 to 8 inches of ice in the joe bush area, they have been fishing straight out from the Bowery haven marina also, looks like about 10 to 12 inches of ice there. Everyone I've talked to is catching tons of perch, with a hand ful of rainbows.

There has been very little snow on the ice, average temps at 11 am are 18 deg.

Access is difficult to impossible from fishlake to Johnson's.

Johnson's reservoir is accessible currently from the mill meadow reservoir side, they are done with road work for the winter so any storm could close the road, that being said. I drove from mill meadow to Johnson's and then up seven mile to the bridge crossing on dry roads yesterday. Crazy!!!  There have been a few fishers on the ice at Johnson's no reports on any musky coming in though.

Mill meadow reservoir has been consistently rising there has been little pressure, the sides are very soft. I fished the inlets of the reservoir from shore and did well for rainbows in the 2 pound range yesterday stripping a brown bugger, Also with pheasant tail nymphs.

Looks like there have been very few people on Forsyth reservoir as well. 

Thousand lake mtn.

Access is possible from the desert side as far as morrel pond, before snow limits access, fishing was good for 12 to 14 inch rainbows there.

You will need a four wheeler or snowmobile to access the basin lakes.

Boulder mtn.

A few people have been riding in to blind lake and have been doing well for splake, pressure has been light at all the other currently open lakes.

Check the proclamation for what lakes remain open.

Fremont river,

The upper has been fishing well. A beaded hares ears has been working good. Get up stream a little ways before you begin to fish.

 The bicknell bottoms has been fishing really slow, we have been crawling streamers slow along the bottom off the deeper holes for a few fish.

Ice Report Fishlake Jan 24

At 11am today at the lake the air temperature was 18 deg' with no wind,  ice appears to be 10 + inches on the south end, there were people fishing the shore line from lakeside all the way to the cabins near the fish lake lodge, straight out from the lodge there is still one open spot of water towards the east shore, use caution as always anywhere you fish on the ice.
 it appears that there is 8+ inches of ice out from joe bush, reports from this end of the lake were
that mostly perch were being caught, with a few rainbows. fishing seems to be better on the south end.

 

Fish Lake ice conditions.

There are people fishing both the north end of the lake as far south as joes bush, there is some open water towards the center of the lake straight out from the mackinaw camp ground and then again just north of joe bush, all reports were of good fishing for both perch and trout, no reports on any macks being caught yet.
the temperature was in the 40s at the lake today, with no wind. good luck up there and be safe.
the following is video of the lake from today.  taken from the bowery haven area.

FISH LAKE ICE REPORT

Fish lake
There is Safe Ice on both the south and far north end.
there was a group of fisherman catching plenty of perch straight out from the joe bush parking area, ice looked to be only 4 inches or so.  there are still a couple open water sections, one just north of joe bush, and one straight out from the mackinaw campground.  use caution.  every one I saw and talked to where catching plenty of perch and a few trout.  I managed to drive from fishlake to Johnson valley res, although I would not recommend it there was one drift that was pretty bad. from Johnson valley to mill meadow the road was still clear, they appear to be done working for the season on the seven mile gooseberry road, so any storms will make the road impassable. 

Millmeadow
the reservoir has safe ice there have been a few anglers out on the ice, fishing still has been best in the morning hours, there is a little open water at the UM inlet making nymphing possible, we also swing soft hackles this time of year for good results.

Fremont River.
 the fishing has been good. we have been suspending hares ears and prince nymphs about 18 inches behind a indicator for best results.