Southern Utah Fly Fishing / winter fly fishing experiences

It's Winter Here In Southern Utah.

The Fly fishing Streams are Quiet.

I found my self wandering the streams alone, unless you count the weasel hunting the shoreline for voles or unwary chipmunks checking on their winter stores.

Fly Fishing Southern Utah In The Winter Reminds Me Of How it was over 20 years ago, when few people even knew the Fremont River existed, let alone U.M Creek, And Sevenmile and a host of other small streams.

Just the morning before the temperature was 3 degrees and the day seemed more catered to tying flies, or working on end of season paper work. But today was warmer and as I wandered the stream my heart rose with each of the rising trout that aggressively fed on the midges that struggled to fly from the stream surface.

There was a rustling in the undercover of the juniper tree and the cry of some small creature struggling for life as the weasel administered its life ending bite, and all was silent again. I have often reflected on the teachings of my Father in moments like this and of sacrifice, and his words sink deep in my heart. "And I watched it snow-quieting all, in haste, covering with a whitening Sacramental grace. And its snowing, I believe still, snowing- snowing crystaled Israel."

Within that silence I watched as my fly disappeared in the ring of water left behind from a rising trout! A gentle lift of the rod and my line came tight to a struggling trout, a few moments later it lay gasping for breath in my hands, and as I gently released it, watched it swim away, I pondered the significance and knew, why I fished.

Souther Utah Fly Fishing Opportunities

Quiet fly fisher guide service & Fly shop

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It’s the First day of spring!
Many of the reservoirs in the area are starting to open up, with these ice off conditions there is a great opportunity for good fishing!
Millmeadow Res.
The ice is breaking up again near the dam and the inlets are opening up this is a great time to target this Reservoir and the wild Browns that live there, in addition there are a good number of rainbow trout hold overs from last year that are available, we’ve also picked up some tiger trout and splake.

Forsyth Res.
Ice is starting to look pretty sloppy, there is some open water at the springs, it’s been hit and miss there for us, with one day catching 10 or 15 and the next 0!

Lower Bowns.
Access is possible with a high clearance vehicle four wheel drive is recommended, as the road is still wet and in some places there was still snow. The reservoir was completely open water.

Koosharem Res.
The ice was coming off fast with lots of open water! This is the time to target this reservoir in our experience! The cutthroat seem to have made a come back compared to the last couple of years.

Otter creek.
Ice was off and there were boats on the water! There have been a few good reports of some big rainbows being caught using traditional midge below an indicator rig!

Get out there and enjoy the ice off conditions!

Fly Fishing Southern Utah guide service Fly Shop

Mill meadow still had good ice on the north end most of the rest of the lake is still unsafe!
Also visited Forsyth, it’s full and spilling, there was lots of open water, I did notice a couple guys on the ice, I’m not sure how thick it was.
Fishlake has a very thin layer of ice. And good ice on the extreme north and south ends.

Both thousand lake mtn . And Boulder mtn got about 3 inches of snowdrop earlier storms, making access more difficult,
This new storm has also been dumping extra snow on top of that., there is another storm expected Thursday that could ad more.
Lower Bowns had about 7 inches of ice on the north west end of the lake, fishing was good for us there, 15 inch rainbows and Tigers.

Fly fishing Southern Utah Boulder mountain

For more info stop by the Fly Shop in Loa Utah, or visit us at www.quietflyfisher.com



Fish lake.
Ice is off, you can now launch boats.
Access is now possible on highway 25 between fishlake to millmeadow. Seven mile and UM creek are both swollen with spring run off.
Upper Fremont has increased flows from Johnson valley Reservoir, Johnson is full and coming off the overflow spillway.
Forsyth is full, millmeadow is full.
Fishing has been fair to good, swing in to the shop for the flies we have been using lately and more details.

Lower bowns is accessible and filling, it has not been this high for several years, fishing has been great!

Boulder Mountain.
Access is opening up more and more, most of the lakes immediately below the rim such as fishcreek and donkey still have ice, access was only possible with trax.
Early season fishing can be tough for fly fisher men
We have a few tips that may help, stop by.

Thousand lake mountain.
No access towards elk horn yet.
Access is possible from 72 over the top to Solomon basin now.
Lots of fishing pressure last week.

Here are a few shots from last week.

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Fly Fishing Southern Utah Capitol Reef National Park Area

We went from Tiger trout and Blue Birds, to ice and snow again this week! Just a typical spring here in Loa Utah.
Just a quick update on the conditions here.

For more info or to book a guided fly fishing trip contact us at www.quietflyfisher.com

Boulder Mountain.
Access is still limited.
You can reach coleman lake, lower bowns and some trail heads but it will be some time before access really opens up.

Thousand lakes mountain.
Access from the highway 72 side is limited to Riley springs, there are plenty of snow drifts past that point, last year several people ended up stuck on this road, it’s just not worth trying till it melts off.
You can access the Solomon basin area from the desert, the lakes there have turned over and are currently off color, morell pond was clear.

Fremont River.
Upper Fremont is still low and clear, keeping a low profile and accurate casting will help you be successful on this small stream, we use Hares ears. Pheasant tail. And midge larva, and have done well.
Bicknell Bottoms is clear, fishing here is slow. We throw black streamers. Buggers sculpzillas ect…
Below highway 12 the water is high off color and turbid.
Look for it to clear mid may.
Fish Lake.
There is some open water in the twin reeks area, this is a great place to suspend nymphs.
We have had great success for Rainbows and Splake this Spring.
There are still some people on the Ice fishing, the edges are getting soft though and the ice is getting rotten, so be careful!

Southern Utah Fly fishing guides report.

With the warmer then average weather the ice as started to melt and access is improving daily on the mountain roads also. Loa has been in the high 60s with a couple days in the low 70s. There are colder temperatures and snow in the forecast for the end of next week.
Here is our report of conditions currently.

Fishlake.
Ice conditions are still good and the fishing has been great, this reservoir typically has good ice till early April, caution should always be used though.

Millmeadow Reservoir.
The ice is coming off quickly, there is 10 to 20 feet of open water on the edges, and the section south east of the boat ramp looks like it could open up anytime. The inlets are wide open with plenty of room to fish.
We recommend leech patterns in brown and black also wooly buggers in the same colors, the fish have also actively been feeding on some of the edges in search of chirominids.

Forsyth Reservoir.
Access is good, nearly all the snow has melted from the roads.
There is anywhere from 5 to 10 feet of open water on the edges.
The inlets on this reservoir have also opened up and there has been fish cruising the edge in search of food, we suggest leech patterns here as well as chirominid patterns.

Koosharem Reservoir.The ice is basically gone, there was one big chunk floating around out there but it did not deter the boats that were there trying there luck, fishing has been slow for most people I talked to.
We like to get out on our float tubes and pontoon boats at this time of year and pull big size 2 and 4 streamers, the take can be light but the fish are huge!!!

Lower Bowns.
The reservoir is completely free of ice.
Access was still not possible by 4 wheel drive vehicle as of Tuesday, I made it maybe 3/4 of a mile down the road before running into deep snow and a spot where a couple people had been stuck. If the weather holds access may be possible by next weekend.

Fremont River.
The upper is still low and clear, fishing has been decent for smaller browns using a variety of different nymphs, are favorite at this time of year is a bead head hares ear.
Bicknell bottoms is also clear, spring can be a good time to catch fish here.
There was a prescribed burn last week so many of the cat tails and reeds are down to stubble.
Below highway 12. The flows are up and the water is turbid and off color.

Boulder Mountain.
Access is still extremely limited, unless you have tracks for your side by side or four wheeler don't plan on getting anywhere, this mountain typically dose not have decent access till may.
That being said I've made it as far as Coleman's on the donkey road as of Tuesday it was still covered in ice. There was maybe 4 feet of open water on the southeast shore line. Check the proclamation before you go as many of the lakes are closed till April.

Thousand Lake mountain.
Access is still limited to the desert side, you could only get as far as morrel pond as of yesterday, access could improve if the weather holds. Everything still had ice that we made it to.

Southern Utah Fly Fishing Guides and Fly shop

Quiet Fly Fisher Guide Service/Fly Shop

Guided Fly Fishing Trips To Southern Utah Near Capitol Reef National Park

For mor info or to book a trip go to www.quietflyfisher.com

This recent cold snap has kicked my Spring Fever in To Over-drive!!!

I can't wait to get out there and Fish!

Now is the Time to book your trip for this Spring And Summer, we have had an excellent Snow Pack and the lakes, reservoirs, and Streams are in excellent shape!

Here is a few pictures to help with any spring fever symptoms you might have. Www.quietflyfisher.com

Southern Utah Ice And Fly fishing Report. Fly fish Utah

Fly Fishing Southern Utah.
Quiet Fly Fisher Guide Service And Fly Shop offers guided Fly Fishing Trips to Southern Utah's Boulder Mountain, Fremont River, Thousand lake Mountain And Much More. Check out our web site at www.quietflyfisher.com

Made it back out to check on Ice conditions today, it’s been a strange year so far, our snow packs are normal the reservoirs and fish lake are just slow to freeze solid this year. The plus side is that the ice that is there is thick enough to get out and enjoy a day of fishing on.

Millmeadow Reservoir. The reservoir is mostly covered, there is still some open water though. The ice near the dam is likely unstable while from the boat ramp towards the Fremont river inlet has nearly 14 inches of ice!  No reports of perch being caught here yet, the splake and tiger trout have been thin, the rainbows and Browns have been in much better condition. If fly fishing, we have been targeting the times of day when the wind is calm, watch for mid going fish in the open section of the reservoir and focus your casting to those areas, the take can be light so be prepared!

Forsyth Reservoir is completely capped with 8 to 12 inches of ice! Fishing has been hit or miss here for most this year with some reports of great numbers and quality to some wondering if there are even any fish in there.

the method we have found that works best is to try a spot for 30 to 40 minutes and if nothing happens move!

The sections near the dam and by the springs have both fished well for us.

Fremont River.

The warmer weather has kept the upper Fremont open, the fish have been actively feeding on the midge hatches, today’s hatch w started around 10:30 am.

Fish Lake.

has good Ice And excellent fishing for perch on the south and north ends, there was open water from about twin creeks to joe bush, use  caution on any of that new ice! The areas in the narrows and out from doctor creek is about 8 inches.

Southern Utah Fly Fishing Guide service And Fly Shop.

Fly fishing southern Utah. Capitol Reef. Boulder mountain. Fremont River.
Guides and fly shop with the Quiet Fly Fisher.



With the warmer then average weather this winter I decided to take advantage.
I started on a near by reservoir, the ice had not yet completely covered, I chose a pre-rigged 5 weight with a sink tip line and a simiseal leech. The air was calm and I casted to the edge of the ice, waited a few seconds,listening to the Bald Eagle cry from the near by hill side, I began to retrieve, Bam! The hit was solid,  and the fighting fish brought  me a smile, the fishing remained fast for the 40 minutes I had on the water, with a hit, or a fish, about every other cast.
 It was a welcome escape.
Can't wait for spring!
Call or e.mail  soon to book for next year and save!
www.quietflyfisher.com

Fly Fishing Southern Utah, Guide service and fly shop.

Fly fishing report for southern Utah fly fishing the area around Capitol reef.
For mor info or to book a guided fly fishing trip visit us at www.quietflyfisher.com
Or call us at 435-616-2319  you can also follow us on Instagram @quietflyfisher 

Fishlake.

the Kokanee are still running!

there are still several kokanee gathered up in the twin creeks area, those coupled with the Splake, and Browns, have made this a great spot to fish this fall! Try olive ruby eyed leeches, and egg pattern with some orange in them for the best results.

Fremont river.
The flows on the upper Fremont have dropped considerably now, Johnson valley reservoir has been shut off, however it is close to the top spilling gate, I would guess in a month there could be increased flows as a result. The fishing has been great the last couple of days with midge patterns, hares ears, October caddis nymphs, and streamers. The browns are spawning at this time of year so Be aware and please, ” don’t tread on the Redds.

Forsyth reservoir.
The reservoir has a good amount of water in it, and it is filling.
The tiger trout have been aggressively been chasing streamers! We have even picked up a couple small splake on nymphs stripped in slowly. Olive or black buggers, sz 8

Millmeadow reservoir.
The reservoir will go in to this winter with decent water this year, it has been shut off for the season and is slowly filling.
The brown trout have been aggressively chasing streamers here aswell. Try browns black and olive, days when the wind is calm and the lake flat have been the best.

Thousand lake mountain.
Access is currently still possible to all lakes on the mountain, there is no snow yet.
Fishing has been good stripping streamers, try browns and olive, we are still picking up some fish on October caddis nymphs and adults as well,

Boulder mountain.
Access is still possible to most lakes on the mountain, there is still no snow! However there has been some closed gates, several of the lakes have also closed for the season check the fishing proclamation to see which lakes remain open in the winter.
Fishing has been fast for the lakes that are still open, the brook trout are very aggressive at this time of year, try nymphing around the springs and rocks for the best success, we also have been float tubing and stripping mohair leech patterns with excellent success .

Lower Bowns.
Float tubing this lake at this time of year is incredible, there are plenty of aggressive Rainbows hammering leech patterns. With the later then usual warm weather this has been a Great Lake.

S

Fly fishing southern Utah guide service Flyshop

Quiet Fly Fisher Guide service and Fly Shop!
Come experience Fly fishing in Southern Utah and see what the Few are Being so Quiet About!
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Kokanee are making there first Run In Fishlake this year!

these fish were reintroduced to the lake in the spring of last year, they were not expected to begin spawning seriously until next year, 2017, yet here they are, and they are in excellent condition, it appears the lake is agreeing with them well, I would say the lake trout fishing is going to continue to get better and better each year aswell.

we have been fly fishing for them with several different leech patterns, they really like red and green!

Its so neat to have another fish to try for in southern Utah, the neat thing about fishlake is if the Kokanee get fussy, there are Splake, Tigers, Rainbows, Browns, or occasionally the od lake trout or Perch to readily accept your offering, remember that you can not hav any Kokanee in your possession till after November 30th.

the weather has been great down here! There is still no Snow on the Boulders or in the area, the mornings have been cold though, we have discovered ice on the edges of several of the higher lakes we have hiked in to.

the upper Fremont is still high with releases from Johnson valley Reservoir, the Browns are running but are difficult to locate in the off colored water, it should be low and clear by November first. Beaware of the redd’s! Don’t Tred on the redd’s! That’s next years babies there!

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Southern utah fly fishing guides

Boulder Mountain.

fishing has really started to pick up!

there is nothing like casting leech patterns, sz 12 scuds and other flashy flies and having huge tigers, Splake, and Brook Trout crush them! It's time to get up on this mountain now! There is still no snow, access is normal rock crawling excitement. Fish.

Thousand Lakes mountain.

october Caddis! Traveling caddis! Huge moth with a orange body that the fish are eating like a real man eats a Taco! They are on both mountains and are working great! We fish both the nymphs and adults. It's fall and the fish are Hungry!

Fish Lake.

I love this lake in the Fall, I only have to share it with 5 people instead of 500, and, well, the fishing just gets dang good! The Splake move in, the Browns move in, the Kokanee move in and  the rainbows eat anything that looks like a egg! Try sinking lines and pulling your favorite streamer pattern! The Kokanee like red! And green! The browns and Splake hammered my olive bugger!

Fremont River.

well the upper Fremont is still off color with water from Johnson, the browns are up in the river! The fishing is tough but a few nice fish are coming to hand. Please don't walk on the reds! That's next years babies your crushing there!

Seven mile Creek.

this creek has been stupid good!

tons of aggressive brook trout hunting down and killing October Caddis! We nymph them also.

again watch for the reds! Don't crush the babies!

Southern Utah Fly Fishing Boulder Mountain

For more information or to book a guided trip visit us at www.quietflyfisher.com





Boulder Mountain.

access is now possible to all lakes and trail heads below the rim, the boulder top will not be open till later this month.

fishing with leech patterns san Juan worms, and a variety of bead headed nymphs has been picking up a few fish.

look for the callibaetis hatches to start coming off late June to early July.

The Damsel Flies are just starting to show up…. a couple more weeks and it should be awesome!

Millmeadow.

this reservoir has been fantastic this year, there are good numbers of Brown Trout And Tiger Trout.

A float Tube is a great way to fish this water better and improve your chances, try fishing simi seal leeches and Zug Bugs.

Fremont River/UM/SevenMile

The upper Fremont is still running high due to increased flows from Johnson valley reservoir, the Caddis and Stone flies are starting to show up one more week and this river, UM creek, and Seven mile will be fantastic!

flows are coming down on both seven mile and UM creek.

The Lower Fremont is running low and Clear, fishing just keeps getting better and Better Here. it should peak for dry fly action in a couple more weeks, then hold for nearly a month before the hatches start to slow down.

Found This Damsel The Other day… Time To Get Excited!

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Southern Utah Fly Fishing, Fly Fishing Guides Report

Quiet Fly Fisher Guide Service And Fly Shop in Southern Utah.
Offering guided fly fishing trips to South Central Utah. Experience Beautiful Quiet Fly Fishing Trips Catered To You. For More info or Reports visit us at www.quietflyfisher.com
Here is this weeks report.

The Weather and the Fly Fishing Is Warming Up!

time to get out there!

Boulder mountain opens this weekend, however access is still not possible to most lakes below the rim, be prepared to get unstuck, and spend the night if you must. The lakes that you can access have iced off.

Thousand lakes mountain, nearly all the lakes are iced off, access is still only possible from the desert!

people have been trying to make it over the top, stop the insanity! There have been 3 people in this week alone stuck and that had to spend the night! , access is only good to Riley springs, past that there are several drifts, give it a couple weeks… Fishing has been good for those who have gone into Solomon basin from the desert.

you can access Johnson valley Reservoir from the highway 72 millmeadow side.

access from fish lake will be a couple weeks away, there is still a big drift covering the whole road in the frying pan area. Ice is still covering most of fishlake and Johnson valley. Johnson valley is clear full and spilling, as a result there are increased flows on the upper Fremont River, this has slowed the Fishing down a little there.

good luck out there and be prepared at this time of year with food water and the ability to stay warm over night if you are venturing in to the mountains.

 

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Fly Fishing Southern Utah, Fly Shop Fishing Report.

Fly fishing southern Utah, escape to southern Utah And Fly Fish with the Quiet Fly Fisher Guide Service And Fly Shop, for more Information or to book a trip visit us at www.quietflyfisher.com

Here is this weeks southern utah fly fishing Report

the warm weather has been melting snow and Ice quickly, more and more waters are starting to open up.

here is a couple of pictures from our last outings.

otter creek is open.

millmeadow is mostly open.

forsyth is partly open.

kosharem is open, A 11pound, 27inch cutthroat was taken here last week.

lower bowns. open.

upper Fremont is accessible from millmeadow side.

lower Fremont, has good run off coming through at night, slightly colored during the day. Bicknell bottoms is still clear.

thousand lake mtn. still no access from forsyth.

boulder mountain. still has plenty of snow, access is very limited.

calf creek. had great fishing over the weekend.

still no access to Johnsons reservoir.

FishLake. rainbows are just barely starting to show up at the twincreeks area to spawn.

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quietflyfisher

Southern Utah Fly Fishing Guides, fly shop and Guide Service.

Come escape to south central Utah and experience beautiful quiet fly fishing trips catered to you.
For more information or to book a guided trip, visit us at www.quietflyfisher.com

the temperature has been great for this time of year. the Snow is Melting fast, it’s supposed to be windy tomorrow then snow/rain on the 18th then be back up to 51 deg by Saturday, that will make for some very slushy ice fishing, Millmeadow already has very soft edges, bring a board to get on, we fished it Monday, there was close to two feet of Ice, fishing was decent for some people, we got to anxious to fly fish and took off for the open water at the inlet, we caught some beautiful Tiger Trout There. still no access to Forsyth, checked today, looked like some people had tried and had been stuck about 200 feet down the road, not recommended.

I again went back to some open water today and Fly Fished, it was beautiful out there! I caught one nice Brown, managed to get a picture, caught a really nice tiger too, however with his dislike of me, and me having my big camera taking his picture didn’t work out for me.

It sure feels like Spring is on the way, time to start to think about getting those Fly Rods dusted off.

Tight Lines.

Mike

Fly fishing southern Utah guide service & fly fishing shop

Quiet fly fisher Guide Service and Fly Shop.
Come escape to south central Utah and experience beautiful quiet fly fishing trips catered to you.
For more info visit are site at www.quietflyfisher.com

Here is your latest fishing report.

Upper Fremont.

Access is still limited. 

The warm week has opened up some water, I walked it today, there were quiet a few fish holding in the deeper pools, all looked to be actively feeding.

Millmeadow.

There was a good group of guys fishing out from the boat ramp, they had a couple nice fish, the reservoir is filling quicker now with increased flows from Forsyth, in years past fishing has been better when this happens. Edges could be soft though.

Forsyth had no activity, and there were no tracks in the snow, looks like it has been pretty much left alone this winter so far, it is now full and running over the spillway.

Southern Utah Fly Fishing Guide

Guided Fly Fishing Trips to Southern Utah's Boulder mountain, Thousand Lake Mountain, Fremont River, And much more, to Book a trip or for more info visit are site at www.quietflyfisher.com

 Late Fall Fly Fishing.
it remains good the Browns are still Running, and the Splake Should Be in, waiting to see how this Storm Affects things over the next couple of Days.

 My Kid Thomas Getting the Job Done With  A Double....

Utah Fly Fishing Guide Trip Report

Fly Fishing Southern Utah Guide Service Report

Quiet Fly Fisher Guide Service And Fly Shop,
We offer Guided Fly Fishing Trips to South Central Utah, To Book A fly Fishing Trip or for more information visit our web site at www.quietflyfisher.com

 

Fall In Southern Utah.
it’s finally here the first cold snap that October brings, there was over an inch of Snow on the Boulder Top Yesterday, and Rain Soaked the areas Off the Rim, making for a slippery, cold drive,  anywhere on the mountains.
Temperatures were any where from 45 deg to as cold as 32, are Hands were Bright Red and Stiff with the cold after the release of each beautiful fish.
with the drop in temperature and the cold storm it will turn the fish on to feed like crazy. the Boulders and Thousand Lake mountain, both, have started to fish really well, October Caddis are typically the fly of Choice for us at this time of year, including brown and black Buggers.
The Upper Fremont is still very off color and high with irrigation releases from Johnson valley reservoir, when those releases stop the fishing should be really good up there.
the Lower Fremont just cant seem to catch a break, just as it starts to clear another storm hits, that coupled with the number of Duck hunters in the Bicknell Bottoms, has turned this area into a …. maybe later…. water.
mill Meadow, the reservoir has been lowered, fishing is great at this time, brown buggers fished slow and deep, and Bloody marry flies in sz 14, as well as prince nymphs have all done great for us.
Forsyth, the water level is on the rise, with the draining and repairs that took place earlier on this water its unclear how many fish remain, it was stocked with some smaller Cutthroat recently that should be catchable later next summer.
here are a few pictures from the last couple of weeks on the mountain.