Taking On A Flaming Gorge Wave

Paul, Chris and I decided we needed to hit Flaming Gorge while the Rainbows were close to shore and easy to catch. We must have shown up a week or two too late, the schools of rainbows were nowhere to be seen at their usual spot at Antelope Flats.

We were trolling most of the time, caught a few behing pop gear and a flatfish, but wasn't producing any good numbers.  I had read that a pumpkin flake colored tube jig was working when cast to shore and retrieved, so I gave it a shot, and fishing caught fire! Probably caught a dozen or so within two hours, here are a few we got in the net.

 Dark colored rainbows.

Another fatso that gobbled the pumpkin jig.

 And another.....

 Caught this one trolling the fly rod with a black bugger, my favorite way to land a fish from the boat.

 Beautiful fish

The weather kicked up and turned real ugly, and fast. I am convinced that a smaller aluminum boat would certainly have been capsized. It got so hairy that Paul got out the life jackets and handed them out, and I steered us right into a wave while I was distracted getting mine on. Everybody's feet were soaked by the wave crashing onboard, and really had me nervous for a bit. Finally the weather calmed down enough to make our way back to the ramp, we were all frozen, what a storm! The Gorge is a great place to fish, extra fun when the rainbows are spawning and have these rich colors in May.

 

Until the next fish......

A few firsts at Deer Creek

Every time we go out on a lake, we have needed someone to help launch the boat. We decided in May that it was time Jess learned so we can go out with just our little family. It was her first time, she was a tad nervous, took about 10 or so corrections, but ended up right where the trailer needed to be to launch the boat.

Halle in her favorite spot in the back of the boat.

 Managed to catch a few trolling with the fly rod, which is always a bonus for me.

 Ruby's first fish!! Who knew a baby could catch catch a fish?

 Ruby's Corner, her favorite nap time spot.

 Halle loves to pet the fish as we catch them.

 Jack........Not so much.

We had a lot of fun, weather was awesome, managed a few fish, and not too many boats on the water. First time launching the boat by ourselves, and caught Ruby's first fish, I call it a success! 

 

Until the next fish.....



Deer Creek Buddies

My daughter had been begging me for weeks to go out fishing, and finally the weather was good enough to get the boat out.  We really wanted to invite some friends, so we called up the Giles crew, and they were free to go! Giles and I were outnumbered 2 to 1, but we were up to the task.









The kids got along great!

The girls.

Front of the boat was the kids club.

We didn't catch a ton of fish, but enough for all the kids to reel one in. We caught them all off the same pole behind a Ford Fender and a green fly with a rubber tail with all the fish being rainbows of average size.

After the fishing slowed down, and the little ones asking to "go fast", we decided to take a cruise, and just so happened that the Heber Creeper was heading along the lake.  The kids loved cruising alongside the train, and they were nice enough to wave to us.

There were only a few short lived spats between siblings, a mysterious peanut butter and jelly sandwich that stuck to the front of one of the girls, and Giles almost falling into the water trying to get off the boat. The boat struggled a bit, the guy at the boat shop gave me the wrong spark plugs and I completely melted the gap on one of them, so we were running off of 3 cylinders. 

Can't beat a day on the lake with great friends!



Scofield & Strawberry Ice

Scofield
Headed down to Price with Adam and Nate Friday night before the fishing tournament at Scofield. Woke up early and made it to to the registration tent before sunlight. We loaded up the 4-wheeler and decided to fish about 50 yards out from the boat ramp down by the dam. I could tell by the size of the crowd being in the hundreds that fishing was going to be super slow, and it ended up that way. Missed a few fish, ended up catching 3, one 12" and two guppies. The group I was with only caught another three. I might be willing to give Scofield another chance, but this trip for sure didn't make me want to go back any time soon.  Not a lot of fishing action, for sure the highlight of the morning was cooking cinnamon rolls for breakfast, and some Papa Murphy pizzas for lunch with Adam's camp chef oven.

Strawberry
The first Saturday of 2014 I was able to get my brother in law Paul out ice fishing for his first time ever at the Strawberry. We set up camp on top of our boating hotspot we nicknamed "cutthroat alley", and it paid off. We landed about 18 or so, all were big and great looking fish, most of them were rainbows. Caught a lot of fish, and home in time to watch the wildcard playoffs, not a bad weekend.

Bills

Boating At The Berry

Rounded up Frisch and Giles a few weeks ago and headed up to the Strawberry for the last time this year before ice. We made the drive in record time, must have been excited to get up there. Weather was sunny, but a slight breeze made it a bit cold at times. We headed west from the marina, threw down the trolling plate, and started to slow troll with a few fly rods out. Sure enough Giles and Frisch start to land cuttys left and right, I tried switching flies a few times but nothing seemed to be working for me. It just so happens that the first fish of the day ended up being the biggest on a fly.

Giles started to give me crap after catching about six fish to my zero, so I subtly raised the prop, raised the trolling plate, and threw out some crankbaits for Frisch and I, and got on the board real quick. We were reeling them in just about as fast as we could get our line back in the water, even pulling a double.

It was about that time that Giles figured out why his bite had slowed down, we got a good laugh out of it. We landed a few more bows and cuttys, trying to chase the sun to stay warm, finally calling it quits before it got too cold. Catching fish with a fly rod is a blast, glad to now know how it's done.

Can't beat a day on the lake fishing with good friends.

-Bills

Fish Brain Fly Fishing Blog: Provo With The Boys

Fish Brain Fly Fishing Blog: Provo With The Boys: Grider put the call out again and we got out for a fish. Jeff Adams, Steve Grider, Levi Bills and myself. Grider with fish. ...

A few fish from 2013

A few of the fish from 2013 so far......

One of the bigger rainbows of the ice fishing season at the berry.

 Paul and his fish right before we make him kiss it at Flaming Gorge.

 Big Bow!

 Mom enjoying one of the bigger fish of the day.

 Whenever we are in a fishing slump, the lucky captains hat must be worn!

 Whopper of the year so far, 6 lb cutty.

 Rainbow of the year caught by dad.

 Deer creek, wish the bass were bigger, but they are fun to catch.

 The Olsen men.

 Jordanelle spits out some nice rainbows, this one was 19".

Love my little ones.

 Worst tangle ever.

 Flaming Gorge has some monsters.

Spring time at Antelope Flats, I have never seen anyting like it, fly fisherman on the shore every 5 feet later in the morning, all were slaying the fish.

 I don't want to touch the fish dad.

 Best pre-fishing breakfest in the world, thanks Paul.

What a blast 2013 has been, and more to come!