Tag Archives: fish stories

Prospecting Big Trout – Small Streams

July 16, 2012 Christopher Kuhn 2 Comments

This is the Part Two installment of MKFF’s Utah Fourth of July adventure; Part Three, Lapping the C, will be available later on in the week, including all of the pictures.

This blog entry is informational in nature; stream locations and identities are disguised to protect the innocent.

Prospecting the Run — Matt and Sam Prospect a Long Run

During the long hot summer, mountain streams remain cool, clear, and filled with beautiful Trout.

Brown that got the skunk out — First Trout in Utah 2012

Reading the Water

As opposed to large streams and rivers, Trout residing in small mountain streams have less food sources available to them. Fortunately, this makes them especially inclined to eat a Hopper-Dropper combo. The Trout we were chasing after like to hold in several key locations:

Head or Tail of Pools
Deep Undercut Banks
Long Runs
Behind Large Rock Obstructions

What to Throw

There are several combinations that seem to work well on small streams. Small general nymph patterns similar to the Hare’s Ear, Pheasant Tail, and the Gunslinger work very well. I prefer to prospect with a Foam Ant or Hopper, with one of the aforementioned flies as a dropper.

Matts First Brown on the Stream — Matt Gets His Skunk Out

Another nice option; is a Woolly Bugger or a small streamer. I used a Coffee and Black Bugger, which I spun up heavily weighted with lead. My small streamer of choice is always the Black Nosed Dace and/or the Mickey Finn.

18 Rainbow — Now That Is The Fish We Are Here To Catch

Success

A bad day Fly Fishing is better than a good day at work. Simply being out in the back country is enough to disengage and enjoy the scenery. Throw in a few 18 inch Trout, and Matt, Sam, and I had a great time.

18 German Brown — 18 Inch German Brown on Hopper Dropper, caught on Pheasant Tail

Part 1: This Is Our First Rodeo

Part 3: Lapping the C

Interested in booking a Utah small stream fishing adventure. Check out Beehive Fishing Company for a guided Fly Fishing Adventure on one of many Utah small streams.

Bass

Poppin’ For Bass

June 2, 2012 Christopher Kuhn 2 Comments

It’s the season for Fly Fishing with Bass Poppers, that’s what my aquatic friends residing in the Moose Knuckle Proving Grounds casting pond told me today. The Bass have been spawning for quite a few weeks; in fact, it is nearing the end of the spawn now. The water is a pleasant 75 degrees, pulling into optimum range for Largemouth Bass Activity. Furthermore, the weather is changing and a storm is about to blow in for the evening.

Tactic

Bass are a very aggressive species. The old bucket mouth will strike anything that looks, feels or sounds like food. While a Trout is consumed with fear of expending energy to catch quarry that is not food, a Bass is overwhelmed with fear of missing its next morsel of food. The Popper I have above mimics a frog and there are quite a few of them out today. Another favorite of mine is the Mouse, nothing like convincing a Bass to inhale a Deer Hair Mouse.

According to Moose Knuckle Bass expert Mark Beardmore, previously of Sanibel Island fame, to catch a Bass on a popper you, “…It depends. I like to vary it. For me I vary it by the small ripples it makes, which sounds ridiculous. Basically just count. Pop, then wait a second and continue for a little while. If that doesn’t get any bites speed it up or slow it down depending. When the fish hits it, but misses it, I like to immediately change to a very fast twitch like it, the Popper, is wounded but trying to get away. But not a pop.” As mixed up as that all sounds, just use the method while Fly Fishing, it works.

Fish Story

Reader beware the accuracy of this account may change and grow more dramatic over time.

As I previously mentioned the storm clouds were gathering in the distance. In addition the wind was blowing gale force against my casting direction. I waited for a lull and hurled my frog popper out. Performed the slow ripple retrieve and waited….explosive strike! Pulled out a tiny bass. Now excited, I went, I cast parallel to the weed line. As I throw he popper out, it lands hard on the water with a splash; it sits and the ripple dissipates. I start to strip again and a Bass explodes out of the water swallowing the popper. Now the fight is on, with the four-weight rod this is an intense battle. Finally he wears down and dives into some weeds, I try and pull him up and out but he will not budge. At last I jump in the water as he is stuck right at the edge and pull the Bass out right by his lip.

Bass and Sage 4WT — Old Bucket Mouth, Sage VXP 4WT and Lamson Litespeed 2.0

L.L. Bean Fly Fishing for Bass Handbook, 2nd

Southern Utah

Back Down South

May 14, 2012 Brenton Kuhn

Hopefully the same Kings of Leon song is going through your head as mine while I departed on this journey last Friday after work. Last summer and this spring I had spent some time fishing in Southern Utah and the opportunity came knocking for another trip so therefore it happened.

We arrived at camp after dark the first night so it was nice to have previously been in the area to have an idea of where to set up camp. The following morning after a couple mile hike this was the scene.

After catching more fish then we could count and discovering both of our waders were leaking which is a little chilly this time of year we decided to warm the blood and hike to another lake.

The original plan was to spend another night at 10,000 feet, but we kinda didn’t want to freeze through another night so we took off to a lower elevation. After taking some real good beer drinking roads we arrived at night two’s camp well after dark again. This place however was new to me so we had to spend some time on figuring out a spot to camp.