Bad Weather, Good Fishing

I have been fishing small rivers, streams and creeks lately, and have been loving it. The place I caught the fish below at is on a very famous river, the Provo river in Utah. This river sees hundreds of fishers a week if not in a day. It has easy access and is close to many major cities. The stretch I fish though is often overlooked and in the last 20 times I have fished this stretch I have only seen one other person fishing it.  

The Provo is known for nymphing, but it can have great dry fly action as well. In the past month I have caught well over 30 fish from this stretch of the Provo and all on drys.I know this stretch of the river very well and  can generally catch 4 to 5 fish and hour. though they may not be very large I have caught a few in the 16-18 inch range. In the picture just below, the larger one is just over 13 inches. If it is a German brown you really should keep anything larger than that, because they start to get mushy and don't taste good, not to mention it is good to thin out the small ones so that latter on there will be so giant ones in the river to catch. 

The weather today was pretty lousy it was overcast with patches of rain but it pays not to be a fair weather fisherman. Fish seem to like this type of weather and are more aggressive. Poor weather means great fishing. next time give it a try. I remember one last year I went fishing in early spring. the weather was going from snow to rain, to hail, to sleet and blowing like crazy. My wife thought I was crazy for fishing in that kind of weather. That was the fast action I have ever seen. The fish were going nuts over anything that hit the water. every cast I was pulling in a trout and it went like that non stop until the weather cleared up. Today was no different the overcast gloomy weather made for not only cooler and more comfortable fishing but faster pace as I fished for and hour and a half today and caught 10 fish. 

In Search of Fishing Spots

I consider myself fairly normal, those who know me my beg to differ, for the most part everyone wishes that they could have a little time to themselves and do something they enjoy. I bet most people wish they had a little more time to commit to their hobbies and I am the same.

In order to maximize my time on the water I am always looking for places to fish. It's not that I don't like the typical places go, in fact people go to those places because it is generally easy access and good fishing. The problem I have with those areas is the waves of people that flock to them. My idea of a good fishing day does not include fishing in one spot and not being able to move because it is shoulder to shoulder fisherman. I want a place that is secluded, quiet and has plenty of fish. So I am always in search of water.

It takes a great deal of leg work to find places that are close, provide good fishing, and offer seclusion, but if you are willing to take the time most likely you will be able to find your secret spot. I have been lucky to find a couple of places within ten minutes of my house.  Here is a Picture of one spot I like to fish, it is small and quiet,  and I regularly catch 16-18 inch rainbows, and a few  native Utah species. If you look close in the middle there is a young buck drinking from the creek.

One thing you'll notice is the very thick foliage, these are the types of places I tend to look for, They may be harder to fish but they offer the fish shade, protection, and plenty of food.  If you can find places like that and learn to fish them you will be rewarded with great fishing. 

If you want to be a good fisherman you need to learn what water there is around you, and then take the time to learn how to fish it. I think half the fun of fishing is trekking through the country looking for great places to fish. So get out there and learn your local waters. 

Purpose of this Blog

I got into fishing about two years ago. When I was growing up my dad took me fishing a few times, but he was not really into it and never something I enjoyed doing.  After I got married my wife turned to me and said that she wanted to eat fish, and since we live in a land locked state good fish is hard to come by. I told her we should  go catch some and so it began. My journey into fishing was long and slow. There is still a lot that I don't understand and I don't know how to do. But I figure there maybe others out there that are the same.

I am writing this mainly to document my ventures and to record what I have learned, what works and what doesn't. If you have ideas for me to try let me know. I fish on average 3-4 times a week and am not a purist by any means. I love to fly fish, and love to throw a lure or jig now and again. I really just like catching fish and being out in nature.