Fishing Forum - Little Dell

Hit Little Dell this morning. Fish are getting more active as the water warms. Caught a few nymphing - no love on streamers.

Nymphs are the way to go with ice coming off. But I would try streamers again if you are fishing from a kayak and in another week if not. And like 98% of our waters these trout are very picky. Any standard streamer or nymph in many sizes will produce.

(04-12-2020, 06:46 PM)Joe_Hill Wrote: [ -> ]Nymphs are the way to go with ice coming off. But I would try streamers again if you are fishing from a kayak and in another week if not. And like 98% of our waters these trout are very picky. Any standard streamer or nymph in many sizes will produce.

I'm not sure if SLC is keeping the gate which leads down to the reservoir closed right now to discourage social gathering. I'd love to take my float tube out and focus on streamers, but don't think I have the energy to haul it back up. It certainly is a unique reservoir and the cutts don't seem to react the same way as they do in other bodies of water. I used to fish Mountain Dell Canyon creek before Little Dell was constructed and often wonder why no one seems to catch any browns in the reservoir. One would think some would have migrated down from the drainage.

It's a little haul. Just get some sort of wheel cart. I think I first got a little wheeled dolly for my Kayak for when the gates are closed there. How long ago did they allow fishing at Mountain Dell? I hear rumors there are big fish in there but not sure if people really fish it illegally these days. Security cameras have away of scaring people off.

I wouldnt quote me on this but DNR likes to use little dell for a pure strain on cut throat. in doing that im sure they killed off the streams.

(04-13-2020, 05:21 PM)Joe_Hill Wrote: [ -> ]It's a little haul. Just get some sort of wheel cart. I think I first got a little wheeled dolly for my Kayak for when the gates are closed there. How long ago did they allow fishing at Mountain Dell? I hear rumors there are big fish in there but not sure if people really fish it illegally these days. Security cameras have away of scaring people off.

I don't think fishing has ever been allowed at Mountain Dell reservoir. I was referring to the stream which runs down the canyon into Little Dell and then into Mountain Dell. Many years ago I used to fish it frequently and it held many nice sized browns. I don't remember reading anywhere that the DNR poisoned the stream when constructing Little Dell reservoir, but if they did that would certainly explain why there doesn't appear to be any in Little Dell.

(04-13-2020, 06:39 PM)fishalot13 Wrote: [ -> ]I wouldnt quote me on this but DNR likes to use little dell for a pure strain on cut throat. in doing that im sure they killed off the streams.

They have been using Little Dell (and Mountain Dell) Reservoirs for brood stock on pure strain Bonnevilles, but some bucket biologist(s) must have had their own plans as Rainbow Trout started showing up in small numbers over the last 3-4 years. This is one I got last spring near the inet (21 inches).

(04-12-2020, 08:40 PM)Riffle Wrote: [ -> ]
Quote:I'm not sure if SLC is keeping the gate which leads down to the reservoir closed right now to discourage social gathering. I'd love to take my float tube out and focus on streamers, but don't think I have the energy to haul it back up. It certainly is a unique reservoir and the cutts don't seem to react the same way as they do in other bodies of water. I used to fish Mountain Dell Canyon creek before Little Dell was constructed and often wonder why no one seems to catch any browns in the reservoir. One would think some would have migrated down from the drainage.

They don't post anyome at the gate until the mountain pass opens up (~May).

How big is your tube? Lot's of shoulder strap options available on Amazon.

Supposed to be Brook Trout in the reservoir from the population that was in the stream when they dammed it. Never caught one personally, and never heard anything about Brown Trout being present.

I did have a DNR biologist asking me about interest in other (hybrid) species... Tiger Trout, Splake, etc. Things that would not cross-breed w/ Cutts.

(04-13-2020, 10:08 PM)Joe_Dizzy Wrote: [ -> ]
(04-13-2020, 06:39 PM)fishalot13 Wrote: [ -> ]I wouldnt quote me on this but DNR likes to use little dell for a pure strain on cut throat. in doing that im sure they killed off the streams.

They have been using Little Dell (and Mountain Dell) Reservoirs for brood stock on pure strain Bonnevilles, but some bucket biologist(s) must have had their own plans as Rainbow Trout started showing up in small numbers over the last 3-4 years. This is one I got last spring near the inet (21 inches).

(04-12-2020, 08:40 PM)Riffle Wrote: [ -> ]
Quote:I'm not sure if SLC is keeping the gate which leads down to the reservoir closed right now to discourage social gathering. I'd love to take my float tube out and focus on streamers, but don't think I have the energy to haul it back up. It certainly is a unique reservoir and the cutts don't seem to react the same way as they do in other bodies of water. I used to fish Mountain Dell Canyon creek before Little Dell was constructed and often wonder why no one seems to catch any browns in the reservoir. One would think some would have migrated down from the drainage.

They don't post anyome at the gate until the mountain pass opens up (~May).

How big is your tube? Lot's of shoulder strap options available on Amazon.

Supposed to be Brook Trout in the reservoir from the population that was in the stream when they dammed it. Never caught one personally, and never heard anything about Brown Trout being present.

I did have a DNR biologist asking me about interest in other (hybrid) species... Tiger Trout, Splake, etc. Things that would not cross-breed w/ Cutts.

I also had the chance to meet that DNR biologist last year and complete the survey. Its interesting that they are considering the possibility of adding additional species to that reservoir. I'm not opposed as long as it doesn't adversely affect the health of the cutts that are in there. Might be fun to tie on to an occasional tiger.
Did you happen to notice how low the water draw down was last year at Mountain Dell during the dam repair? Made me wonder about the potential impact that had on the brood stock in that reservoir. The biologist I had a chance to talk to, indicated that the cutts in Little Dell were actually a bit larger in size than those in Mountain Dell. They do not currently understand why that is. Anyway, what a great resource to have such a fishery so close to SLC.
I do have straps for my tube, just easier to pay the fee and drive down to the launch area. After kicking around the reservoir for a few hours, it sucks hauling it back up.

I think the best fighting and the most fun hybrid fish to catch is a cuttbow! but not at the expence of losing the purity of the cutt! There is a lot of biology that goes into fisherys managment I wish people would understand.

(04-14-2020, 02:11 PM)fishalot13 Wrote: [ -> ]I think the best fighting and the most fun hybrid fish to catch is a cuttbow! but not at the expence of losing the purity of the cutt! There is a lot of biology that goes into fisherys managment I wish people would understand.

I beieve NM only stocks sterile tripoid rainbows for this reason. Utah should do the same. My home stream in Utah has gotten stocked with tripoid rainbow about evey 7 or 8 years for a couple cycles. DWR doesn't even post this streams stocking on their website. While at first they are like catching annoying pest brookies constantly, they grow quickly. After 5 or 6 years the numbers really dwindle but you get very fat footbal like trout 18-26 inches that fight very hard. With the very rapid flowing stream they live in, they are a real challege to land. You can fish a dozen times where you know they tend to hang out at that time of year without hooking any. But when you find one, you usually find several others. I'd rank those days as my second favorite experience with flyfishing in Utah. And it doesn't put nearby pure strain Bonnevilles at risk of hybridization. This is especially important as DWRs fish barrier is just a small leap for these bows during runoff conditions.

Yes they do stock tripoil rainbows. They still have the urge to spawn and rare it is sometimes the females can reproduce. Hope everyone takes my comments as general and not pointing fingers. and although I have a biology degree it is not in fisheries. so take it with a grain of salt.

<quote option=""fishalot13" pid='1097926' dateline='1586960140'"><br />
Yes they do stock tripoil rainbows. They still have the urge to spawn and rare it is sometimes the females can reproduce. Hope everyone takes my comments as general and not pointing fingers. and although I have a biology degree it is not in fisheries. so take it with a grain of salt.</quote><br />
I guess my question us does Utah only stock triploids these days. Maybe it's too late as there are a lot of diploid rainbows reproducing in the state.

There has to be some reproduction. We see it when fishing and catch a wild fish or a hybrid fish that is wild born. To answer the question does DWR stock diploid? Hope a DWR biologiest can read and help us out. Either way fun discutions.

(04-14-2020, 02:11 PM)fishalot13 Wrote: [ -> ]I think the best fighting and the most fun hybrid fish to catch is a cuttbow! but not at the expence of losing the purity of the cutt! There is a lot of biology that goes into fisherys managment I wish people would understand.

About a month or so ago I caught a fish at Little Dell that I thought could be a Cutbow. After speaking with a DNR biologist he asked that I email him the pics I had of some of the Rainbows that I caught in there. Much to my surprise, he got back to me this week (really wasn't expecting a response). He had the fisheries managers review the pics... confirmed the Rainbows, couldn't confirm the Cutbow but did agree that it did not look like the typical Bonneville Cutt's at Little Dell.

On the Rainbows, they said this...

DNR introduced rainbows in there when we built the dam, but then found out the pure strain of the Bonneville Cuts and had to drain the reservoir to get the rainbows out, obviously they didn't get them all. The biologists still find them in the creek when they electrofish every year. This is only the second report I have heard of someone catching rainbows but we know they are in there.

Mystery solved.

Here's the possible Cutbow that I sent to them. Pictures didn't quite capture the golden hue of this fish.

(07-02-2020, 10:33 PM)No Joe_Dizzy Wrote: [ -> ]
(04-14-2020, 02:11 PM)fishalot13 Wrote: [ -> ]I think the best fighting and the most fun hybrid fish to catch is a cuttbow! but not at the expence of losing the purity of the cutt! There is a lot of biology that goes into fisherys managment I wish people would understand.

About a month or so ago I caught a fish at Little Dell that I thought could be a Cutbow. After speaking with a DNR biologist he asked that I email him the pics I had of some of the Rainbows that I caught in there. Much to my surprise, he got back to me this week (really wasn't expecting a response). He had the fisheries managers review the pics... confirmed the Rainbows, couldn't confirm the Cutbow but did agree that it did not look like the typical Bonneville Cutt's at Little Dell.

On the Rainbows, they said this...

DNR introduced rainbows in there when we built the dam, but then found out the pure strain of the Bonneville Cuts and had to drain the reservoir to get the rainbows out, obviously they didn't get them all. The biologists still find them in the creek when they electrofish every year. This is only the second report I have heard of someone catching rainbows but we know they are in there.

Mystery solved.

Here's the possible Cutbow that I sent to them. Pictures didn't quite capture the golden hue of this fish.

Good info - thanks for sharing. I’ve also caught a few cuttbow suspects. I’ve also heard about brook trout being caught there although I personally haven’t seen any photos to verify. I wonder if the DNR has electro shocked any brookies?