Fishing Forum

Well, I must have hit a skunk on my way up Provo Canyon last night. It reeked like skunk. I didn't get any bites as I tried my hand again at fly fishing. I have fished most of my life lakes and the ocean with a spinner reels and within the last couple of years, decided to try fly fishing. I think it is intriguing because of how difficult and specific you need to be to catch fish. I have read many articles and posts here on BFT about how fickle and difficult the Provo River is. I went last night up to just below the Deer Creek Dam from 7-9pm and tried to get into some fish. I was careful to not make too much noise, mend my line, and tried pretty much every fly which I saw on this chart:
[url "http://www.fishwest.net/utah/hatchcharts/hc_provo.htm"]http://www.fishwest.net/utah/hatchcharts/hc_provo.htm[/url]
So, my question to you fellow fly fisherman who have fished the lower provo river before is, do you have to nymph (midges) the lower provo? Is it fairly difficult to pick up a fish on this stretch of water with a dry fly? I was using a dry fly like a caddis with a dropper of an emerger but still didn't get anything. Also, where I was fishing wasn't completely calm and I would get frustrtated with how fast my fly would float by and even though I would mend my line I would have to cast again very quickly. But, the most frustrating thing was seeing a hatch going on and knowing there was ample food in the area and that fish were feeding. I'm not completely knowledgable on flies yet but it looked like they were PMDs. Then as it got pretty dark, I could hear the fish surfacing and taking flies. At this point I just wanted to stand completely still and try to net them hahaha. So, if anyone would be willing to give me some pointers I would really appreciate it. If nymphing is the ticket would you point me to a good article or website that describes how to weight your line, etc. I haven't nymphed before. I appreciate it! I want to get that stench of skunk out of my waders. Thank you
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I was on the Lower last Friday night. It's running high, which makes it a little tougher to fish, so be patient. I fished for about an hour and caught about 10. I didn't leave the water until 9:30. When it's dark the fish are very active. They hit caddis dries. Size 18 works best for me. It gets to the point where you can't see your fly. You just have to know about where your fly is and watch for swirls.

I was also catching fish before it got dark, fishing the edges with a caddis dry, You have to cast in tight, because the fish are sitting under the brush, waiting for caddis to drop. Sometimes it's easiest to work downstream. You can often get a longer drift. One way to get longer drift when fishing upstream is to wiggle the end of your fly rod just before the fly hits the water. It will help lay down a little more slack that will need to straighten out before the fly starts to drag. You can also cast short and don't let your fly line hit the water. Keep your tip high. Less chance for drag. As for flies, I tie mine with deer hair and not elk hair. That color seems to work better.

As for nymphing, there are times of the year that it's the best way to go. I'm probably an old school nympher. I use a 71/2 foot leader with about 18 inches of tippet tied to the end. I put split shot above the knot connecting the leader to the tippet. I put on a lead fly that is usually about a size 18. It's usually a hares ear, often a red fox squirrel nymph, sometimes a pheasant tail. I don't use beadheads. Below the lead fly I tie on another 18 inches of tippet and tie a midge pupae onto that. Almost always a grey fly in sizes 20 to 24. I use greased-up yarn as an indicator, typically tied onto the butt section above the tapered leader. This set-up works well for me. Others use a different method that works well for them. It's a matter of picking a method and practicing it.

It takes awhile to become a good fly fisherman. The Provo can be tough sometimes. Practice, practice, practice and be patient. Once you get it down you will consistently catch a lot of fish.
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Baetisman, great advice. I appreciate it! I will be patient and use some of those techniques you mentioned.
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