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[font "Calibri"][size 3] I will be headed upto your great State from Dallas this coming mid-November in hopes of catching the spawn. Was just hoping I might get some insight on the area. I am a well-seasoned fly fisherman but haven’t been to the Provo in quite some time. I will be fishing for two solid days and want to maximize my time and not wind up in the wrong areas. I was thinking a guide for a half day or so might be the safest bet to get me pointed to the hot spots.[/size][/font]
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[size 3][font "Calibri"]Do you have know a reasonably priced guide that you would recommend? Should I just try to wing it? Like I said, I know what I'm doing, I just don’t want to waste valuble time as I only have the two days. Looking to target big browns (aren't we all) on the middle/lower Provo. [/font][/size]
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[font "Calibri"][size 3]Thanks in advance![/size][/font]
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[font "Calibri"][size 3]-Brad[/size][/font]
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Oh, and I do plan on reading up on the forum as I am sure there will be a plethora of great information in here.
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If your looking to target big browns don't fish the Provo
] actually if you can find them there are some nice size fish swimming around in there. there are several guide in our area here... My favorites would be the guys that run four seasons fly shop in heber. They live in the area so they know the waters well.
http://www.utahflyfish.com/
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Love Mark and the gang, but, I got to throw out Utah Fly Drifters....they too know the area[
] These are my Favorite[
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Get hold of me when it gets close, i'll take you for the price of a beer.
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Brad,
For a one or two day trip to an unknow area, a guide is worth the investment. Both Mark Forslund [url "http://www.utahflyfish.com"]www.utahflyfish.com[/url] and Jason Haslam [url "http://www.utahflydrifters.com"]www.utahflydrifters.com[/url] are quality guide / outfitters. Both are heavily involved in the fly fishing industry along the Wasatch Front. Both lean toward nymphing techniques but can equally put you on fish if dries are popping or you have some streamer skills. If you choose an outfitter be careful. Utah does not license guides or outfitters. There are a plethera of folks out there calling themselves guides and operating as such. Yeah, I know, it's the same every where, good guides and crappy guides. Choose wisely. If you go with Jason, tell him you want Thai Massaman Curry or braised Cow a$$ for lunch. I know a guy who does stream lunches for him.. [
]. Then again I would cook for Mark, too.
November is a good month. It can be cold and snowy one day and the next fairly warm. So pack accordingly. If you are thinking of streamers; pack that 6 weight. Otherwise a 4 wt will be adaquate. And practice before you come. The fishies in the Provo see everything and can be quite picky. The best tactic is a great drift.
And, don't be afraid to leave the Provo or the Weber. Weather dependant Currant Creek, and Diamond Fork can fish nicely. Those waters will have smaller Natives that can be more fun than a lethargic Brown.
Welcome!
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Hey Brad,
Use a sowbug, scud or pheasant tail/hare's ear and egg patterns. Rig up your line like this: Put a strike indicator about 4 feet above your fly, then add a small bb sized drop shot 6 inches above your fly, then drop another fly off of the first. This is a great way to fish the Provo. Also I HIGHLY recommend only fishing in the canyon above olmstead diversion dam (above it only artificial and smaller fish limits=more and bigger fish/better fishing) look for redds. P.S. There are some huge rainbows and browns in there I caught a 24 inch rainbow along with some huge 25+ inch browns last fall.
Good Luck, Luke
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Great info from everyone, thanks. My typical day is all sub surface, and my rig is always a 7.5 foot leader with about 24" of tippet tied to the end. Split shot where the tippet attaches to the leader, top fly 12" down from the shot, tied with an improved clinch knot, dropper fly tied to the 12" tag end of the the top fly knot. Sounds real close. The fish in my tail water aren't as picky as I assume yours are, I fish almost exclusively 5X. I imagine some 6X and possibly 7X might be needed?
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I fished 4x during the spawn this year just for the extra horsepower to get them in and back in the water ASAP. 4 and 5x are fine in November.
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October and November is when I switch from 5 or 6x to 3 or 4x. Yes you can land big fish on light line but you're going to lose that monster if you're lucky enough to hook him. That is the time of year to chuck big streamers. Large nymphs can also be amazingly productive as well. If your fishing fluorocarbon I don't think the fish see the line much. Our waters won't likely be crystal clear that time of year anyways. Since we're talking looking for big browns bring the 6 wt or at least 5 wt rod. Nothing wrong with using a relatively short length of leader and tippet. What knot do you use to connect them together? That can be a big source of break offs with the bigger fish if you have a weaker knot. I personally think the fishing peaks about November 5-10 unless you're lucky enough to spot lots of big ones migrating up a week or 2 earlier. Come a bit earlier if possible. Not sure what others experience with timing. You can certainly find big browns especially coming out of the reservoirs on the Provo but the native fish are a bit scrawny overall for at least a decade now. Provo is the quickest and easiest for the guides to hit so it's played up a lot. If you're not just hunting for that one monster and want a chance at many fish over 20 inches a day don't spend all your time on the Provo with everyone else. Mischievous has some good advise with alternate waters. I'd be paranoid every time I saw some one with a rope out in the boonies if I posted some locations on an open forum[shocked]. So send me a PM if you're interested in other suggestions..
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I fish Umpqua leaders and Trouthunter Fluro tippet. Use a surgeons knot to connect them. I will definitely stick to the 5x and pick up some 4X. The overall strength of that stuff is amazing. If you haven't tried it, it's well worth taking a look.
PM's will definitely be in order when it gets closer to the fall.
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I choose Furled leaders (which I provide[
]) I prefer a 5'er on the Provo. I then attach 4' of 4X tippet. I do NOT use 6X on anything but dries.
On the 4', I attach two 12" tags. First one 18" from end of tippet, second 12" up from first. I attach my split shot to the end of the tippet, then two flies to the tags.
This is the Provo River Bounce and works very well in fast or slow, or deep water.
I have found a few spots that I have needed to add 6' of tippet plus the 5' leader. Nice hole with lotsa fish. Indicator, I prefer the Thingamabobber. No sliding on a furled leader.
For Dry/dropper, I use this same set up, but only one tag for the dry and dropper on the end where the split shot was.
However, you can now fish THREE flies in Utah.
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I had actually researched and was going to fish a day next week using the bounce rig. It's a solid set up. Was even thinking about tying an inch or two of 7X at the very bottom, so if your split shot gets hung up, that breaks away leaving the rest of the rig intact. I would definitely lose less flies using this method.
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