Willard Wiper Fest

[TubeDude]

The "Geneva Dry Fly " has evolved !!!  That was a major problem at Utah Lake back in the day when the "bubble up" would attract huge numbers of snaggers.  It is a shame that folks will put money into illegal means to catch a fish rather than learn the legal method to do so !!  While as TD says " does not affect the overall health of the lake", it just isn't the way you do things !!

The "Geneva Dry Fly" was usually about the same as the original "Provo River Dry Fly".  I first observed it in about 1962...while being shown the only way to catch "pike"...as the local goobers called walleyes in those early days.  It was often fished on stout fly rods...to allow them to swing it out over visible fish in the holes they occupied while waiting to spawn.  The "fly" was usually a large treble hook with a bell sinker tied on underneath.  More exotic ties included some bright yarn or foam tied around the hook shank for better visibility for the angler...to allow easier targeting and better timing for the hard yank hookset. 

I was new to Utah and new to walleye fishing...having just moved to Provo to attend BYU.  As a fairly experienced angler already, I found it hard to believe what the locals claimed...that "pike" wouldn't hit regular bait or lures.  So I bypassed the snagging thing and started fishing spinners and some big bright streamers I tied.  Whaddayaknow?  I actually caught a few of those persnickety fish in the mouth. 

One of my fave tales of that early day walleye fishing on the Provo River occurred one morning up around Madsen bend  (good name).  I worked my way down the bank to a short hole below a bit of whitewater and began casting a streamer fly below a split shot sinker on my spinning outfit.   About the second or third swing through the hole a walleye came up, chased the fly and chomped it.  I put it on my stringer and resumed casting.  Several casts later I got an even larger walleye...with the streamer firmly clamped in its toothy jaws.  Put it on the stringer.  But after quite a few more casts without any action I picked up my stringer and headed back up the bank to move to a new spot.  I was surprised to find a DWR officer waiting for me.  He d and said I was probably the only angler along the lower river that day who would not get a ticket for snagging.  He had witnessed both of my fish being caught fairly.  Amazingly, even after DWR began ticketing for snagging it still persisted...and does to this day.