05-03-2004, 04:49 PM
I took the new (older) boat up to Strawberry on Saturday with my 7-year-old son, my neighbor, and his 8-year-old son. We left Provo at 5: 30 a.m. When we got to Strawberry Bay, the fog was as thick as could be. It was even a little scary motoring out onto the lake since we could only see maybe 20 yards or so in any direction. Due to the fog, we didn't go very far before we began to fish.
I tied a worm on my son's line, and I started casting a silver and orange spoon towards shore. My neighbor tied powerbait on his son's line and began to cast tube jigs towards shore. After about a half hour with no luck, I asked my son to reel in so that we could move to a different location. As he began to reel in, he got a hit. When he got the fish into the boat, we measured an 18-inch cutthroat, so we released him. I thought, "Well, this should be a good day of fishing." Well, I was wrong. Although it was a picture-perfect day, with crisp Spring air and beautiful blue skies after the fog lifted, my son's fish was the only fish we landed for the next several hours.
The fog took a couple hours to lift completely, which may have had some affect on the poor fishing. Nobody we talked to on the lake had caught more than one or two fish all day either. We continued to cast spoons, tubes, even the popular black jig with no success until about 2 p.m., when the wind picked up and we began to drift fish with worms. We made one pass drifting from the Soldier Creek ramp across the lake, and my neighbor picked up three smaller cutts, all under 15 inches. I had a few hits on my worm and a couple more hits on the spoons I was casting, but I didn't catch a fish all day. I hadn't installed the fishfinder on the boat yet, so we tried several different locations, using several different techniques throughout the day, but four fish was the best we could do.
Let me say, however, it was probably the most beautiful day that I've ever seen on Strawberry. As the morning sun burned higher into the sky, all that remained of the thick fog were airy patches of white mist, like small clouds hovering slightly above the water. The patches of dispersing fog mingled with lingering white patches of snow on the hillsides were a stark contrast to the deep green water and the verdant green foliage. It was truly postcard-worthy in every respect. At one point, we looked out on the water near the Soldier Creek side and a small herd of mule deer were walking on a thin shelf of rock between a small island and the main body of land. It looked as though they were walking on the water--a very cool sight to say the least.
Anyway, that's my report. Just to be out on the boat with my son (and hopefully next time it will be with my wife and my other two kids) is enough to make me want to give up fly fishing, at least for awhile. In my opinion, a poor day of fishing with the family is far better and deeply more satisfying than a 50-fish day of fly fishing solo.
Here's hoping that the fishing is a bit better next time, however.
Tight lines, all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
[signature]
I tied a worm on my son's line, and I started casting a silver and orange spoon towards shore. My neighbor tied powerbait on his son's line and began to cast tube jigs towards shore. After about a half hour with no luck, I asked my son to reel in so that we could move to a different location. As he began to reel in, he got a hit. When he got the fish into the boat, we measured an 18-inch cutthroat, so we released him. I thought, "Well, this should be a good day of fishing." Well, I was wrong. Although it was a picture-perfect day, with crisp Spring air and beautiful blue skies after the fog lifted, my son's fish was the only fish we landed for the next several hours.
The fog took a couple hours to lift completely, which may have had some affect on the poor fishing. Nobody we talked to on the lake had caught more than one or two fish all day either. We continued to cast spoons, tubes, even the popular black jig with no success until about 2 p.m., when the wind picked up and we began to drift fish with worms. We made one pass drifting from the Soldier Creek ramp across the lake, and my neighbor picked up three smaller cutts, all under 15 inches. I had a few hits on my worm and a couple more hits on the spoons I was casting, but I didn't catch a fish all day. I hadn't installed the fishfinder on the boat yet, so we tried several different locations, using several different techniques throughout the day, but four fish was the best we could do.
Let me say, however, it was probably the most beautiful day that I've ever seen on Strawberry. As the morning sun burned higher into the sky, all that remained of the thick fog were airy patches of white mist, like small clouds hovering slightly above the water. The patches of dispersing fog mingled with lingering white patches of snow on the hillsides were a stark contrast to the deep green water and the verdant green foliage. It was truly postcard-worthy in every respect. At one point, we looked out on the water near the Soldier Creek side and a small herd of mule deer were walking on a thin shelf of rock between a small island and the main body of land. It looked as though they were walking on the water--a very cool sight to say the least.
Anyway, that's my report. Just to be out on the boat with my son (and hopefully next time it will be with my wife and my other two kids) is enough to make me want to give up fly fishing, at least for awhile. In my opinion, a poor day of fishing with the family is far better and deeply more satisfying than a 50-fish day of fly fishing solo.
Here's hoping that the fishing is a bit better next time, however.
Tight lines, all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
[signature]