North Slope of the Uintas & Some Idaho

[cpierce]

I haven't had much time to play in my own backyard this summer, but I have spent some quality time in other areas.

This last week I spent up on the north slope of the Uinta Mountains exploring the creeks there. That is some amazingly beautiful country. I had been to a few parts of that area before, but I think I forgot how pretty it was.

The roads though are NOT so hot! They are more like random rambles over glacial moraines. Boulder Heaven!

The streams and Forks, as most of them seem to be named, are clear, cold, and just about the right size for easy wading. They also contained a fair sprinkling of fish. They did not however contain much in the way of insect life. The stream bottoms were covered in a layer of dying algae and there weren't hardly any bugs on or under any of the rocks.

[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/photos/data/826/medium/2NSUintas1.JPG"][/url]

[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/photos/data/826/medium/NS_Uintas12.JPG"][/url]


What the heck do these poor fish eat besides each other??? The most insect life I saw were ants, wasps, and flies (the annoying land on your face kind). There was an occasional caddis fly and some midges in the evenings, but even they were sparse. Even the mosquitoes were gone....thankfully!

Most of the fish I caught were cutts and brookies in the 6 to 8 inch size range. A ten inch fish was the bully of the pool! I did catch some larger fish and those were the ones that I took pictures of. So looking at my pictures you would think I only caught big fish, but in fairness they were harder to find and to catch. But oh so worth it! I know I spooked a lot more of them than I caught. Mostly they waved their fins goodbye to me even before I got out of the willows!

So here are some of the fish: I love the different patterns and colors of the cutts.

[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/photos/data/826/medium/2NSUintas2.JPG"][/url]

[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/photos/data/826/medium/NS_Uintas11.JPG"][/url]

[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/photos/data/826/medium/NS_Uintas7.JPG"][/url]

[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/photos/data/826/medium/NS_Uintas4.JPG"][/url]

[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/photos/data/826/medium/NS_Uintas2.JPG"][/url]


[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/photos/data/826/medium/NS_Uintas5.JPG"][/url]



[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/photos/data/826/medium/NS_Uintas9.JPG"][/url]


And the brookies:

[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/photos/data/826/medium/2NSUintas20.JPG"][/url]

[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/photos/data/826/medium/2NSUintas25.JPG"][/url]


[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/photos/data/826/medium/2NSUintas19.JPG"][/url]

I think this is the fattest brook trout I have ever caught that wasn't in a lake or beaverpond. I wonder what, or who, she has been eating!!

[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/photos/data/826/medium/2NSUintas34.JPG"][/url]


Speaking of beaver ponds...This poor beaver was trying to build his dam on a culvert. I think his sticks were going through faster than he could bring them over.

[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/photos/data/826/medium/NS_Uintas19.JPG"][/url]

The Uintas were beautiful, but it is also nice to be back home. I did fish for a few hours in one of my favorite small Idaho cutthroat streams. It was heartbreaking to see that is had about a third of the water it had last year. I hope that we get a bunch of rain soon.

[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/photos/data/829/medium/Idaho1.JPG"][/url]


I do love the cutts! They are all so different.

[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/photos/data/829/medium/Idaho10.JPG"][/url]
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[TylerKunz]

Gotta love the quiet little streams! Beautiful fish and great report. Thanks!
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[Baiter]

Nice report

I like pics of the all the fish not jus the biguns

Thanks
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[Highmth]

Awesome report, makes me want to go fishing
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