Not to Happy w/ the proclomation

[FishingLunatic]

So me and my dad planned on fishing the provo river near where it comes into deer creek. You used to be able to fish w/ bait at Charleston bridge all the way to some other bridge. where we parked it said refer to the proclamation for guidelines. Well there is no guidedlines for that area! It doesn't say anything about whether it is artificial only like the other 90% of the river. So we didn't wanna risk it and get busted. Honestly it looked like it would have sucked for fishing anyways cause it was a mossy mess everywhere and even places like 4 or 5 feet deep were covered in moss. Still, annoying we didn't even get to try!

So we ditched the whole idea and went up the Uinah's, parked along CobbleFrest campground and fished the provo river and slayed dinkers for a few hours. All my fish were brooke trout except for my biggest one that was 8 or 9 inches and was a rainbow. Can't wait till late August when we have our camping reservation up there!
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[Fishrmn]

© From Legacy Bridge on Midway Lane (SR-113) in Midway upstream to Jordanelle Dam (Wasatch County):
• Limit 2 trout under 15 inches.
• ARTIFICIAL FLIES AND LURES ONLY.

What's not to like. All ya gotta do is read it.
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[wagdog]

Yeah I ran into the same issue a while back. I had to search in the guidebook but found what Fishrmn pointed out already. Had to go utilize google maps a little to see where exactly they were talking about. There is a long stretch there where you can use bait. I believe the Legacy Bridge is in Midway and is not that bridge there in Charleston. I haven't used bait there in the past but I know some folks who do. They typically drift small jigs tipped with waxies or crawlers and the browns seem to dig it.
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[FishingLunatic]

Well I must say that I left the reading to my dad and didn't see it myself but I believe he was because it didn't say anything about Charleston Bridge. Is Charleston Bridge that very first bridge? So it's okay to use bait from that first bridge just past deer creek to the second bridge? I think it's honestly a confusing area cause we talked to a few people there and asked and no one seemed to know. Most people it doesn't affect cause they're using artificial stuff anyways but to us it was definetely confusing. I'll have to look on google maps and take a look for myself since I let my dad do it since he was the one who supposedly knew where Charleston Bridge was
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[a_bow_nut]

When you travel from main street in Midway over to Heber there is a covered foot bridge that crosses the river next to the road.

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This is the legacy bridge. From that point all the way down to Deer Creek is open to bait fishing.
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[Flyfishinglover]

Wow really!!!. I want the provo river to be just flies and lures because it bothers me how many people go fish that section on the river just to get their limit and leave while others are tying to enjoy some nice fish to catch and release. I hope they change the regulation soon.
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[FishingLunatic]

They won't change that regulation, it was actually made only a few years ago. Since it was only artificial, the DWR actually found that not many people were taking home fish and as a result it was over populated. It wasn't really overpopulated but they said that there were so many fish that they were competing with each other and as a result the fish weren't getting bigger. They made it hoping people would use bait catch some, take them home and that this would cause the fish to get bigger.
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[FishingLunatic]

Thank you very much!
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[Flyfishinglover]

That's totally B.S I've seen and caught big guns up their now theirs a small amount because the Asians just grab and kill what ever fish they come a cross up their now. Especially when they come a cross a big spawner I just watch them kill that big fish. Very ashamed on DWR. I just hope they change it soon.


If you want bigger fish then why just not make the whole river bait fishing ha ha ha...
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[downed_Phly]

[quote Flyfishinglover]That's totally B.S[/quote]

Not really. The Provo is probably THE worst stream in Utah for stunted fish. Thinning out those browns will improve the fishery. Hence the regulation change. The big ones are still there. Might take a little legwork, but you can find them. And the really big ones shouldn't be leaving the stream anyway as the regs limit the take to 2 fish under 15".
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[mojorizing]

FFL, I agree with drowning Phly. Although I love to fish for trout, I can't stand the taste of them. More people need to take home their limits. As stated by the previous post by Mr. Phly, the fish are stunted. So even if you're a fly fisherman or spin fisher, keep some fish. And this area has been this way for years now (bait allowed). It won't change which is a good thing. I'm sure PBH will step in and give some stats too.
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[Kent]

[quote FishingLunatic]

It wasn't really overpopulated but they said that there were so many fish that they were competing with each other and as a result the fish weren't getting bigger.

[/quote]

Huh, that is the definition of over populated.
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[FishingLunatic]

That's not really overpopulated it's just for people's entertainment that they say there's to many. They think people would enjoy catching less fish but bigger ones than vice versa. Without man, nature has it's cycles of highs and lows. I don't have a problem with them classifying that as being overpopulated but things would have eventually worked themselves out.
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[downed_Phly]

[quote FishingLunatic] Without man, nature has it's cycles of highs and lows.[/quote]

Well, if you can convince everyone to stop fishing and leave the river alone completely, I'm sure the DWR won't worry about stocking and regs. Good luck with that. []
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[FishingLunatic]

No thanks lol. Like I said, I have no problem of them making the regulation because of them trying to make people happy but that's not really overpopulated and it would have gone back down. Lots of hunters also claim they're helping high rabbit populations and such by reducing the number. No they aren't, even if it was a very high population of rabbits for a year, they'd be feeding more predators and before you knew it, the next year their population would be normal, if not low. Hunters just wanna blast things brains off and fisherman just wanna catch big fish. No need to justify it with lies, just admit you want bigger fish, not the lie that the population is too high. [][fishon]
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[Kent]

You have some interesting (entirely wrong) theories, but if it makes you happy go for it.
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[FishingLunatic]

Point out whats wrong? People don't like hearing the truth of some things but that's just the way I am.
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[Kent]

To say that all of the years of education put in by the biologists and then their years of actual experience, including detailed studies of the individual waters results in conclusions and recommendations, "That's not really overpopulated it's just for people's entertainment that they say there's to many." I give the biologists and their studies more credit than you do.
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[FishingLunatic]

You're saying bad stuff would have happened to the fish if they didn't start letting people use bait? They made the regulation cause they wanted people to catch bigger fish, not cause it was overpopulated. Just cause our idea of fun means bigger fish(which requires less quantity in an area present) doesn't make it accurate to be called overpopulated. Maybe overpopulated for what WE WANT, but not in a literal sense. You're right, low #'s= more food for each fish=bigger overall fish. Never said that wasn't true.
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[FishMcFisherson]

Most people prefer to catch big fish over small fish.
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