11-04-2010, 04:09 AM
I've been fishing the Middle Provo a lot, but lately when I'm out and about with an hour or two to kill I've been running up Big Cottonwood Canyon and having a lot of fun fishing the creek.
I've been up there 3 times in the past 2 weeks--first time I went almost to the meadow below Brighton and fished below a pulloff where I had to hike down the steep bank probably 30 feet to the river. Second time I went above the bridge but not as far up to a pulloff that was long, fairly flat and adjacent to the water, and today I went maybe 1/2 mile above whatever that building is just above the Ledgemore campground maybe 2 miles up the canyon.
I'm catching 3-4 fish in an hour, all on top. First day I experimented and caught a real nice 12" brookie on a renegade, and 3 more 8-10" brookies on a caddis, and an ant. Second time up I went through the fly box trying all kinds of stuff--finally got 1 on a tan caddis and 2 more on a black and red size 14 rubber legged stimulator.
Today I caught 3 and had another spit the hook, 1 on a size 24 BWO, the other 3 on the stimulator. The first one was another 12" brookie that was beautiful--very dark in spawning colors.
I like to keep moving while fishing so once I catch a fish I usually move upstream. In all 3 places there have been small but nice holes every 50' or so, and although I don't see any fish rising, I've caught them all on top.
Although the road is just 30' away and there's a lot of traffic, being down on the water, scrambling over rocks trying to work a fly around an overhanging branch to a small hole feels amazingly remote and private--a great 'quickie' that recharges the batteries and satisfies the fix.
Only downer is I keep forgetting to take a camera with me.
Mike
[signature]
I've been up there 3 times in the past 2 weeks--first time I went almost to the meadow below Brighton and fished below a pulloff where I had to hike down the steep bank probably 30 feet to the river. Second time I went above the bridge but not as far up to a pulloff that was long, fairly flat and adjacent to the water, and today I went maybe 1/2 mile above whatever that building is just above the Ledgemore campground maybe 2 miles up the canyon.
I'm catching 3-4 fish in an hour, all on top. First day I experimented and caught a real nice 12" brookie on a renegade, and 3 more 8-10" brookies on a caddis, and an ant. Second time up I went through the fly box trying all kinds of stuff--finally got 1 on a tan caddis and 2 more on a black and red size 14 rubber legged stimulator.
Today I caught 3 and had another spit the hook, 1 on a size 24 BWO, the other 3 on the stimulator. The first one was another 12" brookie that was beautiful--very dark in spawning colors.
I like to keep moving while fishing so once I catch a fish I usually move upstream. In all 3 places there have been small but nice holes every 50' or so, and although I don't see any fish rising, I've caught them all on top.
Although the road is just 30' away and there's a lot of traffic, being down on the water, scrambling over rocks trying to work a fly around an overhanging branch to a small hole feels amazingly remote and private--a great 'quickie' that recharges the batteries and satisfies the fix.
Only downer is I keep forgetting to take a camera with me.
Mike
[signature]