Who has taken the challenge?

[stout_trout]

I have been wondering who out there has taken the UTOF Fish Challenge seriously?

Personally I've been having a blast!

What I didn't expect is that it has really changed my fishing habits. Where I would have been fishing the Provo BWO hatch and other trout opportunities...instead I've been planning my fishing purely on what new species I can catch.

It's a new kind of fun.... and frustration.

For example: Today I learned that I should have had some standard dry flies because bluegill were feeding on the surface. All I had were buggers.

[RAW]

I haven't taken the whole challenge but I find I'm intriqued with these wipers on a fly rod (thanks Lowcountry.) I'm not that far away from Willard so it's an easy evening trip. My challenge is to get one of them!

[walksinwater]

I am increasing my knowledge of ff for warm water species.

I attended the western rivers "beyond trout" presentation by Jeff Currier. That was great! With a wealth of information to expand my flyfishing experiences.

Jeff's book Warmwater Fly Fishing looks to be a good read. Which is what I will be doing now.

[stout_trout]

Walks

I was planning to go but I wouldn't have gotten there until close to 7pm and I figured that I would have been nearly over by then.

Where there some specific points that you thought to be particularly beneficial?

[Fred]

i would like to take the challenge, but it just doesn't seem like there is enough time.

For example, I don't even know where to find a bluegill (within reasonable driving distance) much less catch one.

I'm sure I could find the info if I did the research, but there just doesn't seem to be enough time to figure out where the fish are, how to get there, time of day, what to use, and how to catch them. A worthy pursuit, but what about the trout! If I spend all my time trying to catch all these different fish, will I have time to catch trout?

Pretty tough trade-off if you ask me.

[Crosby]

Fred- not that I am pursuing this a full bore- but next time at Mantua- get a gill- should be spawning in the next couple of weeks there. I have picked up so far.
1. Brown 2. Cutt. 3. Bow. 4. Carp 5. Gill. 6 LM bass. 7. White fish.
Long way to go- but then again not pursuing heavily.

[stout_trout]

Crosby,
I would say you are doing really well!

This challenge is my whole plan this year and I've only caught a species or two more that you have. ... but as you mentioned... a long way to go still!

Come on Fred! Trout fear you! It's time to spread your tyrany to other fish species.

[Fred]

Like it says on the back of one of my t-shirts, "women want me, fish fear me". lol.

How's Mantua fishing these days Crosby? I might have to get up there soon.

I talked to a guy once who guides on the Green. He says that there is a certain time of year when you can go out in the shallow water at Flaming Gorge Res and cast to huge Carp. He says they get the reel screamin! Like Bonefishing. Do you guys know what time of year you can do that?

[Crosby]

Don't know on Mantua- only been rthere once this year.
The Carp in the shallows- should be early June- at least from my Lake Eire days.

[DrewTrout]

Fred, Pineview now. Fish are everywhere in the shallows. Crappie are in too.

[stout_trout]

I'm still trying to scratch Crappie (among other Pineview species) off of my list.

If you have some details...I would love them.

[Fred]

Drew, thanks for the info. Are you heading up any time soon?

Weather permitting, maybe I will take my boy up there Sunday and take a look around. See if he can catch a few crappie from the shore or something. I've never been up there, but hear there are a lot of different fish in there. Catfish too, Stout. do you have a recipe for a corn fly? Isnt' that how you catch catfish? With Corn?

[steelie]

I just checked off the brookie today, that puts me at 12 pts so far. What I got:

bow
cutt
brown
brookie
whitey
perch
LM bass

[stout_trout]

Ask Jason about the corn fly. Of course it is tied with the most innovative methods (I think there is some yellow acetate floss involved). And as you can tell from his photo in the photo section...it produces.

Yep, that's him with the catfish.

P.S. He may be a little tight lipped about the details of the fly. He will deny that it exists or that he has ever used it....but don't let him fool you!

[Jason]

I will never reveal my secret.

And what's this crap about people accusing me of dipping my sow bugs in tuna fish juice. Lay-off brother!

[cheech]

Jason, why dip it in juice when you could put it in your gas trap/waders, and it would come out smelling like Power Bait.

[Fred]

Dude, try letting your corn fly sit in your waders for awhile. That should be a deadly combo on Utah Lake adn the Jordan River.

Stout, i went up to Pineview with my boy and we didn't catch any. Rained most of the day so we didn't fish that long. I think we got there late because I saw people leaving with fish, but I didn't see any body catch one. I had him throw jigs and I tried to cast around the weedbeds with small buggers, zonkers, leeches. Even tried the olive willey. Nada. Saw one guy leave with two LM bass and he caught them on a rainbow colored spinner. I didn't see any musky. i did see a lot of big fish come out of the water. I might try it again without my son and with my pontoon. Not sure when. Morning sometime. Maybe Thursday if the weather is good.

[DrewTrout]

Fred,

This early in the year, bad weather really turns the fishing off at Pineview. A day or two of nice weather will have fish back in the shallows.

[cheech]

I helped myself out last night. I caught some Green Sunfish, Bluegill, and Largemouth Bass. Nothing huge, but they were all on dries.

[stout_trout]

How can you tell the difference between a green sunfish and a bluegill?

I caught something that looked like a bluegill but didn't have the big blue dot on the edge of the gill. But it was small and I thought it was just a juv. Bluegill.

[cheech]

Go to the DWR page. They've got pics.

[RAW]

Man did I mess up. My boys have spin casting rigs. While at Willard I used one with a white curly tail jig and caught a crappie a walleye and I believe a smallmouth. Came home checked out the challenge and found out we can only use fly gear. Oh well.

[A_Ravens_Cry]

Anyways I'm recently new to this website and just found out about this challenge a few weeks ago. I have a couple questions about a couple of the species. Like for instance the carp and the catfish. I've been trying to land these fish for a couple weeks now, I've thrown everything that I have that is fly related. I was just wondering what's there habits? like is it best in the morning or night? and I'm also trying to do this challenge with only Dries just because my friend said I couldn't and also because I can't nymph worth beans :) So I guess my question is would a carp and a catfish hit a dry?. I'm pretty sure that catfish would be difficult if not impossible but I don't know about a carp. Anyways this is what I got so far:

Blue Gill- Steeds pond in Clearfield
Brown Trout- South fork
Rainbow Trout-South fork
Cuttthroat-South fork
Crappie-steeds pond in Clearfield
Perch- Pineview

I"m also finding it funny when I'm out in my float tube at pineview and someone in a boat asks me how I'm doing and then looks at me with a look of disbelif when I say I haven't caught any carp yet. I've never had someone look at me so wierd :) well anyways this challenge is a blast. I'm learning so much about ff for different species. And I'm having sooooooo much fun it's made ff for me a whole new experience :) have fun everyone :)

[Graycliff]

I'm up to 10 points, I need to try harder, better take off work today and go catfishing.

[stout_trout]

Have you gotten your carp or catfish yet?

I didn' see your post until now. Bountiful lake is a good place for both.

I've caught carp there recently on a black foam beatle (cast to sipping carp) and I've also caught some on clousers and zonkers (white)

Cats on black buggers fished deep and slow.

Let me know if you would like to hit it some time.