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FlamingGorgeAngler’sGuide

“Themostscenictrophytroutdestinationintheworld”–OgdenStandardExaminer

FlamingGorgeCountryisoneofthepremierfishingdestinationsintheUnitedStates.Wenotonlyhaveoneofthemostdiversefisheries,butalsotheareahasbeendubbedthemostscenictrophytroutdestinationintheworld.TherearehundredsofplacestofishwithinanhourdriveofLakeFlamingGorge.Bringingyourlittleoneoutforherfirst-timefishing?Huntingforanewspottocastyourlinefortheannualguy’strip?Wanttoescapethecrazinessofyoureverydaylifeandsinkintothesolitudeofflyfishing?Nomatteryourdesire,FlamingGorgeCountrycangrantyourfishwish!

“FlamingGorgeCountryhassomeofthebestfishingopportunitiesintheworldthankstoitsincrediblydiversefisheries”–RecreateinUtah

FamilyFishingFishingwiththefamilyisnotonlyahighlyrewardingactivity,it’salsooneofthemostinexpensivewaystospendqualitytimedoingsomethingfuninnature.Thebasicstartergearwillcostlessthan$50,butthatinvestmentwillhelpyoucreatepricelessmemoriesforyearstocome!Hereareafewtipstogetyoustartedifyouarenewtothesport.

• GearUp

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Youneedaspinningrodwithline,needle-nosepliers(forsafelyreleasingallthosefishyou’llcatch!)andluresorbaitgear.

• LiveBaitorLure?Baitgearincludesyourbaitofchoice(likeworms),hooks,alittleweightandabobber.Thisisbyfarthemostpopularmethodoffishing,especiallyifyouplantokeepyourcatch.Butitcangetalittlemessysinceyouhavetoconstantlyre-baitthehook.Luresareeasilyattachedandmuchgentleronfishyouintendtorelease.Lurescomeinarainbowofcolorsandsizes.Oneofourlocaltackledealerswillclueyouinonwhichluresarebestforthewatersyouarefishing.

• EnjoyFreeFishingBothUtahandWyomingofferaFreeFishingDay!It’sSaturday,June4inWyomingandSaturday,June11inUtah.Checkstatewebsitesforspecialfamily-orientedprogramsatvariousstatelocationsonthosedays(www.wgfd.wyo.govorwww.wildlife.utah.gov)

• FollowtheRulesYoungchildrenineitherstatefishforfree.InUtah,kidsunder12don’tneedafishinglicense.Adultscangetathree-day,seven-dayorUtahannualpermitonlineatwww.wildlife.utah.gov.TofishacrossstatelinesontheFlamingGorgeReservoir,youmusthaveavalidfishinglicensefromonestateandareciprocalfishingpermit($10)fromtheotherstate.InWyoming,youcangetaone-dayorannualfishinglicenseonlineatwww.wgfd.wyo.gov/apply-or-buy.KidswhoareresidentsofWyomingandundertheageof14donotneedalicense.Nonresidentyouth(under14)donotneedalicenseifaccompaniedbyanadultpossessingavalidWyomingfishinglicense.

• SelectYourSpotWehavesomeperfectfamily-friendlyfishingspots,includingTheMoosePonds,TheFlamingGorgeDamFishingPier,thefreeKidsFishingHoleatRedCanyonLodge,andLittleHoleontheGreenRiver.

FishingLakeFlamingGorgeWith11statefishingrecordsandtwoformerworldrecords,it’snowonderthatFlamingGorgeReservoirisrenownedasatrophyfishery.The91-mile-longlakestraddlesWyomingandUtahandoffersboatingservicesatthreemarinas–Buckboard,LucerneandCedarSprings.ThemostpopulargamefishintheGorgearethetrophylake(mackinaw)trout,kokaneesalmonandsmallmouthbass.

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“Theonlyplaceyoucancomeandexpecttocatch30-40lb.fishandhaveareallygoodchanceata50pounder!"

–In-FishermanTV

WhereAretheFish?Fishingtopwaterdownto50feetyouwilllikelycatchrainbows,browns,tigerandsmallerlaketrout.Kokaneesalmonwillfollowthethermocline,stayingshallowinthewinterandspringandgoingdeeperasthesummermonthswarmthewater.Thelargerlaketroutwillgenerallystayindeeperwater(70-120feet),buttheywillfeedintheshallowerwaterespeciallyintheearlyspring.ThebassinLakeFlamingGorgeareveryactiveinthesummermonthswhenthewaterhaswarmedabit.Youcanfindthemonmostshallowrockypoints,humpsandridgesthroughoutthereservoir.

“Oneofthetopsmallmouthbasswatersinthecountry”–BASS

LakeFishingTechniquesTrollingFlamingGorgeisaverypopulartechnique,allowinganglerstocoverlargeportionsofanareawhiletargetingmultiplespecies.SomedifferenttrollingtechniquesusedontheGorgeinclude:longlining,dipsydivers,weightedlineordownriggers.Verticaljiggingisanothertechniqueusedtotargetsomeofthegamefishinthereservoir,especiallythekokaneeandmackinaw.Thetheoryistositontopoftheareaswherethefishtendtobe,usinganelectrictrollingmotororanchorsystemwhilebouncingyourfavoritejig–baitedornot–infrontoftheirfaces.

“ThereisonlyoneplaceinUtahtohookatruemonster:FlamingGorgeReservoir”–KSL.com

AveryeffectivewaytocatchfishonLakeFlamingGorge–whetherbyboatorfromshore–iscastingandretrieving.Therearethousandsofdifferentluresandjigsthatworkforthismethod.Flyfishingstreamerscanevenbeeffective.

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Baitfishing,whetherwithabobberorweighted,isanothercommontechnique.Nightcrawlersandpowerbaitarebothrecommended.

Averypopularwinteractivityisicefishing.Incold-weathermonths,thelargerlaketroutareinthedeeperwaterandcanbecaughtusingverticaljiggingtechniques.Thesmallertroutandkokaneeareinshallowerwater,whereit’sbesttousesmallerjigsandbaits.ItisbecomingverypopulartofishforBurbot–theinvasivespeciesinthegorge–throughtheiceatnight.

“TheGorgeprovidessomeofthefinestlaketroutfishing

inthelower48.”–In-Fisherman.com

Year-RoundFishingEvents

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Premierfishingtournamentsoccuryear-roundontheGorge.TheFlamingGorgeFishingDerby,BurbotBashandBurbotClassicarejustafew.Foracompletelistoffishingeventsinthearea,gotowww.flaminggorgecountry.com.

FishingtheGreenRiver

“America’sBestTailwater:Utah’sGreenRiver.”–Field&Stream

TheGreenRiver,asitreemergesfromFlamingGorgeDam,hasbecomealegendarytailwaterfishery.Thewaterreleasedfromthedamisregulatedtomaintainanoptimumtemperatureandflowthathascreatedaworld-famousblueribbontroutfishery.TheGreenRiver’sclear,emeraldwaterssupportalargepopulationoftrout,withrainbowsandcutthroatbeingmorecommonjustbelowthedamandbrownsdominatingdownstream.

Annualsurveyshaverevealedanincredibletroutpopulation.Moststatesboastthattheirblue-ribbonsteamshave5,000-7,000fishpermile.ButsomestretchesoftheGreencarryasmanyas14,000fishpermile!Fishingisrestrictedtoartificialfliesorlures,andcatch-and-releaseishighlyencouraged.Flytackleismostcommonlyused,butspinners,jigsandRapalasarealsoeffectiveonthesewaters.

“Someofthebestfishingofmyentirelife.”–OgdenStandardExaminer

Additionally,insecthatchesareprolific.Scudsareaprimaryfoodsourceandareeffectivethroughouttheyear.Midgesworkonandbelowthesurfaceduringthewinterandearlyspring.Blue-wingedoliveshatchinincrediblenumbersinthespring.Bigcicadasproduceexcitingfishingduringtheearlysummer.Ants,hoppersandmanydryflypatternsworkwellthroughthesummerandearlyfall.

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“OneofthemostbeautifultroutriversintheUnitedStates.”–Field&Stream

TheGreenflowsthroughascenic,steep-walledcanyon.Theruggedterrainallowsaccessinonlythreeareas:justbelowthedam,LittleHoleandBrownsPark.Youcandrivetotheselocationsandfishyourwayupordownstream,orfloattheriverinadriftboatorrubberraft.

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High-CountryFishingIfyoureallywanttogetawayfromitall,thefamousHighUintaWildernessistheplacetobe.Here,thereareover600hundrednaturalmountainlakesandthousandsofstreamsthatarepackedfullofbrookies,cutthroat,rainbowsand–ifyousearchhardenough–grayling.

Tip:Whenahigh-countrylakeis“on,”getreadyforsomefastandfuriousfishing!Ifthingsareslow,takeashortwalktothenextone.

SomeofthemorepopularandeasilyaccessiblelakesinourareaincludeMattWarnerReservoir,BrowneLake,SheepCreekLake,LongParkReservoirandSpiritLake,justtonameafew.Butifyouaremoreadventurousandliketogetoutandhike,checkoutTamarackLake,DaggettLake,FishLakeorIslandLake.

TheFlamingGorgehighcountryisaveryspecialplacethathasremainednaturallywild.Sowhileyou’reoutandabout,keepyoureyespeeledforthehugemoosepopulationthatcallsthishighcountryhome.Otherwildlifeyoumightspotincluderiverotter,RockyMountainbighornsheep,RockyMountainelk,yellow-belliedmarmotandbaldeagle.

LookforLunkersinRemoteWatersSouthwesternWyomingalsoprovidessomegreatopportunitiesfortheadventurousangler.SeedskadeeNationalWildlifeRefugeprotectsamosaicofriparian,wetlandanduplandshrubhabitatsalong36milesoftheupperGreenRiver.TherefugetakesitsnamefromtheShoshoniwordfortheGreenRiver:Seeds-kee-dee-Agie,meaning“riverofthesagechicken.”

Located37milesnorthofGreenRiver,visitorscanfindSeedskadeebydrivingwestonI-80totheLaBargeStateHighway372north.Establishedin1965asmitigationfortheconstructionofFontenelleandFlamingGorgeDams,therefugeencompassesmorethan20,000acresalongtheGreenRiverbetweenFontenelleDamandthetownofGreenRiver,Wyoming.

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WhilethenumbersoffishatSeedskadeemaybelessthanintheGreenRiverbelowFlamingGorgeDam,thesizeofthefishisincredible.Hugetroutawaitthosewillingtoinvesttimeonthesewaters!

SeekLocalKnowledgeFlamingGorgeiscrawlingwithguideshops,marinaandlodgesthatselllicenses,fishingtackleandofferplentyoffreeadvice.However,wethinkthebestwaytogetacquaintedwithourwatersiswithoneofourfun-lovinglocalguides.Theseexpertsknowjustwheretolookforananglingadventurethatwillmakememoriestolastalifetime!