(This is a news release provided by Utah's DWR)

Salt Lake City – Starting Jan. 1, you can have up to three hooks on your fishing line. And if you’d like to bow fish for common carp at night, you can.

Those changes are among several fishing changes members of the Utah Wildlife Board approved for 2013.

The recommendations Division of Wildlife Resources biologists presented to the board on Nov. 1 were influenced heavily by ideas biologists received from more than 1,300 anglers who took an online survey at the DWR’s website last spring.

All of the changes the board approved will be available in the 2013 Utah Fishing Guidebook. The guidebook should be available at www.wildlife.utah.gov/guidebooks sometime in early December.

More hooks, bow fishing at night

The following are among the fishing changes in Utah that board members approved for 2013:

• This year, Joes Valley Reservoir in east-central Utah is closed to fishing from now until 6 a.m. on Dec. 8. However, in 2013, the fall closure will be lifted, and you’ll be allowed to fish at the reservoir year-round.

• Starting Jan. 1, you can have up to three hooks on your fishing line.

Currently, Lake Powell and Flaming Gorge are the only waters in Utah at which you can use up to three hooks.

Drew Cushing, warm water sport fisheries coordinator for the DWR, thinks walleye, bass and fly anglers are among those who will be excited about the change.

“Some of the more experienced fly anglers are using a rig that consists of a large fly with nymph ‘trailers’ attached to it,” Cushing says. “Allowing them to fish two trailers, instead of one, will give them a better chance to catch fish.”

Cushing says bass anglers are starting to use umbrella rigs. An umbrella rig consists of two or more lures that are attached together. As the rig is pulled through the water, it imitates a small school of fish swimming together.

“Just like fly anglers,” Cushing says, “allowing bass and walleye anglers to use three hooks will give them a better chance to catch fish.”

Umbrella rigs often include more than three lures. Please remember that only three of the lures in your rig can have hooks on them. “Even with hooks on only three of the lures,” Cushing says, “your rig will still be very effective.”

Umbrella rigs and worm harnesses are currently sold in Utah, but they’re not legal to use in the state if they have more than two hooks. “Starting Jan. 1,” Cushing says, “it will be legal to use umbrella rigs and worm harnesses that have up to three hooks.”

• Starting Jan. 1, you can use a bow and arrow to fish for common carp in shallow water at night.

Currently, bow fishing for common carp in Utah is allowed only during the day.

Cushing says anything that can legally be done to remove carp is a good thing. “Carp populations grow quick,” he says, “and they’ll eat anything, so they compete for food with all of the other fish in the water.”

Also, carp grow fast—they don’t stay small long enough to provide adequate forage for other fish. “And that isn’t all,” Cushing says. “Carp stir up the mud on the bottom of the waters they’re in. They also feed on and damage aquatic plants. The mud they stir up prevents sunlight from reaching the plants. The damaged plants can’t repair themselves, and new plants can’t grow.”

Cushing says 1,367 anglers responded to a survey that was available on the DWR’s website from mid May to mid June.

Because of how the survey was conducted (for example, it was offered online to anyone who wanted to take it), Cushing says the survey isn’t statistically valid, and it doesn’t represent every angler in Utah. But he’s still excited about the number of anglers who responded to the survey and the ideas they shared.

“We’re excited to get this kind of response from anglers,” he says. “We’re happy that they have an effective way to share their ideas with us.”

(This article was provided by Utah's DWR.)

November is the perfect month to fish at Deer Creek

Heber City – If you’ve fished Deer Creek Reservoir in the summer—and in the fall—you probably had two completely different experiences.

In the summer, the reservoir was probably filled with recreational boaters and personal watercraft.

In the fall, you probably had the reservoir to yourself.

Colder water temperatures in the fall turn popular recreation spots such as Deer Creek into places of solitude, breathtaking beauty and excellent fishing.

And the Provo River that flows into and out of Deer Creek is also a great place to fish in the fall. The river is filled with hungry, aggressive brown trout.

Deer Creek Reservoir is about five miles southwest of Heber City.

Deer Creek Reservoir

Scott Root, regional conservation outreach manager for the Division of Wildlife Resources, says the DWR places 90,000 catchable-sized rainbow trout into Deer Creek every year.

The agency has placed tens of thousands of rainbows into Deer Creek for several years now, so plenty of rainbows are available to catch. (This year, 70,000 rainbows will be stocked in December.)

Root says both Utah State Park boat ramps at the reservoir are open, and you can have much of the lake to yourself.

In the fall, Root says you can catch rainbows from the shoreline using baits. Floating cheese baits, nightcrawlers or other baits that have a scent to them are some of the best baits to try.

If you fish from a boat, Root recommends trolling pop gear with a nightcrawler or trolling small lures that imitate perch.

"November is also a great time of year to target walleye," Root says. "Try trolling minnow-imitating lures slowly along the bottom of the reservoir."

In addition to rainbow trout and walleye, you might also catch perch, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass and brown trout at Deer Creek in the fall.

Brown trout in the Provo River

In addition to fishing in the reservoir, you might want to try the Provo River. The river enters the reservoir on the reservoir’s north end and then exits on the south end, flowing down Provo Canyon on its way to Utah Lake.

Root says brown trout spawn in November. “During the spawn,” he says, “brown trout will take flies aggressively. They’ll also attack lures that get near their spawning beds.”

Root says those who fish the Provo River regularly know November is a special time to not only catch aggressive trout, but big trout too. He says small fly patterns, small lures and egg-imitating fly patterns can be very effective during and after the

spawn.

When brown trout spawn, they clear out depressions in the gravel of the stream bed to deposit their eggs in. These depressions can often be seen from the shoreline. “Please don’t step on these depressions or disturb them in any way,” Root says.

Some stretches of the Provo River have special restrictions. ON some stretches, only artificial flies and lures may be used and the limit is two trout under 15 inches (larger trout must be released in some stretches of the river).

On other stretches, you can use bait and the trout limit is four fish, without any size restrictions.

Fishing regulations for the Provo River are found on pages 29 – 30 of the 2012 Utah Fishing Guidebook. The free guidebook is available at www.wildlife.utah.gov. You can also get a copy at DWR offices and from fishing and hunting license agents across Utah.

Stay updated

Updated fishing reports for Deer Creek are available at www.wildlife.utah.gov/hotspots. Utahwildife.net and bigfishtackle.com also provide good information.

More information about launching conditions at Deer Creek State Park, or information about the park itself, is available by calling (435) 654-0171 or visiting www.stateparks.utah.gov/parks/deer-creek.

More information about fishing at Deer Creek is available by calling the DWR at (801) 491-5678.

Cathedral In The Desert is an iconic landmark in Glen Canyon at Lake Powell. It is a beautiful canyon grotto with a waterfall (actually two waterfalls). A few years ago Lake Powell dropped to a very low level and the main waterfall was exposed. Many people make a trek to see the Cathedral, which was often been described as paradise lost beneath the waters of Lake Powell.

In recdent years the lake's level has risen and, at this writing, the top of the main waterfall is under 10 feet of water. (See photos and a video showing Cathedral In The Desert.)

On Oct. 20, 2012, DWR Biologist Wayne Gustaveson boated into the Cathedral and filed this report:

For example, on Saturday we took a side trip into Cathedral in the Desert at the back of Clear Creek Canyon on the Escalante. The lake level now is at the base of the second waterfall with the main cathedral well under water.  We viewed the falls and then retraced our steps.  While passing over the first falls (10 feet deep) marking the cathedral we noticed a school of fish sunning themselves near the surface of the 50 feet deep chamber. A Kastmaster spoon tossed to the basking fish proved them to be largemouth bass. A slab spoon simultaneously dropped to the bottom of the chamber resulted in a 5-pound striper. The next two drops to the 50-foot bottom produced two walleye. Then the fish quit.  That is a good summary of fishing this week. There are fish to catch in a wide variety of places but it takes a subtle key to understand when fish are vulnerable.

I love the hues of fall, in the tree leaves and also in the fish. Many species spawn in the fall and the fish put on their most dazzling colors to attract the attention of the opposite sex. The browns take on a rich golden color with vivid spots. The brook trout develop a splash of red/orange across their sides. The colors are never more beautiful.

Today I fished upper 6th Water, a tributary to Diamond Fork, and enjoyed catching beautiful browns. The weather was beautiful and fall colors were still bright. The quakies were naked, no leaves, but the willows along the stream were colorful. Fishing was good and we really enjoyed the trip.

Fall also provides some of the best opportunity to catch big fish. Brown trout become very aggressive in the fall and big fish are occasionally caught in the Green, Provo and Weber rivers, along with other smaller waters. The Weber is often under-ratted. Some of the biggest browns in Utah are pulled from its waters durin the fall.

Lake trout also spawn in the fall and they become more predictable as they congregate near spawning grounds. The giant lakers are always hard to catch but they become a little easier at this time of year. Smaller lake trout are frequently caught during late October.

On Bolder Mountain, brook trout grow surprisingly big and this is the prime time to catch them.

Walleye are also very active during the fall and several trophy fish will be caught during the next few weeks at Willard, Deer Creek and Starvation.

And at Strawberry, big cutthroat are cruising the shorelines where they can be caught from boat and shore. Minnow-imitating lures are good bets right now. In recent years the Lucky Craft Pointer Minnow has become the lure of choice at Strawberry. I like and use them, but also often use traditional Rapalas. A medium-sized Rapala in rainbow colors can be killer during fall.

Fall fishing is hot at Lake Powell and will remain very good for the next 2-3 weeks. After that it will trail off and most fish will be less active during the cold of winter.

Wayne Gustaveson provides an excellent weekly report on Lake Powell fishing conditions. See it here.

Below are a couple quotes from his latest report:

Magic 60-degree temperatures that caused bass and striper fishing to peak in the spring will be duplicated during the next 3 weeks.  Look for a fall flurry of fishing success similar to that found in spring. Use your favorite technique at your best springtime spot to have great fishing success. Crappie are being caught in trees now and will continue to provide good catches until mid November.

Striper fishing success has never slowed in the San Juan Arm where adult schools are guarding the mouths of Piute and Neskahi Canyons and deep water in between.   Fishing success at Good Hope Bay and Hite is less certain with few reports coming from there this week. That may be due to the steady striper fishing success in Bullfrog and Halls using the same spooning and trolling techniques described above.

(This is a news release from Utah's DWR.)

The best fishing of the year is about to begin. You can locate the action by visiting websites that provide updated fishing reports.

One of the best sites is www.wildlife.utah.gov/hotspots.

Paul Birdsey, cold water sport fisheries coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources, says October is his favorite month to fish. “There’s no better time to fish,” Birdsey says, “and the beautiful fall scenery and the cooler temperatures aren’t the only reasons why.”

Birdsey says at the end of September or the start of October, lakes and reservoirs in Utah experience what he calls their “fall turnover.”

“Basically,” he says, “the water mixes. As the water on the surface cools, it sinks to the bottom of the reservoir. As the water sinks, it pushes the water on the bottom of the reservoir up to the top.”

This swirling motion brings material from the deeper layers of the lake or reservoir into the upper layers. All of the sudden, algae starts to bloom. As the algae blooms, zooplankton feed on the algae. Then, the zooplankton bloom too.

Suddenly, abundant food is available for bait fish and sport fish throughout the lake or reservoir. “During this period of time,” Birdsey says, “the fish go into a ‘feeding frenzy.’”

During the frenzy, Birdsey says you can catch fish from the shore using simple equipment. “A rod and a reel, a bobber and some worms are about all you need,” he says.

Because food is so abundant, fish will spread themselves across the entire body of water. They’ll be in shallow water near shore and in deeper water in the middle of the lake or reservoir. “You can catch fish from the shore or from a boat,” Birdsey says.

And lakes and reservoirs aren’t the only places where fishing improves in October. Fishing in “tailrace” waters (rivers and streams that are below dams) improves as nutrients and cooler water are released into them. Having cooler water temperatures and the sun at a lower angle also improves fishing in all of the rivers and streams in the state, including those that aren’t below dams.

Birdsey says the feeding frenzy usually lasts two to four weeks. “You can still catch fish in late fall,” he says, “but fishing usually isn’t as fast as it is in October.”

Birdsey says the week before Utah’s general rifle buck deer hunt starts is his favorite week of the year to fish. “You can usually have the water to yourself,” he says, “and the fishing is as good as it gets.”

During the week before the rifle deer hunt last fall, Birdsey says he and a friend caught and released 30 to 50 splake in a single day at Joes Valley Reservoir in southeastern Utah.

“We had a blast,” he says.

This year’s rifle buck deer hunt starts Oct. 20.

And even if you’re going out on the big game hunts, you can still get in on the action. “Take your fishing equipment with you,” Birdsey says. “When you’re not hunting in the middle of the day, you’ll have plenty of time to fish.”

Stay updated

You can stay updated on where the best fall fishing is happening in Utah by checking several websites. The following are among the best:

• www.wildlife.utah.gov/hotspots

• www.utahwildlife.net

• www.bigfishtackle.com

You can also call the nearest Division of Wildlife Resources office or the DWR’s Salt Lake City office at (801) 538-4700.

###

Contact: Mark Hadley, DWR Relations with the Public Specialist (801) 538-4737

Salt Lake City -- The Utah Blue Ribbon Fisheries Advisory Council voted Sept. 20 to designate a newly restored section of the Ogden River as a “Blue Ribbon Fishery.”

With that vote, the 1.1-mile restored section of the Ogden River—located downstream from Washington Boulevard—is the forty sixth water body in Utah to be recognized, protected and appreciated for its unique recreational qualities.

In order to be designated as a “Blue Ribbon Fishery,” a water body must provide high quality fishing, a quality outdoor experience, contain high quality fish habitat and provide an economic benefit to the community.

The Sept. 20 vote recognizes intensive efforts by Ogden City, the Division of Wildlife Resources and a long list of project partners to enhance and improve the river.

“For many years,” says Ben Nadolski, regional aquatic habitat restoration biologist for the DWR, “it has been our collective desire and passion to transform this neglected and often abused reach of the Ogden River into an asset that everyone, including future generations, can be proud of.”

The following is among the work the DWR and its partners have done to improve habitat for fish and provide more access to anglers:

·        Protected 17 acres of riparian and in-stream habitats using perpetual conservation easements

·        Installed 20 cross-vanes that restore riffle/pool sequences and diversify habitats in the river

·        Removed and recycled 5,684 tons of concrete and metal, including seven car bodies

·        Removed 8,359 tons of non-recyclable glass, concrete and miscellaneous waste

·        Removed and recycled 2,460 automotive tires that were used to manufacture flip flops

·        Built nine storm water filtering areas that are vegetated with wetland plants

·        Built two fishing ramps that are accessible to those with physical challenges

·        Created 20 access points to the river for fishing and other recreation

 “The recent vote, along with recent awards and other wide-spread recognition, have proven to all of us, as well as to communities across the nation, that Utah’s rivers and fisheries are unique and valuable resources that improve our quality of life,” Nadolski says.

The Utah Blue Ribbon Fisheries Program was established in 2005 by former Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.  The Blue Ribbon Fisheries Advisory Council, a broad-based citizen advisory group, oversees the program.

Funds for the Blue Ribbon program come from those who purchase fishing licenses.

For more information, call the DWR’s Northern Region office at (801) 476-2740.

(This is a news release from Utah's DWR.)

Loa – Trout from the Loa State Fish Hatchery will be stocked soon into waters in Utah that already have New Zealand mud snails in them.

A news release the Division of Wildlife Resources sent on Aug. 31 left some anglers with the impression that trout from the hatchery wouldn’t be stocked until next spring.

Terry Howick, fish culture supervisor for the DWR, says mud snails have been found in the hatchery, and the hatchery is under what Howick calls a “limited quarantine.”

“A limited quarantine means fish from the hatchery will be stocked only in waters that currently have mud snails in them,” Howick says. “And this stocking will occur only after the hatchery fish are subjected to a strict invasive species protocol we’ve put in place.”

The protocol the DWR is following is the same protocol it used when mud snails were found at the hatchery in 2007:

• Before any of the trout are stocked in the wild, the fish will be isolated from the other trout in the hatchery for four days. During that four-day period, the isolated fish will not be fed. By the time the four days are over, any mud snails the fish might have ingested will be expelled from the fish.

At that point, the fish should be free of snails. And that means snails from the hatchery won’t be passed into the waters where the fish are placed.

“This is a proven method that we’ve used before,” Howick says, “and it works. But we’re still not taking any chances. Until mud snails are eradicated from Loa, fish from the hatchery will be stocked only in waters that already have mud snails in them.”

Howick says it will take about four to five months to disinfect the hatchery and rid it of the snails. Once this occurs, the hatchery will return to its normal stocking operations, placing fish in waters that it normally stocks.

The Loa hatchery is in the town of Loa, about 40 miles southeast of Richfield. Most of the trout the hatchery raises are typically placed in waters in southern Utah.

Howick says anglers who fish waters that have been stocked by Loa shouldn’t notice any difference in the number of fish that are available to them over the next four to five months. He says stocking schedules among the Loa hatchery and the DWR’s other hatcheries will be adjusted to provide waters Loa has stocked with plenty of fish:

• Waters that don’t have mud snails in them, but used to receive fish from Loa, will receive fish from other hatcheries for the next four to five months.

• For the next four to five months, fish from the Loa hatchery will be placed only in waters that have mud snails in them, including waters that are currently being stocked by other hatcheries.

Preventing their spread

New Zealand mud snails are just one of several aquatic invasive species (AIS) that have made their way into Utah.

All of the New Zealand mud snails that are found in Utah are female and reproduce asexually. Because they’re asexual, only one snail is required to establish a new colony. One snail can produce hundreds of young every year. And the snails are very effective at colonizing new waters.

There’s good news, though: There are several things you can do to avoid bringing snails into Utah from outside the state and to avoid transporting them from one body of water in Utah to another:

• Disinfect your fishing equipment.

To remove the mud snails, scrub your waders with a brush, and then rinse them with water from the stream. Make sure you remove the laces from your wading boots so you can clean under them.

After you’ve scrubbed your boots, repeatedly spray them and your fishing equipment with Formula 409 All-Purpose Cleaner. Keep the boots and equipment damp with the 409 disinfectant for 10 minutes. (Formula 409 All-Purpose Cleaner contains an ammonium compound that kills New Zealand mud snails).

After you've sprayed your boots and equipment with Formula 409 All-Purpose Cleaner, let them dry in the sun for an hour before re-using them. This process will kill any snails you can’t see.

• If you’re fishing on a river or stream, disinfect your waders and gear before moving to a different stretch of the same river to fish.

(This is a news release provided by Utah DWR.)

Kokanee Salmon Day is Sept. 15

Manila – You don’t need binoculars or a spotting scope to see kokanee salmon in Sheep Creek—the bright red fish are easy to see once they enter the stream.

But if you attend Kokanee Salmon Day on Sept. 15, bring your binoculars or a spotting scope with you anyway.  In addition to the salmon in the stream, you might see some bighorn sheep in the distance.

On Sept. 15, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resource will hold its annual Kokanee Salmon Day.  Viewing runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The event is free, and the viewing site is easy to get to.

Sheep Creek is in northeastern Utah, about six miles south of Manila.  The viewing site is at the Scenic Byway turnout where Sheep Creek crosses under state Route 44.

UDWR biologists will be at the site between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.  Display materials will be available that will help you understand the life history and the behavior of the salmon you see in the stream.  Spotting scopes will also be available in case bighorn sheep visit the area, which they usually do during Kokanee Salmon Day.

Fish are close to entering the stream

Kokanee are a land-locked relative of the salmon found in the Pacific Ocean.  Rather than migrating upstream from the ocean, though, the Sheep Creek population migrates upstream from Flaming Gorge Reservoir to spawn in the stream.

On Sept. 4, biologists said salmon were staging offshore but hadn't entered the stream yet. "They’re a bit late,” says Ron Stewart, a conservation outreach manager with the UDWR, “but that's common for a drought year.”

In 2011, Stewart says the salmon started entering the stream on Aug. 26.  Records kept by the UDWR show the salmon have come into the stream as late as Sept. 9.

“Anglers are seeing good numbers of salmon turning red in the reservoir,” Stewart says, “so we hope when they do decide to run, the spawning run will be good one.”

See a wide variety of wildlife

Seeing bright red kokanee salmon makes a trip to Sheep Creek more than worth it.  But the salmon are often just one of many wildlife species that have been seen on Kokanee Salmon Day.

Stewart says you should bring your camera and binoculars to the event.  "At Sheep Creek,” he says, “Kokanee Day often becomes ‘Wildlife Day.’  You can often see bighorn sheep, turkeys and other wildlife from the viewing site and the surrounding area.”

If bighorns or turkeys appear, Stewart says you’ll be able to see them through spotting scopes UDWR biologists will focus on the animals.  Or the biologists can help you spot them so you can see them through your own spotting scope or binoculars.

In addition to bighorn sheep, Stewart says other big mammals, and a large variety of smaller mammals and birds, often pay a visit.  “Birds of prey, including golden eagles, kestrels, osprey and vultures, are frequent visitors," Stewart says.  "And participants often hear sandhill cranes flying overhead.”

Stewart says driving along one of Utah's first National Scenic Byways—with its spectacular scenery and 18 interpretive sites—fall weather that’s usually pleasant, leaves that are changing color, lots of wildlife and a chance to see bright red kokanee salmon make Kokanee Salmon Day an event you won’t want to miss.

For more information, call the UDWR’s Northeastern Region office at (435) 781-9453.

(This is a news release provided by Utah DWR.)

1 p.m. vulture release part of Raptor Watch Day

Orem -- Thousands of hawks, eagles and other birds of prey fly through Utah’s crisp, clear skies every fall.

This fall, they’ll be joined by three rehabilitated turkey vultures!

You can see and learn more about raptors at this year’s Raptor Watch Day.  You can also watch as three vultures that rehabilitators with Great Basin Wildlife Rescue have nursed back to health are released.

The vultures will be released at 1 p.m.

Raptor Watch Day will happen at the Orem overlook on Sept. 22, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.  The overlook is along Squaw Peak Trail Road, just east of Orem.

Getting to the site

You can reach Squaw Peak Trail Road from Provo Canyon.

To reach the canyon from Interstate 15, exit I-15 at the 800 North exit in Orem (Exit 272) and travel east on 800 North.  This road will take you into Provo Canyon.

Once you reach the mouth of the canyon, travel for about two miles, and look for Raptor Watch Day event signs on the south side of the road.  Once you see the signs, turn onto Squaw Peak Trail Road and travel to the overlook.

The Division of Wildlife Resources hosts Raptor Watch Day every year.  The event is free.

Kick back, and relax

Bob Walters, Watchable Wildlife coordinator for the DWR, says by Sept. 22, the trees near the Orem overlook should be gleaming in their fall colors.  And the air at the watch site should be crisp.

“If the skies are clear,” Walters says, “you’ll get an up-close look at harriers, vultures, eagles, hawks and falcons as they sail overhead.”

Walters says experts will be on hand to help you identify the birds and to answer any questions you have about the migration raptors embark on in the fall.

“Raptor Watch Day is a great opportunity to kick back, relax and watch raptors,” he says.

For more information, call Walters at (801) 209-5326.