Utah's DWR reports a new state record brook trout was caught on July 15. The information below is from DWR:

Trent Syme of Payson, Utah caught the new state record brook trout from an undisclosed lake on the Boulder Mountains. The brook trout officially weighed in at 7 pounds 9 ounces, surpassing the old state record brook trout by a single ounce, which was caught in 1971 by Milton Taft.

Syme caught the brook trout on July 15 by using a marabou jig. Like many of the Boulder Mountain anglers that have had success catching large brook trout, Syme was hesitant to disclose the particular lake on the mountain where the trophy was caught.

(This is a news release provided by Utah's Division of Wildlife Resources.)

Fishing Adventures Abound in the Uinta Mountains

Lakes offer a variety of fish, including tiger trout

Kamas – A mix of fishing experiences, ranging from simple day trips to extended wilderness adventures, are waiting for you in the Uinta Mountains in northern Utah.

Phil Douglass, regional conservation outreach manager for the Division of Wildlife Resources, says you can spend a lifetime exploring the mountain’s lakes and the fishing opportunities they offer. “The lakes really do offer something for everyone,” he says.

Brook trout, tiger trout, rainbow trout, Colorado River cutthroat trout, Bonneville cutthroat trout, golden trout and Arctic grayling are among the fish you can catch in the Uintas.

Lakes along the Mirror Lake Highway

If you’re new to fishing the Uintas, lakes along state Route 150, also known as the Mirror Lake Highway, are a great place to start exploring.

Some of these lakes are next to the road. Others are only a short hike away.

Casting a worm and a bobber, and then letting the worm dangle two or three feet under the bobber, is often all you need to do to catch fish at these lakes.

But, as Douglass mentioned, the lakes offer something for everyone.

“For my family, caching tiger trout on a fly rod was their first fly fishing experience,” says Paul Thompson, a regional DWR fisheries biologist. “They had a blast.”

Tiger trout

Tiger trout are a hybrid cross between a brown trout and a brook trout. These feisty fish have quickly become popular among those who fish the Uintas.

“Two years ago,” says Craig Schaugaard, aquatics manager for the DWR’s Northern Region, “we tried stocking catchable-sized tiger trout in some of the lakes in the Uintas on an experimental basis. The experimental stocking was so popular among anglers that we’ve decided to stock catchable tiger trout in the Uintas permanently.”

The following are the lakes in the Uintas that have tiger trout: Butterfly, Lily, Mirror, Moosehorn, Pass, Teapot, Trial and Washington.

Douglass says tiger trout are fairly aggressive predators. He says they’ll readily take spinners in gold or copper colors. “Small CountDown Rapalas in brown trout colors also work well,” he says. “Traditional baits such as worms can also be effective.”

For fly anglers, Douglass recommends using big streamers and tiny nymph patterns. Scud patterns on a number 18 hook can also be effective.

Learn more

Reading the DWR’s weekly fishing report is one of the best ways to stay current on fishing in the Uintas. The report is available at www.wildlife.utah.gov/hotspots.

Another great source is Wade Jacklin, manager of Angler's Den in Roy. “Wade fishes most of the river drainages in the Uintas,” Douglass says. “He’s an excellent source of information.”

You can reach Jacklin at (801) 773-1166.

You can also learn more about fishing the Uintas by calling or visiting the DWR’s offices in Ogden and Vernal.

The telephone number for the Ogden office is (801) 476-2740. You can reach the Vernal office at (435) 781-9453.

Rattlesnakes are in the news in Utah because wildfires are forcing them to move. Where there are neighborhoods near burned areas, snakes sometimes come into back yards.

Also at this time of year people sometimes encounter snakes while hiking. I saw one just a week ago while hiking in Kanarra Creek Canyon, on the edge of Zion Park.

Utah's DWR provided this news release giving tips to stay safe around snakes.

Rattlesnake Safety Tips

Rattlesnakes are found throughout Utah

Seeing a rattlesnake in your yard or in the wild can be a frightening experience.
But it doesn’t have to be.  If you respect the snake and give it some space, the chance you’ll have a negative encounter with the snake is almost zero.  And Jason Jones says if you can find a safe place to observe the snake, “you’ll have a chance to observe the behavior of one of the most unique critters in the world.”
“Rattlesnakes are neat and novel members of our native reptile community,” Jones says.  “They control pests.  They’re very important to Utah’s ecosystems.”

Staying safe

Jones, a native aquatic species biologist with the Division of Wildlife Resources, says summer is the time of year when you’ll most likely encounter rattlesnakes in Utah.
Eight rattlesnake subspecies live in Utah.  The most common is the Great Basin rattlesnake, which is found across the state.
Rocky, talus slopes are the places in Utah where you’ll most likely encounter rattlesnakes.  “Because many snake species are camouflaged,” Jones says, “there’s a chance you've been close to a snake and never knew it.”
If you encounter a rattlesnake, the way you act will likely determine the experience you have.  “Like most animals,” Jones says, “rattlesnakes fear humans and avoid us whenever possible.”
Jones says respecting the snake, and giving it plenty of space, are the keys to avoiding problems.
“I can't overemphasize how important it is to give snakes space, to watch where you step, to watch where you place your hands when you sit down, and above all, to resist the urge to harass or kill a snake,” he says.  “Approaching the snake will ultimately lead to a negative interaction.”

Jones also reminds you that rattlesnakes are fully protected by Utah law; it’s illegal to harass or kill one.
Tips to keep you safe are available in a free brochure titled “Living with Venomous Reptiles.”   The brochure is available at www.swparc.org.  
Wild Aware Utah also provides free rattlesnake safety information.  WAU’s information is available at www.wildawareutah.org/utah-wildlife-information.                             

Hiking tips

If you encounter a rattlesnake while hiking, Jones says you should do the following:

Remain calm.  Do not panic.

Stay at least five feet from the snake.  Give the rattlesnake respect and space.

Do not try to kill the snake.  Doing so is illegal and greatly increases the chance the snake will bite you.  “Most venomous bites happen when untrained people try to kill or harass a snake,” Jones says.  “In most cases, the snake is simply moving through the area, sunning itself or attempting to find refuge.

“If you leave the snake alone, it will leave you alone.”

Alert people to the snake’s location.  Advise them to use caution and to respect the snake.  Keep children and pets away.   

Keeping snakes out of your yard

Rocky, talus slopes aren’t the only place in Utah where you might encounter a rattlesnake.  Depending on where you live, you could find a snake in your yard.
Aside from building a fence that rattlesnakes can’t penetrate, Jones says the following are the best ways to keep rattlesnakes out of your yard:

Reduce the number of places where snakes can find shelter.  Brush, wood, rock and junk piles are all good things to get rid of.

Control rodent populations.  Bird feeders and water are two of the main items that attract rodents to yards.

Avoid scaring away harmless snake species, such as gopher snakes.  Having other snake species on or near your yard may deter rattlesnakes from wandering through your yard.

Jones says he’s heard of people using "snake repellents."  “But I’m not aware of any scientific testing that shows these products are effective,” he says.

For more information, call the nearest Division of Wildlife Resources office or the DWR’s Salt Lake City office at (801) 538-4700.

A DWR gill net survey at Fish Lake turned up 2 big tiger muskie, as well as numerous rainbows, splake and lake trout. Below are details the DWR released about the study.

(Utah's DWR provided this news release:)

If you're looking for a fun activity that's outdoors and close to home, mark June 2 on your calendar. June 2 is Free Fishing Day in Utah. You won't need a fishing license to fish in the state that day.

Utah is participating in a promotion sponsored by Cabelas. Fish have been tagged and released into waters in Utah and other states. If you preregister and then catch a tagged fish you could win up to $1,000,000 (or even double that amount).

Utah's DWR provided the information below. .

Utah is one of 19 states that are holding a "Wanna' Go Fishing for Millions?" contest this year. The contest is sponsored by Cabela's.

If you catch a fish with a contest tag on it, you'll be eligible for some big prizes.

The fish were tagged by biologists with the Division of Wildlife Resources. "We're happy to help," says Roger Wilson, Aquatic Section chief for the DWR. "We wish the anglers who participate in this contest the best of luck. We hope you're one of the prize winners."

See more details.

Utah waters with tagged fish include:

• Bear Lake
• East Canyon
• Grantsville
• Joes Valley
• Lake Powell
• Mantua
• Paragonah Lake
• Sand Hollow
• Starvation
• Utah Lake
• Willard Bay

"Scat from the wilderness near Springville that was supposed to prove once and for all whether the area is inhabited by wolves or wolf-dog hybrids is from ... coyotes."

That quote comes from this new article about the search for wolves in the mountains east of Springville. But the search is not over, by any means. Wildlife experts who have caught glimpses of animals in a remote area are certain they were not coyotes. They speculate that a group of wolves, or wolf-dog hybrids, live in the area, along with coyotes and other native wildlife. If there are wolves they apparently migrated down from the Yellowstone area.

So the hunt continues.

If hybrids are found they will probably be destroyed. If wolves are found then wildlife officials will evaluate options, which might include capturing and relocating the animals.

The article notes that some members of the public have expressed fear because of the possibility of wolves in the area. The fact that nobody has been able to get a clear view of the animals shows that they are shy and avoid human contact. They pose little danger to people recreating in the area. On the contrary, it is the wolves that are in danger.

We fished hard hoping to catch a few walleye. Nope. Did catch several fat rainbows. And surprisingly, we caught two nice browns using walleye tactics.

We fished yesterday afternoon. Launched cabout 3:30 pm and fished until after it was fully dark. Big, bright, full moon so we could have kept fishing. It was pretty on the water.

Launced at the main St Park ramp and worked the shoreline up to the Island, then did several loops along the Island's deep-water shorline. We started catching fish immediately. All of the rainbows seemed to be from the same year-class. They were 12-14 inches long, fat and healthy. They hit hard and found hard. Fun to catch.

We tried all kinds of lures, trying to get something deep to entice a walleye. The most productive as an "Orginal Rapala" in rainbow colors. Small. We couldn't keep the rainbows from hitting the Rapala.

I tried bottom-bouncing along the rocky shoreline but just caught Rainbows.

At sunset, Kevin was casting a Lucky Craft into the rocks off The Island and had a fierce hit. In the water the fish looked different and we really hoped it was a walleye, but nope, a brown. I was trolling deep, trying to brush the tops of rocks and I caught another brown.

It was windy, water was choppy, so we couldn't hold any position to jig deep. After the sun went down it became quite cold. The water surface temperature was about 54 F when we started fishing and fell to about 52 F after sundown.

Rainbow fishing was fast during the warmest part of the afternoon but slowed as the sun went down. After sundown they moved somewhere - we couldn't even see them on the graph.

It was a fun trip.

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

2,100 More Elk

DWR seeks input about deer and elk plans

Plans that determine the total number of deer and elk in Utah are up for revision.

The change Division of Wildlife Resources biologists are recommending to the deer plan would allow them to use the most up-to-date habitat information available to decide whether deer population objectives should be raised, lowered or remain the same.

In the past, the plans for all five regions in Utah were revised once every five years.

Anis Aoude, big game coordinator for the DWR, says the DWR’s range trend crew does extensive on-the-ground habitat analysis in one of the five regions every summer.  Then the next summer, they travel to the next region.

“If deer objectives need to change,” Aoude says, “it makes sense to make the changes as soon as possible after receiving the latest habitat information for a region.  Instead of revising all five regions once every five years, we’re recommending that one region be revised each year, using habitat information the range crew gathered the summer before.”

The biggest change biologists are recommending involves Utah’s elk herds.  “We feel the state can handle a few more elk than we’re currently managing for,” Aoude says.

Biologists are recommending that the total number of elk in Utah be allowed to grow from a current objective of 68,825 elk to 70,965 elk.  If approved, the 2,140 additional elk would be scattered across the following units: Chalk Creek, Kamas, Avintaquin, West Desert, Fillmore and Fish Lake.

The only area where the total number of elk would decrease is the Paunsaugunt unit in southern Utah.  Biologists are recommending that the elk herd on the unit be reduced by 35 animals.

You can see all of the biologists’ recommendations on the Web at http://go.usa.gov/V3y.

After you arrive at http://go.usa.gov/V3y, scroll down the page to the ‘May RAC and June Board meetings’ heading to find the recommendations.

Learn more, share your ideas

After you’ve reviewed the ideas at http://go.usa.gov/V3y, you can let your Regional Advisory Council members know your thoughts by attending your upcoming RAC meeting or by sending an email to them.

RAC chairmen will share the input they receive with members of the Utah Wildlife Board.  The board will meet in Salt Lake City on June 6 to approve revisions to the management plans.

Dates, times and locations for the RAC meetings are as follows:     

Southern Region                               Central Region

May 8                                                              May 15

7 p.m.                                                             6:30 p.m.

Richfield High School                                       Springville Public Library Meeting Room

510 W. 100 S.                                                 45 S. Main St.

Richfield                                                         Springville

Southeastern Region                      Northern Region

May 9                                                            May 16

6:30 p.m.                                                       6 p.m.

John Wesley Powell Museum                          Brigham City Community Center

1765 E. Main St.                                            24 N. 300 W.

Green River                                                    Brigham City

Northeastern Region

May 10

6:30 p.m.

Bingham Entrepreneurship and Energy Research Center

320 N. 2000 W.

Vernal

Email

You can also provide your comments to your RAC via email.  Email addresses for your RAC members are available at http://go.usa.gov/IMk.

The group each RAC member represents (sportsman, non-consumptive, etc.) is listed under each person’s email address.  You should direct your email to the people on the RAC who represent your interest.

I fished Diamond Fork this afternoon - or at least tried to fish it. The stream is running high and is chalky. Many spots that are normally productive holes were just fast water today. Conditions were difficult.

I've been fishing Diamond Fork often and this was the highest water so far this year.

I expect we will see peak runoff on that stream during the next week or so.

Conditions are probably similar on other unprotected streams. During the next couple weeks the best stream fishing will be on stream sections below dams. So that means fish the famous waters with crowds of people:

• The Green
• The Provo
• The Weber between the dams