Fishing for Spawning Provo River Browns

In late October and November, the big brown trout begin their spawning activities on the Provo River and that means the fish will be active aggressive and looking for a fight.

Ignore the cold weather and those snow flakes being blown about by the 40 mile per hour wind. Ignore the ice forming on the tip of your rod. Ignore the cold, frozen fingers that are so numb they can't tie a simple clinch knot.

Concentrate on the possibility of big, strong brown trout (maybe even a 10 pounder) taking you all the way into your backing as you fight to turn it before it wraps your 5X tippet around a submerged log.

Think about some of the finest brown trout fishing of the year on one of the finest brown trout streams in the nation.

If you listen closely with your ear to the wind you can hear those trout calling! It's time to go fishing.

Before you head out to the river better take a peak in the fishing proclamation to make sure you are up on the latest Provo River regulations.

Ok, what else? All cutthroat and rainbow trout must be immediately returned to the river. Can't keep any of them. And, only artificial flies and lures are allowed between the Olmstead Diversion and the Woodland Bridge on County road 241 (except for Deer Creek Reservoir).

For you fishermen who want to bait fish, the portion of the stream below Olmstead Diversion is just full of fish and often provides as good or better fishing than the fly fishing only section with fewer fishermen to contend with!

All fishermen should take extra precautions to not wade along the shallow gravel bars where the fish are actively spawning. If you wade through the reads (nests) you can kill lots and lots of eggs and those eggs will become the brown trout of tomorrow!

When you catch a fish, play it in rapidly and don't let it tire any more than is necessary. Many of the fish will already be stressed from spawning activities and if they are played too long at the end of your line, it might kill them.

When you release the fish, work with it for a minute or two. Make sure it has its equilibrium and that it has recovered its strength before you let it go.

Fish upstream as quietly as possible. Use a light leader and get your nymph right down on the bottom. Fish the riffles. That is where the fish will be feeding most of the time.

Move slowly and cover all the productive looking water before you move on. It doesn't get much better than this!