Fishing the Uintas
As temperatures rise, fish go deep — and fishermen follow
Which accounted for the fact that the high-mountain lakes in the Uintas were lined with fishermen in camp chairs over the weekend, intently watching for a flick of the bobber or wiggle in the line.
Judging from a random sampling of fishing groups, fishing was good, which is usually the story at this time of the year. Hot daytime temperatures heat up lower elevation lakes and streams, forcing fish to swim deeper to find the cooler water, which takes them away from a comfortable cast from shore.
Even those in boats and tubes sometimes have difficulty getting baits and lures deep enough to attract fish.
Which is not always the case in the higher mountain lakes, where the water and air are cooler, sometimes even cold to the touch.
Add in the fact that several lakes are within a hundred yards of the main highways and it's easy to see why the Uintas are so popular during the hottest days of summer.
It also helps in replenishing of the fish supply. Being close to the highway makes it easier for the stocking trucks to regularly plant 10- to 12-inch catchable trout. During the summer peaks, the lakes receive a load of fish about every two weeks.
Which was the case with Harvey Mobley of West Valley. An avid fly fisherman, Mobley had caught and released more than a dozen fish from Mirror Lake on Sunday.
The one that got away, he said, was a large albino "that followed my fly until it got close, then it saw me and just swam off."
Two weeks earlier, Mobley said he caught around 20 fish using dry flies. His best success has been with a black gnat with white wings and a small bumblebee.
Seth Farley, fishing from a canoe, caught a rainbow he said was "larger than I expected to catch in (Mirror) lake."
Dave Jones, fishing with youngsters Tayla and Jordan Schweikart, said they caught five, but released the three smallest in a couple hours of fishing.
Most of the anglers around the shoreline were using PowerBait.
At this time of the year, flies are an excellent choice, especially with those flies that imitate common hatches, such as with the midges, mosquitoes, caddis and mayflies. Most of these hatches occur in the late afternoon and, when the moon is full, well into the night.
Other popular flies at this time of year are those that look like common insects, such as ants, beetles and damselflies.
For those not proficient at throwing a fly line, there's the alternative of using a spincasting outfit and throwing bait, lures or a bubble with a fly below.
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