Utah Cutthroat Challenge

[Fergie]

I've not been a fly fisher that long, but...I'm hooked...barbless of course. My brother-from-another-mother is a part-time guide, and has accomplished few records in UT and other spots, one of them here: https://www.ksl.com/article/4631797...rare-trout-fantasy-slam-heres-how-you-can-too

Every summer I take some time off and head north from Flag, and swing by SLC to learn a bit more about fly fishing, and this summer, my buddy convinced me to sign up for the UT Cutthroat Slam: https://www.utahcutthroatslam.org

We had to catch the four species of cutthroat, and the water this year was trash w such low precipitation over the winter. We started with the Colorado near here:


Once camp was set up, we set out on the quads to get to the lake and it did not disappoint:


This one had whirling disease, but was still a decent catch...


Next was the Bear River Cutthroat on the Temple Fork(had a Tenkara TFO, so catching one on the same river was cool):


My buddy teaching me the water:


Sneaking up on the fish...literally:


Because this didnt work:

 

[Fergie]

After these two, we set off to catch the Yellowstone; this one was the toughest to get to, and there was zero guarantee that the water was even fishable. We lucked out and caught a few each, but were sneaking up on pools no wider than the rod.

 

[Fergie]

Lastly, was this little turd, on the Provo, thus completing the Slam w this Bonneville:



This is how complicated the flies were too...nothing special, just what the trout want to eat:


Once UT was finished, I moved on to ID, and enjoyed more fishing:


And when I got home, the dog approved of the coin and award:


This next summer, and future summers and springs, I'm going for the AZ Trout Challenge and the Western Native Trout Challenge...wish me luck

 

[Haggis]

Very nice!

Now I want to go trout fishing…

 

[Dave]

Looks like a really good time, thanks for sharing!

 

[Fergie]

Its wild how much UT has to offer that isnt Moab. Every time I'm up there, my buddy takes me to a different spot and theyve never disappointed. I'll get some more of those pics up here later. One of the trips, my daughter(I think she was 11 at the time) caught her first trout on a fly rod from a paddle board. She was stoked!

 

[ArkansasDon]

outstanding, greats pictures, reminds me of my younger days fly fishing Sierra Nevada's trying to pull a slip on them Golden Trout, catching German Browns in, Lone Pine, Bishop.

 

[wesel123]

You better take me next time you go!!!! You hurt my one feeling I have left....

 

[Fergie]

We can hit some spots in the White Mountains once I scope em out this spring; should be great for the families.

 

[Fergie]

While not the Slam, this was the summer of '20, somewhere in North UT, high up in the Uintas:


Camped not too far from the lake:


Some of the catches:





And some more views around the various lakes we hiked in to:

 

[wesel123]

I used my Tenkara Rod in Kennedy Meadows last year and the Goldens were loving it.