Lower Provo (Below Deer Creek)

Spring time is here and the Provo River is fishing better now then is has all year.  With the  lower Provo River water flows  just above 230 CFS the BWO and Midge hatches have been insane.  Early morning have not been the best time to be on the water.  The prime hrs for fishing on the Provo River start around 10:30 a.m. and end at dusk.  If your an angler seeking  out rising trout, we’d suggest you target the hrs from 1:30 – 5:00 p.m.  I’d dare say that some of the biggest Rainbows I’ve seen on the Provo ever have been caught lately on BWO’s and Midge dries.  With some of the rain lately, the lower section on the lower has been a little off color.  The upper reached on the lower have been much more clear making for great sight fishing.  Get out and fish, you won’t regret it.  As always, please be respectful of other anglers and propertly owners.  See you on the river.

Streamflow:: 237 CFS

Primary Hatch: Midge Larva (#16 – #20) Midge (#22 – #16) BWO’s (#22 – #16) Sow Bug (#20 – #14) BWO Dries (#22 – #18)

Best Techniques:  Any technique will produce good results.  If fishing the nymph, make sure you have the correct weight and depth and fish fast water, slow water and seams.  If you fishing the dry, make sure to use lighter tippet (6X), small bugs and good drifts.  The fish seem to be a bit more pickly towards the BWO patterns then the Midge. 

Best Flies: SOW bugs (20-18), BWO Barr Emergers (18-20), BWO dries (#20 – #18), Zebra Midges (16-24), Flash Back PT (18-22), RS2 (18-20)Parachute Adams (#20 – #18), Buffalo Midge (18 – 16),Wiggle Worm (14-16)

Lower Provo (Below Deer Creek)

Spring has offically began and fisherman and trout know it.  The last few weeks we’ve seen river levels on the Provo River gradually rising each week.  Typically when rivers rise significantly during a short period of time, fish normally take a few days to adjust.  Water clarity on the Lower Provo River has been somewhat murky because of the warmer temps, where as the Middle Provo River has been running Gin clear.  The reason the Lower Provo has been running off color is “little deer creek” is flowing high and muddy.  With that said, the lower reaches on the lower Provo have been clear making for great sight fishing.  Typically in March we start witnessing our annual BWO’s hatch become very abundant, but as of yet it has been somewhat sporadic.  Usually on the Provo we see more Midge on sunny days and BWO’s on more overcast days.  The hours from 11:30 – 3:00 p.m. have been the most consistent when fishing dries.  The Middle Provo Rive has been the place the last few weeks for incrediable dry fly fishing.  Make sure your dry fly box is well stacked with Buffalo Midge and BWO dries.  Use LOON and Frog’s Fanny floatants together to dress your fly. We hope to see you on the water soon.

Streamflow:: 275 CFS

Primary Hatch: Midge Larva (#16 – #20) Midge (#22 – #16) BWO’s (#22 – #16) Sow Bug (#20 – #14) BWO Dries (#22 – #18)

Best Techniques:  Fish are holding close to the banks, deep slow runs, and shallow riffles. When fishing the nymph use small midge, baetis and sow bugs. When fishing the dry throw small Parachute Adams, CDC Biot BWO.

Best Flies: SOW bugs (20-18), BWO Barr Emergers (18-20), BWO dries (#20 – #18), Zebra Midges (16-24), Flash Back PT (18-22), RS2 (18-20)Parachute Adams (#20 – #18), Buffalo Midge (18 – 16),Wiggle Worm (14-16)

1.  The single biggest key to enjoying your time on the river is good gear.  A four layer upper and two layer lower work best.  Start with a a good heavy weight base layer, followed by a light to mid weight zip neck.  For the bottom keep it simple: another heavy, quality base layer with a pair of good heavy fleece pants will keep you warm.  Don’t forget a good pair of ski socks, beanie and a pair of fleece fingerless gloves.  A good pair of polarized sun glasses can help you see river structure and fish.

2.  Finding fish in the winter can be one of the most challenging aspects of the sport of fly fishing.  Trout tend to hold in slower deeper holes and and when there’s one fish, there’s going to be several.

3.  Keep your flies small and simple.  Some of the better winter fly patterns are Zebra Midge, Disco Midge, Barr Emerger, Parachute Adams, Sow Bugs.  Also, make sure you have a few egg patterns because the Rainbow Trout are notorious for eating eggs during the colder months.

4.  The annual Spring Blue Wing Olive (BWO) hatch starts around the last week of February and runs into May.  The BWO is a small mayfly that ranges in sizes from #22 – #16 and have a grayish olive body.  This time of year is a great time to catch your Trophy trout.

5.  Early morning are normally the slowest fishing of the day during the early Spring.  With the least insect activity and colder temps, the fish are less active.  As the day progresses and the weather and water warms, insect become more active as do the fish.

6.  Don’t leave fish to find fish.  The Provo River has an average of 3,500 fish per square mile so make sure you fish your run as effective as possible.  Change your flies, change weight, walk up and out two steps to cover more water.  A good fisherman is one the thinks outside the box and adapts to different situations.