Area Streams

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Area Streams

The streams that flow from Boulder Mountain are steep and rocky in their higher reaches. Originating from the Aquarius Plateau and flowing down through the aspen and spruce forests of the Boulder Mountain eventually spilling into either the Fremont River on the north side of the Boulder Mountain or the Escalante River on the south side.

On the south side of the Boulder Mountain there are several small rocky streams. These streams run clear and cold and are shaded by high sandstone cliffs and trees throughout their winding course to the Escalante River.

There are sections with deep pools below piles of huge boulders that flow out into long riffles before cascading over more big boulders and forming more deep pools. As you walk up one of these small relatively shallow streams, you will notice that there are deeper holes and undercut banks everywhere. There are very fine wild Brown trout [Salmo trutta] inhabiting these streams. You will usually find them in these deeper holes and undercut banks, waiting to ambush anything that happens to drift by.

This is how it is all day while fishing these streams. Around every bend in the stream is another breathtaking sight. The beautiful pink sandstone cliffs that loom over the stream form a picture perfect backdrop to every pool you encounter. Wildlife abounds along the riparian corridor. There are numerous birds feeding and nesting along a stream like this.

Insect hatches are not particularly heavy during the morning through midday, but in the late afternoon as evening approaches hatches begin to get heavier. During the day throughout the summer several species of butterflies are seen on the wildflowers along the banks. Even large insects like this beautiful Swallowtail Butterfly [Papilio glaucus] in the image above can become food for trout when they inadvertently fall into the rushing stream.

The image above shows one of the deep runs than are formed where sandstone meets stream. These sandstone cliffs are always undercut and are perfect habitat for big browns that love to hold in such places. After you work a deeper run like this over with a dry fly, it's time to run a weighted nymph along the bottom near the undercut cliff. This usually results in hooking the biggest trout in the hole before you move up.

A short distance upstream you try your luck at the fast riffle where it enters the deep pool. This previously undisturbed area will usually end up yielding another nice trout before you move on. The small streams of Boulder Mountain are considered as some of the finest fly fishing streams in Utah.

Most anglers have never realized that there are such great small wild trout streams in this part of the state. Rarely fished, these streams are as close to pristine as that overly used term could possibly describe. Once you begin walking slowly up one of these streams you will finally realize what pristine really means.

Mid to late May is the beginning of the Golden Stonefly hatch on our local streams. These large stoneflies will be flying back and forth and crawling about on streamside foilage. This is a particularly good time to be fly fishing here. Wild trout will grab your stonefly dry just as quickly as you can put it in front of them. They will chase a big Stimulator downstream all the way to your feet!

Stonefly nymphs are just as effective at this time. You can fish the nymph alone, drifting it in the riffles or along the bottom in the deeper runs and holes. The hopper dropper method with a large Stimulator or other stonefly dry with a short dropper connected to a stonefly nymph is incredibly effective in late May. There are only a few openings still available. Don't miss this great opportunity to fish this wonderful time on a pristine stream like this.

There are small wild trout streams in the area around the town of Boulder that are rarely fished. These streams flow from the Boulder Mountain and hold a variety of wild trout. It is difficult for most modern fly fishers to grasp the concept of a totally wild trout stream, one that is never stocked and holds only wild trout, like the beautiful wild rainbow in the image above.

The Fremont River flows from Johnson Reservoir for many miles past the small towns of Fremont, Loa, Bicknell, Torrey, Caineville and finally Hanksville Utah. Between the towns of Bicknell and Torrey, this stream is very close, on the northern side of Boulder Mountain. Several small tributary streams flow from the north side of the Boulder Mountain and into the Fremont River, and for that reason it is considered as one of the area streams of the Boulder Mountain.

The Fremont River is also diverse in it’s structure. Meandering through lush meadows in the higher elevations below Johnson Reservoir, the stream holds many surprises. Tiger Trout [Salmo trutta X Salvelinus fontinalis] a hybrid cross between Brown Trout [Salmo trutta] and Brook Trout are found here. You will also find Brook Trout [Salvelinus fontinalis], Brown Trout [Salmo trutta] and Bonneville Cutthroat [Oncorhynchus clarki utah] inhabiting this upper section of the Fremont River. Further downstream below the town of Fremont the stream slows down due to the flatter gradient. In this middle section the stream flows through agricultural areas and is diverted through many irrigation systems. As the irrigation water flows through the local farms and fields, increasing amounts of sediment is carried back into the stream. This sediment load increases as irrigation gets into full swing during the summer months.

Downstream from the famous Bicknell Bottoms the stream is usually heavy with silt and off colored throughout the summer season. This off colored water does not present a problem for fly fishers until irrigation water returns and or summer rains dump so much silt into the system that it gets to the point of running muddy and red as the popular local name “Red River” would imply. This portion of the stream runs entirely through private property until finally reaching Scenic Byway 12.

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