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Area Streams
The streams that flow from the Boulder Mountain are steep, swift 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, at a much flatter gradient, and are shaded by high sandstone cliffs and trees throughout their winding course to the Escalante River.
There are many long runs 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 through these shallow riffles, 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. Insect hatches are not particularly heavy during the morning through midday, but in the late afternoon, as evening approaches, hatches begin to get heavier.
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. 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 slowly move upstream. Various other insects are hatching along these streams at intervals throughout the day, mostly in the early mornings and late afternoon. The partial list includes several sub-species of caddis flies, Golden stoneflies, Skwala stoneflies, Little Brown stoneflies, Little Yellow stoneflies, several sub-species of mayflies, most notably Blue Wing Olive, Green Drake and Little Western Green Drake in midsummer and Tricos during mid to late summer.
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.
Most anglers have never realized that there are such great small wild trout streams in this part of the state. The small streams of Boulder Mountain are considered as some of the finest fly fishing streams in Utah. 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 June 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 foliage. This is a particularly good time to be fly fishing here. Skwala stoneflies are also fairly abundant at this time. Wild trout will grab your stonefly dry just as quickly as you can put it in front of them. They will often 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 often several insects hatching throughout the day while you are fly fishing a small stream like this one. Try not to get stuck in the classic rut, fishing the same bug all day long. When in doubt change it out! It only takes a minute to stop and tie on a different pattern. Having a guide along makes this process quick and easy. Your guide will not only suggest a change of fly patterns when necessary, but he is also happy to tie it on for you. That small effort can often result in the angler hooking a beautiful trophy like the huge brown trout below.
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. Some sections of these streams are well off the beaten path. These remote areas of the streams that originate from the south side of the Boulder Mountain flow entirely through the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. If you decide to go to one of these remote streams, be advised that this is a national monument area and a pristine wilderness setting and as such special regulations for camping apply to these areas.
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. This fish has obviously never been in a crowded hatchery run with thousands of other cookie cutter rainbows. This trout was born in the stream, a really wild rainbow trout. The fish in the image above is a female rainbow trout. The fish in the image below is a male rainbow trout with a hooked jaw.
The Fremont River flows from Johnson Valley 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 runs very close to the highway, along 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 quite diverse in structure. Meandering through lush meadows in the higher elevations below Johnson Valley Reservoir, the stream holds many surprises. Tiger Trout [Salmo trutta X Salvelinus fontinalis] a hybrid cross between Brown Trout [Salmo trutta] and Brook Trout [Salvelinus fontinalis] are found here. You will also find brook trout, brown trout and Bonneville Cutthroat [Oncorhynchus clarkii utah] inhabiting this upper section of the Fremont River. Further downstream below the towns of Fremont and Loa the stream slows down due to the flatter gradient. There are numerous spring creeks that develop in this area all of which flow together to form the Bicknell Bottoms Waterfowl Management Area shown in the image above, managed by the Utah Department Of Wildlife Resources [UDWR].
This area of the Fremont River, upstream of the old grist mill on Highway 24 and west to the eastern boundary of the J.Perry Eagan Fish Hatchery is open to the public. The hatchery itself is closed to the public. Most anglers will take the path of least resistance and access the waters closest to the road, which consequently are heavily fished resulting in very leader shy and spooky trout. The water here, still upstream from Highway 24 is always ice cold and usually extremely clear. It is common to see huge rainbows as in the image above, but very difficult to cast to them successfully. The same is true, if not more so, about the monster browns that inhabit this stream, like the one in the image below. You must have an accurate cast along with a delicate presentation to fool big browns like this in the famous Bicknell Bottoms! Upstream of the hatchery is all private property with no public access.
In the middle section below the first bridge on Highway 24 by the old grist mill all the way through the town of Torrey the stream flows consistently through private property with no public access. This is all agricultural area and the water from the Fremont River is diverted through many irrigation systems. As the irrigation water flows through the local farms and fields and then back into the stream channel, increasing amounts of sediments are carried back into the stream. This sediment load increases as irrigation gets into full swing during the summer months. Summer thunderstorms also wash vast amounts of red silt from the scenic red cliffs on the north side of the river downstream resulting in a total blowout on the middle and lower sections while at the same time the Bicknell Bottoms above Highway 24 often remains relatively clear.
Downstream from the Bicknell Bottoms the stream is usually heavy with silt and off colored throughout the summer season. This slightly off colored water does not present too much of a problem for fly fishers until irrigation systems are in full swing 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. Once it crosses Scenic Byway 12, the river flows easterly through Capitol Reef National Park and eventually becomes unfishable as far as trout are concerned due to warm temperatures and muddy conditions.
If you would like to book a guided trip to fly fish for beautiful wild trout on a secluded stream on or around the Boulder Mountain this season, keep in mind that space is definitely limited and plan on booking early.
Contact Us soon to make your reservation for the 2012 season.
Call Steve Stoner at 1- 435-335-7306 Your call will always be returned
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