Flaming Gorge Reservoir Utah

tamrock · Sep 13, 2015

Last week I stopped shopped to get out of the truck and stretch out some at the Flaming Gorge Dam site in Utah. Dang! what a beautiful day it was here. Lots of sun and not all that hot. I sure would like to have a boat out on the calm waters of this day and catching fish on my mind. I could only stay long enough to get blood running back in my feet, take a couple pictures and move along. This place will sure make you think about looking on craigslist at boats for sale.

Jim in Idaho · Sep 13, 2015

Yes...really great place. I fished it back in the '70's when it had Browns....unfortunately, they decided to manage the water for Lake trout, which caused a huge decline in the Browns, and relegated the fishing to mostly deep water. I've spent a lot of time prospecting in the are around the reservoir. Nice pics!
Jim

pepperj · Sep 13, 2015

That's one big fish! One of my fav. states to travel lots of beauty.

Red_desert · Sep 13, 2015

Jim in Idaho said:
Yes...really great place. I fished it back in the '70's when it had Browns....unfortunately, they decided to manage the water for Lake trout, which caused a huge decline in the Browns, and relegated the fishing to mostly deep water. I've spent a lot of time prospecting in the are around the reservoir. Nice pics!
Jim

I remember reading an old article about a Mormon deacon, trying to catch a record trout, think it was the Flaming Gorge. Anyway, he left his family for a time to live in a cave, fish for a record breaking trout in cool weather. Don't recall if it was for Browns or Rainbows.

austin · Sep 13, 2015

Too bad you never get to go anywhere. I sure envy you. :hello:

Jim in Idaho · Sep 14, 2015

Red_desert said:
I remember reading an old article about a Mormon deacon, trying to catch a record trout, think it was the Flaming Gorge. Anyway, he left his family for a time to live in a cave, fish for a record breaking trout in cool weather. Don't recall if it was for Browns or Rainbows.

That was for Browns...there were a few years when the food supply was incredible, and not lots of fish. The Browns grew to incredible size. They were so big, relative to their heads, that they were almost grotesque. I think the last name of the guy you're thinking of was Johnson....can't remember his first name. Most of the huge Browns he caught were caught by long-line trolling near the surface, and after dark. He was trolling 600' of line, and often right next to the bank.
Jim
EDIT:...I looked it up...the guy's name was Ray Johnson.

Red_desert · Sep 14, 2015

Yes, I can still remember the trolling a line part, think he made his own lures, some kind of minnow.....possibly to look like a baby trout. Also makes me think about the cave, wondering if the guy ever found any treasure in it.

Jim in Idaho · Sep 14, 2015

I remember those Browns were so big that he found a 4lb trout in the belly of one....incredible!
Jim

tamrock · Sep 15, 2015

Now that does sound incredible. Maybe the deacon didn't make big enough lures for catching this mythical giant Brown Trout. I've never herd of this story before. It's kind of starting to sound a little like Hemingway's "The Old Man and the Sea"

Jim in Idaho · Sep 15, 2015

Nope....true stories. I'll try to dig up a few pics of some of the fish. They were shaped like footballs....just a lot bigger....LOL
Jim
EDIT....https://s3-eu5.ixquick.com/cgi-bin/...orge1.jpg&sp=b27526acf3d0a73e18d0688ed6913d7f

https://s3-eu5.ixquick.com/cgi-bin/...=15.1&f=1&sp=7a8917bd721df50d47793bc59ec31961

Red_desert · Sep 15, 2015

I had the original article in a sports/fishing magazine. Growing up had Outdoor Life, Sports Afield, Field & Stream, hope I've got them all spelled right. Years later when a little older, went back through the magazine stacks to pick out the articles where the fishing techniques produced the huge size trophy fish consistently. This happened to be one of those articles. The guy lived in a cave with multiple layers of clothing to keep warm. One photo of him was in a large cave room. I'm sure the cave might also have been interesting to explore it, probably good place to search.