Great information Kendall - Look forward to you breaking another state record this year! Hopefully some day, we will cross paths on the trail. Safe travels
Haha, I'd actually rather get my dad or a nephew on a record fish to be honest. Maybe our paths will cross at some point. I only came across one person on my last backpacking trip of the fall. I was actually looking down as I was hiking and all of the sudden I heard "Holy $%#@ it's TroutHowler" it kind of startled me haha. It was this guys first trip into the Uintas---what are the odds.
Thanks K for the info. This was a HUGE help to me. I wish I would have found this when I was able to hike more. Planning a long time coming trip with my new teenager I am trying to get trained on streams. We've used your hints on lakes. Thanks for the inspiring content. We love watching you with your dad and friends. Fishing is best with family and friends.
As a utahn who loves the the back country and has been trying to learn to fly fish, this video is super helpful. Thanks so much for taking the time to make it and share your vast knowledge and experience.
Thanks for all the great info. Being new to fly fishing your vids create a lot of excitement and light at the end of the tunnel so to speak. It's been an awesome, frustrating, fun obsession to start at this point in my life. Ive always fished but finally picked up a fly rod and haven't looked back.
A friend and I bought a $20 South Bend fly rod combos that came with a 6 1/2 ft rod, reel, line and about 20 machine tied garbage flies the summer after we graduated from high school. I was a spin fisher at that point in time. We bought the fly rods ( which were terrible haha) because of a news paper article saying you can have a 100 fish day in the Uintas on a fly rod. We went to a grayiing lake and over a few days caught several hundred fish. I remember using a fly until it was nothing more than a hook with a single wing hanging off it and it was still catching fish. I was instantly converted and have never looked back. Whos even heard of a 6 1/2 fly rod lol.
Thank you so much TroutHowler for your helpful information. I was a student at BYU in the late 1960s (yes, I'm that old) and would schedule all my classes on M-W-F so I could go fishing on T-Th-S every week! I was a fly fisherman and fly tyer then and still love it today. I have the full set of "Lakes of the High Uintas" first published in 1964 and updated later in the mid 1980s I believe. I also have a copy of "Lakes of the Aquarius Plateau" (Bolder Mountain and Thousand Lake Mountain) and would be happy to share information from any of these little gems. "High Uinta Trails" by Mel Davis also has some fishing info of use (pub. in 1974). Another resource on Utah fishing is a two map set: "Map & Guide, Uinta Lakes West" and "Map & Guide, Uinta Lakes East" published in 1969. Some will say that information this old is useless today. I disagree. If a high Uinta lake was producing big trout long ago, it is certainly worth the effort to try it today because the environment and lake geography were just right to kick out big trout back then and probably haven't changed that much over the years. Thanks again for all your effort to publish/edit your great videos!
My dad had the ones from the 60's at some point. I don't know what happened to them. Fortunately I still have the ones from the 80's and they are certainly still relevant. Like I mentioned in the video, many of the lakes listed as being better lakes are still kicking out big fish to this day. I'm glad you enjoy the content. I definitely have a good time making them
You are right Steve Browne about lakes that produced big fish in the past are certainly capable of that now also. The main reason that some of these lakes don't anymore is because of increased numbers of fish that have been stocked in them.
Maybe you already know this but I was recently able to find scanned PDFs of all those old Uinta pamphlets. My dad used to tell me about them and, I agree, it's amazing how much useful info they still have in them.
Thanks for the tips! The DWR map is really a thing of beauty. I like reading through it to see the history of certain lakes and the different fisheries management strategies that have been attempted. Makes me happy to see the work that my license fee is funding.
I agree. The DWR does a pretty good job for the most part. I would do a few different as far managing certain lakes go but over all they manage it pretty well
Been a subscriber for a bit. I appreciate this one. I’m all about coveting your fishing (or hunting) spots. My Grandad was the most honest person I’ve ever known…. Grew up hunting and fishing with him. He raised me after the loss of my father at the age of two. The first time I heard him “lie” to some inquiring fishermen we’d run into, I was so confused as a youngster; conflicted one might say. Of course I inquired. Of course he eloquently explained his actions. Nothing wrong with helping others out. My family would give you the shirts off our backs if you needed them. Hard earned “spots” aren’t “shirts”. And no one deserves a “spot” they haven’t put in the work for themselves. 😎
It definitely is more satisfying when exploring new areas on your own pays off. I typically try to at least point people in the right direction as far certain areas to try when going after a particular species etc. I rarely say here's a trophy lake however. I have a few selfish spots that I won't film or talk about
Thanks for the video. I have 6 of those pamphlets and they have been a great recourse. I did not know that the DWR site had that much information. Thanks for the tips it will come in handy for years to come.
One of my favorite ways to find trophy backcountry lakes is a simple trick I learned in my youth. I get the National Geo topographical maps (1:64,000), an old fashioned compass (on a lanyard preferably), a pair of thick wool knee length socks, and the blood of a newborn rabbit. Light them all on fire and spread the ashes evenly on a large mirror, offer a simple prayer of offering to Glaukos (the Greek god of fishing), and then some quick "cross country skiing" with two of my best friends, and then BOOM I've forgotten all about what I was doing and I can get on with my day. Surprised you didn't mention that.
Duuuuuuude not cool man. You might as well have listed my favorite lakes along with the GPS coordinates. You can't give all the secrets away-----what are you One Republic here?
Hahaha I'm glad you posted this and I'm starting to agree with you concerning the "too much info" on the DWR map, it's really crazy just how much they have on all the lakes. I'm planning to get some good trips down to Boulder Mountain this year and I've never been down in that area in my life, so it's been really helpful to have your videos plus all the info the DWR provides.
feel free to delete if you want but those different drainage mini books are the absolute best when compared with the interactive map for the uintas. also have a lot of early 2000's utah hunting and fishing books. just started flyfishing last year in utah and have hiked to a good amount of lakes and had great success for someone who knows nothing about fishing. that darn fire last summer really hampered a lot of lakes i was wanting to hit. also your channel and tid bits of info every now and again are solely to blame for my success. hope we cross paths one of these days
Yeah like I said in the video, the map doesn't have all the info that the booklets do. It's unfortunate that the state stopped making them. You never know, maybe we will cross paths sometime. It happens to me quite frequently. I have met eight out of the ten people that watch my stuff out on the trail.
I thought your video was was pretty thorough and thoughtfully presented. But regarding the Uintas where I have been going for 60 years, I don't see the DRW website as being that valuable. You can't click on any lake an get any information about that particular lake. At least I couldn't. However, you can google DWR Uinta Lakes Booklets and you can see copies of the actual booklets on the lakes and then print them. Personally, I have all three sets of the booklets, the original set and the two updated ones. Using those and geological survey maps which I bought for $1.00 each 50 years ago provides all of the information I need besides doing the actual work to go out and find the lakes which have really fast fishing and those that have larger fish. The original set of booklets have much more information regarding lakes that can grow bigger fish than the latest set. I have been to many of the lakes which you have fished at and it is amazing how many Uinta lakes have larger larger fish if you can fish them in the years where the fish would have time to grow to that size. Heck, I even have an issue of Outdoor Life in about 1966 by Erwin Bauer that showed he and his son being guided to Atwood Lake in the Uinta basin and staying in the cabins that were there and fishing and catching really big fish in that drainage.
Great video! Very informative! I agree the best tool is the DWR website and Google Earth. That's how I discovered my love for Boulder Mtn. And I too agree with you and others that the DWR's website can make things a little too easy. But you do still have to be dedicated enough to put in all the time to do all the research necessary because even though the DWR'S website makes things super easy, it still takes some time.
Very true. Even when you know where they are, it's hard to get to many of the better lakes and probably even more difficult hook into some of the better fish.
I'll add another resource that has helped me identify some lakes and streams with "better than average trout" over the years. This is no secret - anyone can find this out-of-print book online. It's title is "Fishing and Hunting Guide to Utah" published in 1974 (paperback) by Hartt Wixom who often wrote about the subject in many articles published in the Deseret News years ago. Some of his favorite fishing spots mentioned in print are still producing big fish to this day. Hartt was "connected" to DWR fisheries biologists, land owners, guides, fishing retailers, and local Deseret News readers who all shared information with him. I'm not saying that all the info in this 47 year old book is still accurate to this day . . . but it gives you some places to try . . . many places that I still think are great fisheries to this day!
You can actually find copies of the lakes of the high uintas pamphlets online still! I've downloaded them all and even though many of the lake management plans have changed, there's still a lot of useful info in there.
I've downloaded all of them, too. I like that you can know the size and depth of the lakes even if the stocking/management goals have changed. I've used them since I was a teenager and now well past halfway through my life.
I know a lot of fishermen who won't even hint at a secret fishing spot. They don't want people crowding in on "their spot". I also run into people that won't share what they are using to catch fish either. I know sometimes it's fun to be the only one catching fish when you're at a crowded lake, but Karma will come around. I will almost always tell people what I'm using if I see a lot of people not catching and I am catching.
Great video, I’m looking to start backpacking and fishing the Uintas, how do you feel protected alone against any bears or wildlife? Have you ever had any encounters up there?
It's always a risk but I'm not too worried about it. It's wise to follow the rules by hanging your food etc. I have only had one sketchy encounter. Most bears I have seen in the backcountry get out of there in a hurry as soon as they are aware of your presence. That being said, I go prepared. I pack a pistol and bear spray. I bring a pistol mainly to keep in my tent at night. Dumping bear spray in your tent would be a bad idea
Totally fair video, and maybe I’m just selfish for say this but I wish you wouldn’t make it this easy. The foot on trail grind, in my opinion, is how people learn to respect the beauty of the trophy lakes. You have to understand the bigger picture and the management plans. Informative but let the people learn it themselves
I figured I would get a response like this from somebody which I totally understand. I actually left out quite a bit of stuff I had jotted down to go over for exactly that....selfish reasons. Where I would disagree with you is the easy part. You still have to trek the miles hunting down the potential leads. Not only are many quality lakes hard to get to (even if you know where they are) they can often be even harder to fish successfully. Big fish are more often than not quite wary. There's another UA-cam channel where they go to a favorite lake of mine that kicks out monsters. They actually named the lake which made me cringe to the extreme. But they did very poor and no one would want to go to that lake simply from watching the video. I basically got addicted to backcountry fishing due to Richs book. He caught his fair share of flak for publishing the book but he helped me and many others to be more successful in the pursuit----- and help advocate for the sport. You can't please everyone. I've run into quite a few people that watch my content---not all are positive but the majority are.
@@TroutHowler Here's my take on the issue of being helpful to others by sharing information. You are doing the right thing TroutHowler! Be helpful. You don't have to give away every secret you have. But be generous with helping others learn to fly fish - especially those that are new or those that are appreciative and will respect the resource. It's how you give back to our great sport! Most fishermen won't actually use the information anyway - they'll sit at home dreaming about big fish ... but the actual work involved (finding the time, traveling the distance, buying gas and food, hiking for hours, etc) is too much effort on their part.
You’re right it can be very difficult to actually get to some lakes, and catch some of the fish in them, but I will share a story of why I don’t think that alone prevents me personally from sharing too much anymore. I took a friend to a small lake that has a small self-sustaining population of giant cuttthroat. Typically they are very challenging to catch. Friend worked in a local fly shop, and basically showed the place to the whole shop. Next thing I know I see photos of the fish all over social media, they are clearly spawning (eggs shooting out in the photos). Not very difficult to catch the fish when they are all on 1 red near the inlet. Not only has the population decreased, but so has the cleanliness of the lake. Now you find bobbers, lead weights, treble hooks and garbage lying around. Broke my freaking heart if I’m being honest. I loved the pursuit of trying to trick those giants into eating my scuds, now you will not find a fish there. Maybe my fault for showing the wrong person, but unfortunately I believe you could show 100 respectful people, with conservation in mind and inevitably they will spill the beans with the wrong crowd.
I’ll follow up by saying I think the problem is that not everyone understands the system. If you only show people trophy lakes, they will not treat them any different and the fisheries will deteriorate. It is important for me that fishermen learn the balance themselves with their own hard work, only then will they care deeply about the beauty of some huge trout and the conditions it takes to create them.
I'm not familiar with that one. Some lakes are commonly known by other names. The quantity of fish stocked there definitely puts it on the curiosity list. Since it doesn't come up on an internet search, I would try to get in contact with a fisheries biologist from Summit county.
I love Brookies best, and my understanding is that Brookies only live 4-5 years. You mentioned fishing lakes that were stocked 8 years ago. Do you find Brookies that you think are 8 years old? Or do you adjust your rules as you look at lakes to fish for Brookies? I usually look at the smaller, off-the-trail, back-in-a-ways lakes that were stocked 4 years previous and have found nice places that produce Brookies up to 18" and 2 1/2 pounds or so in the Uintas using pretty much the same methods you describe in the video. I've never caught a 4-pounder before, though and would love to.
They say they can live 4 to 6 years but in some cases they can live longer. Two years ago I went to what had been a favorite brook trout lake that had been switched to a different species. It had been 8 years since it was last stocked with brooks and 4 years with the other species. I didn't expect to find any brook trout but as i was landing another fish a huge brook trout cruised by 3 ft in front of me. It would have easily been my personal best uinta brook trout. I guessed it to be around 5 lbs. I went back at the end of that summer and again this past summer but saw no brook trout. That lake has no spawning habitat so it had to be an eight year old fish.
@@TroutHowler Thanks. Even in my mid-50s I'm learning things. I appreciate your knowledge and your insights. I'm going to change my approach and hopefully find some bigger brookies.
@@gundersenma1964 Even with using the stock schedule, there's still quite a bit of luck involved. Quite often by the time you hear about big brook trout from what ever lake--the conditions that produced the big fish are often gone. Hopefully you find some nice ones some where.
Another tactic to consider is matching people's fishing photos with google earth.... Its become all too easy at this point, especially when you get to know your local mountains really well.
Yeah I have found several lakes by matching up photos. I once spent hours photo shopping the some peaks in the back ground out of a photo of a huge golden I caught cause it would have been obvious which lake I was at
@@TroutHowler Its especially easy in the Sierra Nevada, where the geology tends to vary wildly over just a few miles & peaks are pretty easy to differentiate. A blessing for novices like me, but I can imagine just how frustrating it must be for everyone else... I think I accumulated about 40 or 50 spots like that over the winter.
Thank God you didn't say what i was hoping you weren't going to say or show. You didn't give anything too big away but everyone who this is news to should thank you. My advice to anybody learning is just because you can find fish doesn't mean you'll catch them. There's fish everywhere, the "luck" of fishing is really more like a quantum mechanics equation in that every single thing you do, and every tiny detail can come into play but its never seen. When you have success, figure out what you did right.
Haha, you definitely have me curious as to what you thought I was going to say----"Here's the GPS coordinates to every good lake I know" I had made a list of things to go over and axed a few of them at the end for selfish reasons. I do think however that I gave enough info to help people get pointed in the right direction
@@TroutHowler 😆 you know that i know what you know, but what exactly is it? 😂 i hardly want to give a clue .....just like the things you axed from your video, i just can't. I can't do it. Maybe I'll see you there some day 😆
You probably won’t like this , but one of the easiest ways to see what is currently going on is to watch your videos, as well as, a couple other UA-camrs. Between me and a couple of my friends we pretty much know every single lake you fish that interest us. With that said we won’t publicly announce them, but just know that even though you do try to be discreet those places aren’t as secret as you think. We do appreciate the fact that you don’t generally announce where you are fishing though.
Well, if I thought a lot of the lakes I post videos of were that big of a secret I simply wouldn't post the video. There's a couple of my videos that in hindsight I would have edited a little different or not posted at all. However, I have been on several trips since I started doing fishing videos that I have not posted videos of for that very reason. My closest fishing Friends and I have our list of fight club lakes-----"The first rule of fight club is you don't talk about fight club" That being said, if my videos have helped you find some spots-----you're welcome.
@@TroutHowler They don't so much help me find new spots, as much as, help me know what is currently going on at the spots you and I both fish. Once in a while you post a place that is new to me and my friends, and I have to do a little digging to figure out where it is, so either way your videos have been helpful. Your Wind River, and Uinta places are safe from me as I don't fish either area anymore, but there is a very good chance we will run into each other in Southern Utah or at that tiger trout/cutty lake you posted some fairly recent videos of. Pretty fair chance of running into each in Montana as well as I only relatively recently moved back to Utah from Montana after living there for 25 years. Regardless I'll not be giving anything away in my comments under your videos. :) I will just continue to watch and enjoy them. Tight lines.
Haha, I literally just got done saying this very thing in a reply to a guy that wasn't all that happy with the info I shared. I catch some heat for posting a lot of my videos. I try to edit them so its not like a neon sign saying turn left here than take a right but sometimes I do show a little too much. You are right though. Just because you know where the big fish are doesn't mean you know how target them successfully
How do I get a hold of you personally? I would like to talk to you about one of your favorite lakes that hasn’t been well know until recently and it’s not close to the boulder
Great information Kendall - Look forward to you breaking another state record this year! Hopefully some day, we will cross paths on the trail. Safe travels
Haha, I'd actually rather get my dad or a nephew on a record fish to be honest. Maybe our paths will cross at some point. I only came across one person on my last backpacking trip of the fall. I was actually looking down as I was hiking and all of the sudden I heard "Holy $%#@ it's TroutHowler" it kind of startled me haha. It was this guys first trip into the Uintas---what are the odds.
Thanks K for the info. This was a HUGE help to me. I wish I would have found this when I was able to hike more. Planning a long time coming trip with my new teenager I am trying to get trained on streams. We've used your hints on lakes. Thanks for the inspiring content. We love watching you with your dad and friends. Fishing is best with family and friends.
I actually enjoy the peace that comes on solo trips but what you said is true---fishing is best with family and friends
As a utahn who loves the the back country and has been trying to learn to fly fish, this video is super helpful. Thanks so much for taking the time to make it and share your vast knowledge and experience.
Welcome to the sport. I hope the information helps you along the way
Thanks for all the great info. Being new to fly fishing your vids create a lot of excitement and light at the end of the tunnel so to speak. It's been an awesome, frustrating, fun obsession to start at this point in my life. Ive always fished but finally picked up a fly rod and haven't looked back.
A friend and I bought a $20 South Bend fly rod combos that came with a 6 1/2 ft rod, reel, line and about 20 machine tied garbage flies the summer after we graduated from high school. I was a spin fisher at that point in time. We bought the fly rods ( which were terrible haha) because of a news paper article saying you can have a 100 fish day in the Uintas on a fly rod. We went to a grayiing lake and over a few days caught several hundred fish. I remember using a fly until it was nothing more than a hook with a single wing hanging off it and it was still catching fish. I was instantly converted and have never looked back. Whos even heard of a 6 1/2 fly rod lol.
Great video! Thank you for helping your fellow fisherman “learn how to fish” so to speak. You’re a class act.
Thanks man, I hope it helps
Thank you so much TroutHowler for your helpful information. I was a student at BYU in the late 1960s (yes, I'm that old) and would schedule all my classes on M-W-F so I could go fishing on T-Th-S every week! I was a fly fisherman and fly tyer then and still love it today. I have the full set of "Lakes of the High Uintas" first published in 1964 and updated later in the mid 1980s I believe. I also have a copy of "Lakes of the Aquarius Plateau" (Bolder Mountain and Thousand Lake Mountain) and would be happy to share information from any of these little gems. "High Uinta Trails" by Mel Davis also has some fishing info of use (pub. in 1974). Another resource on Utah fishing is a two map set: "Map & Guide, Uinta Lakes West" and "Map & Guide, Uinta Lakes East" published in 1969. Some will say that information this old is useless today. I disagree. If a high Uinta lake was producing big trout long ago, it is certainly worth the effort to try it today because the environment and lake geography were just right to kick out big trout back then and probably haven't changed that much over the years. Thanks again for all your effort to publish/edit your great videos!
My dad had the ones from the 60's at some point. I don't know what happened to them. Fortunately I still have the ones from the 80's and they are certainly still relevant. Like I mentioned in the video, many of the lakes listed as being better lakes are still kicking out big fish to this day. I'm glad you enjoy the content. I definitely have a good time making them
You are right Steve Browne about lakes that produced big fish in the past are certainly capable of that now also. The main reason that some of these lakes don't anymore is because of increased numbers of fish that have been stocked in them.
Maybe you already know this but I was recently able to find scanned PDFs of all those old Uinta pamphlets. My dad used to tell me about them and, I agree, it's amazing how much useful info they still have in them.
Yeah, another guy informed me of that right after I posted this video. That's great! I have found them to be very helpful
Thanks for the tips! The DWR map is really a thing of beauty. I like reading through it to see the history of certain lakes and the different fisheries management strategies that have been attempted. Makes me happy to see the work that my license fee is funding.
I agree. The DWR does a pretty good job for the most part. I would do a few different as far managing certain lakes go but over all they manage it pretty well
Been a subscriber for a bit. I appreciate this one. I’m all about coveting your fishing (or hunting) spots. My Grandad was the most honest person I’ve ever known…. Grew up hunting and fishing with him. He raised me after the loss of my father at the age of two. The first time I heard him “lie” to some inquiring fishermen we’d run into, I was so confused as a youngster; conflicted one might say. Of course I inquired. Of course he eloquently explained his actions. Nothing wrong with helping others out. My family would give you the shirts off our backs if you needed them. Hard earned “spots” aren’t “shirts”. And no one deserves a “spot” they haven’t put in the work for themselves. 😎
It definitely is more satisfying when exploring new areas on your own pays off. I typically try to at least point people in the right direction as far certain areas to try when going after a particular species etc. I rarely say here's a trophy lake however. I have a few selfish spots that I won't film or talk about
@@TroutHowler Good practice! Can totally appreciate that.
Thanks for the video. I have 6 of those pamphlets and they have been a great recourse. I did not know that the DWR site had that much information. Thanks for the tips it will come in handy for years to come.
Yeah, I hope it helps you out
Thanks for this, I’ve been using the interactive map a lot lately. Golden nuggets dropped here🤙🏼
I'm glad you find it helpful 👍
One more tip… guides and outfitters 👍🏼 good info.
Very true
One of my favorite ways to find trophy backcountry lakes is a simple trick I learned in my youth. I get the National Geo topographical maps (1:64,000), an old fashioned compass (on a lanyard preferably), a pair of thick wool knee length socks, and the blood of a newborn rabbit. Light them all on fire and spread the ashes evenly on a large mirror, offer a simple prayer of offering to Glaukos (the Greek god of fishing), and then some quick "cross country skiing" with two of my best friends, and then BOOM I've forgotten all about what I was doing and I can get on with my day.
Surprised you didn't mention that.
Duuuuuuude not cool man. You might as well have listed my favorite lakes along with the GPS coordinates. You can't give all the secrets away-----what are you One Republic here?
Dude, this is great! I'm headed to the uintas this weekend and next and headed to the winds end of August. Great info.
Hopefully it helps 👍
Grest video man congrats on 2k !!
Hahaha I'm glad you posted this and I'm starting to agree with you concerning the "too much info" on the DWR map, it's really crazy just how much they have on all the lakes. I'm planning to get some good trips down to Boulder Mountain this year and I've never been down in that area in my life, so it's been really helpful to have your videos plus all the info the DWR provides.
Boulder can be both fun and frustrating. I hope you get into some good fish. I appreciate you watching.
feel free to delete if you want but those different drainage mini books are the absolute best when compared with the interactive map for the uintas. also have a lot of early 2000's utah hunting and fishing books. just started flyfishing last year in utah and have hiked to a good amount of lakes and had great success for someone who knows nothing about fishing. that darn fire last summer really hampered a lot of lakes i was wanting to hit. also your channel and tid bits of info every now and again are solely to blame for my success. hope we cross paths one of these days
Yeah like I said in the video, the map doesn't have all the info that the booklets do. It's unfortunate that the state stopped making them. You never know, maybe we will cross paths sometime. It happens to me quite frequently. I have met eight out of the ten people that watch my stuff out on the trail.
Great video, thank you. I have those pamphlets from 20 years ago I keep bringing them with me so they’re not in good very good shape now lol.
Hold on to them. They're worth their weight in gold now that you can't get them any more haha
I thought your video was was pretty thorough and thoughtfully presented. But regarding the Uintas where I have been going for 60 years, I don't see the DRW website as being that valuable. You can't click on any lake an get any information about that particular lake. At least I couldn't. However, you can google DWR Uinta Lakes Booklets and you can see copies of the actual booklets on the lakes and then print them. Personally, I have all three sets of the booklets, the original set and the two updated ones. Using those and geological survey maps which I bought for $1.00 each 50 years ago provides all of the information I need besides doing the actual work to go out and find the lakes which have really fast fishing and those that have larger fish. The original set of booklets have much more information regarding lakes that can grow bigger fish than the latest set. I have been to many of the lakes which you have fished at and it is amazing how many Uinta lakes have larger larger fish if you can fish them in the years where the fish would have time to grow to that size. Heck, I even have an issue of Outdoor Life in about 1966 by Erwin Bauer that showed he and his son being guided to Atwood Lake in the Uinta basin and staying in the cabins that were there and fishing and catching really big fish in that drainage.
My dad had the original set but unfortunately we don't know what happened to them
Great video! Very informative! I agree the best tool is the DWR website and Google Earth. That's how I discovered my love for Boulder Mtn. And I too agree with you and others that the DWR's website can make things a little too easy. But you do still have to be dedicated enough to put in all the time to do all the research necessary because even though the DWR'S website makes things super easy, it still takes some time.
Very true. Even when you know where they are, it's hard to get to many of the better lakes and probably even more difficult hook into some of the better fish.
I'll add another resource that has helped me identify some lakes and streams with "better than average trout" over the years. This is no secret - anyone can find this out-of-print book online. It's title is "Fishing and Hunting Guide to Utah" published in 1974 (paperback) by Hartt Wixom who often wrote about the subject in many articles published in the Deseret News years ago. Some of his favorite fishing spots mentioned in print are still producing big fish to this day. Hartt was "connected" to DWR fisheries biologists, land owners, guides, fishing retailers, and local Deseret News readers who all shared information with him. I'm not saying that all the info in this 47 year old book is still accurate to this day . . . but it gives you some places to try . . . many places that I still think are great fisheries to this day!
I'm pretty sure my dad had that book at some point
You can actually find copies of the lakes of the high uintas pamphlets online still! I've downloaded them all and even though many of the lake management plans have changed, there's still a lot of useful info in there.
Yeah , I discovered that about an hour after I uploaded the video after searching online to see if you could still get them.
I've downloaded all of them, too. I like that you can know the size and depth of the lakes even if the stocking/management goals have changed. I've used them since I was a teenager and now well past halfway through my life.
Great info, you should start a podcast with your knowledge it would rock 👌
Haha I'm surprised people can even stomach my videos. A podcast might be a good way to torture those you dislike however.
great video thanks for the tips. i plan on fishing in st george soon
I hope it helps you out
@@TroutHowler thank you.
Dude, if you ever want to hit the beartooths on a backpacking trip please let me know. I want to hit those lakes so bad.
The Beartoothes are awesome. Like most ranges though, a lot of the better lakes are a royal pain to get to haha
Thanks for this.
No problem
Thank you for sharing.
You're welcome. I hope it helps.
I know a lot of fishermen who won't even hint at a secret fishing spot. They don't want people crowding in on "their spot". I also run into people that won't share what they are using to catch fish either.
I know sometimes it's fun to be the only one catching fish when you're at a crowded lake, but Karma will come around. I will almost always tell people what I'm using if I see a lot of people not catching and I am catching.
@@jeramyh9344 There's definitely the snob type of fisherman. I have always been an open book as far as technique and fly patterns go
Great video, I’m looking to start backpacking and fishing the Uintas, how do you feel protected alone against any bears or wildlife? Have you ever had any encounters up there?
It's always a risk but I'm not too worried about it. It's wise to follow the rules by hanging your food etc. I have only had one sketchy encounter. Most bears I have seen in the backcountry get out of there in a hurry as soon as they are aware of your presence. That being said, I go prepared. I pack a pistol and bear spray. I bring a pistol mainly to keep in my tent at night. Dumping bear spray in your tent would be a bad idea
Totally fair video, and maybe I’m just selfish for say this but I wish you wouldn’t make it this easy. The foot on trail grind, in my opinion, is how people learn to respect the beauty of the trophy lakes. You have to understand the bigger picture and the management plans. Informative but let the people learn it themselves
I figured I would get a response like this from somebody which I totally understand. I actually left out quite a bit of stuff I had jotted down to go over for exactly that....selfish reasons. Where I would disagree with you is the easy part. You still have to trek the miles hunting down the potential leads. Not only are many quality lakes hard to get to (even if you know where they are) they can often be even harder to fish successfully. Big fish are more often than not quite wary. There's another UA-cam channel where they go to a favorite lake of mine that kicks out monsters. They actually named the lake which made me cringe to the extreme. But they did very poor and no one would want to go to that lake simply from watching the video. I basically got addicted to backcountry fishing due to Richs book. He caught his fair share of flak for publishing the book but he helped me and many others to be more successful in the pursuit----- and help advocate for the sport. You can't please everyone. I've run into quite a few people that watch my content---not all are positive but the majority are.
@@TroutHowler Here's my take on the issue of being helpful to others by sharing information. You are doing the right thing TroutHowler! Be helpful. You don't have to give away every secret you have. But be generous with helping others learn to fly fish - especially those that are new or those that are appreciative and will respect the resource. It's how you give back to our great sport! Most fishermen won't actually use the information anyway - they'll sit at home dreaming about big fish ... but the actual work involved (finding the time, traveling the distance, buying gas and food, hiking for hours, etc) is too much effort on their part.
You’re right it can be very difficult to actually get to some lakes, and catch some of the fish in them, but I will share a story of why I don’t think that alone prevents me personally from sharing too much anymore. I took a friend to a small lake that has a small self-sustaining population of giant cuttthroat. Typically they are very challenging to catch. Friend worked in a local fly shop, and basically showed the place to the whole shop. Next thing I know I see photos of the fish all over social media, they are clearly spawning (eggs shooting out in the photos). Not very difficult to catch the fish when they are all on 1 red near the inlet. Not only has the population decreased, but so has the cleanliness of the lake. Now you find bobbers, lead weights, treble hooks and garbage lying around. Broke my freaking heart if I’m being honest. I loved the pursuit of trying to trick those giants into eating my scuds, now you will not find a fish there. Maybe my fault for showing the wrong person, but unfortunately I believe you could show 100 respectful people, with conservation in mind and inevitably they will spill the beans with the wrong crowd.
I’ll follow up by saying I think the problem is that not everyone understands the system. If you only show people trophy lakes, they will not treat them any different and the fisheries will deteriorate. It is important for me that fishermen learn the balance themselves with their own hard work, only then will they care deeply about the beauty of some huge trout and the conditions it takes to create them.
@@stevebrowne7709 Couldn't have said it better myself
Awesome!
👍
Oh yeah. You should have way more subscribers!
I agree. Tell your friends to tell their friends to tell their enemies and so on to subscribe haha
Any tips on how to find the location of a lake that's listed on the stocking report but not shown on any maps? I.e. "charity lake P-16"
I'm not familiar with that one. Some lakes are commonly known by other names. The quantity of fish stocked there definitely puts it on the curiosity list. Since it doesn't come up on an internet search, I would try to get in contact with a fisheries biologist from Summit county.
@@TroutHowler thanks for the help. Will try to do that for sure.
I love Brookies best, and my understanding is that Brookies only live 4-5 years. You mentioned fishing lakes that were stocked 8 years ago. Do you find Brookies that you think are 8 years old? Or do you adjust your rules as you look at lakes to fish for Brookies? I usually look at the smaller, off-the-trail, back-in-a-ways lakes that were stocked 4 years previous and have found nice places that produce Brookies up to 18" and 2 1/2 pounds or so in the Uintas using pretty much the same methods you describe in the video. I've never caught a 4-pounder before, though and would love to.
They say they can live 4 to 6 years but in some cases they can live longer. Two years ago I went to what had been a favorite brook trout lake that had been switched to a different species. It had been 8 years since it was last stocked with brooks and 4 years with the other species. I didn't expect to find any brook trout but as i was landing another fish a huge brook trout cruised by 3 ft in front of me. It would have easily been my personal best uinta brook trout. I guessed it to be around 5 lbs. I went back at the end of that summer and again this past summer but saw no brook trout. That lake has no spawning habitat so it had to be an eight year old fish.
@@TroutHowler Thanks. Even in my mid-50s I'm learning things. I appreciate your knowledge and your insights. I'm going to change my approach and hopefully find some bigger brookies.
@@gundersenma1964 Even with using the stock schedule, there's still quite a bit of luck involved. Quite often by the time you hear about big brook trout from what ever lake--the conditions that produced the big fish are often gone. Hopefully you find some nice ones some where.
Another tactic to consider is matching people's fishing photos with google earth.... Its become all too easy at this point, especially when you get to know your local mountains really well.
Yeah I have found several lakes by matching up photos. I once spent hours photo shopping the some peaks in the back ground out of a photo of a huge golden I caught cause it would have been obvious which lake I was at
@@TroutHowler Its especially easy in the Sierra Nevada, where the geology tends to vary wildly over just a few miles & peaks are pretty easy to differentiate. A blessing for novices like me, but I can imagine just how frustrating it must be for everyone else... I think I accumulated about 40 or 50 spots like that over the winter.
Thank God you didn't say what i was hoping you weren't going to say or show.
You didn't give anything too big away but everyone who this is news to should thank you.
My advice to anybody learning is just because you can find fish doesn't mean you'll catch them.
There's fish everywhere, the "luck" of fishing is really more like a quantum mechanics equation in that every single thing you do, and every tiny detail can come into play but its never seen.
When you have success, figure out what you did right.
Haha, you definitely have me curious as to what you thought I was going to say----"Here's the GPS coordinates to every good lake I know" I had made a list of things to go over and axed a few of them at the end for selfish reasons. I do think however that I gave enough info to help people get pointed in the right direction
@@TroutHowler 😆 you know that i know what you know, but what exactly is it? 😂 i hardly want to give a clue
.....just like the things you axed from your video, i just can't. I can't do it. Maybe I'll see you there some day 😆
You probably won’t like this , but one of the easiest ways to see what is currently going on is to watch your videos, as well as, a couple other UA-camrs. Between me and a couple of my friends we pretty much know every single lake you fish that interest us. With that said we won’t publicly announce them, but just know that even though you do try to be discreet those places aren’t as secret as you think. We do appreciate the fact that you don’t generally announce where you are fishing though.
Well, if I thought a lot of the lakes I post videos of were that big of a secret I simply wouldn't post the video. There's a couple of my videos that in hindsight I would have edited a little different or not posted at all. However, I have been on several trips since I started doing fishing videos that I have not posted videos of for that very reason. My closest fishing Friends and I have our list of fight club lakes-----"The first rule of fight club is you don't talk about fight club" That being said, if my videos have helped you find some spots-----you're welcome.
@@TroutHowler They don't so much help me find new spots, as much as, help me know what is currently going on at the spots you and I both fish. Once in a while you post a place that is new to me and my friends, and I have to do a little digging to figure out where it is, so either way your videos have been helpful. Your Wind River, and Uinta places are safe from me as I don't fish either area anymore, but there is a very good chance we will run into each other in Southern Utah or at that tiger trout/cutty lake you posted some fairly recent videos of. Pretty fair chance of running into each in Montana as well as I only relatively recently moved back to Utah from Montana after living there for 25 years. Regardless I'll not be giving anything away in my comments under your videos. :) I will just continue to watch and enjoy them. Tight lines.
I had a good friend tell me a secret spot I went there and could not land the big ones. Knowing the location is only half the battle.
Haha, I literally just got done saying this very thing in a reply to a guy that wasn't all that happy with the info I shared. I catch some heat for posting a lot of my videos. I try to edit them so its not like a neon sign saying turn left here than take a right but sometimes I do show a little too much. You are right though. Just because you know where the big fish are doesn't mean you know how target them successfully
How do I get a hold of you personally? I would like to talk to you about one of your favorite lakes that hasn’t been well know until recently and it’s not close to the boulder
Do you have instagram?
I don’t so I got on my wife’s and messaged you last night.
Love the selfish 🍾❤️
Sometimes it's alright to be a little selfish 👍
You the man. To much out there. Hope you find more secret spots. Look me up. Troutangleraz
What lakes do you fish😂😂
Hahaha---fine, It's Utah lake. Keep it a secret.