DWR To Host Fisheries Open House

The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources will host a Public Open House regarding fisheries management on Tuesday, June 14th from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at DWR’s Central Region Conference Center located at 1115 North Main Street in Springville. The open house meeting is being held to give people interested in fisheries/aquatic resource management, a chance to talk directly with DWR staff and give input and suggestions on regulations, the fishing guidebook and fisheries management in general.

Sportfish biologists, native species biologists, Strawberry Reservoir Project Leaders and other staff from the DWR’s central region office will be on hand to gather input, suggestions and ideas from the public. The open house has no formal agenda, presentations or speakers other than to introduce the format of the open house and briefly present some recommendations already formalized on statewide issues. Verbal, written and electronic comments and suggestions are encouraged and will be gathered by DWR staff and recorded.

Cisco Run now On!

Photo Courtesy Guy Perkins

There is no longer any ice on Bear Lake. The Utah State Park Marina has frozen over and you cannot launch boats at the marina. Boat launching is possible at the First Point ramp and Cisco Beach ramps. The courtesy docks have been removed at First Point and Cisco Beach due to icing problems. There are a few inches of snow along the east side at this time.

The cisco have finally showed up along the shoreline at Cisco Beach. Today was the first day we have sighted any cisco, so the run should begin to improve over the next few days. The cisco fishermen who were at the beach at first light did not dip net any fish since the cisco came in along the shore around 8:30am. We did not see any cisco off the Utah State Park marina as of today. Anglers fishing from boats have been able to snag limits of cisco off the “rockpile” area in just over an hour. They are also catching some nice sized cutthroat and whitefish while fishing for cisco. Other anglers boat anglers will catch a limit of cisco over the rockpile and then move farther off shore into water that is 60-80 feet deep and use tube jigs tipped with cisco to target lake trout and cutthroat trout. Remember, the limit on cisco is 30 fish (daily and possession) so count your fish carefully. Also, remember that a person may not possess a multipoint hook with a weight permanently or rigidly attached directly to the shank (commonly called a snag hook) or a weight suspended below a multipoint hook unless the hook is on an unweighted dropper line that is at least three inches long.

Anglers (both boat and shore) have been doing excellent for cutthroat trout and a few lake trout off the east side near 2nd Point jigging and South Eden jigging and trolling. Try depths of 40-70 feet. Use 3/4 -1 ounce jigs tipped with cisco, sucker or carp meat when jigging. The trollers are using downriggers with small flatfish and rapala-style lures with rattles in them. You can fish from shore at the Utah State Park marina and anglers are picking up a few rainbow and cutthroat trout. Try powerbait or mealworms under a bobber or spoons and spinners casted from shore. There is currently about 8” of snow along the west side of the lake.

Bear Lake Cisco Update January 18, 2011

After a very warm weekend with high winds the last two days, there is no longer any ice on Bear Lake. In fact the Utah State Park Marina has thawed and boats can now be launched at the marina, First Point ramp and Cisco Beach ramp. There is no snow along the east side at this time. The courtesy docks have been removed at First Point and Cisco Beach due to icing problems on the docks.

Anglers (both boat and shore) have been doing excellent for cutthroat trout and a few lake trout. Best luck has been off 2nd Point jigging and off South Eden jigging and trolling. Try depths of 40-70 feet. Use 3/4 -1 ounce jigs tipped with cisco, sucker or carp meat when jigging. The trollers are using downriggers and doing well using small flatfish and rapala-style lures with rattles in them. You can fish from shore at the Utah State Park marina and anglers are picking up a few rainbow and cutthroat trout. Try powerbait or mealworms under a bobber or spoons and spinners casted from shore. There is currently about 6”” of snow along the west side of the lake.

No cisco have showed up along the shorelines at Cisco Beach or the marina as of today, but anglers fishing from boats have been able to snag limits of cisco off the “rockpile” area the last two days. They are also catching some nice sized cutthroat, some over 6lbs, off the rockpile area using tube jigs tipped with cisco and vertical jigging spoons such as castmasters. Anglers also reported catching some Bonneville whitefish using small vertical jigging spoons and ¼ ounce jig tipped with salmon eggs. Remember, the limit on cisco is 30 fish (daily and possession) so count your fish carefully. Also, remember that a person may not possess a multipoint hook with a weight permanently or rigidly attached directly to the shank (commonly called a snag hook) or a weight suspended below a multipoint hook unless the hook is on an unweighted dropper line that is at least three inches long.

Boat Ramp Open at Starvation State Park

Duchesne – The new main boat ramp at Starvation State Park is now open and a wedge dock will be in place until ice forms. The new boat ramp is part of ongoing construction at the park. When complete, the park will offer new restrooms, and campsites with electric and water hookups. For information and current park conditions, visit statepark.utah.gov or call 435-738-2326.

DWR takes measures to keep Whirling Disease out of Kamas Hatchery

Kamas -- Biologists are concerned about a sinkhole that was discovered recently near a creek that flows past the Kamas State Fish Hatchery.

“Whirling disease has been detected in the creek above the hatchery,” says Walt Donaldson, Aquatic Section chief for the Division of Wildlife Resources. “We don’t think whirling disease made it into the hatchery. But we’re not taking any chances.”

The sinkhole developed recently on the bank of Beaver Creek. The hatchery does not receive any water directly from the creek. (Water for the hatchery comes from several springs in the area.) However, biologists are concerned that water that entered the sinkhole may have mixed with water in the aquifer that feeds the hatchery springs.
Whirling disease—a disease that doesn’t affect people but can be fatal to fish—was found in Beaver Creek in the 1990s in a stretch below the hatchery. The sinkhole, which workers from a local irrigation company have since blocked off, is about three-quarters of a mile above the hatchery.

After the sinkhole was discovered, biologists sampled trout from the hatchery. They also sampled trout from a section of the creek that’s above the hatchery and sinkhole.

Fortunately, none of the fish sampled in the hatchery had whirling disease (WD). But two of the 30 trout from the creek had the disease.

Donaldson says that’s not surprising, since fish with WD have moved to various parts of the creek over the past 15 years.

Donaldson says all of the DWR’s hatcheries are tested routinely for disease.


Not taking chances
DWR biologists were happy to hear that the fish in the hatchery did not test positive for whirling disease. But they’re still not taking any chances:

- All of the fish that are currently in the Kamas hatchery will be stocked immediately, but only in waters where WD has been previously found. As a precautionary measure, the fish will not be placed in waters that don’t already have WD.

“The DNA test used to analyze the sampled fish is very sensitive and accurate at catching whirling disease in fish,” says Chris Wilson, pathologist at the DWR’s Fisheries Experiment Station.

“Even though the fish in the hatchery appear to be free of the disease, we’ve learned to be extremely cautious when dealing with fish diseases,” Wilson says. “We don’t want to spread disease from one hatchery to another, or from a hatchery to the wild.”

- The Kamas hatchery will be closed until the entire facility has been disinfected and a special ulta-violet filtration device has been installed. This device will remove WD if the disease ever gets into water sources that flow into the hatchery.


The public will not be allowed to tour the hatchery while it’s closed.
Donaldson says the Kamas hatchery will not produce fish again until late 2011 or early 2012. Fortunately, the DWR’s refurbished Springville State Fish Hatchery will take up some of the fish-production slack. (The Springville hatchery was closed in 2007 after WD was confirmed in the hatchery.)

Donaldson says the installation of a UV-filtration device is nearing completion at the Springville hatchery. “We’re hoping the hatchery will be producing fish again soon, maybe as early as November,” he says.

Kokanee Day is September. 18

Photo by Ron Stewart

The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources will host Kokanee Salmon Day at Sheep Creek on Saturday, Sept. 18, 2010 at the Scenic Byway turnout where Sheep Creek crosses under Highway 44. Biologists will be on site between 10:00 a.m. and 3 p.m. with display materials to help viewers see the fish and interpret the kokanee's behavior.

Bring your camera and your binoculars. At Sheep Creek, Kokanee Day often becomes Wildlife Day as bighorn sheep and other wildlife species are frequently seen from the site. The biologists often have their spotting scopes on these majestic animals or can tell you where they are.

Occasionally other big mammals come down to visit and birds of prey like golden eagles, kestrels, osprey and vultures are frequent visitors. Participants often hear Sandhill cranes as they fly over and report seeing a large variety of smaller mammals and birds.

Between the drive along one of Utah's first National Scenic Byways with its spectacular scenery and 18 interpretive sites, usually nice fall weather, leaves turning color, watchable wildlife and a great kokanee viewing opportunity, it is well worth the time to visit.

Biologists recommend reduced Bass Limits for 2011

Photo by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources

Many of Utah’s anglers aren’t happy about the size of the bass they’re catching. Division of Wildlife Resources biologists have an idea to fix the problem: get more anglers who are willing to keep fish involved in bass fishing.

All of the DWR’s proposed fishing changes for the state’s 2011 fishing season should be available at www.wildlife.utah.gov/public_meetings  starting Aug. 23.


Learn more, share your ideas
After you’ve reviewed the ideas, you can let your Regional Advisory Council members know your thoughts by attending your upcoming RAC meeting or by sending an e-mail to them.

RAC chairmen will share the input they receive with members of the Utah Wildlife Board. The board will meet in Salt Lake City on Sept. 23 to approve rules for Utah’s 2011 fishing season.

Dates, times and locations for the RAC meetings are as follows:

Southern Region
Sept. 7, 7 p.m.
Richfield High School
510 W 100 S, Richfield

Southeastern Region
Sept. 8, 6:30 p.m.
John Wesley Powell Museum
1765 E Main Street, Green River

Northeastern Region
Sept. 9, 6:30 p.m.
Uintah Basin Applied Technology College
450 N 2000 W, Vernal

Central Region
Sept. 14, 6:30 p.m.
Springville Junior High School
167 S 700 E, Springville

Northern Region
Sept. 15, 6 p.m.
Brigham City Community Center
24 N 300 W, Brigham City

E-mail
You can also provide your comments to your RAC via e-mail. E-mail addresses for your RAC members are available at www.wildlife.utah.gov/public_meetings  .

The group each RAC member represents (sportsman, non-consumptive, etc.) is listed under each person's e-mail address. You should direct your e-mail to the people on the RAC who represent your interest.


Smaller Bass Limits
Reducing the number of bass limits in Utah—from eight major limits to two—is the idea biologists have to get more anglers involved in bass fishing.

Specifically, biologists are recommending the following:

- A limit of six bass—with no size restrictions—at most of Utah's bass waters.

- Five reservoirs—Jordanelle, Quail Creek, Sand Hollow, Gunlock and Huntington North—would also have a six-bass limit. But only one bass in that six-bass limit could be longer than 12 inches.

Biologists would also like to simplify the bass limits at Lake Powell and Flaming Gorge. But they need to do additional work with biologists in Arizona and Wyoming to make that happen.


More anglers, bigger bass
If you think of Utah's bass fishing waters as a big cookie jar, it helps to understand why they have so many small fish: with the exception of Lake Powell, anglers are keeping only four percent or less of the total adult bass population at Utah's bass waters every year.


They're releasing at least 96 percent of the bass they catch.
The amount of room in the cookie jar is limited. You can fill the jar with lots of small crumbs, or you can fill it with a few cookies. But there isn't room in the jar for both. "Right now, many of Utah's bass waters are filled with bass in the nine- to 12-inch range," says Drew Cushing, warm water sport fisheries coordinator for the DWR.

"Anglers need to remove more of the smaller bass to make room for bigger fish. The smaller fish are eating most of the food and utilizing most of the cover."

Cushing says the new limits should benefit all bass anglers, ranging from those who are new to bass fishing to those who have fished for years.

"Beginning anglers aren't as concerned about catching a big fish," Cushing says. "They're happy with smaller fish. And they want a chance to keep some fish."

Cushing says it's tough to get new anglers interested in bass fishing when the state has eight different bass limits, including some that are fairly restrictive. "If we can reduce the number of bass limits, make the limits easier to understand and give anglers a chance to keep some fish, we think more anglers will give bass fishing a try."

And that, in turn, should lead to bigger fish to catch.


Four waters and big bass
Cushing says Jordanelle, Quail Creek, Sand Hollow and Gunlock are four waters biologists believe have the potential to grow large bass. Allowing anglers to keep six bass—but limiting them to not more than one bass longer than 12 inches—should keep plenty of big bass in these waters.

Cushing says that won't happen, though, unless those who fish the waters are willing to keep bass that are less than 12 inches long. "If they don't take some of the smaller bass, it will be difficult for the bass to grow to a larger size," he says.

Cushing says the regulation at Huntington North should give bass in the reservoir some extra protection. "The water level at the reservoir fluctuates a lot," he says. "In fact, water levels in all of our bass waters are the limiting factor facing bass in Utah. Good water years mean great fishing. Poor water years mean poor fishing."

For more information, call the nearest Division of Wildlife Resources office or the DWR's Salt Lake City office at 801-538-4700.

Burbot Captured In Green River

Photo by Ryan Mosley, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources

Vernal -- On July 28, researchers with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources found something they didn’t want to find: a 21-inch burbot in the Green River below Flaming Gorge dam.

Burbot are a nonnative fish from east of the Rocky Mountains. The fish was captured during an electrofishing study to recover and study endangered fish in the Green and Colorado rivers.

“The burbot was captured from an electrofishing raft roughly 1.5 miles upstream of the Split Mountain boat ramp in Dinosaur National Monument,” says Paul Badame, UDWR native fish project leader. “This is the first capture of a burbot below Flaming Gorge dam that I’m aware of.”

The burbot likely came down the Green River after someone illegally introduced the species upstream in Big Sandy Reservoir in Wyoming. The burbot have worked their way downstream, bypassing dams at Big Sandy and Flaming Gorge.


Why the concern?
Burbot are a voracious predator, capable of breeding in both rivers and reservoirs. As a result, they can have a serious impact on both native and sport fish populations.

Biologists working on Flaming Gorge Reservoir have already noticed a rapid increase in the number of burbot in the reservoir and a corresponding decline in the number of kokanee salmon.

Burbot also pose a major risk to native fish in the Green River.

“We’re concerned that burbot will negatively impact endangered fish and other native fishes in the Green River,” says Krissy Wilson, native aquatic species coordinator for the UDWR. “We’ve seen this happen before with other nonnative fish, including northern pike, redshiner and smallmouth bass.”

Wilson says the UDWR and its partners in the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program are working together to determine the best way to deal with this latest threat.


Catch and kill regulation
The UDWR has placed a ‘no tolerance’ fishing regulation on burbot in Utah: (There’s no limit on the number of burbot an angler can catch. Anglers may not release any burbot they catch.

All burbot must be killed immediately. For more information, call the UDWR’s Northeastern Region office at (435) 781-9453.

Biologists find big trout during Flaming Gorge Surveys

Dutch John -- Freezing temperatures and rising winds couldn’t keep Matt Breen and Calvin Black from breaking out in a big grin.

As they pulled the first lake trout out of the water that day, they knew the fish was a monster.

And was it ever: it weighed more than 29 pounds!

The two Utah Division of Wildlife Resources biologists were helping Ryan Mosley set and pull nets on the first day of the annual fisheries survey at Flaming Gorge Reservoir last May.

Mosley is the UDWR’s aquatic project leader at Flaming Gorge. Based on years of data, he and the other biologists say fishing should be good at the reservoir this year.

“The data hasn't been summarized [yet], but this year's catch shows a healthy population for anglers to target this fishing season,” Mosley says.

Mosley says rainbow trout were well represented in the nets. Many of the rainbows pushed 20 inches in length. They weighed about three pounds each.

“We also sampled 37 fish in our lake trout nets,” he says. “The fish looked good. The largest lake trout weighed 29.1 pounds, which is about the threshold the nets can handle.”

Mosley says the water in mid-May was too cold for smallmouth bass to show up in the nets.

So what are his recommendations for this year?

“Come out and enjoy the great fishing at the Gorge," he says. “The person who coined the phrase ‘Money can't buy you happiness’ never bought a Utah fishing license!”

Mosley also encourages you to take a limit of lake trout and smallmouth bass home with you. Reducing these predators will help the reservoir’s kokanee salmon, lake trout and smallmouth bass fisheries.

Also, please remember that you must kill and keep all the burbot you catch.


Trend netting
Since fish don’t voluntarily rise to the surface whenever biologists need to see them, researchers use a variety of techniques to catch fish so they can study them.

One of those techniques involves catching fish in nets.

“Gill netting has been used as a fisheries monitoring tool on Flaming Gorge since 1965, three years after it began filling,” Mosley says. “[The gill net monitoring] is a coordinated effort between the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.”

Although the methods biologists use have changed a little over the last 40 years, they still sample at the same sites, using the same type of nets and sampling at the same time of the year.

These standard procedures remove variability from the data they collect.

UDWR biologists currently sample at 10 sites. The sites extend from the Green River arm at the head of the reservoir, all the way down to Jarvies Canyon, about five miles from the dam.

Biologists set the nets each May when the water temperature reaches about 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

Comparing the results of a capture technique over time allows biologists to detect trends they may not see if they looked at data only from a single day. These trends include the size of the population, the health and condition of the fish and what the fish are eating.

Depending on these trends (and other trends collected using additional sampling tools), managers can make changes to address potential concerns. “For example, biologists observed an increase in the abundance of lake trout back in the 1990s and early 2000s,” Mosley says. “Unfortunately, they also noted a severe decline in the Utah chub population and a corresponding decline in [the number of kokanee salmon.]”

As the Utah chub declined, Mosley says the lake trout in Flaming Gorge started eating kokanee salmon. To address this population imbalance, the lake trout limit at the reservoir was liberalized.

The current regulation, which dates back to 2006, allows anglers to keep up to eight lake trout. But only one of those fish can be longer than 28 inches.

For more information about fishing at Flaming Gorge, call the UDWR’s Flaming Gorge office at 435-885-3164.

Big Trout Stocked in Northeastern Utah

Vernal -- Rainbow trout are usually 10 inches or less when the Division of Wildlife Resources stocks them in waters across Utah.

That’s not the case in northeastern Utah, though. Personnel from the DWR’s Whiterocks State Fish Hatchery have included about 1,200 Kamloops rainbows with the smaller fish.

Each of these rainbows weighs between two and three pounds. And about 500 of the 1,200—the ones placed in Steinaker Reservoir north of Vernal—have been tagged with special tags as part of a Family Fishing Event.

If you catch a fish with a special tag, you can turn it in for a prize.

The Family Fishing Event is sponsored by radio stations and businesses in the Uinta Basin, Utah State Parks and the DWR.

For more information about the event, call 435-722-5011.



Big fish
The 1,200 fish that Whiterocks hatchery manager Dana Dewey and his staff have been placing in waters in northeastern Utah are called brood stock. Hatchery workers raised the fish for breeding purposes.

The workers create young trout by fertilizing eggs from female trout with milt from male trout. The young Kamloops rainbows they raise are then stocked into some of the deepest and coldest lakes and reservoirs in Utah.

The hatchery had about 1,200 extra brood stock rainbows this year, so hatchery workers decided to add them to the fish they’re stocking in northeastern Utah.

The fish weigh between two and three pounds each. Each one should provide a lucky angler with a thrill, even it if doesn’t carry a special tag!

High Water Impacts Forest Roads and Facilities-- Officials Urge Caution

SALT LAKE CITY, June 7, 2010 – Triggered by rapid snowmelt, swift and high water in streams and rivers are impacting localized roads and recreational areas on the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest. Areas and roads inundated by water have been temporarily closed off to the public. In camping facilities with flooding, campers have been relocated to higher ground. Forest crews are working to manage water flows and mitigate impacts.

Areas affected by swift, high water include Big & Little Cottonwood Canyons, American Fork Canyon, North Slope of the High Uintas, Mirror Lake Highway, Stansbury Mountains, and Weber River area near Kamas.

A Forestwide assessment of the impacts is underway. More information will be provided as it becomes available. In the interim, Forest officials emphasize for their own safety that visitors adhere to road closure signage or blockades. Travelers should not attempt to cross roads where water is flowing across. Visitors should use extreme caution when recreating around fast moving streams or rivers. Also, parents should keep children close-by and insure they understand the dangers of fast moving water.

In the affected areas, a limited number of campgrounds, picnic areas and trailheads are under emergency closures to protect public health and safety due to the high water and run-off. Currently, these are:

Ledgemere Picnic area, Big Cottonwood Canyon – Closed

Temple Quarry Trailhead, Little Cottonwood Canyon – Closed

Upper Narrows, Lower Narrows and Loop Campgrounds, South Willow Canyon, Stansbury Mountains – Closed

Little Mill Picnic Area and Campground, American Fork Canyon – Partially Closed

Mile Rock Picnic Area, American Fork – Closed

Ledgefork Campground, Weber River Area near Kamas – partially closed

Lower Provo River Campground, Mirror Lake Highway – Closed

For information on specific campground closures, contact campground concessionaire American Land & Leisure at (801) 226-3564.

Forest roads under emergency closure include:

East Fork of the Black Fork, south of Uinta Junction, North Slope of the Uintas

Access road to Hoop Lake Campground, North Slope of the Uintas

North Slope Road at West Beaver cross, North Slope of the Uintas

Information on emergency closures will be updated as information becomes available. For information on the North Slope road closures, contact the Evanston-Mt. View Ranger District at 307-789-3194 or 307-782-6555. Please note: The US Forest Service is responsible for managing National Forest System (NFS) roads. Closures on state or county roads crossing NFS lands are managed by their respective jurisdictions.

Free Cutthroat Trout viewing Event June 12 at Strawberry Reservoir

Heber City -- Cutthroat trout are making their way up the Strawberry River to spawn.

On June 12, you can see these beautiful fish in the river and in the hands of aquatic biologists who will hold fish for you to see.

June 12 is the day the Division of Wildlife Resources will hold its annual cutthroat trout viewing event at Strawberry Reservoir.

The free event runs from 9 a.m. to noon at the DWR fish trap behind the U.S. Forest Service visitor center at Strawberry.

You can see cutthroats in the river as you walk along a boardwalk that leads to the trap. At the fish trap, biologists will hold fish up for you to see. They’ll also be happy to answer any questions you have.

“The river may be a little murky. But you’ll still be able to see the cutthroats as they fight their way upstream. As they fight their way upstream, the fish occasionally jump over obstacles that are in their way,” says Scott Root, regional conservation outreach manager for the DWR.

“At the fish trap, we’ll hold fish up for everyone to see,” Root says. “We’ll also provide information about these cutthroats and why this strain of cutthroat trout is so important to the fishery in Strawberry Reservoir.”

Root says the Strawberry River and the other tributaries to the reservoir are currently closed to fishing. But you can try your luck catching one of these big cutthroats in the reservoir itself.

“All cutthroat trout between 15 and 22 inches in Strawberry must be immediately released,” he says. “We’ll be happy to explain why this special regulation is in place.”

For more information about the fishing regulations at Strawberry Reservoir, visit wildlife.utah.gov/strawberry on the Web.

Strawberry Reservoir is just off U.S. 40, about 25 miles southeast of Heber City.

For more information, call the DWR at (801) 491-5678.

Fish for Free on June 5

If you’re looking for a fun activity that’s close to home and doesn’t cost much, mark June 5 on your calendar.

June 5 is Free Fishing Day in Utah. You won’t need a fishing license to fish in the state that day.

“Make plans now to get out with your family and enjoy a free day of fishing,” says Drew Cushing, warm water sport fisheries coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources.

Cushing says Utah has plenty of water this year, and fishing should be better than ever. “Fishing at many of our mid-elevation reservoirs is really good right now,” he says. “As the spring runoff recedes, fishing will pick up at the state’s rivers and streams too.”

You won’t need a license to fish on June 5, but Cushing reminds you that all other rules in the state’s fishing guidebook will still be in effect.

You can learn those rules by reading the 2010 Utah Fishing Guidebook. The free guidebook is available at www.wildlife.utah.gov/guidebooks/2010_fishing   on the Web.

Copies are also available at DWR offices and from fishing license agents across the state.

Some of the best places to fish
Before Free Fishing Day, the DWR will place extra fish in waters across Utah. Most of those fish will be placed in lakes and reservoirs, so those might be good places to try on June 5.

Utah’s community fishing ponds are another good place to consider. Depending on where you live, a community pond might be only a few minutes away.

You can learn more about Utah’s community fishing ponds at www.wildlife.utah.gov/cf/cf_book_10.pdf  on the Web.

“We’ll stock the community fishing ponds with channel catfish before Free Fishing Day,” Cushing says. “We’ll continue stocking the ponds with catfish until the temperatures cool in the fall. Then we’ll start placing trout in the ponds.”

Several free fishing events for children will be held on Free Fishing Day. The following are some of the events the DWR will be involved in:


NORTHERN UTAH
LOGAN
The Bear River Celebration and Free Fishing Day will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Skylar’s Pond.

The pond is in Willow Park, 419 W. 700 S.

People of all ages can enjoy free fishing at the pond. Fishing equipment will be available to check out and use. Volunteers will also be available to help first-time anglers fish.

Special interactive activity booths will also be available for those ages 4 to 18 years old. The first 250 youths who visit the booths and complete their “passport to fun” will receive a free t-shirt. The interactive booths will give young people a chance to discover the joys of fishing and learn the importance of good water quality. Youths can tie their own wooly bugger, experience how rivers and streams are formed, explore the life cycles of fish, go “buggy over bugs,” make fish prints, learn to cast a fishing lure and much more.

For more information, e-mail Marni Lee with the Division of Wildlife Resources at marnilee@utah.gov .



NORTH-CENTRAL UTAH
MURRAY
“Family Fishing Derby” at Willow Park Pond in Murray.

The pond is at 6059 S. Murray Parkway Ave., just north of the Murray Golf Course.

One-hour fishing sessions for families and kids will be held at 9 a.m., 10 a.m., 11 a.m. and noon. Space is limited. You can pick up a ticket to participate at the Murray Parks and Recreation office or the Sportsman’s Warehouse store in Midvale.

The DWR will stock the pond with channel catfish before the event. Starting at 9 a.m., the children who participate will be taught about fish and how to catch them. Once the training is done, the kids are free to fish at the pond. If your child needs help, volunteers from the DWR’s Dedicated Hunter program will be available to help them fish and clean the fish they catch.

Fishing poles and bait will be available for children to borrow if they don’t have their own equipment.


MIDWAY
“Kid’s Fishing Event,” Wasatch Mountain State Park pond, about two miles west of Midway.

The event runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Space is limited. If your child would like to participate, please register in advance by calling Wendy Wilson at (435) 654-1791.

The DWR will stock the pond with rainbow trout before the event. At 9 a.m., the kids who participate will be taught about fish and how to catch them. Once the training is done, the kids are free to fish at the pond. If your child needs help, volunteers from the DWR’s Dedicated Hunter program will be available to help them fish and clean the fish they catch.

Fishing poles and bait will be available for children to borrow if they don’t have their own equipment.


UTAH LAKE
The Fifth Annual Utah Lake Festival will be held at Utah Lake State Park, 4400 W. Center St.

Fishing equipment will be available to use at no charge. The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

In addition to fishing, activities at the festival include fighting fish on a fishing simulator; free boat rides; a sail-boat regatta; face painting and art activities for kids; and plenty of booths to visit. Free hot dogs, popcorn, apples and water will be provided by Provo, American Fork, Orem, Springville and Santaquin cities.

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., there is no fee to visit Utah Lake State Park and the festival. The festival provides a chance to get outside and enjoy Utah Lake, experience the recreational opportunities the lake offers and learn about its ecosystem and the native fish species that live in the lake.



SOUTHWESTERN UTAH
LITTLE RESERVOIR
The Division of Wildlife Resources will sponsor a fishing event at Little Reservoir from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

A limited number of fishing rods and equipment will be available for children to borrow if they don’t have their own. DWR personnel and volunteers will also be available to help the kids fish. And those who participate might receive a prize!

Little Reservoir is east of Beaver. To reach the reservoir, travel east from Beaver on state Route 153 for about nine miles to Kents Lake Road. Then travel about one on Kents Lake Road to the reservoir.

For more information, call the DWR’s Cedar City office at (435) 865-6100.


SAND HOLLOW STATE PARK
The Division of Wildlife Resources and Utah State Parks and Recreation will co-sponsor a fishing event at Sand Hollow State Park from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The state park will waive the entrance fee for those 14 years of age or younger who come to the park to participate in the event. A limited number of fishing rods and equipment will be available for children to borrow if they don’t have their own. DWR personnel and volunteers from the DWR’s Dedicated Hunter program will also be available to help the kids fish.

To reach the reservoir from Interstate 15, exit at Exit 16 (the Hurricane exit), and travel east on state Route 9 for about four miles to Sand Hollow Road. Turn right on Sand Hollow Road, and travel south for about three miles. Then turn left at the park entrance.

For more information, call Lynn Chamberlain at (435) 680-0059.


TROPIC RESERVOIR
A free Kids Fishing Derby will be held at Tropic Reservoir from 9 a.m. to noon.

The DWR will stock the reservoir with fish before the event. Each child who attends the event will receive a prize. Refreshments will also be provided.

Tropic Reservoir is just west of Bryce Canyon National Park. To reach the reservoir, travel southeast from Panguitch on Route 12. Five miles before you reach the park, turn south on a gravel road and travel 10 miles to the reservoir.

For more information, call Jake Schoppe with the U.S. Forest Service at (435) 676-9300.

Big Cutthroats at Strawberry Reservoir

Heber City -- Anglers are catching big cutthroat trout at Strawberry Reservoir.

Ryan Houston of Pleasant Grove is one of the latest to find that out.

Ryan was fishing with his family at Strawberry on May 14 when he hooked a gorgeous 13-pound, 8-ounce Bear Lake cutthroat. The 30-inch trout had a girth of 20¼ inches.

With the help of his three-year-old son Ryder, Ryan brought the monster in on 4-pound test line. Ryder got the thrill of his life as he helped his dad reel the big trout in.

Ryan caught the fish using a white-colored 16-ounce jig. He caught the fish on the Soldier Creek side of the reservoir.

Houston isn’t the only angler who’s caught a big fish at Strawberry recently. Cliff Bowden of Salt Lake City also caught a similar cutthroat during the same week Houston caught his.

Bowden’s fish was about 31 inches long. He didn’t weigh the fish before releasing it. He caught the fish from the shore using a rapala.

Strawberry Reservoir is now completely free of ice. Most anglers are reporting fair to good success at Utah’s most popular fishery.

Before fishing at Strawberry, please see the regulations on page 30 of the 2010 Utah Fishing Guidebook.

The guidebook is available at www.wildlife.utah.gov/guidebooks .

Rainbow trout returning to Bear Lake

Garden City — For the first time in 24 years, you might feel a rainbow trout tugging on your fishing line at Bear Lake.

The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources will stock about 5,000 rainbows into the lake on May 25, 2010. About 5,000 additional rainbows will be stocked before the July 4 weekend.

The rainbow trout—which will be about 10 inches long when stocked—are not your regular rainbows. They're sterile rainbows that can't reproduce.

Because a limited number of sterile rainbows are available this year, and because Bear Lake is a large lake, it would be difficult for anglers to catch them if the fish were stocked in several places. For that reason, all of the 10,000 fish will be stocked at one place—the Bear Lake State Park Marina near Garden City.

Scott Tolentino, UDWR aquatic project leader at Bear Lake, says the rainbows will feed mostly on terrestrial insects that blow onto the surface of the water. "They should be readily available for just about anyone who has a fishing rod," he says. "Both shoreline and boat anglers should find good success."

Good methods to catch the rainbows with include using Powerbait, worms, flys or lures, such as small spinners and spoons.

Tolentino says rainbow trout should occupy a niche that fish aren't using at Bear Lake. And that niche is the shoreline.

"The water temperature along the shoreline gets too warm in the summer for cutthroat trout, so they move off shore into deep water," Tolentino says. "Bear Lake is a deep lake. The only anglers who can catch cutthroats in the summer are those who have specialized equipment, such downriggers and sonar that allow them to target cutthroat trout and lake trout in deep water."

Tolentino says rainbow trout should fill that void. "It's rare to find rainbow trout very far off shore or in deep water," he says. "They should hang out along the shoreline."

Tolentino says the DWR first stocked rainbow trout in Bear Lake in the late 1800s. "Both Utah and Idaho stocked rainbows regularly until 1986," he says. "That's when genetic studies showed the rainbows might be breeding with cutthroat trout in the lake. That hybridization posed a risk to the pure genetics of the Bear Lake Bonneville cutthroat trout in the lake."

In 1986, stocking was suspended indefinitely. "But thanks to the ability Utah's hatcheries have to rear sterile rainbow trout, the threat that rainbow trout will hybridize with the native cutthroat trout is gone," Tolentino says.

Tolentino is excited to provide anglers with a new summertime opportunity at the lake. "If the return of the stocked rainbow trout is comparable to other waters where catchable-sized trout are stocked, then stocking may continue in future years," he says.

DWR technicians will collect information from anglers about the number of fish they catch and keep. "The rainbow limit at the lake is two fish, and I encourage anglers to keep up to their limit," Tolentino says. "Most of the rainbows in Bear Lake probably won't make it through the winter."

For more information, call the DWR's Bear Lake field office at 435-946-8501.

Quagga Mussel May Have Been Found in Sand Hollow

Hurricane -- Divers have found what appears to be a live adult quagga mussel in Sand Hollow Reservoir.

The reservoir is about eight miles southwest of Hurricane in southern Utah.

“After the divers made the discovery, two aquatic invasive species (AIS) biologists confirmed that the mussel appeared to be an adult quagga mussel,” says Douglas Messerly, regional supervisor for the Division of Wildlife Resources.

“If it is an adult quagga mussel, there’s a good chance more of them are in the reservoir,” Messerly says. “And if that’s the case, that’s bad news for boaters, anglers and water users.

“Quagga mussels can do all kinds of damage, including clogging systems that deliver water and devastating fish populations.”

The mussel has been sent to the DWR office in Salt Lake City. From there, it will be flown to Colorado, where two laboratories will perform DNA tests. The DNA tests will help confirm whether the mussel is a quagga mussel or another type of mussel.

“The Division of Wildlife Resources is taking this suspected sighting seriously,” Messerly says. “We’re working closely with Utah State Parks and the Washington County Water Conservancy District to develop short- and long-term plans to contain and manage the problem.”

Decontaminating your boat
To lessen the chance that mussels are spread to other waters from the reservoir, on May 22, DWR Director Jim Karpowitz signed a legal rapid response plan notice. The notice is now in effect at Sand Hollow and at waters throughout Utah.

The notice requires that any type of recreational equipment that’s been in Sand Hollow during the past 30 days must be decontaminated before launching at any other water in Utah. This includes any piece of recreational equipment capable of carrying or containing reservoir water or a quagga or zebra mussel, including any type of boat, vessel, personal watercraft, motor vehicle or trailer.

Also, all boats leaving Sand Hollow must be inspected for mussels and drained and cleaned by DWR AIS technicians.

“Decontaminating your boat is the only way to stop the spread of these mussels,” says Lynn Chamberlain, DWR regional outreach manager. “The decontamination process won’t harm your boat. In fact, it can actually help your boat by removing mussels that could clog your boat’s pumps and hoses.”

Chamberlain says there are two ways to decontaminate your boat after pulling it out of the water:

1)Clean mud, plants, animals or other debris from your boat and equipment.

2)Drain the ballast tanks, bilge, live wells and motor.

3)Dry your boat (seven days in the summer, 18 days in the spring and fall, and 30 days in the winter.

OR

Get your boat professionally decontaminated. Certified personnel will wash your trailer and boat inside and out, flushing your ballast tanks, bilge, live wells and motor with high-pressure, scalding (140 degree Fahrenheit) water.

The DWR offers this service for free at popular waters across Utah.

“No matter which decontamination method you prefer, you should make a habit of completing the decontamination process after every boating trip,” Chamberlain says. “In addition to stopping the spread of mussels, your efforts will also help limit the spread of whirling disease.”

Chamberlain says the DWR will have decontamination units at Sand Hollow and will provide the service free to boaters as they leave the park.  “Hundreds of boaters use this reservoir, so you’ll likely have to wait several minutes to use the service,” he says.


Regular dives
Sand Hollow is one of the waters at which the Washington County Water Conservancy District (WCWCD) conducts regular dives to search for quagga and zebra mussels.

Divers found the possible quagga mussel during a dive on May 21.

Kent Walker was diving with fellow diver Troy Guard under docks near the main boat ramp on the northwest side of the reservoir when he felt something suspicious in a crevice between two floatation buoys under the dock.

He pulled the item out and brought it to the surface. Michelle Deras, an AIS biologist with the WCWCD, and Crystal Stock, an AIS biologist with the DWR, were among several DWR, Utah State Parks and WCWCD personnel who were contacted.

After examining the mussel, Deras and Stock confirmed that it had all the markings and characteristics of an adult quagga mussel.

“At this point, we don’t know where the mussel came from or how many are in the reservoir,” Deras says. “What we do know is that we found one and there are likely more. We must take every precaution possible to make sure mussels aren’t spread to other waters in Utah.”

Sand Hollow Reservoir is still open for boating and fishing.

For more information about the rapid response plan notice and how you can prevent spreading quagga mussels in Utah, visit www.wildlife.utah.gov/mussels .

DWR provides Tips to catch Rainbow Trout this Spring

If you fish at Steinaker Reservoir this spring, you might catch one of these — an albino rainbow trout.

Photo courtesy of Ron Stewart, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.

Vernal -- Fishing has been good to excellent in the Uinta Basin this spring.
In the past few weeks, the ice has melted off all of the lower elevation waters in the basin, including Starvation, Steinaker, Big Sandwash, Brough, Red Fleet and Pelican Lake.

Even waters as high in elevation as lakes on Diamond Mountain and Flaming Gorge Reservoir are free of ice.

Most of these waters have trout in them. And the trout have responded to the warmer weather. Anglers are enjoying excellent fishing.


Tip for catching them
Trout are a cold-water fish. They’re most accessible to anglers during the spring and fall. (That’s when the water temperature is cold or cool across the entire lake or stream the fish are in. When the water temperature on the surface warms, the trout go deeper to find colder water. But until then, they’ll feed aggressively closer to the surface.)

Areas close to shore are good places to target in the early spring. Later, as the water warms a bit, try fishing near inlets that flow into the lake or reservoir you’re fishing. Trout swim to these areas to feed. Some of them also spawn in these areas.

Try casting along the leading edge of the cloudy water where the inlet water meets the clearer water in the lake. Spring floods sweep insects, small fish and other food downstream. The fish congregate in the cleaner water, watching for food that floods in from the dirtier water. Since visibility is poor, the fish have to move fast to catch a meal.

A small, bright, flashy lure usually does the trick in the spring. A quick, bright flash often triggers the trout to strike.

Baits also work well because the fish can smell the bait. They’ll often follow the scent of the bait right to your hook.

While lure anglers want something bright and flashy, fly anglers might want to stay conservative. While “matching the hatch” is always the tried and true method when fly fishing, sometimes the fly you pick won’t be visible to the fish. So go dark—black ants and dark-colored grubs are common items swept into lakes and reservoirs by the spring runoff.

Updated fishing reports for northeastern Utah are available at www.wildlife.utah.gov/fishing/reports.php .

If you have questions about fishing in northeastern Utah, call the Division of Wildlife Resource’s Northeastern Region office at (435) 781-9453.

DWR to conduct Administrative Checkpoints

PRICE, UTAH—The Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) is planning to conduct a number of administrative checkpoints in Utah this spring and summer. Checkpoints provide a means to contact a lot of people along the state’s transportation arteries. Anglers can expect to encounter one or more of these checkpoints as they fish.

Checkpoints provide the DWR with the opportunity to monitor compliance with fishing regulations. Information on harvest success, species composition and size of fish can also be collected. Where necessary, conservation officers can address violations of law, and take the opportunity to educate the sporting public about the regulations.

Checkpoint locations are selected near popular fishing destinations to avoid slowing non-fishing traffic. It is the responsibility of the DWR to protect and conserve the state’s fish and wildlife. By curbing angler disregard for fishing regulations, the DWR is able to better manage its fisheries and provide a better fishing experience for the general public.

Share Your Fishing Ideas with the DWR no later than June 1

Is there a fishing regulation in Utah that you’d like to see change? Or do you have an idea for a new rule?
If so, biologists with the Division of Wildlife Resources want to hear from you.

The biologists are already working on possible fishing changes for 2011. They need your ideas no later than June 1 to consider them for next year.

“2011 is still months away, but our biologists need time to consider your idea and determine whether or not it might work,” says Drew Cushing, warm water sport fisheries coordinator for the DWR.

“Please get your ideas to us by June 1.”

After examining the ideas they receive, biologists will present their final recommendations to the public in September.

“We don’t hear from as many individual anglers as we’d like to,” Cushing says. “We hope those who don’t belong to a fishing group will share their ideas with us too.”

Three ways
You can share your ideas with the DWR three different ways:

- e-mail your ideas to DWRComment@utah.gov

- mail your ideas to:

Sport Fisheries Coordinator
Division of Wildlife Resources
Box 146301
Salt Lake City, UT 84114-6301

- attend your upcoming Regional Advisory Council meeting. You can share your ideas at any of the following meetings:

- attend your upcoming Regional Advisory Council meeting. You can share your ideas at any of the following meetings:

Southern Region
May 11 at 7 p.m.
Beaver High School
195 E. Center St.
Beaver

Southeastern Region
May 12 at 6:30 p.m.
John Wesley Powell Museum
1765 E. Main St.
Green River

Northeastern Region
May 13 at 6:30 p.m.
Uintah Basin Applied Tech College
450 N. 2000 W.
Vernal

Central Region
May 18 at 6:30 p.m.
Springville Civic Center
50 S. Main St.
Springville

Northern Region
May 19at  6 p.m.
Brigham City Community Center
24 N. 300 W.
Brigham City

Reduced bass limits

One of the ideas the biologists are considering should result in more bass anglers and larger bass for anglers to catch.

Reducing the total number of bass limits in Utah—from eight major limits down to three—is their idea. Specifically, biologists are recommending the following for 2011:

- A limit of six bass—with no size restrictions—at most of the Utah’s bass waters.

- Five reservoirs—Jordanelle, Quail Creek, Sand Hollow, Gunlock and Huntington North—would also have a six-bass limit. But only one bass in that six-bass limit could be longer than 12 inches.

- Biologists would also like to simplify the bass limits at Lake Powell and Flaming Gorge. But they need to do additional work with biologists in Arizona and Wyoming to make that happen.

It’s likely the bass limit at Lake Powell and Flaming Gorge in 2011 will be similar to the limits in place now at those waters.


New anglers, larger bass
Biologists believe the new limits would be a good change for bass and bass anglers in Utah.

“Right now, Utah’s bass waters are facing a challenge: they’re overpopulated with smaller bass,” Cushing says.

At every bass water in Utah except Lake Powell, anglers are keeping four percent or less of the total adult bass population each year.

They’re releasing the rest of the bass they catch. “What anglers are ending up with are tons of bass in the nine- to 12-inch range,” Cushing says. “Many anglers aren’t happy with these smaller fish. But if they want larger bass, then they need to remove some of the smaller fish.”

Cushing says the new limits should benefit all bass anglers, ranging from those who are new to bass fishing to those who have fished for years.

“Beginning anglers aren’t as concerned about the size of the bass they catch. They’re happy with smaller fish. And they want a chance to keep some fish,” Cushing says.

Cushing says it’s tough to recruit new anglers to bass fishing with eight different bass limits, including some that are fairly restrictive. “If we can reduce the number of bass limits, make the limits easier to understand and give anglers a chance to keep some fish, we think more anglers will give bass fishing a try.”

The new regulations would also help experienced bass anglers.

“More of the smaller bass need to be removed to make room for bigger fish. These smaller fish are eating most of the food and utilizing most of the cover that’s available in these waters,” Cushing says. “Imagine Utah’s bass waters are a big cookie jar. You can fill the jar with large cookies or with crumbs, but there isn’t enough room in the jar for both.”

Cushing says Jordanelle, Quail Creek, Sand Hollow and Gunlock are four waters biologists believe have the potential to grow large bass. Allowing anglers to keep six bass—but limiting them to not more than one bass longer than 12 inches—should keep plenty of big bass in these waters for anglers to catch.

Cushing says that won’t happen, though, unless those who fish these waters are willing to keep bass that are less than 12 inches long. “If they don’t take some of these smaller bass, it will be difficult for the bass grow to a larger size,” he says.

Cushing says the regulation at Huntington North is designed to provide the bass in the reservoir with extra protection. “The water level at the reservoir fluctuates a lot,” he says. “In fact, water levels in all of our bass waters are the limiting factor facing bass in the state. Good water years mean great fishing. Poor water years mean poor fishing.”

For more information, call the nearest Division of Wildlife Resources office or the DWR’s Salt Lake City office at (801) 538-4700.

Melting Ice, Hot Fishing at Scofield Reservoir

Scofield -- Fishing that will keep your kids excited—and you pulling fish out of the water from the comfort of your lawn chair—is about to begin at Scofield Reservoir.

Scofield is one of Utah’s best trout fishing waters. And it’s less than two hours from the Wasatch Front.

The easiest way to reach the reservoir is to travel on U.S. 6 out of Spanish Fork. At Colton, turn west off of U.S. 6 and travel about 10 miles on state Route 96 to the reservoir.

Fast fishing
Fishing at Scofield is usually best just after the ice has melted. That's when hungry trout, trapped under a sheet of ice all winter long, finally gain access to the water's surface and to food.

A fishes' metabolism surges in the spring. That surging metabolism stimulates a feeding frenzy of sorts in the fish. But the insects trout eat aren't active until early summer. So the nightcrawlers, salmon eggs and other commercial baits you toss to the trout are even more enticing to them.

From late April until June, the water temperature is comfortable near the shore, so the trout move in close to shore to school. It's a great time for lawn chair anglers to compete successfully with anglers who are fishing from boats, float tubes and pontoon boats.

Fishing from the shore is especially good for energetic youngsters who get bored easily and need to run around a bit. It's easier to entertain your kids if they're not confined to a boat!

Fishing tips for Scofield Reservoir, including the best baits to use, the best times to fish and how to create the “Scofield Special”—a bait that lures in big cutthroat trout—are available at www.j.mp/ctM5sG.

The tips are also available in a Division of Wildlife Resources news release at www.wildlife.utah.gov/dwr/news.html .

Simple equipment
In early spring, you can catch trout easily using just about any kind of tackle. A "Barbie" rod and reel tipped with a worm is as sophisticated as you need to get!

Although nightcrawlers are the best all-around fish catchers, you may want some additional insurance. Take along some PowerBait and cheese hooks. A jar of salmon eggs is a good bait to take with you.

A dead minnow is another good bait to try in the spring. You can catch redside shiners and Utah chubs at Scofield using a minnow trap. You can also catch Utah chubs on a rod and reel using small hooks and nightcrawlers.

After you’ve caught some minnows, please remember that the minnows must be dead before you can place them on a hook and use them as bait.

If you like to use artificial lures, Jake's Spin-A-Lures, Kastmasters and Triple Teasers are the best to use at Scofield. Spinners and crankbaits are also effective for the tiger trout and Bear Lake cutthroat trout in the reservoir.

The best spring fly pattern for Scofield is a brown or green sparkle leech in a size six to 10.

Fish in the morning or evening
As a general rule, you'll find more success if you fish during the early morning or late evening hours. Trout suffer from a midday slump. When the sun is high, the trout rest. Like many wild animals, trout feed most actively at dawn and dusk.

The time of day you fish is important if you want to "hook" your kids on fishing. You need to fish only when the bite is fast and frequent. Kids can develop patience elsewhere. Fishing should be non-stop fun!

The "Scofield Special"
Sergeant Stacey Jones, a Division of Wildlife Resources conservation officer who works at Scofield, says many anglers catch a lot of big fish at Scofield using a bait called the "Scofield Special."

Jones says the "Scofield Special" is an egg sack created from the eggs of a pregnant female trout. Once you’ve harvested a pregnant fish and counted it as part of your daily bag limit, you can remove the eggs and use them as bait.

To create a "Scofield Special," wrap the eggs in a small piece of netting. Then attach the netting to your fishing line with the hook buried inside the sack. (This is much like placing a chunk of PowerBait on your hook.)

Jones says it's critical that you make your egg sack the size of a marble. Anything larger is a waste and a turnoff to the fish.

Jones says the natural predatory nature of trout bring them right to this bait. It’s especially deadly for larger cutthroat trout.

If you're going to use fish eggs as bait, please remember that you must keep the fish you harvest the eggs from. It is illegal to "squeeze" a fish for eggs, and then release her. The trout will die.

The only lawful way you may use fish eggs is to keep and count the fish the eggs are removed from as part of your bag limit.

Use single hooks
An unfortunate aspect of spring fishing at Scofield is the high amount of "hooking mortality" that takes place.

Hooking mortality happens when anglers catch fish using treble hooks and then release the fish. As long as the fish is legal to keep, it’s very important that you keep and include any fish you catch on a treble or a barbed hook as part of your bag limit. Using barbed hooks greatly increases the chance that any fish you catch and release will swim off and die.

"Anglers need to understand that when they throw a fish they caught on a barbed hook back into the water, it’s the same as wasting wildlife,” Jones says. “It’s very important that anglers either change hook types when fishing with bait or egg sacks, or keep the first four legal fish they catch."

If a fish has been deeply hooked, Jones says it’s better to clip the fishing line and leave the hook inside the fish. “Hooks that are left inside a fish will quickly rust and disappear,” she says. “Clipping the line greatly increases the chance the fish you catch and release will live to be caught again another day.”

Three kinds of trout
Rainbow, cutthroat and tiger trout are the three trout in Scofield Reservoir.  DWR biologists introduced tiger trout to the reservoir in 2005. Some of these fish are five pounds or larger now. The DWR stocks 80,000 seven- to nine-inch rainbow and Bear Lake cutthroat trout, and 120,000 four- to five-inch tiger trout, every year.

Please remember the trout limit at Scofield:
- You can have four trout in any combination. But not more than two of those fish can be cutthroat or tiger trout less than 15 inches long. And not more than one can be a cutthroat or tiger trout over 22 inches.

- All cutthroat and tiger trout from 15 to 22 inches must be immediately released.

- You can keep rainbow trout of any size.

- You may not fillet fish, or remove their heads or tails, until you get home.

- The tributaries flowing into Scofield Reservoir are closed until the second Saturday in July to protect cutthroat trout that spawn in them.

Take your family fishing
When was the last time you took your family on a fishing trip? For most of us, it's been too long.

“A family retreat to a lake, pond or stream is a great way to strengthen family ties and ease tension,” Jones says. “We live in a hustle-and-bustle society. Often times, we get so busy that we put off having fun.

“There are so many obligations that seem to take a higher priority,” she says. “But time slips away. Kids grow up and leave home.

“Give your kids some of childhood's sweetest memories. Take them fishing!”