UINTA ICE / a fishing blog <'{{{{{><

East Canyon on the Ice

2012-02-05T14:56:00.003-07:00

My cell phone was dead, so I was unable to take any pictures. But I had a really fun day on East Canyon yesterday morning.

The truck said it was only 4 degrees, and it felt like it. The ice was slick and hard, with a spattering of snow in spots.

My first hole was over 70 feet of water. So I cut another and moved in to only 50 feet. I began here, placing my "nail tail" jig down about 10 to 12 feet, looking for cruising rainbows. I found them. I landed 5, and missed probably twice that many. The bite was rather aggressive, but they only gave you one quick shot and they were gone.

I only stayed about 3 hours. Since I was alone, I saw it as a good opportunity to get home early and do some things. The bite died off about 10:30 or so anyway. But it was my first trip out in several weeks, and I had a great time. Even though the catching wasn't that great. I caught rainbows in the 14 to 16 inch range, and they fought well.

I'm looking forward to going back soon, and possibly arriving a little earlier; before daylight.

2011-11-30T13:17:00.002-07:00

It's now late November, and Huntington reservoir is already frozen and has safe ice. Schofield can't be too far behind. In both lakes you can pursue Tiger Trout, pictured above.
I'm ready to head out! But Cindy says we are Christmas shopping this Saturday. Maybe next weekend . . .

Still More "Firsts" In The Family

2011-11-18T09:18:00.005-07:00

Jon is rounding out his hunting skills now, and here's his first rooster pheasant. Congratulations! Just don't get too attached to hunting; we've got the ice fishing season rapidly approaching.
I used to pheasant hunt all the time, but with all the houses springing up in the good farm land, it's hard to find a decent place to go. That, plus being without my old hunting dog, it's just not the same I guess. But I'd still like to go out this fall before it gets too cold.

Closing in on Transition Time

2011-10-28T11:36:00.006-06:00

It's getting to be that time of year when we cold-footers begin to think about ice fishing season. Some years we're on the ice by Thanksgiving. Other years it's more like Christmas. But I need to go through my equipment and make sure that fish-finder batteries are still good, that reels are spooled up with fresh mono, and that we have some early ideas as to where we want to do our fishing this year. Success rates have been down the past 2 seasons, so I'd like to just think that things will improve this year. We deserve better than we've been getting. Come on ice!

One thing I HAVE to do this year is down-size my load of "stuff" that I try to haul out onto the ice. Too much weight, and I'm getting too old to keep up with the boys as they scoot across the ice with their sleds. I carry too many lures and such. I've got to get a small bag and just place the bare minimum in there for fishing use. Of course, I still need to find a place for Mr. Heater to ride along.

Rainbows at Strawberry

2011-10-27T11:29:00.005-06:00

The rainbows were really biting well at Strawberry last weekend. We caught about 4 to 1 rainbows over cutts. And the cutthroats had little size to them. But we weren't upset; Jon, Paul and I all caught some fish. So it was a good day. We used crawfish colored tube jigs early, and then switched to white Rooster-Tails as the sun climbed higher in the sky. The trout were rather shallow, and we only trolled with mono. The bite was pretty continuous, and if we'd have caught all the fish that gave us hits, we'd have caught a bunch! But that's Strawberry. You never know what you're going to get. For example, we had perfectly calm water all morning, and then the wind blew up big time at noon. We had to make our way slowly across the bay to make it back safely to the marina. - We did see some kokanee in the river, by the way. The biggest part of the spawn is over, but a few fish remain in the stream.

Annual Kokanee Run

2011-10-09T12:57:00.002-06:00

This picture was taken by an unknown photographer who captured the kokanee salmon run in a place called Taylor Creek. I just had to post it here. The kokes are running up the Strawberry River right now too. I need to get up there to see some of the action.

Meet son-in-law #3

2011-10-09T11:54:00.008-06:00

Trevor Balls, our newest son-in-law, thanks the duck gods for a good morning on the pond. He is married to our youngest daughter, Debbi.

He is big into both fishing and hunting. So he fits right into the family! I've been fortunate that way. Above is a picture of his hunting partner, Boomer, and some of the ducks they took early one morning near Willard.

Mantua's Hot Trout Fishing

2011-09-24T15:17:00.005-06:00

Paxton poses with one of his many fish on this day at Mantua Reservoir. The trout were heavy in numbers, and feeding actively. This was easily a 50 fish day!

Bear Lake Macs

2011-09-24T10:37:00.012-06:00

In late September, Jon and I took a Friday off to venture up to Bear Lake in search of some lake trout. The fishing was slow, as we only got 3 fish to the boat. Jon was skunked this time; that never happens to him! Although he had numerous hits, the hook-ups just wouldn't come.
I kept two macs; one about 4 pounds and the other just under 7. We were fishing over 65 to 85 feet of water, with our lures at 50 feet. The bigger mac gave me a good fight, and I enjoyed it very much. Those fish were filleted for dinner one evening.

The weather was perfect. Just wish the fish had cooperated better.

Here's a look at the biggest of the 3 lakers. We were hoping for one over 10, which Jon has done up there before.

The Tradition Continues

2011-07-09T18:21:00.002-06:00

Young Paxton, seen here at Mantua Reservoir, has now been officially introduced to fishing by his dad, Jon. Grandpa was there to witness the big moment. Paxton caught 5 fish on this day; the perch you see here, a small largemouth bass, and several bluegill.
His dad now says he's ready for his first ice trip. We need to get him out in the boat, too.

Slab Crappies at Pineview Reservoir

2011-03-01T11:01:00.003-07:00

Slab crappies, like these brutes, are in Pineview, but night fishing on the ice is the best way to get into them. Otherwise, the daytime hours tend to only produce dinks. This is hopefully an indication of good spring fishing to come!
These fish averaged 13 to 15", which is extra nice for dinner candidates.

Perch on the Rebound at Pineview

2011-02-16T17:28:00.003-07:00

Pineview Reservoir is on the rebound, especially when it comes to perch numbers. A few bigger ones like this guy are occasionally showing up too. The lake has been at the bottom of a "Boom or Bust" cycle for several years now, but appears to finally be on the mend.

Young Angler Lost in Accident

2011-01-30T15:39:00.007-07:00

Jamison Tuckett, 15, of Layton, lost his life in an accident in mid-January. The fishing world has lost one of its kindred spirits. May our Father in Heaven continue to bless his family.
The rainbow trout he is holding just a week before his death is a 9 1/2 pounder he caught with his dad, Sean, at Soda Springs.

Strawberry In The Autumn Months

2010-10-16T15:33:00.007-06:00

Jon with a nice 20" cutthroat trout. October and November are good times to hit Strawberry Reservoir. The fish are hungry and quite cooperative. Jon caught about 10 trout, and I managed to land 7 or 8. So we had a really good morning. But around 11:00, the fish just shut off on us. But we got in a good 4 hours of action on this day.
Kokanee salmon are now in the Strawberry River, on their annual fall spawning run.
The only fish I kept; a nice fat rainbow trout for the smoker.

Beautiful rainbow trout orange fillets. These will go into the smoker!

Uinta Mountains Brook Trout

2010-08-01T18:32:00.002-06:00

Jon's recent trip with the Boy Scouts gave him an opportunity to catch some brook trout. Beautiful, aren't they?

Yellowstone Lake 2010

2010-07-18T19:12:00.002-06:00

Yes, we're in Yellowstone National Park. And that is Old Faithful. This was a fishing trip Cindy and I took in July.

Captain Wayne Broadhead, who stays for the summer at Bridgebay Marina, took us out for 2 days of Lake Trout fishing. He's seen here holding an 11 pound, 12 ounce Laker.

The three of us with one morning's take of fish. You should have seen the beautiful fillets these fish treated us with. One evening we had a fish dinner, and it was delicious!

Cindy and I holding our big stringer of fish from Friday morning's trip.

Cindy had bragging rights on day one. This 10 pound, 11 ounce Laker hit her jigging spoon in about 25 feet of water. What a great fight!

Alaska 2010

2010-07-01T13:55:00.006-06:00

AFISHUNT Charters, with John Baker, was our guide for our Alaskan adventure. Here we are standing by our daily haul of halibut. Although this day didn't produce any large fish, they were certainly fun to catch. A bad storm caught us on our way off the fishing grounds, and made for a long, bumpy ride back to shore.
John with one of his big Kings.
Now THAT's a lot of bull!
Fresh roe from one of Kris's fish. The river guides cure it and use it for bait.
Kris with one of his big Kings.
Kris and Jon had good success for King Salmon on the Kasilof River this spring. Check out these 2 big 'uns! These and more were caught while fishing out of a drift boat. The quiet beauty of the river was so relaxing. We stayed and fished 4 days, spending 2 days out for halibut. Those are hard work, but the reward in fillets is well worth it. We brought back about 126 pounds of fish to stock the freezers with. One day we'll have to return and go after Silvers in Seward's Resurrection Bay. I figured this would be my final Alaska trip, but we'll see what happens.

"Fish Lake" lives up to its name!

2010-01-31T15:02:00.005-07:00

Jon poses here with a mess of nice fish!

Fish Lake in January was really hot for us! Jon and I, and his cousin Chris, made a weekend trip to ice fish until we dropped. Which is about what we did! These splake trout, a hybrid between a lake trout and a brook trout, are very aggressive eaters and fighters. Their average size was about 17". Fish Lake is full of such fine fish. Including lake trout, none of which we caught on this trip.

We managed to find schools of perch both days we fished, and were also able to catch rainbow and splake trout along with them. This pile of nice perch went to the fillet table. We fished along the weed line in about 25 feet of water, and the fish were stacked in like cord wood. We threw back a lot more fish than we kept, too. What a trip!

First ice trip of the season 2009-10

2009-12-09T16:56:00.006-07:00

Jon's beautifully colored rainbow trout was the prettiest fish of the day on this trip to Scofield Reservoir. He took some pictures for the Big Fish Tackle ice fishing contest.

We literally walked on water this day, as slick as the ice was. Good thing we had our ice cleats on our boots! The reflections made it look wet, but it was 6 inches of hard clear ice. It was popping and zinging all day. Jon figures we caught about 100 trout in 5 hours, which sounds about right. We were busy continually.
What a great way to start the season!

It's getting closer . . .

2009-12-08T14:19:00.005-07:00

Kris, Jon, and I are planning a fishing adventure to Alaska in June of 2010!!! We'll be on the Kenai Pensula, fishing in the areas of Soldotna, Ninilchik, and Cook Inlet. Our target fish: king salmon and halibut.

Bear Lake trip for Jon

2009-09-28T12:21:00.003-06:00

Jon took the boat and made a run to Bear Lake, where he met up with this nice lake trout. ~11 pounds and 31 inches, with a 17" girth. Made enough fillets for Sunday dinner, and it was delicious. Jon continues to have a hot streak for the BIG fish lately. As you can see, Paxton is growing and is interested in Dad's fine catch.

More Willard Action

2009-05-25T17:37:00.004-06:00

I managed to scratch out one 18 inch wiper on a Friday evening outing. Jon continued his big fish tactics with a nice 20 inch, 5 pound walleye! They sure were delicious on the dinner table for Sunday dinner! He caught a couple of wipers himself to make for an exciting trip.

Jon Off to a Big Spring Start

2009-05-20T08:03:00.005-06:00

Jon has really been onto the big fish since last fall. First he caught a big Kokanee Salmon at the Gorge. Then a monster cutthroat trout, 26" and 6+ pounds. Now this spring he's already gotten 2 more big guys! A 20", 5 pound Wiper from Willard (below), and a huge catfish of close to 10 pounds from Utah Lake (above).
Check 'em out!!!

Flaming Gorge

2008-11-17T16:49:00.002-07:00

Jon holds 2 nice Kokanee Salmon caught off downriggers at Flaming Gorge.

Here I am holding a 20" rainbow caught at the Gorge with Dave Hoehne, who took Jon and I up for a weekend of fishing.

Good Ol' Big Un !!!

2008-11-16T14:08:00.005-07:00

Jon, Paul and I went up to Strawberry on November 15, and battled the waves for 5+ hours. Fish catching was slow for us, although others reported good numbers. We were in the boat, and the wind was whipping and white-capping the whole time. But we tried to hang in there. Water temp is now 40 degrees. Come on ice!

However, Jon did catch his biggest cutthroat ever; a 26", 6 1/2 pounder!!! What a beast!

He's quite the fisherman!

Back in the water!

2008-05-18T13:53:00.003-06:00

I had to undergo gall bladder surgery earlier in May, and I'm kind of out of action for a while.

But Jon made it out for a brief trip to Pineview on Saturday, and came out with a big, beautiful black crappie. The fish were staging, getting ready to spawn, and he saw a lot of tiger muskies out searching for food as well. Get ready crappie, here we come!

Hook Up! Done the right way.

2008-04-12T20:48:00.004-06:00

Most effective jigs under the ice hang horizontally. In this way, the hook protrudes upward. When taken by a trout, the hook most often embeds in the thick, meaty upper jaw and lips. We fight them patiently and let them run when they must. Elsewise, few fish would make it up the hole. A fish-finder is a must too, and I had a blast with Jon's Aqua-Vu camera today as well.
These hook ups make for the easiest release, and a practically 100% injury-free release of the fish. And with the tiny lures required for winter success, you need good hook-ups and reliable light line. We generally go with Berkley Trilene XL in the 6lb weights.For example, Jon smiles for a quick photo op before releasing his trout unharmed. Now that's how you do it when you "catch & release!" What a great day we had. I treasure such times, and will be glad when son-in-law Kris graduates and can come along!

Spring Ice at the Berry 4/12/08

2008-04-12T19:50:00.005-06:00

This nice cutthroat went 21", and weighed a bit over 3 pounds. Check out those beautiful, big spots! By the way, blue sky and sunshine contrasted with the white hard-deck to really make the colors stand out. A nice arrangement of colors here! And you can see why they're called cutthroats. This one had belly-freckles too.
My biggest of the day; a nice, hard-fighting 20-incher. Shaped like a torpedo and with a powerful swimming tail, these fish in THIS pond make for one incredible combination.
The purple hues on this big guy demanded a photo! Now that's a blue-steel cutthroat.
Our best friend on the ice is this Suzuki quad-runner. Sure makes for light work!

Half-Time Report

2008-02-10T12:29:00.001-07:00

To say we had a slow start to our ice season is an understatement. Causey & Pineview were both disappointing. But we've had some luck with East Canyon and Strawberry for trout. These "twister tail" grubs have been a slightly unusual success for me so far. Generally I use them during the open water period quite a bit. But this winter, the trout have been inquisitive. And I've had good luck with the attraction and lure of these little gems in the 1" to 2" range. Pink, orange, and as always white, have been good. Jon has done well with chartreuse. Most times and places, we're using the tail-less versions of jigs, like the Genz Worm or Rat Finkee.
1/32 to 1/64 ounce leadhead jigs have been excellent a foot or so under a Kastmaster flasher.
With the light bite we've seen, these wire "strike indicators" are priceless.
Kris with a camera in hand is always exciting. Here are two offerings; one in B&W and one color.

Jonathan "Quail" Higgins -- a non-fishing story about a doggone good dog!

2007-12-05T18:54:00.002-07:00

The Kindred Heart of Hunters
by Brad Kerr
Many years ago I bought a Brittany Spaniel pup. The selection was an easy one; he came right to me, was beautiful, and to satisfy the “underdog” attraction I have, he was the runt of the litter. I named my pup “Higgins,” and as it turned out, he was one huntin’ fool!
When the first of November rolled around, he was 6 months old for his first live hunt point of a rooster pheasant. Too dumbfounded to do anything other than watch, my companions never shouldered their guns. I dropped the bird with my first shot, and Higgins shot off after the fallen bird. I didn’t get a clean kill; the rooster was still alive, and fighting mad. It was close for a while. The rooster on top, then Higgie on top. Fur and feathers flew! I ran up and rescued them both. Needless to say, Hig never developed into a retriever.
Oh, he’d run ahead and find dropped birds, but he wasn’t too keen on picking them up. That bird went to the taxidermist.
Years went by. The sky was mostly gray, with only the occasional streak of sunlight coming through the low ceiling of clouds, and the Brittany and I were still hopeful of a rooster. A spot just ahead, where a pond was low enough to have a nice soggy bottom, was a corner of an old cedar fence row; a tangle of splintered posts, barbed wire, and overgrown weed stalks that had dodged the herbicide sprayings. “That’s about as far as I can go, and still make it back home without you dragging me, boy,” I told my orange and white spaniel. He wagged a stubby tail in agreement.
As we closed in, Higgins suddenly dropped his snout to the ground and started zig-zagging in erratic circles. I knew what this meant, so I ran as quickly as Sorels in mud will allow. We converged, heaving like the couple of tired hunters that we were, when Higgins slid to a point right where a patch of weeds was neatly hollowed out into a 4-inch diameter tunnel. Now what? The barbed wire was going to prevent us from stepping in. So I circled halfway around the fortress only to find a cedar post teetering across the twisted wire. I slipped off the safety, and gave that old post a couple of violent kicks. The commotion grew intense, as I watched first one, then two more hens come blasting out of the top of those weed stalks. Then all went quiet.
I stepped back around to see Higgins still frozen to the ground, and a rooster peeking out of the tunnel. Suddenly Higgins jammed his head into the hole, and the rooster shot straight up into the sky, giving me a perfect shot. The walk home was satisfying, with the weight of a long-tailed rooster in my game bag, and my best friend walking beside me.
More years went by. On the last day of what was to be our last season hunting together, we stayed out a little later than was practical. The sun was well down, leaving an orange and aqua sunset that deepened into an almost eerie glow. We were strolling along, heading in a general way toward the lights of our house. Higgins was working rather slowly, as he did in his later years, never venturing out as far as he had when younger and more hard-headed.
Suddenly, he got birdy . . . hotter and hotter. . . Despite the darkening sky, I vividly saw it. Or did I? I trailed slowly behind, and he froze up. Looking at a cover photo of Field & Stream, I calmly stepped forward. Up the rooster jumped; a huge bird with a flowing tail, squawking obscenities at us, flying into the fading colors of the western sky. I fired once, twice . . . But the bird flew on. We watched until he completely disappeared. The third shot was mostly anticlimactic; it emptied the gun. We were through.
Higgins saw it, so did I. But I have to wonder, as I did all the way back to the gate that let us into our back yard. Was that bird really there, or just an image to last us both? Create a surreal memory for dog and hunter, of bird and adventure, pursuit and chess match? It did indeed really happen. Real as opposed to just wanting the day to finish this way. Because I’m so glad it did. Killing that last wild bird of our hunting career would have been rather tragic, I think. It wasn’t necessary. The pheasant lived on, and we went our separate ways. We bred Higgins only once, and also kept one pup. A female whom we named Molly. They had each other’s company for about 10 years.
During one of our European trips, word came from our neighbor who cared for them in our absence. “Higgins is dead,” she told us on our last phone call home before returning. “Molly is crushed, and is howling most of the time.” I could think of little else on the entire flight home. Higgins enjoyed great success in chasing and pointing birds, going home smelling of the hunt. Gun powder, wet dog, sweaty vest, oiled 12-gauge, sage brush and switchgrass.
We arrived very late in the evening, and stumbled in with our luggage before collapsing for the night. The next morning, I glanced out at the dog run and house in quite a melancholy state. “What!?!?” I ran out and opened the gate. “Higgins!” Family and friends never did know one Brittany from the other. And while Molly’s death wasn’t any easier to take, for Higgins to still be here was, selfishly enough, of great relief to me! My old buddy was still alive!
As you might guess, we really pampered that old gray-faced bird dog. I knew his days were numbered, too. But I was with him, and he knew it. A few months into autumn, he really slowed down, and his breathing was laborious. A trip to our vet revealed what we feared: he was going into cardio-respiratory failure. We had him humanely put down. Not any easier, but still a reprieve of sorts. I did get to spend some time pampering him, loving him, and enjoying memories. When before, I thought he was gone without my being able to say good-bye.
Henry Willett wrote: I miss the wagging little tail; I miss the plaintive, pleading wail; I miss the wistful, loving glance; I miss the circling welcome-dance. “Good-bye, ol’ buddy . . . “

Getting antsy ...

2007-11-20T16:34:00.001-07:00

This is a scene that we're all getting anxious to see. ICE! Here it is Thanksgiving, and no ice yet. Come on colder weather! The "we" of course is Kris, Jon, & I. The girls don't care much for the cold. But that's only because they don't go out and enjoy it like we do.

Bonus at the Berry

2007-11-20T16:22:00.001-07:00

Paul, Jon, and I took advantage of a warm autumn to go to Strawberry in November. This is generally not something one can do, as the cold weather is frequently making an ice sheet of the big lake. But the fishing was hot, and we took some good video of the action.
Many beautiful cutthroat trout came to the net, most fooled with white tube jigs while we wind drifted a rocky edge.
It's easy to see why they call them "cutthroat" trout.
The average size of these trout was 20+ inches, and many were pushing 3 pounds.
You can tell we were bundled up against the cool wind, but that was easy to forget about once the line started to tug back. Several doubles highlighted the fast action.

Abstract Fish Paintings / DeYoung Fine Arts

2007-11-18T18:34:00.001-07:00

An abstract image of a Rainbow Trout. I love these illustrations; what a creative way to look at these beautiful creatures! To see more: http://www.deyoungfineart.com/gallery/PAINTING-GALLERY-1
Brown Trout
Cutthroat Trout
King Salmon
A 4-into-1 wall mural!

Searching the Archives

2007-11-09T17:03:00.005-07:00

My articles appear in the Ogden Standard-Examiner's XPLORE OUTDOORS section. To search their newest archive site, go to: http://www.xploreutah.net/

From there you can simply search, and relevant documents will appear. As of August, 2010, the site is operational, and is constantly being loaded with back issue information. Just use the SEARCH button to search for Brad Kerr and my relevant articles.

In good company ...

2007-10-21T18:56:00.001-06:00

One of my favorite LDS paintings, Come Follow Me, depicts the Savior beckoning to fishermen to join Him in bringing souls to His Father's Kingdom." The first men that our Saviour dear,
Did choose to wait upon Him here
Blest fishers were, and fish the last
Food was that He on earth did taste.
I therefore strive to follow those
Whom He to follow Him hath chose."
- Sir Izaak Walton * "Angler's Song" by the Piscator
from The Compleat Angler

More Fall Color & Colorful Fish

2007-10-20T11:23:00.000-06:00

Our apricot tree is turning for the fall season, and it reminds me of ... me. Still standing there, mostly alone, showing signs of age, grudgingly dropping leaves now that the fruitful season is over. I'm glad to have a busy wife by my side, wonderful daughters, and sons-in-law who still don't mind if I tag along on fishing trips. And the grandkids; they still allow you to be young and playful whenever they're around.
Who among us sees a pile of autumn leaves on the ground, and thinks, "Work"? As oppossed to a child, who sees them and thinks, "Play!"

Here's a cold water sample of a tiger muskie. Jon caught this "snake with teeth" early one morning while out with his family.
Jon gave me this shot of a tiger trout in fall spawning colors. Interestingly, these fish are sterile hybrids, and do not reproduce. However we still get to benefit from their display of brilliance when cold weather starts moving in.
Jon also has gotten into hiking into the Uinta Mountains to fish for beautiful brookies, and this unique species: Arctic grayling. Distinguished by the very tall dorsal fin. they are not found in very many areas of the continental US. But we're lucky enough to have them.
This is my next goal of a specie that I want to catch, but as yet haven't. Jon and I did a hike-in to go after these unique beauties, but all I caught that day was gorgeous brookies. On the other hand, Jon caught several arctic grayling that day!

The BIG one that got away!

2007-10-13T15:00:00.000-06:00

This isn't the actual "BIG one" of the day, but one just like him walked out into the road on us this morning as we were on our way to Pineview to go fishing. Fortunately for both him and the front end of my truck, I managed to brake hard and move enough right to miss him. At the moment, all I could see out the windshield was legs and belly. These guys are monsters. Once he meandered off the road, I turned the truck to face him and the headlights showed us the nice rack he carried, and the cow who must have crossed just in front of him. I don't mind a big one like that getting away!
One of Jon's smallmouth bass of the day. Only slight breezes, but with the temps barely reaching 50, we were pretty chilled by the time we left.
Jon got this shot of the 5 crappies I kept for filleting. I jigged them up out of ~20 feet of water, and had a fun time catching them. No tiger muskies on this day, but one had some healed teethmarks on its backside!
This big female was just over 13-inches, and as you can see quite healthy.

What goes around . . .

2007-10-09T18:16:00.000-06:00

On one of our family camping trips, we stayed at an area where we can all fish. These were some of the golden days for the kids, I think. They got so much excitement and happiness from being outdoors in a beautiful place.
My first float tube got a lot of use. Here at Lyman Lake, Cindy and I took turn going out and casting to nice cutthroat and rainbow trout.
Look how little the kids were here! They always showed a lot of enthusiasm for my outdoor successes. This rooster pheasant was cooked for dinner one night, in a gravy of mushrooms and chopped bird, over a bed of rice. Good stuff!
And now, to compare Alivia and Lincoln in size, I can barely remember the girls being this age!

Daddy's Little Girls: Stacy

2007-10-08T19:35:00.000-06:00

Stacy has her stringer from Trial Lake up for show in this photo. She always had excellent patience when it came to fishing. Her preference for bait: nightcrawler & a marshmallow.
Stacy really liked ice fishing, and was darned good at it. She also fished with an attitude; no one was going to out-fish Stacy!
Stacy caught this nice Strawberry cutt while on a weekend trip with our neighbors. The biggest one of the trip, she brought it home for us for dinner.

Daddy's Little Girls: Jamie

2007-10-08T19:30:00.001-06:00

One of my very favorite pictures of Jamie, here she shows off her stringer of trout caught at Trial Lake in the Uintas. That excited grin could only mean one thing: Jamie was having a really good time! Her favorite trout bait: salmon eggs.
A bull bluegill from out of Mantua Reservoir was one of the biggest I've seen caught here in Utah. According to my scale, it weighed 15-ounces; just one short of a full pound.
Here Jamie shows the camera the nice size of this catch of yellow perch on an ice fishing trip. I must admit, Jamie made this part hard on me. I'd fill the sink with water to dump the perch in, and most were still alive. She'd start naming them, and playing with them ... But was always a good sport about their use as fillets for dinner.

Daddy's Little Girls: Debbi

2007-10-08T19:13:00.001-06:00

Debbi, always the best fish eater of the 3 girls, was the luckiest little angler I ever saw. Any pole she touched was immediately the "hot stick" for fish. This stringer came from Tony Grove Lake.
Debbi was wiped out from slaying the perch on this day. She even slipped off her boots and warmed her toes by the heater. We took a mess home and had them for Sunday dinner the following day.
Another hot stick day was at Pineview fishing for yellow perch, when all of a sudden Debbi yelled out. Her pole was bent double, and it was obvious she didn't have on a perch! This fat 6 pound carp gave her his best, but our Deb was equal to the task!
Her first day actively fishing with a fly rod, and she completes a cast, retrieve, hook set, and landing of this beautiful 22-inch rainbow.

Some Favorite Memories

2007-10-08T18:54:00.001-06:00

Stringers full of spring crappies are just about my favorite fish to both eat and catch. We got into them really well from about April until June. We had our best success attacking them from float tubes, and dropping 2-inch grubs and jigs into weed patches, brush tops, and the edges of moss beds. Great fun!

My uncle Gene came out to visit and fish a couple of times over the years. One of the highlights was a day in Idaho where he fly fished his way to what he later called, "The greatest fish catching day of my life!" To say I was pleased is hardly adequate.
My sweetheart Cindy and I pose by a morning's catch of halibut. At least on this day, I finally caught the biggest fish. But Cindy still trumped us all; while the rest of us were initially doing battle with sharks and giant cod 200 feet down, Cindy went 1 - 2 with her limit of halibut, and was done! We were exhausted before completing our catch, but it was well worth every ache. My 2 halibut went 65 & 63 pounds. The biggest caught that day.
With Cindy as chef, every fish dinner is memorable. All is homemade, from coleslaw to baked beans to hushpuppies!
Now here's a story: Debbi went with me one Saturday morning to chase crappie and smallmouth. We fished so hard, and produced so little, that I was afraid that Deb would never go with me again. As we trolled back toward the marina, dragging deep-diving crankbaits for smallies, my pole took a hard nose dive. As soon as I picked up the rod and felt the huge head shake, I knew what I had. Debbi ran to the upper end of the boat, and threatened to not budge until I got rid of that thing. I had to beg her to bring me the net when I got him up toward the boat. She came half way and threw it at me! But we got that monster! 40-inches and 22 pounds worth!

Colors of Autumn

2007-10-08T18:47:00.000-06:00

Nothing says color and excitement like a brown trout from a stream as fall spawn is coming on. This big guy was 20-inches, hit a rainbow Rapala . . . and I still have the scar to prove it!
Fall also means the kokanee salmon run in several Utah lakes and tributary streams. The land-locked koke is genetically identical to the sea-run sockeye salmon, frequently caught in Alaska.

This is a 26-inch rainbow, beautifully spotted, but the camera just couldn't do justice to it's array of color.

Fish on Film

2007-10-05T20:38:00.001-06:00

A friend of Jon's took a picture of this fantastic yearling golden trout. The vertical bars on the sides are called "parr marks", which the fish carries for its initial year of life. A rare find, and a true trophy in spite of its relatively small size.

A gorgeous brown trout who fell victim to a Panther-Martin spinner. Check out those gorgeous spots!
One of my favorite shots: taken at Huntington Reservoir in central Utah, this tiger trout was caught through the ice. What makes it so cool is the mosaic pattern of the ice, which came to appear this way after it had initially frozen, went through a partial melt during a warm spell, and then re-froze.
A black crappie, caught from a float tube on a 2" twister-tail jig. Delicious! (The crappie I mean, not the 2" twister-tail jig ...)
A brook trout lying in the grass after the catch. One of the prettiest fish you can catch.
I had my office wall decorated this way at school. I do love fishing!

My buddy Lincoln at the pond

2007-10-05T20:23:00.000-06:00

Lincoln pauses briefly from the fight of a fish to say "Cheese!" What a little ham.
This isn't Lincoln's first, nor biggest fish he's caught all by himself. However, he certainly celebrates every catch made by anyone. He loves to hang close to his dad and cast continually for as long as they stay.
A beautiful sunset frames a walking bridge over the lake, complete with some young anglers fishing.

Put it in writing for safe keeping!

2007-10-01T17:37:00.000-06:00

I have the good fortune (not monitary) of writing for the Outdoors column in our local newspaper, the Ogden Standard-Examiner. One of the great things is that I have no shortage of material when I'm around my "boys" and grandson. Sometimes I write about technical aspects of a particular fishing style, but I prefer more of a storytelling and how-to story. On occassion I find a comical or humorous twist to a feature, and these get as much positive feedback as anything. But most of all I'm hoping to leave behind some family tales that those who read the column will be able to share. Hopefully they'll have a positive feeling toward our little tribe!
"Click" on either image for a close-up view!

A BIG boy for Jon!

2007-09-29T13:07:00.000-06:00

Jigging for lake trout (mackinaw) is an exciting way to catch these big fish. This one, a 36-inch, 20-pounder, came off the bottom in 90 feet of water. What a battle!

Just look at that smile! What a beast of a trophy. And the fish was released unharmed!
He's got a face full of a silver spoon and treble hooks, but was still feisty after the 15 minute fight.

East Canyon in the Winter

2007-09-29T12:58:00.001-06:00

Rainbows as FAT as this one doesn't have to be 20-inches to weigh 3-pounds or more!
We had to brave some really cold weather last winter to fish EC. But it sure was worth it, as the boys show some of their fish to the camera.

On occassion we took some fish home to eat. But keep in mind: we caught a lot more fish than just the ones we kept! These were deep fighting 'bows that were a real kick on light line and short ice poles.
The hook-jawed male posed for a quick snapshot, and was then released to fight another day.

Fishing with Dave

2007-09-24T19:51:00.000-06:00

Late summer / early fall is a great time to target kokanee salmon out of Flaming Gorge. We vertical jig over rocky structure in coves along the sheer walls. Nice kokes like this one, a 5 pounder, are a great treat for salmon lovers. These landlocked salmon don't get as big as the sea-run sockeye, but are just as delicious.

Perch Parties

2007-09-24T19:44:00.000-06:00

One of our "keeper" fish during winter is yellow perch. With an occasional rainbow trout thrown in for contrast, this pile of fish made for a delicious Sunday dinner.
This jumbo perch, a little on the rotund side, couldn't decide which bait to hit. So he took them both! Jon and I were fishing in the tent, with 2 holes cut about 3 feet apart. Hungry fish, huh?
Filleted perch are mild and delicious. Cindy will often make baked beans, cole slaw, and fried potatoes to go along with such a treat.

Strawberry Reservoir

2007-09-24T19:36:00.000-06:00

Beautiful Bear Lake cutthroat trout are a popular target at Strawberry.
Fish over 20 inches and 3+ pounds are COMMON.
No, this guy isn't from Tennessee. Kris is demonstrating how warm it can actually get during early spring ice fishing. And this from a guy who was concerned about getting his feet cold when I first invited him out on the ice! Big Fish Tackle runs a fun ice fishing contest over the winter. None of us placed, as we can't get out 3 or 4 times a week the way some guys do. But among the three of us, Jon won in '06 - '07.

Huntington Reservoir

2007-09-24T19:32:00.001-06:00

These beautiful tiger trout call Huntington home. One of the first ponds to safely ice over, we can usually expect to be fishing between late November and early December. * By the way, these sterile hybrids are a cross between a brown and a brook trout.

Fishing on ICE !

2007-09-24T19:20:00.000-06:00

Kris took this shot and several others on this spectacular morning at Rockport Reservoir. Ice fishing offers unbeatable scenery that most won't see if they stay indoors during winter.
When it's really cold, we pop up a few tents for warmth. On sunny days, the black tent soaks up the heat and makes for a toasty fishing shack.
An inside view of the tent: a Vexilar fish finder, short ice pole, bottle of stink, and a beautiful rainbow. Now THAT's living!
This is a good way to shake off cabin fever. Take some family out and make a day of it.
And as long as I'm with Kris and Jon, I know there's going to be action! These guys can really fish.

Alaska!

2007-09-24T19:08:00.000-06:00

I've been fortunate to take 2 trips to Alaska, but this will always be my favorite. My cousin Craig (left), and my uncle Bobby (right), accompanied us. A few years later, my uncle was diagnosed late into cancer, and has since passed away. Good memories ...

This rough looking bunch really laid the wood to silver salmon out of Resurrection Bay, Seward, Alaska.
It's not too hard to see who caught the biggest fish on this trip!

12 pound silver caught on the Kenai River on medium spinning tackle. What a fight!

Cindy's father with a big 14 pound silver from Resurrection Bay.

Not just photos ...

2007-09-20T17:37:00.001-06:00

I don't just take pictures when we fish, although Cindy says I do. But by default, I have the best camera-phone.

We also shoot quite a bit of video, which I edit on iMovie and burn us DVD copies. And why not, with all this great subject matter?
But I also have the good fortune to do some creative writing for outdoor / fishing newspaper columns of the Ogden Standard-Examiner. They run my articles once a month, every first Wednesday. So you see, it's not "just photos" for us.

Meet the sons-in-law: JON

2007-09-19T18:53:00.000-06:00

Jon is an avid fisherman, excited for the next trip days before it comes along. He enjoys sharing his knowledge, too. And that comes in handy with his Church calling with the young men and their Scout Troop. Jon caught this 36-inch, 20 pound lake trout (mackinaw) in the early morning light at Flaming Gorge. We have plans to return to big lake in October, 2008, to catch some hungry pre-spawn lakers. Nice going, Jon!

Jon is also a "big fish" angler in our family. This tiger muskie hit a small jig on 6-pound test monofilament. And despite those sharp teeth and powerful body, Jon brought this big guy in for a quick measurement (27 inches) and safe release. This makes 4 or 5 muskies for Jon this season; I lost count!

Another Pineview resident is the smallmouth bass. This bronzeback also hit a jig fished slowly on the bottom, and gave a tremendous rod-thumping fight before letting me snap his picture. The fish was released unharmed!

Strawberry Reservoir is another of our favorite fishing spots. Here Jon shows a bright, spotted cutthroat trout!

Meet the sons-in-law: KRIS

2007-09-19T18:26:00.001-06:00

While on a recent float tube trip to Pineview Reservoir, Kris landed this brute of a smallmouth bass. Fooled into taking a twisty-tail jig, the big fish weighed just under 5 pounds! After a few quick pictures, the fish was released to fight again another day. (A practice we adhere to with 95+% of our catches!)

Another measurable trophy, Kris pulled this huge black crappie out of the brush at Pineview this past spring. A 14-inch beauty, Kris again released the fish after photos.

Lincoln, Kris' 2 1/2 year old fisher-son, will go to the pond and cast with dad until it's too dark to continue. Passersby marvel at the young anglers ability to cast and retrieve on his own. But he's just a chip off the old block, as this Syracuse Pond largemouth bass can attest.

This is a 22-inch, brightly colored rainbow trout that Kris caught from a lake on private land. This big guy went in for filletting, and fed the whole tribe for dinner!

Kris' catches don't require Photo-Shop enhancement, but he couldn't resist a chance to blow away his co-workers with this shot. (Notice the smaller shadow.)

Another shot of the gorgeous smallmouth; just look at that broad tail! No wonder Kris' pole was bent double, and the battle lasted for several minutes. What a nice bronzeback!

We fish for them all !!!

2007-09-19T18:04:00.000-06:00

Just as these wall mounts show, Kris, Jon and I enjoy any and all fishing adventures. And the coda "Too many fish, not enough time" sure sums it up for us.

And now with the addition of my grandson Lincoln, we've got to take that boy fishing whenever possible. All we need is a Kitchen Pass and we're ready to go!