r., " . ,x , s . , ' " f J,? , -t .v,, : ' :v '. . . V v.:-v;-,' : VW . - ; . A !'.', f- " . , , ... 4 I Z .. x ::: -t . ..' .' .vr 1 - . 1 ;' i , - ' ... : . - - v . -v.v-.-. -.0.5- ' . - i--rir , , . t , - v" .Vif ' .C: ' - , . ' ' :y- K. v .12 . . ' J ' - -Mv - ';, - ' v- j '-T X-T '-v.-,- v. v'vv 'W-C.. 'j&v.1 SPRING ANGLER keeps shadow off water while Early vrouv fishing is a mavver of viming By HarttWixom Vernal Express Outdoors Writer Jowearlv is too earlv to begin trout ' b some Utah streams you have to lit early to avoid the mud. Yet. really, the latter doesn't occur until tperatures are warm enough to tiate hunger in fish stomachs, timing is the secret. But if you can ch the early thaw in waters like 9' kjete County's Sanpitch River, the (nont.East Fork Sevier below Otter ;et or main Sevier in the canyons ve Richfield and Maryvale, you ive excellent spring trout fishing fco lower Duchesne, a spring lunker Uvorite. Some like Morgan County's 1. oddard Slough remain clear until tj warm weather. .While many early anglers prefer ,!. rms or nightcrawlers (and they tainly work), slowly retrieved lfciers or lures are also often ef-ttive. ef-ttive. Even more so if the stream is i ightly swollen with runoff, since more q I'rter can be worked in less time with Tfe than bait. Visibility is a distinct ctor: make sure the fish have a fcnee to see it, meaning get it deep, ineath rocks, logs, brush, cutbanks. ; 'Plan on snags. If they do not happen ' xasionally you are not deep enough f spring trout! If too often, suspend , And if a stream is thick with ud. overflowing the banks, you are "there in prime time. Best that you - im another day. However, if you y lure-casting lower Duchesne River. cannot, go slowly enough to get your offering into the pockets you envision would still be there under August conditions. It is true trout become bolder in higher water, moving more freely. But the biggest fish are still most likely to be near the habitual sanctuaries at any time of the year. Therefore, you have an advantage if you have looked at the stream prior to the high water. Scouting ahead pays off in more than deer hunting. If the water is unfamiliar, concentrate below bends, under or behind anything which slows the force of the current. Best trout are generally near the food-laden middling -swift flow, yet rarely right in it due to calories which would be lost fighting it. A number of trout streams seem productive only in the spring and fall. Temperatures are conducive then to highest metabolism activity. Besides, summer brings algea, irrigation drawdown, and other problems. Other than the actual week a stream drops and clears, you will probably enjoy your best stream fishing in the early thaw spring period, plus anytime after the third week in September. Spring trout, not hooked for months, may be less wary. But, as usual, you'll have to keep your shadow off the water, and walk softly to even have a chance. The timing factor is not as critical on lakes, although a week after ice-out, if possible, is often best. Here, too, water must warm sufficiently to send trout on a feeding binge. In cool temperatures they will tend to be near the surface, probing downward as water warms in late May-June. While some waters are not open on a year-around basis, most lakes and many streams are. You will need a 1982 proclamation, and current year license before venturing forth. Anything can happen weather-wise this time of year, so you'll need layered clothing. If your rod guides ice over, apply some regular drug store glycerine to keep the line moving through freely. Oh, yes. If it is your first outing of the year, check all lines carefully. If you didn't replace it last year, take no chances. A spool of mono-filament costs a dollar or two. Get the reel handle oiled for a smooth retrieve. Patch the boots! It will be that much easier second time out.