Show Standard-Examin- Sunday er Nov 21 1982 7D Regional fishing still paying off By BERT STRAND Outdoor Editor WILLARD — The dropping water level in Willard Bay Reservoir may just be giving angling for warm fish at the popular water a much needed boost with anglers finding better success of late Crappie fishing action has picked up at the North Marina State Park harbor especially near the docks and boaters still venturing out and know where to go are picking up more channel catfish and walleye An indication of a shift for the better in angling at the big reservoir is the fact veteran angler Glenn Hull of North Ogden socked into a six and Bert StrandStandard-Examine- Region waterfowlers really hunting have found quite a bit of action lately the result of storm fronts moving through r Unsettled weather helps Restless waterfowl spcark shoot By BERT STRAND Outdoor Editor Waterfowl hunting success continues to hold up quite well in Northern Utah with some birds leaving for the south and others arriving from the north Hunters putting in a little extra effort continue to take nice ducks Canada honkers Wilson’s snipes and more whistling swan Thin ice in some marsh areas had birds concentrating earlier in the week and hunting was good Warmer temperatures later however opened most of the water again and let birds scatter Hunting pressures have been moderate to light at Public Shooting Grounds and Salt Creek and very light at Locomotive Springs Dallas Taylor manager of the three state waterfowl refuges said hunters have been finding poor to fair success in general A count of waterfowl on the three refuges a couple of days ago indicated a loss of some ducks but geese numbers holding steady and swan moving in Public Shooting Grounds had 7163 ducks 507 honkers and 47 swan Salt Creek was holding 5986 ducks 1035 geese and a dozen swan Locomotive Springs had 2234 ducks 519 honkers and four swan Taylor said most birds are on West Lake with East Lake generally bare most of the time He said hunter success has been less than a bird per hunter per day so far this season down somewhat from past years However hunters getting out to remote refuge areas or covering the most swamp jump shooting are consistently taking nice ducks such as mallards pintails greenwinged teal baldpates canvasbacks and shovelers A few more ducks have also vacated Ogden Bay Harold Crane and Howard Slough state refuges but there has been some fair hunting available All three marshes are holding fair populations of ducks and some geese with more swans showing up each day When the ice was on jump shooting picked up considerably especially for nice mal- lards Ducks have been flying fairly well the past week especially during a few periods of rather stiff winds Honkers still seem reluctant to move into corn and stubble grain fields but some hunters have reported a bit more such action the past few days Noland ‘’Dooly” Nelson manager of the three refuges said a good freeze could im- prove the hunting for scatter-gunner-s who like cold weather and icy waters Some ducks and geese stay in the area all winter It seems to be a- matter of available feed and water gad-wal- ls - Norfherm Utah sworn coy mtf Utah is one of the few states where whistling swan are hunted on a limited basis and right now the state’s population of the big white game bird is apparently at its peak permits Utah is one of only three states with swan hunts The other two states are Montana and Nevada with 500 per- cat adults per young and the number of young per swan family These surveys coupled with the Alaska information help esmits each but unlike Utah tablish an understanding of swan hunting is swan mortality where of the A1 Regenthal waterfowl statewide their hunts are re- hunter harvest andeffects the trend in program coordinator and Tim stricted to one or two counties the entire population The Provan waterfowl wildlife average harvest WildIn addition to these surveys a of Division in the three states has been runbiologist Utah life Resources recently counted ning about 35 percent of the comprehensive midwinter surswan at the federally managed 3500 permits authorized vey is conducted each year durinbeen Bear River Migratory Water-fow- l have ing the first week of January populations 1977 now since has what creasing consistently throughout the nation Refuge that is expected to be its peak popua factor that permits limited This count is conducted on lation this year of 30000 birds hunting of the birds both the eastern and western There also are some starting Each year tens of thousands populations of wintering swans to move onto Ogden Bay Howof whistling swans migrate It gives the best index of the ard Slough Harold Crane and through Utah and stay for a total number of swans Public Shooting Grounds all limited time depending on Over the last 10 years an averstate managed weather conditions and availage of 59000 birds have been The state issued 2500 free able food and water Swans begin their life cycle counted in the 11 Pacific Flypermits to take swan during the 1982-8waterfowl season with hatching in Alaska and the way states the season limit per hunter one Northwest Territory of Canada The Utah surveys are conbird where their parents breed and ducted every two weeks from So far only a few hunters nest about Oct 1 through Jan 15 have reportedly filled their perDuring the summer the AlasThe average shows ka Department of Fish and swan mits peaking betSwans like many other wild Game conducts surveys of ween populations 1 Nov through Dec 15 animals are creatures of habit breeding pairs nesting success with the maximum numbers of Hunters are advised that the and brood counts of swans to swans on Utah marshes betbig birds establish patterns for determine reproductive success ween Nov 15 and 20 and the number of young per given lengths of time Swan popuations movement A good tip to hunters is to take family and The swans leave this area in time to watch the birds to obbreeding depend heavily on weather conditions serve their daily flight patterns the fall move Alaska and across as to areas and times of day They Open waters food and nesting The hunter will then know Canada into Montana then or resting areas are made availwhere to place a blind for the move down the Rockies into able largely by good weather Utah best success When the weather turns harsh Their first lengthy stop is in Each year over 8000 persons swans will be on the move the apply for Utah’s swan hunting Utah area to After their stay in the Beehive until they find aforgood Utahns the fortunately State harsh weather moves the stop bulk of the birds west through state’s marshes offer those good HELENA Mont — The Monthe Ruby Mountains in Nevada areas said Rengenthal Hunters with permits are retana Department of Fish Wild- to the delta of the Sacramento minded life and Parks hotline for reand San Joaquin rivers of they must have permits with the paper tag attached porting fish and game violations California where they winter and metal wing tag in possesin has netted almost 400 violators During their stay Utah the sion while a sursecond phase of the annual hunting says department report The arrests resulted in fines vey is conducted to help deterUpon taking a swan the paper of almost $13000 since its incepmine mortality and population tage must be detached from the tion in 1978 said the departtrends of whistlers permit the metal tag put ment The waterfowl biologist and through it and both tags must Jim Flynn department direc- program coordinator of the be attached to the right wing of tor said the effectiveness of the wildlife division conduct pop- the swan line is improving each year The information asked on the ulation and family group From September through De- surveys permit should be entered and cember of 1981 a total of 435 An aerial count of the total the permit dropped in the mail calls were taken on the hotline This information provides the number of swans in Utah is taresulting in 24 citations and ken and a ground survey is ta- wildlife division with harvest in$3800 in fines ken to determine the number of formation necessary to the total t 10-ye- ar S-w- an 3 20-ye- ar Hotline successful At Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge hunters did well early in the week when the ice was on averaging from 23 to 36 birds each per hunting day Some ducks have left with the refuge holding around 30000 now There are around 2000 honkers still using the refuge and swans are everywhere with the count at 25000 to 30000 Terry Tadaba assistant three-quart- er pound walleye and banked it at the north marina fishing with an artificial shad Crappie being taken are not the walleye Hull large and was claimed long and thin Water is being drained from the big warm water fishery by the Weber Basin Water Conservancy District to permit needed maintenance work on inlet facilities It’s reported the level of the reservoir will be drawn down to that of 1969 when boaters could see the bottom just about anywhere Shrinking the big pond is bound to concentrate game fish that have been showing indications of not getting enough food for over a year There are also indications that some game fish such as crappie walleye and channel catfish are slipping down into the outlet channel with the heavy flow of water Anglers have been taking a few out of the channel but action has not been very fast The north marina is open to the launching of boats and camping in certain areas The South Marina State Park has been closed for the season although there is vehicle access to the inlet channel baffle dams Anglers walking into the harbor area have found fishing for crappie or any other fish generally poor Meanwhile elswehere in Northern Utah the relatively few anglers out have been finding some fairly good fishing on some waters Ogden River has been producing some fair to good fishing for brown trout with wet flies lures and baits all working Pineview Reservoir has seen light pressure of late due to cool weather but some nice bluegill are still being taken Fishing for trout has been poor to fair with anglers getting to the stream channels generally doing best Causey Creek Reservoir continues to offer trout fishing but the action has slowed considerably compared to a few weeks ago South Fork has seen few lers and success has been erally poor anggen- plant of 15000 fingerling A brown trout in early September should start paying off with the opening of the general angling season next year Anglers are reminded that Locomotive Springs closed to angling Monday and will remain closed until Jan 15 1983 It had not been offering very good fishing Blacksmith Fork browns are starting to hit a bit better and there are reports some have even started their annual spawning activity The stream has been fair and impoundments generally poor Logan River has been spotty with some sections producing well at certain times Impoundments have been fair The Weber River has started giving up some extra nice browns and cutthroats to anglers who known how to fish wet flies work lures or float baits Pockport Reservoir has been fair for taking rainbows East Canyon poor to fair Lost Creek fair for cutthroat and Echo poor for taking anything manager said the swans have been doing a lot pf flying and were keeping puddles open during the temporary freeze He also said pheasant hunting picked up during the final days of the hunt that ended Friday with the total take at 42 The harvest last year however was 81 roosters Date Nov Nov Nov Nov Nov Nov Nov 21 22 23 24 Shooting Ends 5 04 p m p m 25 503 26 27 5 03 pm 5:02 pm peak management of swan popula tions FLAVORED WITH COCOA 506 pm 505 pm 5'04 pm 5 lb bag Hours: 9:30 am 7 pm lb -- BUli WAREHOUSE FOODS 695 W RIVERDALE RD 399-108- 2 |