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Show ' Fishing Season Opens Saturday at 5 am A Mini Handbook for the Opener -H:- ' 1 if-;'- Ill , ' ' ' ' ! f ( ' X i It happens every year: like lemmings, the Winnebagos, Chinooks, Hondas, Rabbits, and Datsuns climb over the pass. Their goal: Rocky Mountain trout. The theory is that after the opener it's all downhill. With thousands of eager anglers showing up for the opener, it is rather surprising that there are any fish left for the rest of the season. But there are. The Division of Wildlife Resources Resour-ces makes sure there are enough fish to go around. So the question remains why do fishermen flock to crowded campgrounds, pressing shoulder to shoulder shoul-der along the shoreline and bow to stern on the lakes on opening weekend, year after year? Could it be that the opening of fishing season is as much a social event as a sporting one? Water conditions, gill net surveys and reports from the hatcheries point toward a strong opening weekend. And in order to insure that no angler goes home with an "empty creel a special 6 trout limit will be in effect opening weekend. Thereafter, the . limit will return to 8 fish per creel with the following conditions. First, under a new regulation, designed to increase the number of larger fish in Utah waters, each fisherman is limited to no more than two trout-measuring trout-measuring more than 13 inches. This regulation will be strictly enforced. Second, on the Provo River, which has been traditionally maintained main-tained as a Class I water for fly fishermen, no fish over 13 inches may be kept and only two each of the native species (brook, cutthroat and brown) may be taken per creel. Though the Mirror Lake Road will be open by May 30, most of the upper lakes including Lyman Lakes and Whitney Reservoir will still be frozen. The lower lakes on -the north slope of the Uintas, however, will be stocked in time for the opening. These lakes include Lily, Bridger, Marsh and Hoop Lakes. Many of the streams are expected to be too high to plant. Smith-Morehouse Reservoir Reser-voir will be stocked for the opener; however, the upper portions of the Weber (above Rockport) are still running too fast for good fishing. In the Park City area both Beaver and Kimball Creek will be stocked for the opener as will McCloud Creek (traditionally known around Park Meadows as Kid's Creek). In Morgan County, the Weber River will be stocked below Echo. Echo Reservoir will also be stocked and boat fishing is expected to be good. Conservation Officer Steve Kearl also mentioned that Lost Creek will be planted but reminds fishermen that there are no parking and only minimal launching facilities at the site.. Last year 2,280 people showed up at Lost" Creek, which had not been open the .previous year and the situation was chaotic. There are no developed campsites at Lost Creek. Please remember that in many cases private landowners land-owners have allowed fishermen fisher-men access to local creeks and fishing holes through their land. Protect that privilege by carrying out all trash and by observing No Trespassing signs. The Right Gear is essential. - ---- - - , veft ' I v Pi , ,.. ' t , -. k -V - .." V-- .v ---v rr- - f s. " - i , - - - v - s - - It's a social event. L.;! car the Department of Wildlife Resources began clariiin" fiT.jreriings in the fall. I he new program is 'diJi.ii: larger I'ish. |