When a friend asked me to join them on a weekend of fly fishing I jumped like a hungry river trout at the opportunity - not only to try my hand at fly fishing, but to do so in the stunning Timpanogo's mountain region of Utah.
Utah is an easy escape from Southern California, only a 2 hour flight from LAX or SFO. Rent a car from the bank of agencies who are ready to negotiate (under $25/day), and head to the mountains! Within 45 minutes you will be in the historic ski resort town of Park City (PC). While I have enjoyed the infamous winter powder snow slopes of PC, it is also a thriving summer destination with a multitude of events, including the Park City Jazz Festival, and adventure activities at PC Resort ranging from mountain bike riding to the 110ft ZipRider (find out more @ PC activities here).
Park City and surrounds has an abundance of fine accommodation- all competing for your business- so be prepared to negotiate... it is worth it. We stayed at the acclaimed Stein Eriksen Lodge in Deer Valley which offered a fantastic summer promotion. The spacious room included a jetted tub, on-suite, fire place, deck and hot tub on the deck... and of course a beautiful mountain sunset view. You certainly don't need to leave your room, and with the added bonus of fine dining room service (try the halibut with lobster/parsnip mash) you will relish celebrating the finer things in life!
Saturday was spent at the PC Resort hiking (map), with the intention of hiking to Jupiter Peak (10,000ft). The hike is about a 3,oooft elevation gain, 16 mile round trip, so rather that push ourselves (after all we were there to fish!) we hiked to the top of the Bonaza chair lift summit. Lovely, expansive view of Jupiter Peak and the surrounding Park City valley, and still a hike that will get your heart pumping! There are many fantastic hikes in the Park City and Deer Valley mountain area to suit a range of hiking abilities. Also, check out the Heber and Provo area hikes here.
On Sunday we drove about 45 minutes through Heber in to Provo Canyon's Lower Deer Creek (near Robert Redford's Sundance Resort) and met our experienced fly fishing guide Jeremy, from Rocky Mountain Outfitters. With the Timpanogo's towering above you, this is one of the most spectacular mountain destinations you will visit. I have been traveling to this region for over 10 years and will never tire of this view- summer and winter. For those seeking a hiking challenge, the Timpanogo's make for a strenuous but awesome hike.
But back to the fishing... our prepared guide, Jeremy, fitted us with waterproof waders and boots that would keep us dry all day as we waded in the river. Clutching each others arms, he literally led us down the brisk moving river! No boat necessary- just a keen sense of adventure.
It certainly pays to hire a local guide to lead you to one of their favorite fishing holes. First cast... BINGO! A beautiful, large rainbow trout. A quick picture of our prize then the trout was released back in to the river (catch and release fishing). We continued to shout 'fish on!' as we had an abundant morning of nymph style fishing (flies below the water), catching some decent sized rainbow and brown trout. However, I quickly learnt that fly fishing is a highly skilled, technical activity that requires a lot of river and fish knowledge... and patience! There are the hand-made flies, which flies to choose based on location and the fish; the type of rigging, lines, knots, casting and reeling techniques ... but with an expert guide, you can certainly learn the basics of casting and enjoy a great day in the river catching fish! Jeremy made our fly fishing experience easy and fun as he rigged our lines, gave us simple casting lessons, and was 'chief netter' of the fish!
I must admit the idea of fishing as a sport was a new activity for me. But the types of hooks and technique used to fly fish minimizes any damage to the fish, enabling the fly fisher to release their catch back in to the water to live another day (game hunters take note). Another great 'advantage' of fly fishing is that you always come home with tales about the one that got away! In our case it was a large rainbow trout that my friend tried to hook 6 times! By the end of the day, the trout gleefully splashed away up the river, and we too headed home with a great day of introductory fly fishing behind us. Thanks Jeremy!
Information/Contact-
kelsey@earhartadventures.com
ph 1-818-979-6412
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