04-26-2003, 04:01 AM
I guess I'll give a secret away here. I was fishing the same section of the provo, just below the campground. The nymphs had ceased to land any fish just after the sun went behind Timp. I put on a black wolley-bugger with a gold propeller on the front ("pistol pete" or "buzzers" at Sportsmans in Provo).
My first cast put the fly on the bank. I about cursed because I thought I would lose my fly on the first cast. I twitched it and it came free and went into the water. It wasn't 6 inches off the bank when the biggest brown I had ever caught on the Provo smashed it[cool]! When I got it to the net, it easily measured 19+ inches maybe more, and was a stout 2-3 pounds. It had to be at least 4 inches across its shoulders. I had 5 more hits, landed 3, all in 20 minutes. All the same techniqe. Cast as close to the bank as I dared and worked it across the current. I was casting straight across the current, or down and across a bit.
The last fish slammed it (again about a foot off the bank) and broke the fly off. I neglected to put a swivel on the line above the fly and my line got all twisted up and brittle. I also had 2 small split-shot about 10-12 inches above the fly to get it deep quick.
I was using a flyrod, but the setup would have been easily worked up with a spinning outfit. I'm not confident in my casting with a spinning rod yet to use it on a river. I can put a fly consistently within a 8" circle every time with a flyrod.
Best of luck and good fishing. I've heard the big browns will slam streamers early morning and late evening. I can vouch for the late evening!
See you on the water!
ES
[signature]
My first cast put the fly on the bank. I about cursed because I thought I would lose my fly on the first cast. I twitched it and it came free and went into the water. It wasn't 6 inches off the bank when the biggest brown I had ever caught on the Provo smashed it[cool]! When I got it to the net, it easily measured 19+ inches maybe more, and was a stout 2-3 pounds. It had to be at least 4 inches across its shoulders. I had 5 more hits, landed 3, all in 20 minutes. All the same techniqe. Cast as close to the bank as I dared and worked it across the current. I was casting straight across the current, or down and across a bit.
The last fish slammed it (again about a foot off the bank) and broke the fly off. I neglected to put a swivel on the line above the fly and my line got all twisted up and brittle. I also had 2 small split-shot about 10-12 inches above the fly to get it deep quick.
I was using a flyrod, but the setup would have been easily worked up with a spinning outfit. I'm not confident in my casting with a spinning rod yet to use it on a river. I can put a fly consistently within a 8" circle every time with a flyrod.
Best of luck and good fishing. I've heard the big browns will slam streamers early morning and late evening. I can vouch for the late evening!
See you on the water!
ES
[signature]