Not much more than an hour and a half from Salt Lake City and less than 30 minutes from the university city of Provo, this river handles heavy angling pressure with aplomb. No matter how crowded, you can always find a spot where trout are willing, and some of them are big enough to know better. But they don't. Often, anglers whose interest is spring skiing beat a path to the middle section of the Provo, pound the water with but few casts, hook and land a brown of 14 to 18 inches, say "been there, done that," and go light a self-congratulatory cigar. The Provo has a way of fish'n'easy. And for that, I love it.
Best known for its tailwater sections below Jordanelle and Deer Creek reservoirs, the Provo begins, as all rivers do, as a trickly mountain stream rising in the Uintah Range at Trail Lake. During the next 36 miles it matures, growing lovely wild browns of a foot or so as well as 'bows, brookies, and cutts. The country with its high meadows and stands of black pine is achingly beautiful, and the river is well away from the crowded sections downstream. Access is difficult because most of the mileage is private. Fly Shops in Heber City and Park City can steer you in the right direction.
The Middle Fork is the water that resonates with me. The outflow from Jordanelle Dam is less than 30 feet wide and not very deep. With shaded riffles and runs in the channel above the U.S. Route 40 bridge, this tailwater produces trout all year. Anglers willing to fish small nymphs below strike indicators can take fish every 10 minutes or so. Catch one, wait a few minutes, and another will move into the feeding station. On this run, every angler is an expert.
Below the bridge, the Middle Fork is receiving a makeover, thanks to the ambitious 30-million-dollar Provo River Restoration Project. Forced into a fairly straight channel in a misguided effort at flood control years ago, the Utah Reclamation Mitigation and Conservation Commission began returning the Provo to its heritage channel. Begun in 1999 and expected to be completed in 2006, the plan is providing a natural floodplain 800 to 2,000 feet in width so the river can meander more or less naturally. Wetlands to filter runoff and provide riparian habitat are being created, and plantings of native streamside vegetation will create shade and cover for trout. Stiles are being erected at fence crossings and a public-access corridor will run the length of the 10 miles down to the inlet of Deer Creek Lake. Studies have shown the lower two and a half miles of the middle run to be overpopulated with smaller trout, so the Utah Division of Wildlife has opened angling to use of bait and increased creel limits. You'll want to check current regs when you buy your license.
As it comes out of Deer Creek Dam, the Provo runs hard by U.S. Route 189 and drops come 600 feet in the nine miles down the Orem. Considered by many to be "Blue Ribbon" water, what this section lacks in ambience it makes up for with its 4,500 trout per mile. You'll find all the usual Western flies hatching on the Provo, but the most effective patterns are small, typically in the #18 to #22 range, with the exception of the green drake hatch in June and early July. If you hate crowds and want quality fish, plan your trip for late winter. |
