President Thomas S. Monson - Prophet, Fly Fisher

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe that members of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles are prophets, seers, and revelators. President Thomas S. Monson has served as 16th president of the Church since February 3, 2008. Members of the Church have long been inspired, instructed, and entertained by President Monson's sermons. His love for people and his personal ministry of visiting individuals is legendary and exemplary. I love him for all those reasons...and at least one more:

His love of fly fishing! Consider this excerpt from an article about his life:

"He also had a cabin in Vivian Park on the Provo River, where the families would intermingle during the summers. Indeed, until he was in his mid-teens, President Monson spent most of July and August each year at Vivian Park. It was there he began a lifelong hobby of fishing. In time he graduated from the common fishing pole of his boyhood to sophisticated fly fishing. It is inferred that a highlight of his fishing career came in New Zealand when he and Wendell Mendenhall fished with a fly called 'Parson’s Glory.' Brother Monson’s reputation for truthfulness constrains us to believe his report that this outing yielded full limits of rainbow trout 'five pounds and over in size.'"

The picture below is of President Monson, the fly fishing prophet.

Brown Trout Can Read

On a recent fly fishing outing I worked upstream on a beautiful stretch of the middle Provo. It was a spectacular fall day and I was eager to find trout rising. I had no interest in anything other than dry flies this day. As I turned a corner I could see a fish actively working the surface. As I got closer I realized it was rising on the other side of a barbed wire fence. On the fence hung the following sign:

"With apologies to the many, and because of the actions of the few, no trespassing" (taken at some distance using my cell phone camera).

Apparently I was watching a fish that could read because it was safely feeding on the opposite side of the fence. I reluctantly turned around and found another stretch of water (below - again with camera phone) where, I am happy to report, I found many fish who could NOT read. They were anxious to rise to my #18 Parachute Adams. It turned into a wonderful fall day of catching and releasing beautiful brown trout with golden falling leaves on the river banks all around me.















So what if the river that runs through you also runs through private land as this did? My attitude has always been "there's plenty of water out there so I'll go find another stretch" as I did on this day. While I believe most serious fly fishers are respectful of private property, it only takes a few bad apples to spoil the whole bunch, which apparently was the reason for this sign.

The Utah Supreme Court issued an opinion on July 18, 2008 which recognized that the public has a recreational right to walk the privately owned bed of state waters while participating in legal recreational activities within the waters. The opinion reaffirmed its earlier rulings that the public can utilize the surface of state waters for recreational purposes.

I found an interesting article on the topic which reported "there was some confusion about what constitutes a privately owned riverbed. According to the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, the easement allows the public to walk on the privately owned bed while engaging in recreational activities that utilize the water. However, the court did not define what a privately owned river bed was in its opinion.

Victor Nelson, co-owner of RoundRocks Fly Fishing in Logan, who was interviewed for the article (and represents another of the great independent fly shops in Utah) said “we’re interpreting it as ‘stay in the water.’ That wasn’t how it was defined, but that’s what we’re advising,” Nelson said.

Sound advice from a responsible fly fisherman. Stay in the water...and look for fish that can't read.

Fall Fishing

There is no more inspiring time to be on a river than the fall. The typical sights and sounds are accentuated by spectacular colors, fish that feed with eagerness knowing that winter is around the corner, and the solitude left by summer fishers who have long since put their rods away.

A recent trip to my favorite water, Huntington Creek, brought all of these, including:
















Fall settling on one of my favorite bends in the water

















A beautiful stand of Aspens glowing in the day's fading light

















The first snow of the season at 10,000 feet mixed with the remaining brilliant fall colors. Notice the other signs of approaching winter including the sheepherder's trailer and horse as well as the orange snow depth markers already in place

















And, of course, one of the generous cutthrout trout that made my visit complete

First Fish

We spent a Saturday at our cabin recently to enjoy the beautiful fall colors, ride the four-wheelers, and just relax. Lori and Sydney (beautiful girl on the left below) and I were accompanied by my brother Gary and three of his children - Maisie, Gannon, and Sadie. We enjoyed their company and had a wonderful day.















Sadie wanted to catch a fish so she and I went to Gooseberry Creek in search of one of the beautiful cutthroat trout that call it home. The creek is small but the fish are eager - and so was Sadie. The excitement in her face is evidence that it's the little things in life that bring happiness. Her thrill was surpassed only by my happiness in seeing her have this experience.