Hard Deckin'

 Hard Deckin' and Other Utah Adventures

12/15/13

So far, fishing wise, my stay in Utah has been pretty dull.  Normally, fishing takes it's ups and downs.  I have found that my trips are normally on a 5-trip cycle.   In example, one trip will be horrible (a.k.a. "skunk"), one below average, two average, and one that is truly memorable.  Here in Utah that equation has mostly been skewed to the left.  It seems as if for every "decent" trip I get skunked twice (or more!).

That being said, the reason for this post is that I finally had one of the those truly memorable trips that had been missing from my equation.  To make a truly memorable trip three things are needed.   One, you have to catch fish! Two, you have to overcome some sort of challenge or adversity, and three, you must have some good company around!  The stars and moon finally aligned this past Saturday.

It started out as a relatively cold twenty degree day in northern Utah.  My group was on the ice by 6:10 and we had holes drilled and lines in thirty minutes or more before the first sign of light peeked over the snowy mountains.  It was truly serene, every sound could be heard for miles it seemed.  Well, get those ideas of peacefulness and serenity out of your head, that stuff didn't hardly even last until daylight!  By seven o'clock all the jack ass'ery had begun.  It was full on combat fishing, gas augers, people busting holes through the ice with crowbars, kids screaming, you name it.   That being said, the fishing was turning on!  By 7:30 we had three nice keeper-sized yellow perch and a beautiful rainbow to call our own, not to mention several undersized bluegills. 

Then it happened, the worst nightmare, the hex, the disaster.  My phone hummed its little harmony as I pulled it out of my pocket hoping for the best but expecting the worst.  Upon answering my fears had been realized.  It was my work's automated SCADA alarm system reminding me I still have obligations else where, not just catching slimy critters.  With morale at an all time low we packed the gear and hit the road before 8:00 knowing that the trip that was panning out to be decent, was surely ruined.  Unbelievably, I made it back to work and was able to clear the alarms, fix the problem, and turn the car back in the direction of the lake by a little after 9:30.  

The "good company" component. 

Most people would agree, the bite is best right after sun up and usually only lasts a while after.  I had a "gut" feeling that this particular day things would be different.  The sky was dark and overcast and the weather had been stable. I still felt that we had a chance.  Truth be known I was right!

We fished up until 2:00 and made our way home with a plethora of trout, bluegills, and yellow perch. The bite was steady throughout the day and the weather was rather nice. Work will always try to ruin the fun,
                                                                                  just don't let it!

We each went home with a limit of rainbows, one or two pushing 17", maybe 18".  I was pretty much the only one going after perch and bluegills. I made out with 15 keepers, some probably going 9" or more.  I sure ended up with a dandy mess of fillets! 

Its almost bath time!

I also found a few extra pictures that I wanted to post from this year.  Thanks for reading!