# Diamond Fork



## dartangion (Jul 2, 2008)

FishOn! and I visited Diamond Fork last night for a couple of hours. When we got out of the car to set up, we were met with what looked like one of the plagues......hoppers!!! They were everywhere!!!!! I've honestly never seen so many. Needless to say we were searching our packs for hopper patterns. We climbed down to the river and FishOn! tried flipping a hopper pattern into a nice hole.....no luck. I set up a nymph rig with a pheasant tail and a custom-made red midge as a dropper. After a few casts, he let me give it a go. First cast and WHAM! I had a nice fish on. He stayed on for about ten seconds, never surfacing and spit the fly out. We moved up, trying different holes and were kind of let down, as the fishing wasn't nearly as fast as the first hole. I managed to pick up a few browns and a dink cutt. We found that they liked a red midge, but that's about it! FishOn! tried everything and only got a couple of hits. It was beautiful up there! So even though the catching wasn't superb, the fishing was excellent! Sorry no pics, forgot the camera. 

Note: The entire time we were out yesterday I had a very odd feeling that we were being watched. I know that sounds cliche, but every minute or two kept looking behind me knowing for sure there would be someone or something there. I kept hearing twigs snapping and grass bending and breaking like something was walking on it behind me. I thought this was my imagination until FishOn! heard it too and turned around with me. I don't know if we were both on something last night or what but it sure was weird!


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## Flyfishn247 (Oct 2, 2007)

My friend fishes it a lot. That there is bear country. Who knows if that was what your were hearing but he has come up on bears there before. Too bad the catching wasn't better. He says his best fly there is a custom streamer pattern he ties. Fishing there can be spotty.


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## tap (Jun 27, 2008)

Yep, bears. Here's a study of 48 different bears in the Diamond Fork and Hobble Creek drainages back in '85-'94. I would guess it is possible that there are way more now given the increased incidence of interaction with humans.

http://wildlife.utah.gov/publications/p ... ghosts.pdf

What's amazing is that the study showed them roaming all over. IIRC one made it up to Wyoming.


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## Scoonie833 (May 16, 2009)

I have seen/run into 5 bears during the last 10 years that I have hunted or fished in Utah. All five were located in and around the Diamond Fork/ Hobble Creek area, especially near 6 water up Diamond Fork. I would not be surprised if it was a bear you were hearing, they are all over up there.


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## HopperLover (Jul 7, 2008)

Your experience is exactly what mine is usually at DF. It is spotty at best, and I swear ever since they did the treatment way upstream, it has been spotty fishing at best even lower in the canyon. It probably is just a coincidence and probably is not related. But I haven't had a good day up there in a few years.



> Note: The entire time we were out yesterday I had a very odd feeling that we were being watched.


Bigfoot.


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## dartangion (Jul 2, 2008)

Bigfoot.....that's what I thought! haha It was just an eerie feeling, but it could've been a bear especially since there was so much thick growth around the river. Spotty describes the fishing perfectly, it was like the second time I had been there and the water actually seemed a little off color, but maybe that's howe it always is considering the Am. Fork river is always "off color." Thanks for the heads up about the bears guys.


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## BullCrazy76 (Mar 6, 2009)

Funny you would mention that you felt like you were being watched, several years ago I was there only up higher by some of the cliffs, I had that same feeling. As I took a short break on the bank I looked up in the cliffs and low and behold a mountain lion was perched up there staring down at me. Once he saw that I saw him he moved off. He may not have necessary been trying to stalk me but it still made me a bit nervous the rest of the night. I know there are bears up there too, so just be aware.


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## flyguy7 (Sep 16, 2007)

I am done with Diamond Fork. It really is sad to see that fishery deteriorate like it has in the past few years. Low water most of the year, no high water flush has turned that thing into a big mudhole. A few small fish and that is it. It really is too bad as it was my favorite river to fish. The average size and quantity was unbeatable. Now, you are lucky to tie into a few dinky 12 inch browns. I remember sneaking up past all the closed construction areas back in the day and landing all quality fish in which many were in the 18"-22" size class.


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