# High Uinta Trout



## billybob (Oct 27, 2008)

Went to the great Uintas this weekend and was able to get away from the crowds. Unfortunately, the fishing wasn't very fast, but the kids had a good time, and I was able to get out on the old float tube. Tried the fly-rod and had several strikes at some dry flies, but the fish must have been myopic because every strike missed the fly by about 2 inches. So, I switched to the spin-cast rod and tried all of my most reliable spinners. Nothing. Got desparate and tried a few worms. Still nothing. Then, I pulled out some meal worms, and then success. Yeah, meal worms. Better than getting skunked, and can't complain about how pretty the lil suckers were, in fact that made it all worth it, but I only felt like half a fisherman for having to resort to worms and meal worms. Oh well, a beautiful weekend and a couple of nice small brookies.


----------



## sharpshooter25 (Oct 2, 2007)

Hey, at least you admitted using the worms, most fisherman would say they didn't use them. And better than being skunked as well. Pretty fish, so what lake were you at?


----------



## Dagwood (May 12, 2010)

It takes a big man to admit to using worms :lol: 

Nice looking fish!


----------



## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Mealworms!!!!!

Atta boy!

Mealworms look real close to Crane Fly larva, a little different color is all. Crane Flies are those huge mosquito-looking thingies...common here.


----------



## Chaser (Sep 28, 2007)

Nice job on the pretty brookie. May I make a pointer for you in the future? Scrap the snap swivel and tie the hook straight to your line. Add a couple of split-shot sinkers about a foot up from the worm to give you some weight to cast, and give 'em hell!

Trout can be very leery of extra hardware, especially when it comes to bait. Worms aren't found naturally with a big hunk of metal attached to them. I'll be honest with you, I am surprised you got one to bite at all. Must've been one hungry fish. I can almost guarantee if you follow this tip, your success rate will go up. 

Good job getting out! I need to catch me a brookie or two before the cold weather gets here.


----------



## .45 (Sep 21, 2007)

What's wrong with worms ???

Nice fish billybob !!


----------



## Jed (Feb 25, 2009)

Nice.  

I'll use a worm and marshmallow once in a while. OK, I said it.


----------



## billybob (Oct 27, 2008)

I bought the meal worms on a fluke, and glad that I did. The Maverick by my house was selling them, so, I bought them as my indirect way of supporting their effort to provide a wide variety of fishing products (they just put up a small little fishing tackle section, so, I look for excuses to buy equipment from them now). I didn't think they would work. I found it interesting that I didn't get one bite on the nightcrawlers... maybe it was all the hardware I had on there as chaser suggests. The brookies were really picky, so, you are probably right. 

Crane Fly Larvae? Maybe I'll ask the local fly shop if they have some Crane Fly Larvae Patterns. That would be fun. Thanks for the insight Wyo.

I appreciate everyone's honesty when it comes to using bait like worms and meal worms. While I enjoy fly fishing a lot, half of my hesitation in admitting to using worms is that there seems to be a stigma against using bait. Honestly, I don't get it. All of the fish I caught on the mealies were released and swam away healthy. No harm to the fish. As long as you set the hook when you feel the bite, and don't let them swallow the thing, I think its just as ethical as any other fishing. IMHO... for what its worth.


----------



## stillhunterman (Feb 15, 2009)

billybob said:


> I bought the meal worms on a fluke, and glad that I did. The Maverick by my house was selling them, so, I bought them as my indirect way of supporting their effort to provide a wide variety of fishing products (they just put up a small little fishing tackle section, so, I look for excuses to buy equipment from them now). I didn't think they would work. I found it interesting that I didn't get one bite on the nightcrawlers... maybe it was all the hardware I had on there as chaser suggests. The brookies were really picky, so, you are probably right.
> 
> Crane Fly Larvae? Maybe I'll ask the local fly shop if they have some Crane Fly Larvae Patterns. That would be fun. Thanks for the insight Wyo.
> 
> I appreciate everyone's honesty when it comes to using bait like worms and meal worms. *While I enjoy fly fishing a lot, half of my hesitation in admitting to using worms is that there seems to be a stigma against using bait.* Honestly, I don't get it. All of the fish I caught on the mealies were released and swam away healthy. No harm to the fish. As long as you set the hook when you feel the bite, and don't let them swallow the thing, I think its just as ethical as any other fishing. IMHO... for what its worth.


Stigma shmigma! Nothing wrong with using bait! Glad you got out and had a good time!


----------



## sawsman (Sep 13, 2007)

Fish love worms! Just have fun billybob, no matter what you use..good job and thanks for sharing the joy!

Do like Chaser suggests and tie the hook directly to the line. You'll probably catch more fish. -|\O-


----------



## billybob (Oct 27, 2008)

Yeah, less hardware will be the way to go next time. I was so busy switching from one type of spinner to another, that I was running with a swivel. Do you guys find that swivels affect your succes rate when you are using spinners too? or just with bait?


----------



## sawsman (Sep 13, 2007)

billybob said:


> Yeah, less hardware will be the way to go next time. I was so busy switching from one type of spinner to another, that I was running with a swivel. Do you guys find that swivels affect your succes rate when you are using spinners too? or just with bait?


I use small snap swivels for quick lure changing. It's quicker and easier than tying knots. Some lures work better without a swivel as they may hinder the action a little. I always use a swivel when using a spinner to avoid line twisting, but I dont always use one to attach directly to the spinner. Most times I'll have a swivel on the main line then run a 16- 24" leader to the hook or lure.


----------



## Catherder (Aug 2, 2008)

billybob said:


> Yeah, less hardware will be the way to go next time. I was so busy switching from one type of spinner to another, that I was running with a swivel. Do you guys find that swivels affect your succes rate when you are using spinners too? or just with bait?


Sometimes I do think it adversely affects lures effectiveness, sometimes not. That often is simply something that you need to experiment with. You also could have kept the swivel on and more effectively used bait. (esp. if you were switching frequently from bait to lures) You just need to add 12-18 inches of leader from the swivel to your baited hook.

Here my daughter demonstrates on a brookie from this weekend.
[attachment=0:3ij7c1df]P9050003.jpg[/attachment:3ij7c1df]


----------



## Chaser (Sep 28, 2007)

Sawsman and catherder make good points. If you use a short leader, it helps to elimnate the "too much hardware" issue against the hook, and at the same time facilitate easy tackle swaps. Plus it gives you a good spot to attach sinkers. Good thinking gents.


----------



## brookieguy1 (Oct 14, 2008)

These are all good points, but NEVER use a swivel on jigs. You need that tight knot centered in the hook eye so the jig will balance horizontally.


----------



## duneman101 (Nov 6, 2009)

Great fish man! And there ain't no shame in using worms, i've caught more big fish in my life on a simple night crawler than any other hook....  

Go with all the good advice here though, if you are gonna use a swivel make sure you have a leader, other wise just tie a good knot right to the hook, only takes a few seconds. Some of them fishies are a lot smarter/more observant than we give them credit for...


----------



## Riverrat77 (Sep 7, 2007)

For what its worth, I think you're more of a fisherman because of your willingness to be versatile in your offerings, instead of only sticking with one thing (and getting the skunk) because of the whole "bait is bad" thing... good job on being able to find a way to get em biting!!


----------

