# Naturalist Basin



## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Catherder and I made an over-nighter up in the Naturalist Basin of the High Uintas. The fishing was good and the scenery spectacular.

Catherder carries a 20-foot long fishing rod so he can fish sitting down. :mrgreen:


















We walked the basin out and fished all 6 lakes that hold fish:









The Naturalist Basin has some of the best wildflowers in Utah although the show was pretty much over when we got there. It was the earliest summer I have ever seen in the Uintas.









Catherder caught about a million fish. I caught four.....uh only because Catherder let me borrow one of his flies.

Cookie cutter Uinta brookies:


















Just a pig of a cutthroat, an unusually fat fish for 10,900+ feet elevation:









normal Naturalist Basin cutts:



























Catherder fished, and fished, and fished. And I spent most of my time offering technical advice and sniffing daisies:









Milbert's Tortoiseshell on some groundsel:









I've been up in the Basin many times but never went to Hyatt Lake. This trip I took the time to go up there. Hyatt, a shallow lake sitting on the left wing of Spread Eagle Peak, does not support fiish. It's a little gnarly getting up there but Catherder was kind enough to tag along and make sure I didn't get lost.  There are around 1005 lakes / ponds in the Uintas. Hyatt is number 646 (give or take) for me. I need to add them all up again. 









It was a great trip. We ate brookies with onions, wild mushrooms, peppers and butter steamed over a coffee pot of boiling water. Open fires are prohibited in Naturalist Basin. We seen a very large meteor that, my guess, probably took out the town of Francis UT.


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## poiboy (Nov 18, 2010)

Love the report. The Uintas never cease to amaze me with its beauty. Too bad gas prices are so high, I'd go up there more often otherwise. Thanks for the report and pics.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

poiboy said:


> Love the report. The Uintas never cease to amaze me with its beauty. Too bad gas prices are so high, I'd go up there more often otherwise. Thanks for the report and pics.


Thank you sir.

Geeze, I see Catherder already posted this in Area 51. I checked his thread out and made sure we were telling the same stories.


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## stevo1 (Sep 13, 2007)

See any ptarmagin sign? What a great area.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

stevo1 said:


> See any ptarmagin sign? What a great area.


No WTP sign, but I didn't get up to the top of the basin where they would be. I was just too hot and tired and had little time to go scouting. There's is no snow up there and it's super dry, worst I seen since the late 80s. My guess is the WTP will be on the north-facing slopes this year.


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## brookieguy1 (Oct 14, 2008)

Goob, in my eyes and several others I'm sure you are the "King of the Uintas" I may have a bit more on the fishing end (only because you forget what lakes are good and all I care about is the fishing). Great photos and glad to see you still getting up there and doing what you love.
Catherder must like a one-piece rod like I do?


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## gdog (Sep 13, 2007)

stevo1 said:


> See any ptarmagin sign?


Now thats funny...


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## HighmtnFish (Jun 3, 2010)

Thanks for the report, it made my day. Really cool country.


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## EvilTyeDyeTwin (Aug 9, 2011)

Beautiful country up there! Thanks for sharing.


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## dartangion (Jul 2, 2008)

Great Report! How were the bugs?


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

dartangion said:


> Great Report! How were the bugs?


Not bad. We had 44° in Evanston one morning a week or so ago, so I assume the High Uinta cirques / lakes had frost.


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## Catherder (Aug 2, 2008)

brookieguy1 said:


> Goob, in my eyes and several others I'm sure you are the "King of the Uintas"


Yep, I agree too.



brookieguy1 said:


> Catherder must like a one-piece rod like I do?


Yes, but it also is a function of my 2nd rate backpack that the rod was sticking out like that. Goob was also kind enough to lug another rod on his pack for me. I might need to do a gear upgrade for next year.

"Catherder caught about a million fish. I caught four.....uh only because Catherder let me borrow one of his flies."

Uh, it was only a 1/4 million.  I mainly caught more fish because Goob spent most of his time trying to figure out where those pesky Ptarmigan were or finding better shrooms and only busted out the fly rod for short periods. The flies were nothing special, just make sure you have a few size 14 mosquitos in your fly box. 8)

It was an awesome trip.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Catherder said:


> ...................................................................The flies were nothing special, just make sure you have a few size 14 mosquitos in your fly box. 8)
> 
> ...................


Odd, you gave me a size 1/0 Mickey Finn.


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## brookieguy1 (Oct 14, 2008)

wyogoob said:


> Catherder said:
> 
> 
> > ...................................................................The flies were nothing special, just make sure you have a few size 14 mosquitos in your fly box. 8)
> ...


  :!:


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## Catherder (Aug 2, 2008)

wyogoob said:


> Catherder said:
> 
> 
> > ...................................................................The flies were nothing special, just make sure you have a few size 14 mosquitos in your fly box. 8)
> ...


LMAO! -_O- -_O- -_O-


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