# Mill Meadow July 5th & 6th



## threshershark (Sep 7, 2007)

Taking advantage of a family reunion near Fish Lake, El Matador and I dropped a few thousand feet in elevation and tested the waters at Mill Meadow the evening of July 5th. The weather was foul with rain and high winds. We were hooking perch on nearly every cast as we searched for trout.

After hours of fruitless attempts to keep perch off our flies, El Matador oared about a mile down the shoreline and located some pods of feeding browns. During the waning 45 minutes of daylight, we netted 16 trout. The numbers of perch released probably totaled over 50.

Unfortunately the Matador had obligations that caused him to return home the next morning. Having figured out pattern and tactics the evening before, I returned to the Mill and enjoyed one of those rare days of trout fishing. For a period of about 6 hours, I managed under 20 casts that did NOT hook trout. It was raining most of the time, but I did one-hand a few pictures during pauses in the squall.

At one point, a bait ball of perch minnows formed that was probably 20 yards in diameter, and a feeding boil took place that rivaled stripers on Powell. Any fly tossed into the fray resulted in an immediate and hard take. It was a phenomenon I have never seen before but I wasn't about to pass up the opportunity to farm the frenzy.

I didn't get any of the bigger trout that seem more common earlier in the year. Most of the fish were 15" to 17" and typical of Mill Meadow you get some nice variety in the take:
































































Another quality holiday weekend on the books.


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## Greenguy88 (Sep 7, 2007)

Great looking fish as always thresh! Thanks for sharing with us! Never been down that way, but hopefully someday I will be.


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## RJ-Max4 (Sep 11, 2007)

Great report, those fish have some great color's to them.


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## .45 (Sep 21, 2007)

That's good _stuff _!!.. 

Excellent photo's thresh, and interesting story....

Thanks....


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## spork40 (Oct 8, 2007)

great pics, my new stop should be down that way.


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## hockey (Nov 7, 2007)

MM is one of my 2-3 favorite places to fish in Utah, never know what species of trout is going to be on your hook, not to mention great perch fishing. There have been days down there I have almost had the whole lake to myself.
Going to stop friday evening evening for a mess of perch on the way to the cabin


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## threshershark (Sep 7, 2007)

.45 said:


> That's good _stuff _!!..


Thanks .45, did you get out over the weekend?



hockey said:


> Going to stop friday evening evening for a mess of perch on the way to the cabin...


MM is a great place. Yesterday there was one other group fishing the lake but when the rain storm kicked up they left and I had the place to myself.

You should catch a shload of perch, I could not keep those things off my fly. Nice fillet size fish too.


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## .45 (Sep 21, 2007)

threshershark said:


> .45 said:
> 
> 
> > That's good _stuff _!!..
> ...


I _did _get out....but, not the place I wanted to, and this is what I caught !!


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## metal_fish (Mar 19, 2008)

Great Fish! Hey .45 how's that vest working for yeah?


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## .45 (Sep 21, 2007)

Flyfishing vest works great !! Holds them worm hook's and stuff very well....Thank You !!


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## 2fishon (Jan 13, 2008)

That's funny! I go there for the perch and have a hard time keeping the trout off my jigs. That is one of my favorite lakes. It's perfect for tubing. Were the perch spread out or concentrated on one end of the lake?


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## threshershark (Sep 7, 2007)

2fishon said:


> That's funny! I go there for the perch and have a hard time keeping the trout off my jigs. That is one of my favorite lakes. It's perfect for tubing. Were the perch spread out or concentrated on one end of the lake?


Those perch are great to eat, but I rarely work up enough excitement to fillet a cubic acre of them so as to make a meal.

I found the bigger perch to be along the West shore, more towards the Fremont side.


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## orvis1 (Sep 7, 2007)

We just must have missed each other because I fished there on the morning of the 4th and morning of the 5th. We were riding ATV's and saw two pontoons out there on the water that must have been you guys. We found the fish to be hugging the shorelines and caught very similar fish as you minus the brook trout, but your pictures look much better than mine! It is a fun lake to fish if you can keep the perch off of your line.


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## threshershark (Sep 7, 2007)

orvis1 said:


> We just must have missed each other because I fished there on the morning of the 4th and morning of the 5th. We were riding ATV's and saw two pontoons out there on the water that must have been you guys. We found the fish to be hugging the shorelines and caught very similar fish as you minus the brook trout, but your pictures look much better than mine! It is a fun lake to fish if you can keep the perch off of your line.


We need UWN pontoon decals! We were riding one blue and one red pontoon, I didn't see anyone else using them so that was probably us! Would have been nice to cross paths.


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## orvis1 (Sep 7, 2007)

We were riding that trail that went to your left comming down the moutian on Satruday evening I saw two pontoons and sounds like you guys. Did you get to hit the rivers at all?


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## threshershark (Sep 7, 2007)

We did not hit the rivers but they looked very enticing and clear. UM is known for nice browns, I always wish there was more time when I'm down that way.


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## Werbs (Jun 30, 2008)

wow! those are some *gorgeous* fish! where is mill meadow at? *i wanna go!*


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## threshershark (Sep 7, 2007)

Werbs said:


> wow! those are some *gorgeous* fish! where is mill meadow at? *i wanna go!*


Thanks Werbs. MM is near the town of Loa. It's a very cool area. Right next to it is Forsythe Reservoir, and Fish Lake is just 20 minutes up the road too. Both the Fremont River and UM Creek are excellent trout streams. Lots to do in a very small area.


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## gwailow (Jan 20, 2008)

I love the Mill Meadows, what a fun place to take the family. Congrats on a good time.


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## rapalahunter (Oct 13, 2007)

You guys are some great stillwater fishermen. I always enjoy your reports and your pictures. Thanks.


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## LOAH (Sep 29, 2007)

Definitely. Good pics, as usual.

I especially like the first.


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## tap (Jun 27, 2008)

Awesome fish!

Awesome pics!


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## BootWarmer (Apr 20, 2008)

Healthy looking fish there! Sounds like fun.


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