# Tigers, Cutts, Rainbows & Browns



## LOAH (Sep 29, 2007)

Lately, the Provo River has been the only source for sanity in my ever-changing world. Mostly just quick stops after taking my boy to school or after taking my wife to work, they've only yielded one or two standard browns each, so it hasn't been much of a priority to share.

It's been nice though. I've seen a couple of real bruisers that continue to torment me, so that keeps the interest up. Knowing right where the bigger guy hangs out, I hope it's just a matter of time.

It's nice to have a river so close.
































































Most of those were in town, but a couple were from just inside the canyon. That's probably a week's worth of fishing for a total of maybe 2 hours, so I really can't complain.

Gulp! minnows and marabou jigs did most of the damage on the LP.

Scientificangler and I got out last weekend and fished a couple of local rivers for a few hours. No monsters, but it was a nice day and we both caught our share.

Spanish Fork River:










Diamond Fork:























































This week was supposed to be a family trip, but the weather was just too cold for all of us to have a good time, so I went alone.

A few waters have recently opened up and I'd heard rumors of a fishable amount elsewhere, so I thought I'd give it a go.

Though the ice was still holding strong at my main destination, I worked the small open areas as best I could.



















It was actually pretty discouraging to be locked out of my preferred areas on the lake. 2 hours passed before I got my first strike, which came after the wind gave me enough room to cast a Blue Fox.

Eventually, I switched back to the black marabou and jigged it in a hole I had made a bit earlier with a rock. A nice 20" cutthroat was ready for that one.










Finally getting some action on the jig motivated me to test more of the open water. Seeing a nicer cutthroat was comforting, as it had been awhile since a big one graced my hand.

The ice sheet was lined up with a good casting area and I was able to skirt the edge of it over some deeper water. Going on my 4th hour and only 3 fish caught, it was a major relief to feel a good pull on the line. A beautiful 22" tiger slammed the black marabou forcefully.



















It was quite the handful and much appreciated after working all day for it.

Not long after that, I picked up a 23" female while hopping my jig along the bottom. As neat as that should have felt, she was actually pretty ugly. Scrawny body and a parachute face.










Sometimes those mutant tigers just don't grow right.










Catching another big one was more than welcome though.

Having satisfied my interest in that lake, it was time to head out. There was still time to go out of my way a little and work some healthy rainbows. This proved to be a great idea.



















At first I thought I was in the wrong place. Nothing was biting for the first 20 minutes, but then I dialed in on how to present. Again, they wanted the black marabou.



















Hopping it on the bottom produced smaller bows, but dropping it to the bottom, then gently jigging it up through the water column was money. The next 40 minutes was the perfect way to top off my day.










That 19" tank fought like crazy! What a fish! Its buddies weren't bad either.










Nice and thick.



















A day like this was exactly what I've needed. The rainbows wrecked my jig, which was newly tied on for that lake.










I even got home before dark, which made my wife happy too. Bonus!

Happy Fishing, Humans.


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## jer (Jan 16, 2012)

:shock: great report! Were you at DF last Friday? From a distance, I saw a guy with a big hat and wondered :lol: Glad you had a great trip and found some nice fish


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## LOAH (Sep 29, 2007)

Thanks! Yeah, I think we were at DF on Friday. Should have hollered.


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## Size Matters (Dec 22, 2007)

It looks like a great time Awesome report and photos. 8)


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## Ton_Def (Dec 23, 2008)

Never a disappointment! That Maribou looks hammered! :lol:


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## fish1on (Jan 12, 2009)

Speechless! I am in aw!


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## harlin (Mar 18, 2012)

Awesome report! That 19 inch bow with the few spots is sweet. What happened to that tigers face? :?


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## Grandpa D (Sep 7, 2007)

Another fine LOAH report.
Keep them coming.


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## LOAH (Sep 29, 2007)

harlin said:


> Awesome report! That 19 inch bow with the few spots is sweet. What happened to that tigers face? :?


I've caught lots of tigers with abnormalities. It seems like there are a lot of crooked smiles out there. This particular fish just grew in one spot faster than the others, I guess. I've seen it before from the same place on a different fish too, although not as pronounced.

Their genetics are abnormal, so I suppose it makes sense. :lol:


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## tkidder (May 31, 2011)

Holy Crap! Nice work.


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## Flyfishn247 (Oct 2, 2007)

Awesome, sweet report and pics there O' LOAH. Way to live up to the name.


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## gmanhunter (Dec 27, 2007)

Great report as always loah. Oh and nice fish too.


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## stillhunterman (Feb 15, 2009)

Well done LOAH. This time of year on the water can be pretty fun if ya hit it just right. Great pics, thanks!


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## Flyfish4thrills (Jan 2, 2008)

Great report! Those are some beautiful fish. You really gave me the bug to go fishing soon!!! I need to somehow free up time to go.

I hadn't thought of fishing a stream/river with gulp minnows. Could you explain your technique? I couldn't tell from the pics if you had a lead jig head or if it was weightless. Cast upstream and retrieve fast to get the tail action?????


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## LOAH (Sep 29, 2007)

Thanks everyone. It was a pretty good day.

For the Gulp, I use 1/16oz jig heads. Gamakatsu makes the best I've used, but they're pricey and usually out of stock when I try to find them. Longer shanks = more hookups.

Arkie brand also makes a good jig head that I like, in the shape of a minnow head. Perfect. They're also a little bit more expensive, but work really well. Longer shanks on those too.

Freshwater Basics also makes some and they're pretty cheap. They work, but the shank I've found is a little too short for my liking. Can't beat a dollar though.

All of them will work, but it takes a little practice to get them situated on the hook properly. You'll end up throwing a few "whirling disease" Gulps around.

Upstream and back is good and also across. I really like hanging them next to undercut banks.


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