# Monsters on the Manti



## LOAH (Sep 29, 2007)

Lately, I've been daydreaming about one of my favorite creeks. This particular creek was a "curiosity spot" of mine a few years back, where I decided to walk in and check it out while traveling between some popular reservoirs.

As a result of that fateful trip, I was rewarded with some beautiful wild cutthroat in my hand. Since then, I've made plenty more stops along its banks, but never really dedicated a solid day's effort to uncover its true potential.

Not until this trip, at least...

It's surprising to me that I hadn't even visited the Manti this year, which I would have done several times already, most other years. The drive up Fairview Canyon to the summit is something I have always thoroughly enjoyed. The flowers are in bloom, the lakes are full, and the streams have finally calmed down enough to fish.



















My first stop was the spot where I'd missed a bite from a giant cutthroat, last year. Though I wasn't fortunate enough to find that bruiser again, I got the usual treatment from a couple of pretty little cutts before I'd spooked the hole.



















Trophies in their own right, but they weren't the size I was looking for. No matter, it's great fun and I could already tell the fishing would be great. (Much needed after a couple of recent skunkings, elsewhere.)

The next stretch I had in mind was where a smaller creek flows in, but it required navigation through thick brush and some rather swampy areas to get into it. I got wet, scraped, and filthy, but earning my right to fish this confluence was well worth it.










Notice on the left, the crystal clear water flows in and mixes with the slightly more turbid water of the main creek. In the middle, a nice deep hole. What could possibly be in there?

Well, my first cast across that hole was uneventful, so I let my lure sink a little bit on my next cast and immediately after cranking, the battle was on with something big and strong.

Twisting and shaking, a large cutthroat resisted arrest, but I was finally able to subdue the beast and bring it in for questioning. What a pig for such a small stream! Over 20 inches long!










Now I've caught plenty of fish over 20 inches, but doing so on the Manti is something to write home about. There are typically only a couple of places on the mountain where the 20 mark might be broken, and those are reservoirs with a lot of available forage.

Come to think of it, I don't recall ever getting anything over 19 inches from anywhere on the mountain, despite missing a few hogs that continue to haunt me to this day. Nevertheless, I was very pleased with my catch.

Not yet feeling like I had worked that honey hole enough, I continued to cast through it and along the seam between the two waters. A couple of smaller cutts and a rainbow came to hand, this one being the only one I pulled out the camera for.










Two other large fish swiped at my lure, but wouldn't come back for more. I vowed to return to the hole with a different lure tied on after some upstream exploration of the small clear creek that flowed into it.










There weren't too many spots conducive to fishing along this side stream, but I was able to drop in between some branches and pull out one fish with a bad eye.










Judging by the looks of "one eye", he can still find plenty of food in this fertile system.

After him, I could only spook fish from the other holes I found. It was time to go back for the other hogs in my honey hole.

Back at the hole, I was prepared for the larger fish with a Lucky Craft Pointer minnow tied on. Knowing the fish had already seen my Blue Fox, I felt it necessary to give them a look at something else, plus utilize their predatory nature.

Lo and behold, it worked and within a couple of casts, I was fast onto another big one!










This one was just a hair shorter in length than the first big one and every bit as aggressive. The first one had made my day and this one just broadened my smile.

What a great creek!










At that point, I'd done well enough to call it a day, but the day was still rather young and I was surrounded by other water. I left the creek and on my way out of the area, I decided to fish Cleveland Reservoir.

The reservoir is full! It felt necessary to take a picture because it's rare to see it without a huge bathtub ring of barren mud surrounding it. Thank goodness for a great water year.










The fishing was actually pretty slow and the wind was more than I cared to bother with. A lucky cast got me a bite-sized rainbow and after that, it was time to go.










The day was spectacular! I couldn't be more pleased with the fishing on the creek and it was great to get back to one of my "happy places".

Happy Fishing, Humans.


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## .45 (Sep 21, 2007)

Good rewards for fighting the access to that river LOAH!!

NICE FISH....congrats!


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## Bears Butt (Sep 12, 2007)

I love the posting Loah! Congrats on a fine day in the mountains!


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## Grandpa D (Sep 7, 2007)

There was a day when I would have loved to have joined you on a trip like this.
These days, I must just sit back and enjoy the trip through your words and pictures.
Thanks for sharing,
Grandpa D.


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## sharpshooter25 (Oct 2, 2007)

Great report, looks like a great day to me.


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## Size Matters (Dec 22, 2007)

It looks like you had a great day thanks for the report and awesome photos. 8)


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Nice report, thanks for sharing.


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## sawsman (Sep 13, 2007)

Great lookin' fish and a beautiful creek LOAH. Livin' the good life!


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## HighmtnFish (Jun 3, 2010)

Nice work LOAH! :shock: I grew up fishing all of those little streams up Fairview canyon and every so often you pull fish out those little streams that will surprise you. I had mixed feelings about having some of those streams closed until the second weekend in July but In the long run I think it has helped the cutthroat populations up there immensely.


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## LOAH (Sep 29, 2007)

Thanks, everybody. It was much needed. That creek always treats me right though, unless the flow is too high.



HighmtnFish said:


> I had mixed feelings about having some of those streams closed until the second weekend in July but In the long run I think it has helped the cutthroat populations up there immensely.


Yeah, I need to fish some of those that get closed. This was one of the streams that's always open to fishing. Access is usually what keeps people out until most of the snow melts.


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## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

Great post Loah. Ol' one-eye looks to be well-fed too. It'd be fun for you to go catch him later and get another picture of him. Pat him on his little slimy head and send him back for another day.
Cool pics Loah.


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## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

LOAH said:


> Sky Rockets and Nuttall's Larkspur! Nice picture.


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## k2muskie (Oct 6, 2007)

Another totally awesome report LOAH...thanks as always for allowing us to view such wonderful scenery through your pictures...and plus the reward you have with those nice looking fish well worth every bit of time...so have you started your own guide service...how about them articles...something to think about LOAH trust me on that one. Again awesome report and great looking fish...


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## LOAH (Sep 29, 2007)

Me? A guide?

:lol:

To be honest, most of the people who are willing to pay someone for that are looking for fly fishing and I'm less than a novice in that respect. No bug ID skills, hatch ID, or even ability to tie flies.

If someone were willing to pay me to show them around, I suppose I would though.

Guess that would make me a _tour_ guide.

Thanks, K2.


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## Chaser (Sep 28, 2007)

Is that last fish a hybrid? It looks like its a cuttbow, what with the spots like a cutt, and the pink striping like a rainbow.


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## LOAH (Sep 29, 2007)

Chaser said:


> Is that last fish a hybrid? It looks like its a cuttbow, what with the spots like a cutt, and the pink striping like a rainbow.


No, just a typical hatchery bow. At first glance, while I fought it in, I thought it might be a cutt because of the speckle pattern, but once it was in my hand it was clearly a rainbow.

I've seen plenty of them with a sparse pattern like that, especially down at south.


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## NHS (Sep 7, 2007)

Awesome report LOAH. That stream is one of my all-time favorite places in the entire world. I have spent many a day on that stream. Unfortunately, not as many recently. I need to get back down there this summer.


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## LOAH (Sep 29, 2007)

They're waiting for you! 

(You're the only person that's been able to tell where I was. I thought for sure I'd get others from the pics I posted, but you are the lone ranger. Good job.)


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## Jed (Feb 25, 2009)

Monsters? Bigfoot? :shock: :O•-:


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## Jed (Feb 25, 2009)

Looks like that fish with the "bad eye" had a cataract, probably an older fish.


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

Great looking cutts! I still need to get those crossed off my bucket list.


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## danfool (Jul 30, 2011)

Excellent post!


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## LOAH (Sep 29, 2007)

Thanks and welcome to the site!


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