# Deer Creek Tried To Eat Me.



## LOAH (Sep 29, 2007)

Well I must be crazy. I had to get the fishing monkey off my back so I set out around noon to get into some fish. I wanted to go back to the Ladders, but I'd piddled away too much time having a lazy Saturday morning. With the high probability of a snow storm, I figured I'd get into some trouble being that far from home anyway.

After stopping at Kmart for some lures, I decided to go to a less than desired lake close by (Deer Creek) and hit the inlet of the Provo River. I've wanted to do that for quite awhile and today would be that day.

The drive up wasn't bad at all. There was a little bit of snow coming down, but it wasn't "dangerous" and the road was wet rather than icy. The canyon looked pretty cool with a bit of snow over it and I got some pics of the Timpanogos side while driving.





































I got to the last pull-off on the highway before the road to Charleston and parked. The river was a pretty long walk through the massive area of lake bed formerly filled with water.

It wasn't very cold since I was so bundled up, plus I had my waders on. Wearing those proved to be a very good idea about halfway to the river. I was well away from the shoreline (I was walking a straight line from my car to the river) at that point and I was crossing a lot of small trickles of water flowing into the lake and it was getting muddy. I didn't really notice too much because of all the snow, but I could tell I was traveling across soft ground. Not long after that my right leg was swallowed about 3/4 of the way to my hip by a mud bog. I struggled to free myself, but I only made things worse and now my left leg was swallowed deeper.

I stopped fighting the mud and thought for a moment about what I could do. I saw someone fishing the river, but they were quite far away from me. I didn't think that person even knew I was there or that I was in trouble, but I could probably get his attention if I yelled loud enough. It would've taken him a long time to get to me and who knows how boggy the ground was between us.

I knew I couldn't put my all my weight on my hands because I almost lost my gloves trying to push out of my trap. The mud was tight up against my legs and I couldn't wiggle too much without going deeper.

Finally, I grabbed my waders tightly just above the mud and pulled as hard as I could to free my left leg that wasn't trapped as badly. It came out and I laid it flat out to my side (good thing I'm flexible). I used my free leg as an anchor and pulled with my whole body while pulling up on the leg of the waders with my hands. It was slow and hard, but I got it free. The only problem was that in freeing one leg, the other started to sink (even laid out flat) and I was basically just churning around in it without getting anywhere (and using a lot of energy in the process). The good thing was that I wasn't totally trapped anymore, but the wrong move would get me right back to where I was.

I laid my whole body flat and tried to "slither" out to find that something was pulling on my neck. I had my chain stringer connected to itself and hung around my head like a necklace and clipped to it was my net which was completely buried in the ground where my leg was. All I could see was the bungee stretched out to my chain and going straight into the muck. I tried pulling it out, but my angle was bad from the ground and I would only drive my anchors into the mud further by pulling any harder. It's just a cheap net.

"You want it, you got it," I said out loud as I unclipped the net from my chain and slithered back to "solid" ground with my rods and tackle box. Disaster averted. :shock:

I was in a real pickle there, for a few minutes. After the fact, my thoughts started to circle on how close I came to getting claimed by Deer Creek Reservoir. O-|-O I don't even like the place that much.

Humbled by my experience, but not yet beaten, I changed direction and walked to a noticeable change in contour of the lake bed. It was slightly uphill from where I was and I could feel some small rocks under my feet while I walked, which gave me more of a sense of stability.

I followed the contour and hopped a few small channels on my way, but finally made it to river. It took me around 45 minutes to walk about a half mile (straight line distance). :?

Once I made it, I followed the bank to the "delta" (walking very carefully the whole time) and rigged a minnow. I tossed that into the current to be carried out further and tended to my other rod.

It had a rapala on it and I only got a few casts out before the crappy line (no, not the Vanish...changed to P-Line last night) broke while I was casting and it was gone. :twisted: Bought that rapala today...To replace the one that snapped off on my first cast last week with the garbage Vanish. This time I even took some advice and tied it on with a palomar knot. Didn't matter. I've decided to just stick with mono and braids from now on and ditch the fluoro altogether. I lost a Blue Fox a little bit later. Finally, I decided to just go with a worm a foot and a half below a bubble. About 5 casts later, gone. I threw that rod down and decided to focus on my money rod...the minnow rod.

I picked it up and got into the river a ways to make sure I could get it into the main channel going into the lake. I never noticed any bites, but I reeled in a minnow with bite marks on two occasions.

The day wasn't going too well and the weather had turned. Now, thick snowflakes were falling densely. I looked around, but could only see a couple hundred feet in any direction. It was time to go and I'd already pushed my luck too much. Besides, the Provo River flows all the way down the canyon, so I could just pull over and fish on the way down, right?

No. After the long, disorienting walk back to my car, I realized that the road was completely snowed over and the passing cars were creeping and sliding around. I had only been away from my car for about 2 hours and conditions were totally different now.

I was really worried that my little car would get stuck trying to get back on the road from the pull-out, but if I needed to, I was prepared to use a flipper as a shovel to dig some tire tracks out of there. I always have way too much fishing junk in my car. :lol: My car made it out after sliding around into differnent sets of tire tracks left by previous cars and trucks. I was surprised how well it did, actually.

The highway was covered with snow and other cars were traveling very very slowly. My car wanted to go a little faster than theirs and I didn't hesitate to pass them since I'm more worried about their driving and being close by when they spin out. Actually, my car was pretty solid on the snow. I managed to cruise at about 40mph until I caught up to a pack of slow movers.

The big hill by Rainbow Bay was a real problem. There were some big rigs that were so slow that they were making the long line of vehicles behind actually stop and lose all their momentum while traveling uphill. It took the pack about 15 minutes to get up that hill.

The rest of my drive was spent either driving pretty slowly behind others or in stop and go uphill battles while dodging other cars that couldn't keep it together.

I finally made it home after driving for about an hour and a half from Deer Creek to Orem.

The forces that be had other plans for me today, but I ignored them and attempted to pursue one of my favorite hobbies instead and it almost bit me. I'm glad I made it home safely and I hope everyone of you that dared to go out did too.

I got skunked, but I'm just glad I still have the opportunity to say that. After that experience and the drive home, I made sure to hit the gas station for some brews...I earned them!

Cheers and Happy Fishing, Humans. Be careful out there.


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## Greenguy88 (Sep 7, 2007)

LOAH good thing you escaped the icy, muddy, snowy grasp of Deer Creek! I have had some similar experinces in rivers. Sorry about the skunk too, but the important thing is your safe. Enjjoy those brews, you earned em. Better luck next time!


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## BrookTroutKid (Oct 10, 2007)

Thats pretty scary LOAH, getting swallowed by mud is not fun at all. Too bad you got skunked also.


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## mjschijf (Oct 1, 2007)

You got skunked! What's wrong with you?

Just kidding, LOAH...glad you were able to make it home safe in those conditions. I'd say you were pretty brave just to attempt fishing after almost getting swallowed in the mud. At least you've got a good story to tell now!

Ahhh...the adventures of being a fishing addict... :lol:


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## Nibble Nuts (Sep 12, 2007)

Deer Creek has been a nasty beast lately. Last Tuesday I went to school (actually I somehow ended up at DC :wink: ), and I went to the same area but took a different route. I ended up stepping on some loose rocks that sent me rolling down to the shoreline. I heard a snap and realized I had sprained my ankle. I almost rolled completely into the lake but caught myself just inches from the water. I layed there for quite a while as my ankle was hurting badly. I finally was able to get up and had to use my fishing poles as a cane to get back up the hill. It was a long, slow climb back up but I made it. Today I was finally able to walk normal on my left ankle again. It was the worst skunking I have ever experienced. 

Don't give up on the palomar, you will find it does make a big difference. Most knots only leave about 30 to 50% of the line strength, but the palomar will actually get you close to 80% of the line strength. Some say it will give you 100%, but I don't believe any knot actually can because it is the weakest link on the line under normal conditions.


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## STEVO (Sep 13, 2007)

Man that sucks that you got skunked. However, Having those types of days makes the good fishing days that much sweeter  . It could be worse. You could have been stuck at work like I was yesterday & today :evil: 

I have had to do the mud roll a few times while out fishing & duck hunting. ITS NOT FUN :lol:


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## rapalahunter (Oct 13, 2007)

Crazy story man. I'm glad you survived it to fish another day.


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## orvis1 (Sep 7, 2007)

I have had the mud monster get me a few times on the river, even lost a wading boot to him one time. I am glad that I didn't brave the storm my better half thought it would be better to stay home an decorate our tree. Glad to hear that you made it home alive, to bad about the skunking and lost lure.


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## FROGGER (Oct 1, 2007)

just think, if it were not for that mud you would never know how many people on here are glad you made it back...


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## JAT83 (Sep 9, 2007)

Sounds like fun! Nice Pictures!


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## HighLakesDrifter (Sep 13, 2007)

Wow LOAH, what an adventure! I'm glad you got out. I got stuck once in the summer up on the Madison in Yellowstone. I was wading along in the river near the far shore, and the next thing I knew I was mid-thigh in mud. I was in a spot where the river veered away from the road. I could see/hear vehicles but I'm sure they couldn't see/hear me. It took me about 45 minutes to squirm out of it.

Hopefully, by spring it will all be under water again and the walleye/bass/perch/crappie/bluegill/sunfish have a little more play room. 

_Life is Good_


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## RnF (Sep 25, 2007)

Lol, now I know what you meant by wishing you could have fished the Provo in my fishing report. Glad you are ok, that wouldn't be a very fun way to go. Makes for a good story though.


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