# Provo River



## dmchris (Jun 23, 2017)

Even though I've lived in Orem for 25 years, I haven't fished the Provo River that much. I've checked out all the access points for the Middle and Lower Provo. I've fished around those points but really haven't found any good holes etc. I had the mistaken impression that you could go anywhere on the Provo and catch fish. 

My question is: Where, exactly on the Provo, is a good place to fish? From an access point, is it north, south, how far do you have to walk etc.

Appreciate some help.

Thanks,

David


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## taxidermist (Sep 11, 2007)

You using Fly's or what? Using a Spinning outfit, I've done well with a Gold Rapala CD9 or Mepps spinners. Access between the Sundance turn off and Deer Creek Dam.


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## toasty (May 15, 2008)

Go out 1 hours before dark and put on a #14 elk hair caddis. Look for rising fish and cast to them. The provo is covered in fish and there are dozens in every hole and eddie in that river. Lots of fish, just hard to catch them.


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## HighNDry (Dec 26, 2007)

Too many brown trout. Stunted. They are hungry. One of the problems is they are fished over heavily. It's hard to find a spot that someone hasn't been through. Eventually they have to feed and as some popular fly fishing author has said, "if you keep using the wrong fly long enough it eventually becomes the right fly." Throw a Prince Nymph with the right technique and you will eventually catch a brown trout.


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## Vanilla (Dec 11, 2009)

Some of the best holes on the MP and LP are right at the parking areas. That’s why they are heavily used. 

These fish are pressured, but don’t overthink it. You don’t have to walk far to get away from the majority of the crowds, but it’s tough to get away from everyone on those rivers. 

The advice to toss adult caddis patterns late in the day is a good one this time of year. You can throw caddis larva and pupa patterns throughout the day and have success right now too. There are always sow bugs in those waters, 12 months of the year. You may be able to do well on attractor patterns against the banks right now too. (Think hoppers, ants, etc) And it won’t be too long until the fish are staging for the spawn and you can do well hucking streamers.


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## StillAboveGround (Aug 20, 2011)

Everyone always asked about good places to fish. There is at least 12 miles on the Middle Provo River (more if you count the braided streams) and all is on public land. There are 7 official access sites and several more unofficial access points.


Yes, the river gets lots of pressure, but there are still lots of nice fish. You do not have to crawl up to the edge of the river on your belly because fish are used to seeing people (most places), but you better believe they have been educated.



For most people, the problem is not finding places to fish, or even having the right flies, but knowing the proper techniques to catch fish.


We constantly take people on the river and they are surprised that we don't see many other anglers. Occasionally we don't see any other anglers (even on weekends). 



The Provo River is a tremendous resource in our back yard. Get out there and take advantage of it.


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## HighNDry (Dec 26, 2007)

Lob a bobber with a nymph. Watch for the bobber to tick back upstream and then lift the rod tip. 

Sometimes if you are fishing downstream of another wading angler you can catch a few. The wading angler usually sends some stream bottom nymphs downstream putting a few hungry stunted browns on the feed. Lob your bobber and nymph up into these areas and you will eventually catch a brown.

I've never taken an official lesson or been with a guide. I did, however, read some stuff about fly fishing and then spent time on the water. It's actually pretty simple. 

I'd say the hardest part is when the trout have been feeding on a specific bug for a while and they are keyed on it. Then it becomes more critical to get the size and silhouette of the pattern and present it in the proper manner. Still Larry Tullis wrote an article a few years back that says even then you can catch a few by throwing something different. he compared it to a person eating a regular meal or same food all the time and then grabbing a snickers bar just to change things up.


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## Vanilla (Dec 11, 2009)

Fish are opportunistic feeders. If you present something to them that looks like food in a way they expect food to be presented, they’ll eat it. 

Matching the hatch is fun, but not entirely necessary.


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## Kwalk3 (Jun 21, 2012)

If you aren't opposed to nymphing, you can generally find good success with a bobber/indicator and a size 18 gray or rainbow sow bug, with a pmd nymph fished off the bottom. I also do well year-round with small jujubaetis and jujube midge patterns in black and olive.

I've also had some really good dry fly days on the Provo fishing small pmd emergers and cripples or caddis patterns as was previously mentioned.


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## HighNDry (Dec 26, 2007)

Kwalk3,
A few years back I fished the middle portion of the Provo. My nephew went into a local guide shop and asked what flies were producing. They told him that the Provo was a nymphing river and rattled off a few patterns. They told him to get to a long deep stretch (run) and fish it long and hard. We arrived at the river and got situated in such a place and caught a couple of dinks. I tired of the lobbing and told him I was going to tie on a hopper and start up stream. I tied on the hopper and first cast close to the bank nailed a good 14-inch brown. A couple more casts and nailed another. I cast farther out into the river and missed one. I must have hooked 4 or 5 fish and missed as many. He came upstream and said give me one of those hoppers. We both proceeded up river catching or missing a trout in almost every likely spot. We fished long deep runs, and pocket water. We threw those hoppers close to the bank and out in the middle. This was mid-day hot July 24th. It was a blast. I sometimes think we get caught up in the regular routine. I'm not sure this type of action would take place all the time but the change-up that day produced some great, fun action.


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## Kwalk3 (Jun 21, 2012)

HighNDry said:


> Kwalk3,
> A few years back I fished the middle portion of the Provo. My nephew went into a local guide shop and asked what flies were producing. They told him that the Provo was a nymphing river and rattled off a few patterns. They told him to get to a long deep stretch (run) and fish it long and hard. We arrived at the river and got situated in such a place and caught a couple of dinks. I tired of the lobbing and told him I was going to tie on a hopper and start up stream. I tied on the hopper and first cast close to the bank nailed a good 14-inch brown. A couple more casts and nailed another. I cast farther out into the river and missed one. I must have hooked 4 or 5 fish and missed as many. He came upstream and said give me one of those hoppers. We both proceeded up river catching or missing a trout in almost every likely spot. We fished long deep runs, and pocket water. We threw those hoppers close to the bank and out in the middle. This was mid-day hot July 24th. It was a blast. I sometimes think we get caught up in the regular routine. I'm not sure this type of action would take place all the time but the change-up that day produced some great, fun action.


I, too, have had some pretty epic days on the middle fishing terrestrials. If you catch the green drake hatch right on the middle it can be a riot as well.

The fish on the middle, in my experience, are more stunted than those on the lower. I have had some great dry fly action on the lower as well, but generally nymph there with a sow and jujubaetis and catch football thick rainbows in the deep runs and browns everywhere else.

I too, get bored with doing the same thing every time, so I've spent days on the Lower and Middle with a foam beetle or other terrestrial and caught fair numbers of fish as well, but just haven't found near the numbers of fish with dries on the lower as I do when I nymph.


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## TPrawitt91 (Sep 1, 2015)

This was caught out of the middle yesterday! Picture posted by Tactical Flyfisher (Devin Olsen) of team USA Fly Fishing. At least he used to be with them. Not sure if he still is but that’s really not important and the point. 

That is a slob from the Middle!


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## toasty (May 15, 2008)

Wow! I have caught a couple nice fish on the Provo, but never anything close to that big. I think that is going to help his business.


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## Vanilla (Dec 11, 2009)

That is a pig!


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