# Utah on The Fly (Dead?)



## HighNDry

I just tried to visit Utah on the Fly web site and it doesn't come up. The site has been a ghost town lately and I wonder if it is now dead?


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## Dunkem

Has not been any activity on there for some time,I think it has gave up the ghost.


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## wyoming2utah

It is too bad....that used to be a good site. Once they stopped allowing people to post fish reports and actually talk about fishing, though, the site gradually died!


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## martymcfly73

We can only hope it's dead.


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## Packfish

You can't be a horses arse to forum members and expect them to participate. I was on there from the very early days- good site- then the someones britches got way to big and not from Carbs


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## Catherder

May it rest in peace.



wyoming2utah said:


> It is too bad....that used to be a good site. Once they stopped allowing people to post fish reports and actually talk about fishing, though, the site gradually died!


I thought it was because Minivan stopped posting over there?

RE "You can't be a horses arse to forum members and expect them to participate. I was on there from the very early days- good site- then the someones britches got way to big and not from Carbs "

Agreed. Seriously, between the douchebaggery to anyone new and that virus scare, it had been in a death spiral for a couple of years.


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## HighNDry

It"s baaaaaack!

Must of been down for maintenance or something.


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## goonsquad

Too bad, really it needs to die. I go back every once and a while and I always ask myself why. 
It was a great forum when I started fly fishing, I participated in a few fly swaps, have a hat, etc. But as it seems from the posts above, some sort of elitist d-baggery became the norm and I checked out. 
The owners need to completely redesign and reintroduce it to get it to grow and be worth something.


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## brookieguy1

Catherder is correct, minivan was the heart and soul of UOTF. When he dissapeared, there was no longer hope.:neutral:


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## martymcfly73

Or maybe it needs new owners. I've never been associated with such elitist a holes as they come acrossed as. It used to be a decent site. I haven't been over there in a couple of years. Don't see myself going back either.


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## Catherder

One more parting tidbit on the subject. While those guys were typically quite snarky for some time, and the current result of the site is probably deserved, those of us that fish streams do probably owe that site a debt of gratitude. Why? It was from there that the stream access movement developed after the Conatser decision and HB187. It eventually got some good traction here (never on BFT, they kept sticking discussion in the "non fishing" section) , but the movement really sprung up and was initially organized on UOTF. So it was a very good thing that UOTF was around and viable at that time.


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## Packfish

Yes- and there were some very good knowledgeable people on that site- For a few years the info from entomology to fly tying to a myriad of things associated with fly tying was as good as I have seen anywhere. Then things just took a wrong turn and it snow balled.


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## HighNDry

I actually found it to be entertaining and even participated in the piling on--mostly trying to be funny. I could see where I would be branded (and somewhat rightly) as one of the elitist snobs. Probably the term pot stirrer would be more appropriate as I'm apt to do that on this site from time to time.

I've tried to be better as I have stepped away from some of the ego driven aspects of fly fishing. Still a ways to go and working on it.


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## brookieguy1

HighNDry said:


> I actually found it to be entertaining and even participated in the piling on--mostly trying to be funny. I could see where I would be branded (and somewhat rightly) as one of the elitist snobs. Probably the term pot stirrer would be more appropriate as I'm apt to do that on this site from time to time.
> 
> I've tried to be better as I have stepped away from some of the ego driven aspects of fly fishing. Still a ways to go and working on it.


Throw a marabou with my spinning rod....it will help you. ;-)


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## HighNDry

brookieguy1 said:


> Throw a marabou with my spinning rod....it will help you. ;-)


Did a little of that with the boys while they were growing up. So I think I'm on the right track.

I've stepped away from the need to do demo fly tying at the expos. I was doing it partly for the wrong reason(s). I wanted to share, but in the back of my mind was the ego encouraging me to "think" my techniques, and ideas, and knowledge was superior somehow. The need to say: I'm a guide, a professional fly tier, a lawyer, or Indian Chief is subsiding. I have turned back to the roots of my fly fishing: The quite, simple pleasure of just being in nature and admiring the beauty I see in trout and their environments. The personal feelings that come to me while out there--the transcendentalism of the experience.

I still like to show my photos of me and my little trout. I still work on creating patterns (mostly for me and family). When I have time, I like to write on my blogs and want to be a better writer (which I struggle with because it feels so ego driven too). It's interesting for me to go back on Utah on The Fly and reread some of my posts. I'm glad people can change. I'm glad I can change.


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## HopperLover

Packfish said:


> You can't be a horses arse to forum members and expect them to participate. I was on there from the very early days- good site- then the someones britches got way to big and not from Carbs


I agree completely. The recent downward trend of that site had nothing to do with the lack of reports, in my opinion - as they did that a good decade ago.

Just the attitudes of a few extremely arrogant jerks led me to no longer participate. I was one of the first to register a user name with the site and I just couldn't take the stifling arrogance of some of the posters. Too bad since most people were pretty cool.


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## HopperLover

Catherder said:


> One more parting tidbit on the subject. While those guys were typically quite snarky for some time, and the current result of the site is probably deserved, those of us that fish streams do probably owe that site a debt of gratitude. Why? It was from there that the stream access movement developed after the Conatser decision and HB187. It eventually got some good traction here (never on BFT, they kept sticking discussion in the "non fishing" section) , but the movement really sprung up and was initially organized on UOTF. So it was a very good thing that UOTF was around and viable at that time.


Good point.


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## HighNDry

Bunch of weird posts over there again. Place seems to be a wreck.


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## brookieguy1

HighNDry said:


> Did a little of that with the boys while they were growing up. So I think I'm on the right track.
> 
> I've stepped away from the need to do demo fly tying at the expos. I was doing it partly for the wrong reason(s). I wanted to share, but in the back of my mind was the ego encouraging me to "think" my techniques, and ideas, and knowledge was superior somehow. The need to say: I'm a guide, a professional fly tier, a lawyer, or Indian Chief is subsiding. I have turned back to the roots of my fly fishing: The quite, simple pleasure of just being in nature and admiring the beauty I see in trout and their environments. The personal feelings that come to me while out there--the transcendentalism of the experience.
> 
> I still like to show my photos of me and my little trout. I still work on creating patterns (mostly for me and family). When I have time, I like to write on my blogs and want to be a better writer (which I struggle with because it feels so ego driven too). It's interesting for me to go back on Utah on The Fly and reread some of my posts. I'm glad people can change. I'm glad I can change.


HighNdry, you probably deserve the ego you possess, but the fact that you are trying to change your attitude and actually advance beyond the self-image part of fishing is very impressive to me, and extremely admirable. Something I feel alot of fishermen and people in general could use. (mysef included)


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## wyogoob

The last time I was on UOTF I called a strike indicator a "bobber" and got banned.


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## Catherder

HighNDry said:


> Did a little of that with the boys while they were growing up. So I think I'm on the right track.
> 
> I've stepped away from the need to do demo fly tying at the expos. I was doing it partly for the wrong reason(s). I wanted to share, but in the back of my mind was the ego encouraging me to "think" my techniques, and ideas, and knowledge was superior somehow. The need to say: I'm a guide, a professional fly tier, a lawyer, or Indian Chief is subsiding. I have turned back to the roots of my fly fishing: The quite, simple pleasure of just being in nature and admiring the beauty I see in trout and their environments. The personal feelings that come to me while out there--the transcendentalism of the experience.
> 
> I still like to show my photos of me and my little trout. I still work on creating patterns (mostly for me and family). When I have time, I like to write on my blogs and want to be a better writer (which I struggle with because it feels so ego driven too). It's interesting for me to go back on Utah on The Fly and reread some of my posts. I'm glad people can change. I'm glad I can change.


Isn't it interesting and cool that we can reinvent ourselves in our interests. For me, I've actually done a fair degree more flyfishing the last year or so, and a bit less of bassin and ice fishing, although I still dearly love those pursuits too. I think the type of change you describe is probably a healthy approach to life.


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## Catherder

wyogoob said:


> The last time I was on UOTF I called a strike indicator a "bobber" and got banned.


At least you didn't commit the capital offense of calling a fly rod a "pole". ;-)


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## smoothie

HighNDry said:


> When I have time, I like to write on my blogs and want to be a better writer (which I struggle with because it feels so ego driven too). QUOTE]
> 
> I love checking out people's fly fishing blogs. Is your blog public? If so, what is the link?
> 
> Thanks!


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## smoothie

I still check out Utah on the Fly about once a quarter. It's pretty amazing to see the lack of activity compared to what the site used to be. It's too bad because for me fly fishing is a huge part of my life. It's my most favorite thing to do in the world. I didn't like all the disrespectful remarks from a few jerks on that site, but I put up with it because it was the biggest local online forum that was solely focussed on fly fishing. I got a ton of great info. from good people via private messages, and sometimes in the stardard posting process. I would love to see a new fly fishing only site get started in Utah that could start out on a "clean slate" and do it the right way. I feel that it's not really possible for Utah on the Fly to make a comeback at this point...too much baggage unfortunately.


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## Dunkem

They must not have any mods there,their stories page is filled with spam ads


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## sawsman

I enjoyed the photography over there. Didnt care much for the rest of it&#8230;

.


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## brookieguy1

sawsman said:


> I enjoyed the photography over there. Didnt care much for the rest of it&#8230;
> 
> .


No doubt. Jaymor could really play the lense.
Of course with your new hot gear, you'll be shooting some magazine-quality images yourself, Saws!


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## HighNDry

smoothie said:


> HighNDry said:
> 
> 
> 
> When I have time, I like to write on my blogs and want to be a better writer (which I struggle with because it feels so ego driven too). QUOTE]
> 
> I love checking out people's fly fishing blogs. Is your blog public? If so, what is the link?
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> 
> 
> www.troutseeker.blogspot.com
Click to expand...


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## Damiani

A lot of western forums are dying a slow death, it seems to be a epidemic. Fly fishing usually tolerates little hot spotting, I always thought Utah on the Fly did a good job of keeping it to minimum... I don't consider fly fishing to be a social sport & maybe this why the demise


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## Packfish

You are correct- it really isn't- tough to talk the same fly pattern over and over and over.


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## Kwalk3

To some it may not be a social sport, but for me, some of my most cherished moments fly fishing have been when I was with family and friends and all of us were catching fish at the same time. The solo aspect has its place too, but it is not the part of fly fishing that keeps me coming back.


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## HighNDry

It would be interesting to know how the fly fishing mags are doing. Is subscription rate down? I've heard the sentiment that those who have been participating in fly fishing and fly tying for 20, 30, 40+ years do not see anything new--just the same old chatter--same old patterns--same old techniques.

I have felt for several years now, that all the hatches are the same, and that you can pretty well tell what pattern to use to catch fish any month of the year. It would be hard to tell if a comparadun BWO will catch less fish than some of the "new" creations, because you can only catch so many fish per hour, and if you are catching them consistently on a compardun BWO why change?

Example: This past Saturday, I stepped into a local water and caught 4 browns on four consecutive casts (on a size 16 black foam beetle). I then picked up 3 or 4 more before I lost the fly in a tree. I decided to tie on a cream-colored hopper because I could see it better, and to see if it was the beetle producing or if it was just trout that were in a feeding mode. I had the same results--everywhere I thought there would be a trout, I caught one or at least had a rise. I would not be able to tell you that the beetle worked better or that the hopper worked better.

I think most of our local waters have more trout than they know what to do with, so the fishing is always pretty easy. There are days when it seems slower and then you find out that someone had just gone through the area, or days when you just scratch your head for one reason or the other, but most days, it's pretty easy.

So, if you create a fly, take it to the river and knock them dead, do you claim it's a "new" hot pattern, or do you claim it works like the other patterns that you didn't try that same day, same time, same stretch that might have worked just the same?

A few years back, I actually tried to tie patterns (within reason) that wouldn't work and failed miserably (at least on the overpopulated brown trout waters I tried them on). It seemed that a good presentation, which included being somewhat stealthy, was more important than what I used (again stressing that the patterns were within reason).

Now, during an actual trout feeding frenzy on a particular hatch, I have had to be fairly close in what I was throwing to get consistent action. Nevertheless, I have still fished, say a hopper, during an early Fall mayfly hatch and still had significant action--enough that it wasn't worth changing flies.

I guess what I'm suggesting, in a round about way, is that the only thing that is fueling fly fishing and tying right now is an urge to be creative with "new" things to tie on a hook, or with the newbies coming into the sport who don't know that you can pretty much catch a brown trout on a Royal Wulff almost all year long.

Still, I find myself thinking about fly fishing, fly tying, trout, insects, and the transcendental feeling I get from being on a trout stream at a minimum several hours of each day and then dreaming about it at night.


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## wyogoob

Damiani said:


> A lot of western forums are dying a slow death, it seems to be a epidemic. Fly fishing usually tolerates little hot spotting, I always thought Utah on the Fly did a good job of keeping it to minimum... I don't consider fly fishing to be a social sport & maybe this why the demise


Nice pic Quill.

.


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## Damiani

How u know it's me?


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## Catherder

I accidentally hit the UOTF icon on my old favorite list on the computer and went over there the other day. Yikes! Unless you want to purchase erectile dysfunction medications from spammers, it looks like they really are dead over there now.


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## Dunkem

I think I would stay away from there my anti virus software says its questionable?-O,-


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## Catherder

Dunkem said:


> I think I would stay away from there my anti virus software says its questionable?-O,-


Yep, I deleted the bookmark. Don't need the viruses or any black market ED meds, thank you. ;-)


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## HighNDry

Same here--I'm out. That site needs to be removed from the internets. At this point it is making the creators of the site kind of tarnished. If they have no respect for their own site, how do they expect anyone to respect them?


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