Fly Fishing For Browns in Red Rock Canyons

 Over the weekend my family and I went to Moab. We went right around this time last year and we took a walk through town on a path along Mill Creek. During that walk I couldn't help but look at different runs and pools and wonder if trout could carve out a living in this desert stream. Before this years trip I did a little research and found out that trout do reside in the creek. That's all I needed to know so I packed my gear just in case I got an opportunity to throw a few flies.

I took the family up to the trail head so we could hike around for a while. As I drove up I noticed a sign that said "ATTENTION ANGLERS". This was a cut and dry sign that people did fish the creek and I felt myself getting stoked....

 A shot of one of the clear pools...

 Me side tracked looking for rising fish...

 Looking down stream.

After our hike we went and played at the park and then out to Potash Road for a picnic. We then headed back to the motel for naps. Ashley, very sweetly suggested/implied that I could go fish if I wanted while the kids took naps... So I loaded my gear and took off (Thanks Babe!).

 Fully entrenched in Derek Grzelewski's "The Trout Diaries- A Year of Fly-Fishing in New Zealand" I sat up on this cliff intent on spotting a rise or a sitting fish...

 Same cliff looking upstream. I didn't see any surface activity and I surmised that with such clear water they probably have to keep a low profile. Just then the unmistakable sound and site of a King Fisher zoomed past me noisily make his call, working his way up stream.... Looking for a Brown on the beach I am sure. 

So I changed up my thought process on rig selection and settled on a mini indicator with three feet of 4X tippet with a size 16 bead head nymph. 

 As I was working the first hole I saw some movement out of the corner of my eye and when I looked down I spotted a Craw Dad at my feet... Look close.

 I hooked a small one in this pool and lost him. It felt amazing though and I was excited to feel the thrill of hooking into a fish on a new river.

 I caught this one in the next pool. The rig seemed to be working and it was a hard fighting fish.

 It wasn't tiny either...

 Looks fishy heh? See the mini indicator and the fish fighting in the pool?

 Snapped a few pics while we fought.

 Another beauty...

Pretty light skinned with vibrant dots. In an desert environment like this only the lightest survive... Over a few decades you a have a population that tends to be lighter? The more I fish in different colored water the more I think that is true. Could be something to it... Maybe not.

After naps I took the family back to this same stretch and we all took a swim in the deepest hole we could find. This water is clear and cold run off from the La Sal range and it makes for perfect swimming on a hot day. It also makes for great fish habitat...

What a trip casting for Browns in a red rock canyon. I can only imagine what hopper season would be like on this hidden gem. Highly enjoyable and I would recommend finding a spot like this during your travels.

Thanks,

Chris Giles