Though best known for world-class skiing and some of the best mountain biking on the planet, the Park City area is also an angler’s paradise. With two Blue Ribbon rivers within minutes of historic Main Street, fly-fishing enthusiasts flock here to lure in bragging-size brown, rainbow and cutthroat trout.
One- to three-hour drives net anglers the opportunity to fish the legendary Strawberry Reservoir, fabled Green River and dozens of other pristine lakes, reservoirs and streams offering quality fishing along the way. Be aware that special regulations apply to most Blue Ribbon waters. For example, anglers may only use flies and lures on sections of the Provo and Weber rivers and the limit is two trout under 15 inches. Though most fly-fishers preach catch-and-release fishing, they are encouraged to harvest a few fish to keep the fisheries healthy.
Utah fishing regulations can be complicated, and anglers should read the current fishing regulations handbook before going afield. The handbooks are available at most sporting goods stores and on the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources website, wildlife.utah.gov.
Area residents lucky enough to own homes or property at Victory Ranch near Kamas, approximately 30 minutes from Park City, are entitled to fish a gorgeous private stretch of the upper Provo River flowing through the development. Wolf Creek Ranch, near Victory and also along the upper Provo, offers fly-fishers exclusive access to an on-staff guide, a one-mile section of the river and three ponds stocked with brown, tiger and rainbow trout.
Insider Knowledge
Several fly-fishing shops in the area offer half-day to multi-day guided trips to both public and private waters, complete with all the equipment anglers need for an unforgettable experience.
For more than a quarter century, Jans Mountain Outfitters in Park City has offered half- and full-day guided trips on the Provo and Weber rivers, both only minutes from Park City. Jans also books all-day float trips on the Green River among many other choices.
“There’s a lot of heritage here,” says Jay Sykes, a Jans fly-fishing guide. “Some of our guides have worked here for over 20 years. They know these local waters. My personal favorite is the Green River below Flaming Gorge Reservoir. Of all the places I’ve fished in Utah, Montana, Wyoming and Colorado, it’s still at the top of my list. It’s amazing out there, especially during the cicada hatch.”
He adds, “More locally, the Uinta Mountains are awesome because you can find some isolated areas up there,” he says.
Fish Heads Fly Shop in nearby Heber specializes in half- and full-day guided trips on the middle fork of the Provo River, a very productive section accessed just three minutes from their shop. Ben Diamond, co-owner and guide, says the middle fork fishes well year-round but his favorite trips are from March through July when dry-fly fishing is at its peak. His go-to fly on the middle fork is the Buffalo Midge.
Diamond is proud of his Fish Heads team. “We’re locally owned and most of us here at the shop grew up in the Heber Valley. And we’re right next to the river,” he says.
Park City Outfitters, Park City Fly Fishing Company, Trout Bum 2 and other fly-fishing shops in the area also offer guided trips. For additional access fees, most local guiding services will take you to private lakes and ponds where monster trout lurk.
A New Dawn for Venerable Rivers
Since a massive restoration project on the Provo River in the late eighties and early nineties after the construction of Jordanelle Reservoir, this river has regained a reputation for being one of the premiere trout waters in the West. As a tailwater fishery, stream flows and temperatures are ideal for growing hefty brown, rainbow and cutthroat trout.
Similar restoration efforts and water conditions on the Weber River below Rockport Reservoir, less than a 30-minute drive from Park City, earned that river a Blue Ribbon designation as well.
“If the flows are good, the Provo and Weber fish really well year-round,” says Mickey Anderson, co-founder of Fish Tech, an iconic fishing shop in Salt Lake City. Anderson, who has been teaching fly-fishing and fly tying for 45 years, is a celebrity among area fly-fishers. The affable angler freely offers advice gleaned from decades of casting on local waters.
For novice anglers, he says the right equipment is key. “I recommend a 9-foot rod paired with a 5-weight line. You can do anything with that — still water or any of the rivers.” When it comes to choosing the right fly, he emphasizes the basics. “The most important things to consider are size, shape and color, in that order.” Three of his favorite flies are the Prince Nymph, Royal Wulff and Parachute Adams.
For Anderson, fly-fishing is a way of life. “I love every part of fishing: lakes, rivers and especially small streams. You can get stagnant if you just always fish one way. I like to mix it up, do a little bit of everything,” he shares.
Learn and Socialize
Resident anglers who want to learn more about the sport can join High Country Fly Fishers, a conservation-oriented Trout Unlimited chapter that meets monthly in Park City. Chapter meetings feature guest speakers on various topics related to fly-fishing and fly tying.
Past president and fly-tying instructor John Schultz has been fly-fishing local waters for more than 50 years. He says it’s the mystique that drew him in. “It’s always fascinating. You could fly-fish every day of your life and there’s still something new to learn.”
Schultz says chapter members are always ready to share their knowledge with anyone who wants to learn. “We offer a fly-tying class in late winter and a fly-fishing class in early spring every year. We also have a mentor program for people who are just getting started in fly-fishing. Volunteer club members take people out and spend a day with them on local waters.”
The organization numbers about 75 members, a third of which are women. Schultz’s wife, Susan, also a chapter member, has been fishing alongside him for 54 years. She says, “There are so many nice people to fish with in the club. That’s half of it, just nice people.”
