Speaking of brookies…WARNING!!! This post may or may not include lots of fish porn. In light of Derek’s brook trout action I thought I’d post up some old brookie love a little closer to home. Southern Utah is home to some great fisheries and among them are some phenomenal brook trout lakes. Thousand Lakes Mountain, the Manti La Sal’s, and Boulder Mountain are all home to some killer spots. Many people fish these mountains for all species of fish, but for me they have always been the place to target brook trout.

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Brook trout have always been very special to me.  Their beauty is matched by only a few species.  As a youngster learning to fish, I was captivated by their colors. I had read a ton about Boulder Mountain’ trophy brook trout and hoped that someday I would have the opportunity to find one of these trophies.  They were at the top of my list of fish I wanted to catch, but at 12 and 13 years old opportunities to fish for these beauties were very rare.  I didn’t know anyone else who fly fished and the only others that loved fishing as I did were a couple of my friends. One summer we planned a scout trip to the Boulder Mountains and I knew I’d finally get my chance to admire one in person.  I still remember vividly my eagerness as I cast desperately to rise forms as it grew darker by the minute.  Finally, I guessed correctly as I placed a red-tailed black gnat ahead of two sequential rise forms.  So stoked! I raced over to show my dad, who I think even captured the moment on tape. This experience solidified Boulder Mountain as brookie heaven.

Ok, back to the present…well sorta.

Evening was setting in as we laid eyes on the lake. Our hearts were pounding – both from the hike and from excitement.  We immediately dropped our packs and eagerly took a look.  As we crept along the bank in a small bay my heart suddenly jumped through my throat.  White stripes. A few sets of them…and they were big!  I literally couldn’t believe my eyes.  A clip of Trout Bum Diaries immediately came to mind.  The idea of setting up camp was fleeting as we scrambled for our rods.  Fishing was tricky. After a bit of casting I hooked into a little football that was without a doubt the most beautifully colored brookie I’d ever caught.  Too bad in all my excitement I didn’t manage to get any good shots of him! I’d have loved a better attempt at capturing that beauty. We didn’t have much luck after that but looked forward to the morning.  The night concluded with some good laughs by the campfire and some mansnuggling in a cramped tent.

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We awoke to crisp mountain air and we were stoked for a good day of fishing. There’s not a whole lot to say about the day other than we were lucky enough to have some of the best Boulder Mountain brook trout fishing a guy could ask for. They definitely made us work for them but we got into some amazing fish and caught glimpses at a couple trophy brook trout.  Nearly fifteen years after I first read about the trophies of boulder mountain, the mountain is still putting forth some amazing fish.

About The Author

Chinese Boy
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The ringleader at OSF, Nathan likes well-proportioned fish, moonlit walks by the river, and stripping streamers through dark lies on the dreariest of days. View full bio.

6 Responses

    • Nathan

      Finding lakes with brook trout like this can be a bit of a challenge. Are you looking for advice on boulder mountain in general or a specific area of the plateau?

      Reply
      • lars gardner

        I live in boulder town at the base of the mountain. I’ve newer seen fish of this size or quality in this area and i would like to know what lakes/creeks you got these from. Thanks-I do realize this probity wont get replied to.

      • Nathan Leavitt

        Lars, we try to reply to all comments around here! Good brookies are definitely a challenge to come by but they’re definitely up there. Plenty of lakes can produce fish in the 2-3lbs range. Anything about 4lbs is mighty scarce these days. As far as the particular lake that these came from, we’ll have to keep that quiet. As you probably know, the lakes on the mountain are cyclical, so find ones that are capable of producing good fish and get there on the right year(s)!

  1. vince

    It’s pretty hush hush up their and are many lakes I had to make a few trips out their myself too find good lakes most winter kill too make sure you go the right time of year too that helps wish I could yell more but we kind of keep the good lakes a secret the best advice is spend some time out their I’m sure you will do good

    Reply

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