Moab Fishing?

[Gone4Day]

Just got drafted as logistics coordinator for a two week geology school in Utah. We fly into Salt Lake City, then drive a convoy of 4X4 to Salina, Price, Green River, Moab and finally Grand Junction, never stopping more then 2 nights in one place. My worst nightmare is to get caught without a fly rod when there's a hopper hatch on a western trout stream. But my only (half) day off is in Moab? Its possible I might get a couple hours in the evening somewhere else though.

I'm open to any suggestion. Trout are nice but anything will do. PM me if you don't want to spot burn Utah. The watering holes are few and far between in that part of the state.

Got me thinking though. I'd bet driving 500 miles across PA, you'd find 10 times more trout streams then any western state. They like to talk fish per mile, but never mention the miles in between.

 

[moosehunter]

U might be better of dropping the rod and taking some walks through arches and canyon lands np. If u only have time for one, do arches np. I've never fished there but I could not imagine it being anfishing hotspot. It's a desert.

 

[Fishidiot]

I agree with the hiking option. Arches National Monument is an amazing place and I really enjoyed hiking it. Can't say I know of any fishing around there although there might be some. When I was visiting Grand Junction the trout spots we hit were mainly further east up on the Grand Mesa or even further away.

 

[dryflyguy]

Man - wish my job would send me on expeditions like that.

I don't know where most of those places you mentioned are.
But I did spend a week on the Green river once, and it's a great stream IMO.
Also spent an evening on the Provo river on the way back to the airport. Found some pretty nice fishing there. It's just on the outskirts of Salt Lake city

 

[bikerfish]

yes, do arches!! I was there and was only going to hike up to the first one on the trail, ended up spending the whole day there. simply amazing!! canyonlands is awesome as well. just be careful in either place, it's the wild west, no fences or guardrails anywhere, one wrong step will put you a thousand feet further down than you wanted!! moab is a decent little tourist town as well, good food and some decent beer joints, plus lots of international tourists. the la sal mountains are to the east of town, might be able to find some trout water there.

 

[Bruno]

I have been there several times and the trout fishing is a good distance - think hours - from Moab. Rent a mountain bike and ride slick rock. It is MTB nirvana.

also go watch the guys drive up Lions Back maybe take the rental for a spin here. Lions Back

Also stop at the only Hunter S Thompson themed hotel in the world

 

[Acristickid]

Did the slickrock trail (world famous mtn. biking) and camped on the CO river which is just a few miles out of town. (got driven to a hotel the next night- too hot)

Hope your going in the winter because temps are in the 100's through the summer. One of the places in my life where I learned a great lesson about taking as much water as you can carry. No joke- you'll see.

Not a trout destination. Maybe something (bass) dwells in the CO river- it is also very cloudy from the silt run off.

biker- I witnessed a biker get killed on the main drag through town when a car pulled right out in front of him. It was late July and it was about 105 degrees and I just remember the guy moaning he wanted off the pavement as his face was burning on the asphalt. Heard the next day he passed. ughhh.

 

[Bruno]

acristickid wrote:

Hope your going in the winter because temps are in the 100's through the summer. One of the places in my life where I learned a great lesson about taking as much water as you can carry. No joke- you'll see.

.

Very, very good advice - you can't drink enough water out there.

 

[bikerfish]

out west I've always heard if your not pissing once an hour, your dehydrating.

 

[Gone4Day]

Thanks for the replies. Its a geology field school so we'll be doing plenty of hiking in canyon land, book cliffs and arches anyway. The trip is scheduled for mid sept. but temps can still hit the 90s, so plenty of water is important. The weather is highly variable and can change quickly. And before I go into some long safety speech...

I like biker's idea: La Sals. I've never been there and they have a couple small lakes and a creek with trout! Might be worth a day trip, mileage be damned. May never have the chance again and I can bury it in the expense account. Wet a line, catch a fish, mission accomplished.

But dryflyguy has my favorite: arrive a couple days early, rent a car, room, guide and do a day or so on the Green River below Flaming Gorge!

I'm going to have to look into that one. Could be worth two weeks in the desert.

 

[Fishidiot]

The Green River is one of those national must-do rivers IMO. The section below FG dam, known as the "A Water," is just world class; incredible numbers of fish and beautiful scenery. If you can get up there, do it.
Of note: the first time I fished it I discovered that a PA FFer has something of an advantage. Being used to sneaking along the banks of PA streams, that's how I was fishing the Green. Usually I watch the locals. That day, they were all wading out to the top of their waders and casting to little dinks rising mid river. In the meantime, big fish were moving back and sitting right on the banks. I was able to sneak up on these fish from shore and did very well on terrestrials, including a bunch of large cutts and browns. One of the best days of trout fishing I've ever had. Just walk along the trail and look down along the bank behind the backs of the casters.