By Dave Webb
Attractions:
- A remote, ugly, desert canyon, almost untouched by man's
hand, flanked by dark lava cliffs.
- A small stream bringing life to a desolate area. A stream
overgrown by willows, wild roses and poison ivy, with sagebrush so tall it
towers over a man's head.
- A stream which attracts wildlife - we've seen deer, coyotes,
porcupines, foxes, eagles, ducks, rattlesnakes and numerous other species
along its banks.
- A stream which tumbles over waterfalls and backs up behind
huge boulders, creating large deep pools where brown trout thrive. A stream
where fishing is good for 12-16 inch fish, and occasionally a 20-incher is
hooked.
- A stream which gets little fishing pressure, partly because
the canyon is so ugly, the stream is so overgrown and the boulders are so
big. Partly because its located in such a remote area, far off the beaten
path.
Location: Halfway between
Otter Creek Reservoir and Bryce Canyon, on the west edge of Boulder Mountain.
The stream, called the East Fork of the Sevier River, pours out of a wild, roadless
canyon. It flows down through Black Canyon, past Otter Creek Reservoir, and
then through Kingston Canyon before joining the Sevier River proper near the
town of Junction.
Fishing is good through Kingston Canyon and Black canyon.
At the south end of Black Canyon the stream forks. The road follows the smaller
fork, called Deer Creek, for a mile or so, then heads up the ridge, into John's
Valley, and on to Bryce Canyon.
The headwaters of the East Fork are located above Tropic
Reservoir, high on the beautiful and rugged Paunsagunt Plateau. Below Tropic
Reservoir the stream is completely de-watered a good part of the year. The streambed
is normally dry where it crosses Highway 12, near Bryce Canyon. It picks up
water again in lower John's Valley, bubbling out of big springs in a marshy
area used as pasture for cattle and horses. It flows through private property
for a few miles, then plunges into "The Canyon.".
A couple rough dirt roads approach the edges of the lava
cliffs above The Canyon, and allow a precarious descent down to the water. Beyond
that, the stream is isolated from man, save from the happy wander who pushes
into its harsh environment.
Fly Fishing The Deep Pools
The deep pools - many as big as swimming pools - along the
road in Black Canyon, and in the wild, roadless canyon, are difficult to fish
- I've never had much success fly fishing there. Over the years family members
have tried everything imaginable: flies, baits, lures, everything. The conscious
is that worms are the best choice for the deep holes. We've caught many a fish
in those holes and almost always the biggest ones have been caught on worms.
I've enjoyed great success fly fishing on the section of
stream in the lower half of Black Canyon - below the old flour mill - and on
the calmer stretches above the wild canyon. But the big holes along the road
and the big holes under the waterfalls in the canyon have been a challenge for
me. The holes are deep and the big fish seem to stay down near the bottom, where
they are difficult to reach with flies. Currents are surprisingly swift in many
of the holes and cross currents are a problem. You drop a fly and expect it
to move one direction, but it often moves some other direction.
The stream through Black Canyon was extremely high and muddy
during May and most of June this year, preventing my family from making its
annual Memorial Day pilgrimage. My kids wanted to go fishing over the Fourth
of July weekend - and I wanted to get away from the crowds - and so I decided
to tackle the wild Canyon. It had been a few years since I've done any serious
fishing there and during that time I think my skills as a fly fisher have increased.
I wanted to give it another shot and see if I could hook a big one from a big
pool on a fly.
As I prodded my kids up over boulders and through the thick
brush I marveled at how little the canyon has changed over the years. The trail
which leads around the waterfalls and up the canyon is still faint and difficult
to follow. The smell of the canyon is still the same. One of the most vivid
memories from my childhood is the strong fragrance of those giant sage brush
plants - which really do tower over my head - accompanied by the sound of the
rushing stream.
I formed a battle plan as I moved toward the holes. Where
will the big ones be hiding? I figured they would be at the base of rocks in
deep water on the edge of the current. How can I reach them? A black woolly
bugger with a little flashabou. A bb-sized split shot positioned just about
the hook's eye. Cast upstream so the fly lands on a seam, and so it has time
to sink before it reaches the rocks.
The biggest hole in the canyon is the size of a motel swimming
pool and is located under a waterfall. It's a beautiful hole but it's never
yielded large fish. I've caught one 12-incher after another from its deep reaches,
but never a fish big enough to brag about.
I stood on a rock at the bottom of the hole and cast upstream.
My woolly bugger landed perfectly and then moved quickly downstream - more quickly
than I had anticipated. And it didn't sink! The water came over the waterfall
and plunged deep into the hole then boiled upward in a current that kept my
fly near the surface. I cast to different spots trying to find a flow that would
take my fly down toward the rocks on the bottom, but with no luck. Finally I
cast right into the waterfall. My fly plunged downward then quickly arched back
to the surface. It sank a little toward the bottom of the hole, well beyond
the rocks which were my target.
I put a second bb above the hook's eye and cast to the quietest
water in the pool. The fly sank slowly. I pulled in a little line and aimed
the fly at the rocks. It never did get down near the bottom, but it skimmed
the top of the rocks. A fish darted up and grabbed the fly. I raised my rod
and battled a beautiful, fat, 12-inch brown to my net.
I fished the hole for 20 more minutes with no further success.
I moved upstream and caught several more 12-inchers. Before long I had moved
past the big holes and was fishing quieter water in the upper part of the canyon.
I cast to a deep run overhung by willows and was immediately rewarded when a
strong fish took my fly. A couple minutes later I netted a 16-inch brown, my
biggest for the trip.
On the next hole I hooked and played a bigger fish but lost
it.
The big holes under the waterfalls are tough to fish. I
do better on the quieter sections.
As we hiked back down the canyon I couldn't help thinking,
"A black woolly bugger with two split shot at the eye? That's not much
different from a marabou jig." Maybe I would have done better fishing a
jig with a spinning rod. I'm sure I would have done better letting a nightcrawler
squirm along the bottom of the hole. . .
