What's New
13 Flies for your Summer Fly Box
16th Weber River Crossover Installed
HCFF Activity/Fishout Reports
Cal Massey Inducted into Hall of Fame
Complementary TU Membership
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David Whiteman provides a comprehensive
exploration of our home waters,
the Middle Provo:
Middle Provo – An Introduction for Fisherman
Video Tour of the Middle Provo River
Macroinvertebrates of the Middle Provo River
John Schultz shares two new successful Stillwater Patterns
Chapter 599
Welcome to High Country Fly Fishers
HCFF is a proud Trout Unlimited chapter dedicated to fly fishing, conservation, and community in the scenic beauty of Park City, Utah serving Summit and Wasatch counties. HCFF is a member of the Park City Chamber of Commerce. Since 1989, we’ve been passionate about protecting cold-water fisheries, supporting healthy trout populations, and sharing the art of fly fishing and fly tying. Our club offers hands-on conservation projects with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources , Trout-in-the-Classroom programs for local students, and monthly fishouts where members enjoy camaraderie and refine their fly fishing skills on some of the region’s best waters. Join us at our our monthly meetings to hear from expert fishing guides, fly tyers, and fisheries biologists from across the West. Whether you’re an experienced angler or just starting out, HCFF offers friendship, learning opportunities, and memorable fishing adventures. Check our Activities page for details and upcoming events—new members and visitors are always welcome!
August Meeting
Wed, Aug 6th, 6pm – 9pm
Rich Lobrovich – Fishing Pyramid Lake for Lahontan Cutthroat Trout
If you have never heard of Pyramid Lake, you won’t forget it after Rick’s presentation. Pyramid Lake, located near Reno, Nevada, is renowned for its world-class fishery, particularly its massive Lahontan Cutthroat Trout. It’s also famous for its unusual rock formations, including the iconic
Pyramid Island, one of the largest remnants of ancient Lake Lahontan.
The Lahontan Cutthroat trout is acclaimed to be the largest cutthroat subspecies in the world.Rick will discuss how the trout that was nearly extinct in the early 1900s due to overfishing has recovered. The adjacent photo shows a 31 lb 4 oz caught by a Salt Lake angler. The state record was caught 100 years ago and weighed 41 lbs.
This stillwater fishery is unique in that most fishing is done from ladders. Rick will tell us how to prepare for the challenges and rewards this fishery can present.
Don’t bring your 5 weight rod for this fishery. Oh yes, and the wind can also be memorable!
Rich grew up in the Santa Cruz Mountains of California, where he fished for rainbow trout, steelhead, and hunted quail.
During the mid-70s, Rich was an Emergency Medical Technician stationed at Hill Air Force Base.
He started fly fishing in the fall of 1977 when a U.S. Air Force friend, George Roth, built him a fly rod.
In the last 47 years, Rich has taught over 1,500 students — young and old (ages 5–95) — how to fly fish.
He moved back to Utah in 2011 in search of mountains, desert, and trout.
Upcoming HCFF Outings
Washington Lake Outing – August 24th through 27th.
Please note that there has been a date change, as the group site was unavailable for our earlier dates.
Email from Todd Johnson, Safari Leader:
I’m excited for the fishout at Washington Lake this year from August 24th through the 27th. You don’t need to stay the entire time and can come for a day if you’d like. We will be fishing at the lake and at some of the small streams in the area.
I’ve reserved a large group site for us to stay at. There are tent and RV spaces as well as picnic tables. There is water at the site and pit toilets available. The group area is usually closed off to public access by a large gate, so open it and close it as you come. Our site name is Kenn and is the furthest west site in the group site area.
Sunday evening, there will be a potluck dinner at 6:00 pm. We will provide the chicken and if you’d like to contribute a side or a dessert, that would be great.
You are welcome to fish anywhere that you’d like and we will coordinate destinations on Sunday as well as throughout the days that we are there. I plan to fish Washington Lake on Monday and to go to a gorgeous small stream full of native Cutthroat on Tuesday.
We have extra float tubes, flippers, and life jackets available, so call me and let me know if you’d like to use one. If you are planning to come, even for part of the time, please sign upon our website.
I think that covers everything for now,
Todd – email
(801)319-2769
Strawberry Reservoir Outing
Most of the details on the Strawberry Fishout in September (17th to the 21st) are on the website. In addition to stillwater fishing from the bank or a boat, it is a great time to enjoy kayaking or SUPs if you have the skills. We will have a happy hour and potluck dinner on Friday, Sept 19th. So, sign up on the website and let us know you plan to come for a day or more.
As another part of the outing, on Saturday, the 20th, Pat Ronneburg is leading a morning seminar on fishing for big cutts on dry flies from the bank. Details are still being finalized. In the meantime, sign up on the website and let us know you’re interested in the comment section to receive updates as they become available.
Island Park Outing
Island Park in October is our last outing of the year. See the website calendar for more information and updates will come later.
Would You Like a Spare Fly Rod?
HCFF has upgraded our fly rods for our Beginner’s Fly Fishing Classes. So, we have about 5 lightly used fly rods, reels, backing, and WF floating fly line combos for sale. These have been used just a few days per year since we got them for the fly fishing classes. The rods are a L L Bean 8.5’ 6 weight.
We will have the rods at the next meeting for your inspection and purchase. If you want to buy one in advance, click on the button below.
HCFF Walk & Wade Society Outings by Jayne Guyse
- Our March trip took us to the Beaver River, where the fish came out to play in a big way.
- In April “the society” timed the ice-off at Strawberry Reservoir nearly perfectly.
- Our May trip to the Hams Fork in Kemmerer, Wyoming was cancelled due to unfavorable fishing conditions.
- Our June trip was on Monday, June 2 at White’s Ranch in Paradise, Utah. White’s is Grant White’s 200-acre private fly-fishing and pheasant-hunting property just outside Logan. The ranch features slow-moving water, easy bank access, and plenty of big trout.
- For our July/August outing the Utah DWR will be taking us on an expedition to get a couple of the more elusive cutties for the Utah Cut Slam. Register for the SLAM here. Sign-up for our Walk & Wade activity here!
Summer Fishing
Strawberry has been fishing very well for many weeks. However, the water has now warmed, fishing is tougher, and when you catch one, you must treat it carefully. These high water temperatures severely stress the fish. On Friday, 7/18, it was 66°F at 8:45 am and almost 70°F by 4:00 pm. I suspect other lakes and many of the Utah streams and rivers have experienced similar warming. So, take your thermometer and fish early or late in the day. Quit fishing early if the water temperature gets to the high 60s. The following ChatGPT advice applies to streams, rivers, and lakes.
Best Practices for Fishing in Warm Water
- Fish early morning when the water is coolest.
- Use barbless hooks to reduce handling time.
- Keep fish in the water during unhooking.
- Avoid taking photos or lifting trout for air exposure.
- Land the fish quickly—use stronger tippet and gear to minimize fight time.
- Do not fish for trout if surface temperatures are consistently 68°F or above.
ChatGPT should also say, “Use a CRT to release your fish.”
What is a CRT?
As summer temperatures climb, it becomes increasingly important to handle trout with care—minimizing stress and ensuring a swift, gentle release to give the fish the best chance of survival.
The photo shows a CRT – Catch and Release Tool. It was developed by John Schultz after seeing someone at Crittenden Lake in Nevada release fish rapidly using something similar. He came home and made a few prototypes for his fishing friends. After “beta testing” this design on a few of us, we declared it a success. We then made over 500 of them and would give them to anyone we met fishing.
Using this tool, you can fish all day and never touch a fish. No net is needed. Works in stillwater and for stream fishing. There is a two-minute CRT Video on the HCFF website. We have plans to make more, so check back frequently!
Free Trout Unlimited Membership
Click one of the links below to get a first-time free one-year membership, or if you’re already a member, renew your membership to Trout Unlimited. With this membership you receive a subscription to Trout magazine, discounts on travel and fishing gear, and much more.
Your membership also helps support our political clout in Utah.
When adverse legislative actions are proposed, we ask our TU members to speak up. Legislators listen when there are enough voices.
This offer ends soon, so register TODAY.
As always, thank you for your support.