Flaming Gorge trip report.
I just got back from 3 days at the Gorge. The target fish was kokanee. Two of us started Tuesday at Buckboard with arrival about 9 AM. We fished until about 1:30 PM when the wind forced a halt. Our total for our 4.5-hour effort was 1 kokanee and 1 cutthroat in the box.
On Wednesday morning, we were on the water and lines down at 6 AM. Again, we fished until 1 PM. Our take was 1 kokanee, 1 cutthroat, & 1 rainbow in the box.
Nobody we talked to on the lake or at the cleaning station did much better. 1 to 4 fish per boat was the norm.
On Thursday morning we went to the Sheep Creek area. Dropped our lines at 6:30 AM and had 3 kokanee in the box in 5 minutes. It slowed way down on kokanee after that first flurry, but the planter rainbows kept us busy all morning. We also put a laker pup in the box. We quit at Noon with 7 kokanee in the box with all of them between 1 and 1.5 pounds. We C&R’d a couple dozen of 7-8” bows and one 14” cutthroat. We also released 2 or 3 kokanee in the 6-7” range.
Reports from any area on the Wyoming side are about the same all the way from Anvil to Buckboard. We even heard a report that one of the guides offered his clients, who specifically wanted to fish the Buckboard area, a refund because he couldn’t guarantee them a successful outcome in that area.
If you’re looking for a full limit of 3# plus kokanee, I’m afraid you are going to be disappointed. If size isn’t a priority and a limit of good eating size salmon is a winner, then you might do okay on the Utah side in the Sheep Creek/Hideout area.
If you haven’t been to the Gorge yet this year, let me warn you that the number of boats you will encounter if you go is going to be 2 or 3 times more than you have seen in past years. The fishing pressure has been HUGE this year and is probably part of the reason for the lower success rate this year.
Good luck if you go; you’re going to need a bunch of it.
no luck better than bad luck
Well, given the bad luck we encountered last week, lack of luck is not a biggee.
First off, let me say that my fishing partner Bill takes good care of his equipment, not so much himself anymore but takes it to professionals for regular maintenance and whenever something looks even a little out of line. He is an ex-fighter jet pilot, and used to check and recheck. Still, stuff happens.......
We left last Monday for the Gorge, and Bill’s Ford diesel lost its top end of the turbocharger east side of Evanston but we made it less than full power and leaving trail of black smoke on any uphill. Bill had noticed periodic black smoke earlier this month and had it checked by mechanic, but they did not find anything.
Launched anyway at Lucerne and that evening had great steak dinner and looked over all connections for turbocharger system and considered options for truck. Found one connection kind of keewampus, and redid that not convinced it was the problem, but couldn't hurt.
Went out next morning (thankfully only past stateline and pipeline) and had issues with the kicker and then the main engine. Bill just had the motors serviced last week, but they had neglected to hook up the internal hose when they replaced impeller on kicker so it was not cooling just pumping water out the top of the lower unit. So we trolled with the main motor as Bill has done many times before at Powell for stripers although a bit fast for kokanee. Well, after half hour warning went off for motor probably an overheat though not too out of line on the guages. Anyway, we packed up and decided to just go in but the motor was totally bogged down and we limped in. Called couple places and they all said ‘run it out’. So tried that for 45 min, but no go. Could smell fuel/exhaust every time it bogged, and deduced that prudence deemed better safe than sorry.
Bottom line is we had the marina pull the boat and put it in storage for month so we did not have to pull it back (it is big boat and also have camper on truck). We made it back fine although still blowing black smoke on uphill or accelerating when needing the turbocharger. Will go back for boat once truck is fixed (dealer can't get to it until 7th), and then take boat for its turn at rehabilitation back here in Utah.
If it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all.