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Fishing the pits
A few are little more than summer mud holes. Others resemble farm ponds. Some swallow 100 or more acres. Many are stunningly deep, clear and, in a few spots, surprisingly cold. Nearly all are fishable. "A couple of the lakes have trout in them," said Rob Rold, assistant fisheries biologist for the Department of Fish and Wildlife's southeastern district. "They're deep enough and cold enough to support them." My fishing partner John Durbin and I weren't looking for trout. And even if we had it would practically have taken downriggers to reach them, and we were armed with a couple of handcrafted bamboo fly rods from Durbin's workshop -- tools not really designed for deep-water probing. If the fish weren't near the top of the water column, they would remain safe from us.
Utah's game fish: Cutthroat Trout
This is the only trout native to Utah. It is often referred to as the "native" trout. Over the years the cutthroat has hybridized with other trout species, in particular the rainbow, so it is sometimes difficult to distinguish. The cutthroat gets its name from the "cut throat" markings, typically a red or orange slash located on either side of the lower jaw. But because of inner-breeding, the slashes may or may not be present. Often, the most reliable way to distinguish a cutthroat is by its orangish pectoral and anal fins. The back and sides of the fish are typically a steel-gray color accented with small, black dots. These dots tend to be more regular in size and shape than in other members of the trout family and are typically concentrated towards the tail. The tail of the cutthroat is slightly forked and this is a fish with long, sharp teeth.
Flyfishing gets its hooks into the girl about town
To be honest, I'd class myself as more of a socialising and shopping girl than one who messes about on the river. But this was the Four Seasons, the hotel brand that's a byword for stylish luxury, and if it was pitching fishing as the latest activity for the girl about town, maybe it was time I swapped my wedges for waders. This was going to be deluxe fishing: fishing where you don't have to touch the fish, fishing with champagne and sandwiches back at the hotel. Basically, it's having a laugh, standing in the sunshine at a pond in the country and then having a spa treatment. My previous experience with the rod was hardly a success. When I was a child my father took my younger sister and me fishing at Sandy Balls holiday park in the New Forest. We didn't catch anything, so dad had the cunning idea of buying some fish fingers from the site shop and putting them in our nets for mum to cook back at the caravan.
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