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!
Wed, June 4th, 6pm – 9pm
Saint Mary’s Catholic Church
1505 White Pine Canyon Rd
Park City, UT 84060, map
Everything You Wanted to Know about Fishing Deer Creek and Jordanelle Reservoirs
Presenter: Tyler Robinson, DWR Biologist
Jordanelle and Deer Creek are two of our closest reservoirs for both bank and boat fishing. Do you know how to fish them? Here is a chance to learn more about the fisheries. Tyler will be presenting on all things Jordanelle and Deer Creek.
Information will include data from recent netting and electrofishing surveys conducted between 2022 and 2024. Data will include catch rates, length and weight data, and all things fish-related to help us manage the reservoir. Additionally, he will talk about future management changes as including stocking and habitat improvement projects.
Tyler is the local Blue Ribbon/Sportfish Biologist for the Central Region of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. He is in charge of all flatwater in the region ranging from high Wasatch lakes to mid to low elevation reservoirs of Utah Lake. He comes to us from Minnesota, where he received his Master’s degree from Bemidji State University in Biology. He and his wife Chelsea moved Utah just over 3 years ago.
HCFF Walk & Wade Society (formerly known as River Fishers) Outings by Jayne Guyse
- The March trip took us to the Beaver River, where the fish came out to play in a big way.
- In April River Fishers timed the ice-off at Strawberry Reservoir nearly perfectly.
- Our May trip will likely to be to the Hams Fork in Kemmerer, Wyoming (Cancelled).
Our June trip is set for Monday, June 2 at White’s Ranch in Paradise, Utah. If you haven’t fished it before, 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.
Thanks to my corporate membership, Grant has waived the usual $150 rod fee for our group. The only cost to participants is the ranch’s trout-lunch package (about $30 per person, tax and gratuity included).
Space is limited to 12 anglers. If you’d like to join us, please reply promptly to secure a spot. For a preview of the ranch, visit its Facebook page. Sign-up here!
- DWR will be taking us on an outing to get a couple of the more elusive cutties for the Utah Cut Slam in the July/August timeframe. Sign-up here!
Upcoming HCFF Outings
- Starvation outing – May 28 to June 1. Several of us will be camping and fishing in Rabbit Gulch one of several parts of the Fred Hayes State Park. Other camping options are cabins in the State Park with RV sites with water and electric hookups, and a private site, Lakeview Cove RV Park, near Rabbit Gluch. Camping in Rabbit Gulch is primitive. Leveled gravel spots for an RV, a fire ring, a picnic table in each site, and pit toilets. No water is at the Rabbit Gulch campsite. Reservations are recommended for camping in the west end, but free camping is available in the east end if you get there early.
- Otter Creek, June 25 to 29. The reservable spots in Otter Creek State Park are taken and have been for over a month. There are 20 non-reservable (walk-in only). So, you can take your chance and get there early that week. There are lots of dispersed camping sites on the west side of the lake if you can’t get into the Campground. I am leaving Heber City on Monday, June 23, and hoping to get a spot in the campground. Nightly fee is $45. The State Park sites have water and power and a dump station when you leave. There is a private campground across the highway as another option.
- Details on the July 23 to 27th outing in the Loa/Boulder Mountain area are still being worked out. Check out the beautiful presentation Mike James of the Quiet Fly Fisher gave at our March Meeting on the Boulder Mountains.
- Washington Lake Fishout, August 20 – 24, 2025. MOST IMPORTANT: HCFF has reserved the Group site at The Washington Lake campground in the Uintas. You do not have to make your own reservations. Todd Johnson is the Safari Leader.
- Details on the Strawberry outing in September and Island Park in October are on the website and updates will come later.
Volunteers Needed for Park City Youth Fly Fishing Program
Love fly fishing? Enjoy helping others learn a new skill? Park City’s Recreation
Department is recruiting volunteer fly‑fishing instructors for its
summer youth clinics on local rivers. Lean more details here!
Where Is the Weber River Water?
During one of our recent (April 29) site visits to evaluate potential
crossover installations on the Lower Weber River below Echo Reservoir,
Tom Smith and I noticed that the river flow was unusually low—almost
dry in places. Concerned that such conditions often trigger fish kills, I
contacted Clint Brunson, Utah DWR biologist for the Weber River, to learn
why this happens. His detailed reply is reproduced below.
— Bill Quapp
Response from Clint Brunson (Utah DWR – Weber River Biologist)
The releases out of Echo Reservoir surprise a lot of anglers every year. Below is the
why.Management & Water Rights
• Echo Reservoir is managed by Weber River Water Users, not the Weber Basin Water
Conservancy District.
• Constructed in the 1930s—long before fish or aquatic health were considered—it holds
water for senior irrigation and municipal rights.
• From Oct 15 – Apr 15 no water is released unless it must be delivered to
Willard Bay / Great Salt Lake.
• Even after Apr 15 (the official start of irrigation season) releases don’t begin until
water users request them.
• Utah DWR has no call water rights at Echo; if we did, they would be junior and
filled only after senior rights are honored.Fish Health in Low‑Flow Winters
Over the past decade I have intensively surveyed the Weber between Echo and Henefer. Despite
winter base‑flows of just 2–3 cfs from Echo Creek, this reach consistently holds some of the
healthiest populations of large trout and mountain whitefish in the watershed:
• Brown Trout > 25″ are routine in samples.
• Rainbow Trout > 22″ are common.
• Whitefish approach state‑record length.
These fish over‑winter in deep pools where the trickle flow sustains adequate oxygen.Progress & Future Options
• We have asked the water‑user groups to ramp flows up and down gradually instead of
“all‑on/all‑off”; they have done so the last three seasons.
• They are open to dedicated fish flows if rights can be purchased—unfortunately such
rights are scarce and expensive.
• Rest assured: we monitor this stretch closely, and there have been no documented
major fish kills since the reservoir was built.Thank you and your team for the outstanding crossover structures—anglers (myself included)
are already benefitting from them.— Clint Brunson
Strawberry Ice Off Outing – April 21-22, 2025
River Fishers Group Strawberry Ice Off Trip Report – Jayne Guyse
Our Strawberry Ice-Off Day Trip happened over two days, April 21st & 22nd. Eighteen fishers from both Bonneville Fly Fishers and High Country Fly Fishers attended the outing on one or both of these days. Ice conditions were absolutely perfect, thanks to Pat’s extensive research and numerous scouting trips. Best of all, the big cutts were right under the edge of the ice and ready to play … if you happened to be standing in the right place at the right time. The group communicated on the group text to share locations and catches. People were more than willing to share the spots that were fishing well with others, whether the others came from the other side of the reservoir or just moved 10’ closer.
We met at Strawberry Bay Marina both mornings at 11:30, tagged up into small groups, discussed locations with the best ice and spread out around the reservoir. Locations as the day warmed and the ice pulled back further from the bank, opening up some excellent options. Many thanks to those who brought treats to share. Thanks to those of you who offered to help anyone who asked to fish with a more experienced fisherman; I believe everyone who requested a helper found fish, including Joe who landed the big fish of the outing at 22”. Also, a huge thank you to the BFF and HCFF tyers who tied up the preferred mid-night fire bugger on Monday night to share with the Tuesday attendees. That was absolutely the fly of choice for this trip.
By Friday, the ice was largely gone OR piled up against the banks. The fish were no longer hanging under the edge of the ice and were much harder to find. So glad attendees got to see exactly what perfect ice conditions look like. 😊
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 near the end of April, so register TODAY.
As always, thank you for your support.