Just Another Day at the Gorge… By Mark Wilson It was the strange grunting sounds that finally broke my concentration. On a beautiful fall day, I was fly-fishing the afternoon away on one of the many small streams in the Flaming Gorge area of Northeastern Utah. A favorite spot, this high mountain meadow with its classic meandering stream always holds about a gazillion (technical fishing term) vibrantly colored Cutthroat Trout.  Lunkers by the thousands! p. Monique Beeley For those who fish Flaming Gorge Country, you may consider it odd that I choose to squander my fishing time on the small trout of the high mountains. After all, the 91 mile long Lake Flaming Gorge is packed with state record fish all of kinds – rainbow, brown & lake trout, smallmouth bass and Kokanee salmon. The Utah State Record Lake Trout was pulled from these fabled waters and weighed in at 51.5 pounds (imagine what that mac-daddy ate for breakfast)! The historic Green River reemerges from Flaming Gorge Dam as one of the hottest blue-ribbon tailwater fisheries on the planet. Where many famous western rivers boast 5-7,000 fish per mile, the mighty Green has recorded the incredible numbers of up to 20,000 fish per mile! The trout are big too – it’s hard to catch one under 16” and easier to land a few 20” or better. That’s good fishing. But for this day, I chose the lonely high country and was having a great time of it. The trout can be wary in these wide-open meadows, and it required some degree of stealth to have the best success. The trick is to approach quietly, keeping yourself as low as possible - the minute the fish would see you the jig was up and they’d dart back into their little hidey holes. Most of the time that meant that I was on my knees, casting gently and yes, catching fish like crazy. So it was great, except for the loud grunting sounds that finally grabbed my attention. Turning slowly, I found that a huge bull moose was making all this racket, accompanied by thrashing his massive rack amongst the low shrubs in the meadow. It was fall, their mating season after all – but this giant seemed to be peering right at me! Did he perceive me as a rival Bull? Was I a threat? Or worse, did I look like a potential mate?? As these crucial questions raced through my startled mind, I performed one of my patented graceful and athletic moves. I tried to stand up, caught my foot and promptly toppled over into the frigid waters. If it is possible to be sopping wet and dignified at the same time, I think I managed it as I slowly backed my way out of danger and retreated back downstream to my car. The huge bull moose was now standing absolutely silent, attentive to my every move – probably still trying to figure out what manner of strange creature I was.  On the Rim of the Gorge p. Monique Beeley Driving down from the mountains, I decided to take a turn through the Sheep Creek Geological Loop, a 13 mile Utah State Scenic Byway. Thinking about it, every paved road in Flaming Gorge is some kind of official scenic drive. Our gem is the Flaming Gorge-Uintas National Scenic Byway, stretching from the Wyoming border south all the way to Vernal. Every curve of the road unveils another majestic view. It’s best to utilize one of the many interpretive pullouts along the way to enjoy the scenery however, or you run the risk of running over some of the abundant wildlife that lives here. As you travel through, there are a series of geological signs explaining the terrain. One, outside Manila, marks the formation that is the “home of fossilized squid” – you just don’t see that every day. Anyway, it’s another good reason to always have that camera handy. Along the loop, I had to stop to let a nonchalant herd of Bighorn Sheep cross the road. As long as you stay in your car, they remain obliging camera subjects. I often run into them on the trails of the Red Canyon area while mountain biking too. The Utah State Division of Wildlife Resources has been restocking these bighorns in their ancient habitats all along the Green River corridor of Flaming Gorge. Man, those rams with their massive curling horns are always a magnificent sight. Further along, I passed the original homestead of the mysterious Cleophas Dowd. This dark and dangerous pioneer is said to have raised the finest horses in the area on the mountain that now bears his name. So good, that they were said to be the steed of choice for Butch Cassidy and the Wild Bunch. Yep, Butch roamed this country and many a frontier family in Flaming Gorge called him friend. In fact, this area is rich in western history and holds great tales of the renowned Indians, mountain men, pioneers, outlaws and cowboys who forged this country. Pulling over at the Sheep Creek Byway site, I got out to peer down at the annual run of spawning Kokanee Salmon out of Lake Flaming Gorge. These fish, with their brilliant red heads, are huge! From mid-August to November, they are a popular attraction and sometimes the creek is packed with their swaying forms as they struggle upstream back to suitable spawning beds. A little further on, I stopped to check the waters of the Lake in one of its numerous little coves. Wow, it’s another calm evening. Just right for a sunset paddle in my little inflatable kayak! With its many nooks and crannies and towering colorful walls, Lake Flaming Gorge is a very picturesque flat water paddling choice. Even better is to spend a few days camping along its hundreds of miles of scenic shoreline. We are fortunate that Congress designated Flaming Gorge a National Recreation Area, and so protected it for many future generations to enjoy. Because of the variety of forests and waters, the choices of outdoor recreation are endless. It is part of the Ashley National Forest, which also lays claim to the majority of the almost 500,000-acre High Uintas Wilderness. This vast playground we call Flaming Gorge Country is still a relatively undiscovered little corner of Utah that I am lucky to call home. So, gather your toys and head on over. Hopefully I’ll run into you on one of the many scenic trails – I’ll be the one with the big smile on my face.
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