March 18, 2013. The Beaver River runs 22 miles through the Tushar Mountains in southern Utah. One section of it can be called a tailwater because the dam for Minersville Reservoir intercepts its flow. Right below dams oftentimes provides some of the best fishing because of the food released from the reservoirs above and the consistency of water temperature.
In the case of the Beaver, the river runs through private land right below the dam. As it turns out, my guide had access to the river through this private property so it was a double whammy – tailwater fishing but not over-fished by the public. It was really fun to catch lots of fish – made me feel like I was starting to figure this out. To be honest, most of the fish that I caught were under 10 inch rainbows, but I was able to catch some hefty 15 – 18 inchers, which made the day even more exciting.
The property had it all – goats, horses, chickens, fields ready to be planted, a huge pole barn, a beautiful log cabin and a kindly gentleman owner. The property had been in the hands of the same family for many generations. They actually owned many miles of the Beaver downstream from their ranch, which they opened up to the public.
I will go back to that part of the river and see if I can figure out the logic that abounds in the natural world.
