Man, it has been a minute. A crazy year of work and travel has kept me from updating the blog consistently, which not only bums me out, but I am going to make a News Year Resolution to keep this update regularly. I promise with that…seriously. Watch me. With that being said, 2018 has been a fishy year, especially within the great state of Utah.

Ever since arriving in Utah, there was one fish on my radar that I wanted to learn how to catch consistently and develop an expertise with : tiger trout. Growing up in Colorado, I had maybe caught three or four tops, but Utah is famous for the high mountain lakes stocked with them.  Not only are these trout the most unique looking out there (in my opinion), but they can be ultra aggressive and put up a heck of a fight. Being a cross between a brook trout and a brown trout, it is evident that this fish is a one of a kind not only through the markings, but through the behavior as well.

My favorite way to target and catch these fish is on streamers. Hand-tied wooly buggers are a must (the best colors being black on black with gold flash, or white with a gold body – olive green can also produce in ultra clear water), and watching these fish chase down a streamer in a crystal clear high mountain lake is a sight to behold. I also find that they are most aggressive towards streamers as the day goes on, while looking for late afternoon and early morning bug hatches is more productive. With that being said, another great way to catch tigers is by fishing foam beetles or ants during any kind of a hatch. Doing some slight twitches not only gets their attention, but gets them keyed in on a larger prey item than a typical fly on the water.

In terms of retrieves, I usually find the faster the better for Tiger Trout. Being predatory in nature, these fish love to chase, and I find that the faster the streamer moves for them, the less time they have to investigate. With this being said, I am a believer in starting with fast retrieves, then adjusting if the fish aren’t seeming to catch up in time. I have also found that throwing bigger streamers helps to focus more on tigers rather than other species, in that they often live with rainbow and brook trout as well.

Although tiger trout do inhabit creek and river systems, in Utah, I have found that lakes are the best way to find good numbers of fish. With the fall being the best time to fish, not only is the scenery beyond unbelievable, but it is a perfect way to get out there before the big winter season comes full throttle. With that being said, I was very fortunate to have several solid outings before snow and the cold weather came this year.