If you are trying to get after it on some of Utah’s smaller streams, definitely focus on tailwater fisheries with paved roads leading to them because most mountain streams are frozen over and the access roads are covered with several feet of snow. With most of the state sitting between 117 and 181 percent of normal snowpack, we should have a good amount of water this summer. This is great news because last year was the driest water year on record in Utah.

Warmer weather and longer days are here. Look for baetis hatches midday into the afternoon and midge hatches to come off throughout the day. When the hatch is on and the fish are feeding I like to fish a single midge or baetis dry fly on 5x or 6x tippet or fish a dry dropper midge with a small beetle or cluster midge with a zebra midge tied about 2 feet behind it. Other Winter small stream flies that I like are scuds, prince nymphs, midges, especially the blood midge, and smaller streamers, especially sculpin or leech patterns that are slowly dredged through deeper holes.