Jon Christianson

History 2710

TH 830-950

Earl Mulderink

Service Learning

Project

The project described herein is the Southern Utah Fishing Report Website. The website is intended for tourists, fishermen, and locals looking for nice waters to vacation at. As fishermen, the historical background of a location can give insight into the possibilities for world class fishing and a great experience. In this project the lakes, streams, and rivers of importance to ancient Indian tribes in Southern Utah will be highlighted. Many waters in the state were the destinations of migrating Indians looking to catch hundreds of pounds of fish to dry out. This project also illuminates many other interesting historical events and conditions at many locations in and around Southern Utah.

The information contained here was gathered mostly on my own fishing adventures and through conversations with local residents, veteran fisherman, and through talks with Indian folks I’ve met along the way. I obtained some information from the Department of Wildlife Resources. The local newspaper and the Las Vegas Review Journal also provided some of the information.

The workload may not even be really seen as a workload. Much of my information was gathered while I was out on fishing trips but I would stop and research historical sites and gather information. Then I determined whether the place was worth mentioning for its historical value and as an exploration destination for the audience. The actual outings did involve considerable time driving, spending time researching, and of course fishing. Conversations with locals and reading of brochures etc, also contributed to this project. I have been fishing in this area for a year and a half now, and throughout this time I have been learning historical information of many of the waters around Southern Utah. I usually spend two to three days a week fishing in the mountains over an hour from my house, and the other days fishing the closer spots. I also talk with folks at gas stations, lodges, fishing tackle shops, and forest rangers (fish cops) in campgrounds and other areas. I spent a few hours a week configuring the website and organizing what content I wished to present and leave out. Much of the work was completed the last month or two of the semester because of pending approval of the project. This project was very enjoyable due to the leisure oriented information collecting, the fact I am interested in the subject, and because I know web page designing fairly well.

Not many technological resources were utilized in the creation of this project. A couple of web sites that were used were www.utahoutdoors.com, and www.wildlife.utah.gov. As was stated previously most of the information was verbally communicated, acquired at tourist information centers, signs, monuments, etc.. Some of the important information such as the state records were taken from the wildlife site and some basic information about the conditions was taken from the Utah outdoors website. The bulk of the historical information came from the places themselves, newspapers, conversations with people, and wildlife officers I talked with while fishing.

To start with I will discuss the information I obtained first. According to the Las Vegas Review Journal, the word "Panguitch" is an ancient Indian word that means "big fish." A Native American student at Southern Utah University said that Indians in this area for centuries used to make trips to the lake to harvest large amounts of fish. This was all destroyed however when farmers dammed the lake, fishing pressure, and pollution depleted the fish population in the lake. The lake still provides decent fishing for pan sized trout, but conditions were much better two hundred years ago. I got the information on the website about the conditions at the lake by fishing there recently and talking with the folks at the gas station at the lake. I also got some of the Panguitch angling information at the wildlife website.

A few other locations with promising fishing and interesting history are located just north of the town of Panguitch. If a fisherman travels just north of Panguitch they will encounter the portion of the Sevier River that runs by Circleville, the East Fork of the Sevier River, and Antimony creek as well as Boulder Mountain. The Sevier river is a very long river that travels through a large portion of the state. It runs by Circleville which was the home of Butch Cassidy the outlaw. The river in and around the town limits provides fishing opportunities but some is on private property. The Sevier river as well as the East fork of the Sevier are said by local residents of the area and an old issue of UtahOutdoors magazine to contain huge brown and cutthroat trout during the age of farming and during Butch Cassidy’s era. These fish were said to be 20-40 pounds and were abundant in the rivers. Indians would fish these rivers with nets and catch unbelievable amounts of fish before farming, pollution and fishing pressure depleted this resource.

The Antimony creek is a small creek. The waters are very low due to drought and the fishing has declined in quality because of these conditions. Fishermen need to check a proclamation for special regulations put on this creek as well as the Sevier and East Fork of the Sevier River. These waters are trying to be revived to their former status. While I was fishing on this river not only did I discover an abandoned mine but a moonshine distillery as well. The distillery dates to the era of prohibition. The area is located in Wayne County which is the least populated county in the state of Utah. That made the Antimony creek a prime place to make illegal liquor during prohibition. The mine was closed over forty years ago. The mine was of course mined for the mineral Antimony. While these landmarks are extremely difficult to find, they give the visitor a sense of a lost era.

The Boulder Mountains are known for bad roads, big brook trout, and some of the last remaining remote wilderness of Utah. The Boulder Mountains were a haven for fur trappers in the last two centuries. Even today a few mountain men survive that practice this trade in the region but they are very few. A common place to begin an adventure on Boulder Mountain is through Loa, Torrey, or Bicknell. Near Loa is the location of the Leavitt family fish farm. A popular rumor is going around that says sometime around a decade ago the whirling disease (a fish disease) contaminated the Leavitt fish hatchery and the hatchery illegally sold diseased fish. Bicknell’s historic site is an old pie shop that has had numerous reviews in national magazines claiming it to be one of the best pie shops in the west. I tested the Bicknell pie shop for myself and it was truly an old time pie shop. The pie was good but not as good as my mothers. I have personally caught many huge brook, brown, rainbow, and cutthroat trout on the Boulder Mountain.

Another place close to Boulder Mountain is the Henry Mountains. These mountains are not well known for fishing. This location is very remote. The Henry Mountains are still utilized by a few small time fur trappers still practicing the dying profession of the old west. The Henry Mountains are also one of two places in the state that offer wild buffalo hunting. These mountains are true remnants of the old west and wild country. These mountains are east of the Boulder Mountains in the eastern portion of Utah.

Lake Powell is another fishing hotspot in Southern Utah. The lake which is actually a man made reservoir was named after the Historic adventurer, Major Powell. There are many historic sites including the inscriptions in the rocks by Powell and his party as well as Indian inscriptions in the rock. This is one of the most visited recreational areas in the state because of the diversity in scenery, weather, and activities the area provides.

Navajo Lake and Duck Creek are other places in the project I visited to research. These two waters are interconnected by geological history. According to information I obtained there, Navajo Lake and Duck Creek are connected by an underwater sinkhole or river that goes from Navajo Lake to the Duck Creek pond on the creek. Colored dye was used to determine this to be true. These waters provide decent pan sized trout fishing, but they can receive a lot of pressure in the summer time. Occasional reports are made of large 5-6 pound brook trout being caught in Navajo Lake.

The Beaver Mountains are also apart of the website. The Beaver River contains brown, rainbow, cutthroat, and brook trout. The river unfortunately contains few of the creatures it was named for. While fishing the river one will discover that there are very few Beaver dams. The town of Beaver and the area were once known for these animals and the fur trade until over harvesting depleted this resource. There are many small lakes and streams on the Beaver Mountains that contain decent fishing. Check a proclamation for any special regulations.

Fishlake is a spot in Southern Utah that is also filled with fish and history. The tributary at twin creeks is the most notable. The creek that runs into the Lake used to be filled with fish from bank to bank during spawning season. Indians and mountain men alike would fish here with nets, spears, bows, their hands, etc.. Unfortunately the introduction of other species, fishing, and farming have depleted the amount of fish in the tributary during spawning season, but you can still see fish in the creeks. On a recent trip to the area, I observed bald eagles fishing the creeks and eating rainbow trout on the banks. There is a sign with information including a warning not to fish with your hands or poles on certain areas of the creeks. Fish lake has historically been known for large lake trout. The largest was forty nine pounds. This was the state record lake trout, but that record was beaten by a fifty one pound fish caught up north.

Next to FishLake is Johnson reservoir which contains the coveted tiger Muskie. This is a historic high bred fish. A tiger Muskie is a crossbreed between a muskie and a northern pike. It is extremely hard to breed these fish. People thought it couldn’t be done. The fish are very expensive for resource managers to acquire. These fish grow to over fifty inches in length, and can take chunks of your hand off if your not careful in handling them.

Lees Ferry is another destination rich in history and fishing. Located on the Arizona and Utah border, Lees Ferry is on a stretch of the Colorado that was braved by Major Powell and his company in makeshift rafts over a century ago. Graffiti from Powell’s party, Indian travelers and Indian residents in the area can still be found on some of the canyon walls. Over a decade ago this area was known for ten to twenty pound trout. Pictures abound, Television shows about fishing destinations were made of the area even. Today the place is known for beautiful scenery, river rafting, and small but fun to catch fish.

I traveled west from Cedar City, and I discovered there are numerous places to fish located amongst sites of rich history. Traveling to Baker Reservoir from Cedar City, I stopped at the Mormon Mountain Meadow massacre site located only a few miles away from the reservoir. When I was traveling toward Newcastle I stopped at the old iron town and visited historical mines, and buildings. These areas gave me an insight into the occupations and feelings of contempt among people traveling in the area over a century ago. These two places offer fishing and places to visit and learn about historical events and eras.

A site to fish that is not located in Southern Utah but is only a two and a half hour drive is the Provo River. The Provo River provides some of the best trout fishing in the state. I discovered while reading Utah fishing magazines for this project that before the settlements of the Mormons, twenty to forty pound fish would pack the Provo River during spawning season. The fish would be swimming out of Utah Lake which does not even have native cutthroat trout in its waters anymore. Indians in the area would come from all around to participate in some truly world class fishing. The article said that the state was working to improve conditions, but due to farming, irrigation and damming, pollution, over fishing, and lack of resources the fishing will never return to its natural state in this area.

Another spot not directly in Southern Utah but easily driven to in 2 hours is Lake Mead. Lake Mead is located in Nevada and is a man made lake that is bottled up by the Hoover Dam which was constructed in 1932. It was the largest dam in the world during the time of its construction. I gathered this material and did fishing research while visiting the lake and the dam. Due to the recent terrorist attacks security at the dam has been heightened and tours of this magnificent structure will probably never be the same, but Lake Mead and Hoover Dam are still rich in recreation opportunities and history.

I learned many things from this project. I discovered that farming produced pollution, dammed waterways fish used, and depleted the resources. Farming destroyed many of the quality fishing areas in the state. I learned that not only farming but that other human activities such as the over harvesting of beavers for their fur by trappers greatly reduced the quality of fishing in many areas in Southern Utah as well. Beavers built the dams and ponds fish thrived in thus creating forage for the beavers. Some of these areas are still decent, but the quality on some of the waterways will never be the same. These changes greatly affected Indian populations in the state by destroying resources those people utilized for centuries. I learned that many of the areas around Southern Utah tell stories of lost eras such as mining operations, illegal distilleries, and the changes in lifestyle the Native Americans were forced to undergo due to the changing conditions in the wilderness. I learned about the cultural past of the region as well. On my research trips I discovered places like the Mountain Meadow Massacre site. This project enhanced my understanding of the relationships between different groups of peoples and their interactions with natural resources over the history of a few hundred years.

The website was located on the net, but the free server kept breaking down almost every day making the site unavailable online as of April 24. I am looking for a decent free server to use, or I may have to buy a spot on the internet. At any rate, the site will continually be updated, and a new home will be found shortly.