To me, stories of the struggles and hardships of the Mormon
Pioneers are always inspiring, heartbreaking, and captivating. Those of us who
live in the Western United States share the legacy of their courage and faith,
no matter our direct lineage or religious affiliation. In one way or another we are beneficiaries of
the blessings that resulted from their sacrifice and labor. I know what you are thinking, “How does this relate
to fishing?”
I was raised in the Bridger Valley in Southwest Wyoming, an
area rich in historical significance as pertaining to the old west. Among other
things, Fort Bridger was a vital resupply point for handcart companies and
wagon trains on the Oregon Trail, California Trail and Mormon Trails. In 1847,
a man named Wilford Woodruff, a Mormon Pioneer, recorded in his journals
accounts of fishing throughout the trek including fly fishing on the Blacks Fork of the
Green River. The house that I was raised
in is literally just above the flood plain of the Blacks Fork River. I have spent countless hours fishing and
swimming in that river. I can recall
multiple occasions of catching large brown, rainbow and cutthroat trout just a
few miles downstream of Fort Bridger. How I wish I could have fished next to Wilford back in those days!
The following is an excerpt from a wonderful article which documents the deep connection that Wilford Woodruff had to the art of angling. He is honored here for his dedication and his
mark on western fishing as we know it today. I must note that there is so much more to
this great man than fishing. He left his mark on the world as a powerful
missionary, teacher, and as a prophet of God.
"Fortunately, Western annals leave a stronger clue and point
directly to a Utahn--no less a figure than Wilford Woodruff, fourth
president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and a
totally committed angler. Woodruff made the trek west as a member of the
LDS Council of Twelve Apostles and traveled in the vanguard of pioneer
Mormons to reach and settle the Great Salt Lake Valley in July 1847. He
also was one of the most diligent and important diarists among the
Mormons, keeping note of everything he did for more than a half-century.
And when he fulfilled a church mission to England in 1841, he brought
back a fly rod and an assortment of artificial flies.
Because of his fondness for angling, he became a sort of
clearing house for matters piscatorial. Woodruff always remembered to
inquire of trappers and traders on the prairie where the best fishing
was. And when someone had some luck, they passed the word to Woodruff.
..........
Bridger's trading post of crude log houses on Blacks Fork
of the Green River was a place emigrants could stay a day or so to rest
and feed their livestock, repair wagons and generally gird for the final
push to the Great Salt Lake Valley or points west. And here Woodruff
made his mark. In his own words, and colorful spelling: "As soon as I
got my breakfast, I rigged up my trout rod that I had brought with me
from Liverpool, fixed my reel, line & artificial fly & went to
one of the brooks close by Camp to try my luck catching trout."
Fresh meat: "The men at the fort said there were but very
few trout in the streams. And a good many of the brethren were already
at the creeks with their Rods & lines trying their skill baiting
with fresh meat and grasshoppers, but no one seemed to ketch anything.
I went & flung my fly onto the [water]. And it being
the first time I ever tried the Artificial fly in America, or ever saw
it tried, I watched as it floated upon the water with as much intense
interest As Franklin did his kite when he tried to draw lightning from
the skies. And as Franklin received great joy when he saw electricity or
lightning descend on his kite string in like manner was I highly
gratified when I saw the nimble trout dart [at] my fly, hook himself
& run away with the line, but I soon worried him out & drew him
to shore. I fished two or three hours including morning & evening
& I cought twelve in all. And abought one half of them would weigh
about--3/4 of a pound each while all the rest of the camp did not ketch
during the day 3 lbs of trout in all, which was proof positive to me
that the Artificial fly is far the best thing now known to fish [for]
trout with."
Wilford Woodruff went on to fish the Bear River (not with
an artificial fly, however) on horseback in the middle of the stream,
casting baited hooks into eddies. Like anglers of today, he discovered
that fish are fickle. "Some of the time I would fish half an hour &
could not start a fish. Then I would find an eddy with 3 or 4 trout in
it & they would jump at the hooks as though there was a bushel of
trout in the hole. And in one instance I caught two at a time.""
Brookies generally don’t get all that big in the Uinta
Mountains or in most mountain waterways.
Now and again you stumble into an area that where you start off by
catching a few small brook trout and then… Whammo! You rip into the lips of a trophy
brookie that takes you for a ride! This lake is definitely one of those areas
where, on the right day, you can catch a lot of good cutthroats and brookies
and now and again hook into one that goes into the 4-5 pound range. Brookies have always been one of my favorites
to fish for. Generally, they are much
more aggressive than other trout, will hit almost anything you throw at them,
and put up a strong fight. Pound for
pound they are among the strongest of the trout and char varieties and among
the tastiest as well. 
Island Lake is nestled just beneath the rocky peaks of the western
Uinta Mountains. It’s not a very popular destination and it requires a good
amount of hiking on less than well-traveled rocky trails. The hike isn’t terribly aggressive in terms
of vertical ascent but it is a solid six or seven mile jaunt. The trail is poorly marked and dead fall occasionally blocks it all together. A few areas will test your scouting skills and may present difficulties
in choosing the right path to follow. I’ve
hiked in and out of this lake in a single day with a few hours of fishing in between.
If you plan on the same trip you better be prepared for a full day and have
flashlights with you just in case you fish longer than planned and end up
hiking a few miles in the dark.
The trail usually is muddy and even into late June and July
you can run into a few deep snow drifts. Good water proof hiking boots are a
must. Horses will certainly do well on this trail but be aware of the bogs and
swampy areas where elevated platforms have been built up for hikers.
