Bow started fishing at a young age and remembers different phases he went through where certain habits were slowly outgrown. At age 9 he dreamed of such a situation. During that stage, even a glimpse from a fish would have made Bow's day. One spring day when he was 12, Bow walked to a familiar fishing hole in Oregon. To his amazement it was filled with pairing trout. He hid behind bushes upstream and swung a Wooly Worm. He was astounded when all 30 swarmed to slam the fly. While unhooking the first, the trout milted, Bow having no idea what happened. He caught many more from the hole, careful to not repeat his actions from last time. He went back home, did some research and found what the trout were doing. He knew of this behavior, but didn't think trout would brook so much risk in doing so. After hitting them hard, Bow let the stream rest a few weeks until the trout returned to their old runs. He moved to Utah at 18 and fished throughout summer, hearing blue-ribbon promises at The Provo. Although the river was packed and fishermen not always cordial, Bow had a great time watching and learning. Summer transitioned to fall and Bow noticed a change in both fish and fishermens' behavior. Trout paired up shallow, and other anglers seemed more interested in the end of Bow's line. Most walked by, happily discussing the good fishing. A few others looked at Bow's egg patterns, threw a caustic glare and walked down the bank. Puzzled by the negativity, Bow asked the boys at Western Rivers to explain. They described spawn as a good time for fish to rest from heavy pressure. People become very defensive about the fly, location, and methods used to "pick the low-hanging fruit". This defensiveness is derived from the stark difference in catch ability trout exhibit. Bow initially wondered why other upset fishermen were out there to begin. It was explained these anglers believe trout can be fished for if certain flies/methods are used. For example: those anglers used everything except egg patterns, not fishing anywhere near beds. When asked, everyone at Western had a different take: some believed only the use of Glo-Worms was wrong. The hook of a Glo-Worm is so large it can easily snag trout, even penetrating the brain when hooking smaller ones.
Fishing behind beds was acceptable to some, whereas others believed in staying clear of any spawning activity. A few found egg patterns acceptable, others stating the only moral way was fishing a dry fly. Hearing so many viewpoints from wiser fishermen than Bow, he wasn't sure what to think. Rivers like the Provo are grossly over-populated, so sticking these trout all day wouldn't be of detriment to the population. Bow instead focused intrinsically, reflecting on a quote, "fishing for trout on their spawning beds is like you making love and getting slapped in the face with a cheeseburger". This made him think of all other times during the year these trout are available, and provide a greater sense of accomplishment when caught. Bow discussed the issue with Rico, looking for a less disdainful perspective. "Being a bass fisherman, each year around mid April I headed to a small pond near town several times a week. I walked around the pond scanning the shoreline for bedded females. As the weather and water temperature warmed, I began to see more and more bass. The first I saw in the shallows were small males preparing nests. A few days later I saw the same males guarding their nests, accompanied by large females in three to four feet of water. During this period bass were easy targets. I simply took a large jig and crawled it through the bed, imitating a bluegill/crawdad attempting to steal eggs. Both male and female bass did their best to pick up the jig and move it out of their nest. Much research has been done on taking bass from their nests, and whether or not it disturbs their mating cycle. It is believed pulling a bass from its nest is harmless, often times tournaments are held around this period. Years passed since I fished bedded bass and am beginning to feel guilt for my actions. Simply put: the large female makes herself vulnerable for the good of her young. Laying them shallow maintains proper temperature and sunlight, and she stays with them until they can survive on their own. I now feel out of respect to the fish, nests should be left alone."
After
reflecting on thoughts of his own and others, Bow found middle ground. Instead
of retiring the rod for a few months, Bow decided to target Cutthroat and Tiger
trout. Cutthroat are active during fall to fatten up for winter, and Tigers go
through spawning motions(including severe aggression)despite sterility. Bow personally doesn't mind fishing non-spawn trout in a large river
as the Provo
