FIshing Rules

Please read and understand the following ranch lease fishing rules. Fisherman must also abide by UDWR fishing rules and regulations.

General Rules 

  • Open Monday-Saturday (closed Sundays)

  • Alcohol is permitted only at the Lodge or at Hell Canyon Facility

    • No Alcohol while fishing

  • All guests must sign the Deseret liability form and Wild Country Liability form.

  • Respect all ranch workers, cattle, and fences.

  • Leave gates 'as they are'‘. If the gate is open, leave it open. If the gate is closed, leave it closed. This only applies to “non-locked” gates. This rule does not apply to the Lost Creek Gate or the Kilfoil Gate (always close and lock these gates).

  • No open campfires (fires only permitted at the Lodge and Hell Canyon facility)

  • Remove all trash from the premises.

  • Catch and release only.

  • Single barbless hooks.

  • Artificial flies and lures only.

  • No live bait or treble hooks.

  • Lakes and ponds permit the use of spinning rods and tackle. But the lures must be single hooks only with barbs smashed down.

  • All streams are fly fishing only with barbless hooks (no spinning rods or spin tackle allowed on the creek).

Fish Care and Handling

  • Single hook barbless or barb pinch-down hooks.

  • Use heavy tippet

    1. 1x-2x fluorocarbon tippet (9+ lb test) on the Saleratus Ponds

    2. Squaw ponds, you can go down to 3x tippet (7-8+ lb tippet)

    3. For streams, you can go down to 4x-5x tippet if you prefer.

  • Do not place a finger in the gills of the fish.

  • Minimize air exposure

    1. As little as 10-20 seconds out of water can cause death to a fish.

  • Eliminate contracts with dry surfaces.

  • Reduce handling time (once again, don’t remove fish from the water longer than 10 seconds)

    1. Keep the fish in the water as much as possible

  • CLICK HERE TO READ ABOUT THE THE PRINCIPLES OF CATCH-AND-RELEASE FISHING

TIPS:

  1. Use barbless or barb pinch-down hooks only

  2. Use rubber nets (not mesh nets)

  3. Carry a hook removal device or hemostats (that makes removing hooks so much easier)

  4. Limit fight time (fight the fish hard and fast. This is why we recommend heavy tippet)

  5. If the fish you caught isn’t one you plan on taking a picture of, don’t remove it from the water. Get the fish within reach, use a net if needed, remove the hook while the fish lies underwater on its side, and then set it free.

  6. Hold the fish in or over the water (don’t hold over dry land or over a boat)

    1. Do not drag the fish up onto the bank

  7. Grip the fish carefully

  8. Make sure the fish can swim off strong before letting go. You have to take the time to revive the fish.

  9. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT THE TIPS

Fishing Handling Media