Nice Weekend: Goblins/Fishing

[LOAH]

Saturday:

Like the rest of the world, I decided to hit the road with my family this weekend. My sister-in-law, before heading back to New Jersey, wanted to see a different side of Utah and I knew just the spot to take her. There wouldn't be any fishing involved, but a visit to Goblin Valley was worth the sacrifice. She even volunteered her car for the journey.

For anyone who hasn't been to the Goblins, it's a must-see destination. There's no other place on Earth like it and you'd almost swear you'd left the planet while there. At the edge of the San Rafael Swell, some of the desert's greatest treasures lie all around the area.

Before going to the Valley of the Goblins, I suggested a quick ride down Temple Mountain Road (keep going straight into the Swell instead of left, to GV) to see some of the incredible landscape of the San Rafael.





Turns out, the road got washed out a bit this year and we didn't go much further than the big wall. Her car is pretty new and she didn't feel comfortable crossing the rocky gap. It was still neat to see the ancient art though.

So with the five minute detour out of the way, we went back to our original destination and stretched our legs.







It's a great place to take the family, although it is a desert and you'll need to pack some water along. What seems like enough usually isn't, especially if you're hauling gear (or kids via kangaroo pack).

It's easy scrambling down in the main bowl of the valley, but if you don't pay attention, you could get a little disoriented. The rock formations can seem like a maze at times. Finding higher ground will get you pointed in the right direction, usually. The parking lot is pretty easy to find from the top of a hoodoo.

At the back of the canyon, the hiking gets a little tougher, but we still managed to get to the top of the middle hill with the whole troop. The view from the top is amazing and it provides a better appreciation for the dramatic change in landscape.









Always a pleasure to visit Goblin Valley. The drive north is full of wonder, as well.



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Sunday:

As if I hadn't gotten enough leg work the day before, I just had to satisfy a curiosity of mine involving a couple of small ponds near a place I have been many times. Due to a rough road, it would require a hike of about a mile. Piece of cake.

Nice view from up there. I'm sure this spot looks familiar to many:





So with the short hike out of the way, I made it to the first pond in question, which looked to be in a good depression from the topo maps.





Beautiful country.

The apparent depth led me to believe that it would be a hidden gem, filled with large finned friends with an appetite for spinners and worms. Like several other places I'd hiked to this year on a hunch, signs of fish were not found. I tried for a couple of hours, but there were no bites. No ripples on the water, just drifting algae.

The place looked really fishy, so I could be wrong about it. If you know something I don't, shoot me some info, please. As far as I can tell, it's barren. The only reasons to go up Red Ledge Hollow would be for camping, hunting, or just good old sight-seeing. Good thing I was close to Currant Creek and its lovely inhabitants.

Upon arrival, a lady that was using two poles was leaving and reported only a couple of missed bites several hours before. She was hauling a camp chair, so I doubt she moved around much to find the fish.

This prompted me to see if I could score in the inlet channel, where the only gap in the thick weeds could be found. To my surprise, I started catching right away.







It was refreshing to see some size to the fish this year. Last time I visit, the fish averaged much smaller. This trip, I saw only one fish under 14 inches in length. A really nice one followed my spinner for awhile, only to spook upon sight of me. It was noticeably larger than the 15 inch cutts I was catching, I'd guess about 18. VERY good for Currant Creek Reservoir.

The colorful cutts were all over my Blue Fox, so long as I was moving around while casting. Eventually I lost the lure and decided to try a nightcrawler. The results were the same, bringing in several slimy spectacles.





Oh sweet beautiful cutthroat. It was an honor to be able to redeem my day by catching my favorite species with fast action. The fish even put up a good fight, making each one even more rewarding to bring in.

I hope you all had a wonderful Labor Day weekend. Mine was great!

Happy Fishing, Humans.

[offpiste]