LOGAN – Come winter, spring, summer or fall a fisherman in Cache Valley can walk out of their home and find a dozen or more choices to fish within minutes said Chadd VanZanten, an author and fly fisherman living in the valley.
Chadd VanZanten an author and fly fisherman claims there are plenty of places to fish in Cache Valley.
Although he is not a native to Cache Valley, he’s lived here for long enough to tell people he is a native. He is the author of three fly-fishing books, one about fly fishing the Bear River drainage, another one about fishing the Wind Rivers and one he co-wrote with Russ Beck on fishing the Northern Rocky Mountains. He is currently working on a book about fishing the Logan River.
“The Logan River is a remarkable fishery and it supports large numbers and healthy populations of the Bonneville Cutthroat,” he said. “They are self-sustaining and are they remnant of the original species.”
VanZanten said there are many places where cutthroat was reintroduced, but in the Logan River the cutthroat have survived dams and other obstacles.
“Bonneville Cutthroat here are in their native waters,” he said. “It is not easy to fish for them. They are remarkable to catch, it takes one with patience for sure.”
“I’m zooming in on the Logan River, its history and culture in my book,” he added. “The Logan has a rich historical, conservational and scientific researched fish species.”
The Blacksmith Fork River and the Logan River are both Blue Ribbon fisheries in Cache Valley and they can be fished year-round.
“Cache Valley is not like other places, Logan it is not a destination city,” he said. “It is not like places where people come from all of the world to fish.”
Chadd VanZanten said the area has plenty of fish to find in Cache Valley.
There is another reason the Logan, Blacksmith Fork Rivers and other fishing spots in Cache Valley are great places to fish: the Utah Department of Wildlife Resources fish stocking program.
DWR stocks triploid trout that do not reproduce and in the right conditions can grow faster than their native counter parts.
He said the fishing on the Idaho side of Cache Valley can also be rewarding; the Cub River in the Franklin area can yield good fishing. So can Twin Lakes reservoirs.
“It is easier to access the Bear River in Idaho because it is not all tied up in private land,” he said. “There is also some good fishing at Black Canyon near Grace and Bear River Narrows.”
VanZanten is a member of Cache Anglers, a chapter of Trout Unlimited. They are a group of fishermen dedicated to the preservation and perpetuation of the fishing conditions in Cache Valley. Cache Anglers is the Northern Utah chapter of Trout Unlimited. We currently have about 175 active TU members in our Chapter.
Chadd VanZanten is working on a book about fishing the Logan River.
The lay a big part in the Trout in the Classroom projects in schools around the state.
The organization has been involved in restoration of spawning tributaries to the Logan River. They have also built fencing enclosures to keep livestock out of sensitive riparian areas.
Cache Anglers work with Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and Utah State University in conducting population studies on the Logan River and its tributaries.