I try to get my family outdoors every weekend, and fall is one of our favorite times to go exploring. In recent years, we've made it a tradition to watch Utah's kokanee salmon as they run up the rivers to lay their eggs. In the past, we've enjoyed kokanee-watching at Strawberry and Sheep Creek, but I haven't quite decided where we'll go this year. Fortunately, there are a lot of great options!
I'm an avid angler, but I'm also an old baseball player, and all baseball players are a little superstitious about keeping a hot streak going. Fishing is much the same. I have had success over the years and always kept track of what worked and what didn't. I've changed my fishing behavior to match those most successful times and have even convinced the folks who fish with me.
As a kid, Pelican Lake was the most fun place you could fish in the whole world. I vividly remember days of catching so many bluegill and bass that my thumb was raw from taking them off the hook. Now, as a regional fisheries biologist in my hometown, it's my job to restore this fishery to its past glory.
I was ready to call it a day after hours of checking anglers on Strawberry Reservoir. I had officially been patrolling for three weeks, and I was learning my way around the reservoir. Just as we packed in all of our gear, a call came over the radio.
More than beautiful, monarch butterflies contribute to the health of the planet. Butterflies — and other pollinators like birds, bats and bees — are vital to creating and maintaining the habitats that many animals rely on for food and shelter. We need pollinators.