MINNOWS, STREAMERS

The Provo River has a large number of minnows and small fish present which utilize the minute animal and plant life. These minnows are an important food for large predatory fish, and therefore, they form an important food link in the Provo River Fishery.

UTAH SUCKER - Catostomus ardens
This is the largest sucker in the Provo River, for some of them weigh well over five pounds. These are seen often on the section of the river near the lake during the late spring which is their spawning season. There can be seen digging in the bottom of the river for algae, bottom insect larvae, and plankton which is their main food. Trout and other fish eat this fish for food.

SPECKLED DACE - Rhinichthys osculus
Blotches and specks of darker color on a gray back-ground give the speckled dace its name. It averages two to three inches, and seldom exceeds four inches in length. This minnow is quite abundant in the Provo River, and it serves as a valuable native link in the food chain for trout. It is found mainly in swift waters and riffle areas of smaller streams. It spawns in spring and early summer and inhabits waters varying widely in temperature. In Yellowstone Park this minnow is often found in waters which reach 80° F.

LONGNOSE DACE - Rhinichthys cataractae
The longnose dace is greenish brown to dusky with lighter, sometimes silvery, sides. A narrow black strip usually extends from the tip of the snout to the eye. Males in the spring have orange-red lips and head underparts, pinkish fins, and a leaner body. Five inches is about maximum length. It prefers the swifter parts of the water, especially gravel riffles. It spawns in the spring or early summer on sand and gravel bottom.

SCULPINS Family Cottidae

These fish live in small, rapid streams on both sides of the Continental Divide.

MOTTLED SCULPIN Cottus bairdi

This sculpin is blueish or brownish-gray, mottled irregularly with blotches of brown or black, with numerous minute black dots and a dark bar at the base of the tail. The upper edge of the front dorsal fin is fringed with orange. It attains a maximum length of five to six inches.

The sculpin provides a valuable food item for large trout, as it is often found in their stomachs.

The fly pattern that best represents this fly is the Muddler Minnow or Muddler as it should be called.

The Dace species is best represented by the BLACK NOSE DACE pattern. This pattern is quite popular on the Provo River. Other popular streamers would include the Mormon Girl, Yellow Squirrel Tail, Spruce Fly, etc.

NOTES: (Where found, water conditions--fast or slow, type of minnow present)