This will mostly affect our local Cache Valley angling in the Blacksmith Fork River. In the last two years land owners have begun posting their land along portions of the bottom 5 miles of river. These were some of my favorite spots I had fished for over 20 years.

Last summer I talked with the security man posting signs. He said that the land had been owned for quite a few years by several absentee landowners. I asked if he would tell me who they were so I could contact them for permission to fish the water. He said they wouldn’t grant permission because they wanted to keep the fishing for themselves. Now I can fish there again!

The other place that will open up is about 20 miles of river along the upper Blacksmith that is owned by the Millers Brother’s operation. Many fishing enthusiasts have long desired to fish there. Now they have the chance.

There are sections of The Little Bear River that runs through the Paradise/Avon end of Cache Valley that will be affected as well. There are a couple of private fishing operations there. One is owned by a friend of mine. We’ll see what happens.

Salt Lake Tribune Article

Utah Supreme Court Decision

Forums discussing the issue:

Utah on the Fly

Bigfishtackle.com

Fly Fisherman

SL Tribune

And it showed up at Moldy Chum’s place.

Now, who has the cojones to take up the gauntlet the Utah Supreme Court has dropped? Anyone for testing Utah’s new public easement ruling to determine what is “reasonable and cause[s] no unnecessary injury to the landowner”?

I have talked with friends who are land owners here in Utah. Some idiots think that the ruling gives them permission to trespass and trash property. If you want to see the benefits of this ruling, you have to be reasonable and respectful to private property. Come on people, use your brain!