Moss agreed and said anglers who use flies imitating crayfish -- crawdads to locals -- generally get into big fish. He recommends Woolly Buggers in red and black or black and green. Other patterns he recommends are the beadhead versions of the Pheasant Tail and Prince Nymph.

For anglers who opt for hardware, Moss said the original Panther Martin in yellow with red spots and a silver blade or a JakeÂ’s Spinner in gold or black may do the trick. Deer-hair jigs are good just about anytime, and as with the Woolly Bugger, Moss suggests black and red or black and chartreuse. If you want to go dry, Moss suggests tying on a Renegade.

Stewart, on the other hand, said color doesnÂ’t seem to matter when it comes to throwing Woolly Buggers, but he does sometimes tie small black leech or nymph patterns on as droppers behind the Buggers. He fishes these setups on 6-weight line with a 3X tippet and recommends nothing lighter than a 5-weight. Generally, he fishes with an intermediate sinking line at a depth of 5 feet. Later in the year, when the water begins to drop due to irrigation activities on nearby farms, Stewart said a line with a fast sink rate is sometimes best, to reach fish heading for deeper water.

For much of the year, Stewart prefers to fish near the dam at the south end of the reservoir, but also likes the western shoreline. In fact, he caught his biggest Minersville fish on the west side in the trees.

“I caught it on a little damsel fly imitation. There’s been a couple of fish that just feel like a spare tire. You just think you’re hooked onto a log because you can’t move it. For 30 seconds or something, it’s not moving at all. Then it finally starts wiggling around a little bit.

“But you really have to tug on those big ones to get them in.”

Both Stewart and Moss recommend using a slow-strip technique to entice strikes from the big fish. They said that itÂ’s not uncommon for fish to hit a fly while itÂ’s on its way down. In the early spring, right after ice-off, he said anglers working the shallows sometimes get into some big fish.

FOR YOUR INFORMATION

Minersville Reservoir lies 12 miles west of Interstate 15 and the small farm community of Beaver, Utah. Drive to Beaver and turn west on State Route 21 from I-15.

Although the 1,100-acre impoundment was originally built for irrigation purposes, it now has a well-deserved reputation as a trophy rainbow trout fishery. Fish topping the 22-inch mark are a common catch.

Special trophy regulations are in effect that limit anglers to keeping just one fish. That keeper must be more than 22 inches long.

Beaver offers visitors all the amenities, including the choice of several hotels and restaurants. Camping is also available at the Minersville Reservoir State Park. The day-use fee is $4 and the camping fee is $13 per day, with a 14-day camping limit.

For more information, you can contact the park at (435) 438-5472.

While much of the shoreline is open to the public, visitors should be aware that there is some private land along the reservoir as well. Many anglers use float tubes or boats, but shore fishing can also be very productive.