This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
One of the benefits of hitting the road for a long out of state trip is that a person can observe the way things might be done somewhat differently.
I just completed about a 1,300 round-trip driving trip to the Outdoors Writers Association of America convention in Billings, Mont.
Taking a two-lane shortcut at Dillon, Mont., I drove along the Beaverhead River for a while.
What I noticed along the way were signs pointing out anglers' access along the Beaverhead. Some of these had small parking areas and some were just signs showing where access is allowed.
This would be a wonderful addition to Utah's fishing landscape. There may be a few of these on the Provo River between Jordanelle Dam and Deer Creek Reservoir, though they are not as large and obvious.
And, in fairness, Montana may have more rivers that go through private land than Utah does. Many of Utah's top fisheries such as the Provo, Logan, Green and Blacksmith Fork are located primarily on public land.
Still, it would do a great service to river fishers if Utah erected more angler access signs at entry points, especially in areas with a mix of public and private land where confusion could exist.
One other note from the OWAA conference. My former long-timeTribune colleague Brett Prettyman took over as the president of the national organization on the last night of the conference Monday.
Prettyman now works for Trout Unlimited, but enjoyed a long career at The Tribune, writing many important conservation and recreation stories.
Congratulations are in order.