My first real trip to the Uintahs was a memorable one!  I had been in the Uintahs plenty of times and had been on many backpacking trips, but never to go fishing as a knowledgeable fisherman, that was actually doing the trip to go fishing!   I hiked to a very popular, but pitiful fishing lake, and as my special Uintahs guide told me, I followed the outlet stream about 200 yards to a about a 100 yard long by 25 yard pond, that was supposed to be better.  It was UEA weekend and winter was nearing in the Uintahs, but it was still a warm weekend, with less people then usual.  This secret pond was out of sight and earshot from the popular, more-fished lake.  The pond looked like a perfect place for some nice fly/spinner fishing.  You couldn't call it a pond or stream, but there is no real name for it.  It had perfect trout habitat.  It was probably about 8-10 feet deep out in the middle, and there was much deadfall, and other structure to make it an exciting place to try.  It was stocked, but early in the year, when there was enough water for the fish to swim down from the lake, they did.  In the pond, they were more active, and easier to catch.  After we set up camp in the trees fifty yards from the pond, my dad and brother went to sleep.  There was no surface activity, and the pond didn't look too exciting, so I decided to follow the small stream out of the pond down.  There was a small trickle of water, from one pool to another.  I had to climb down steep rock structures as the stream continued to flow down the rocks.  When I decided to take a look at one of the pools, I was amazed!!  In one probably 2 foot by two foot pool, there were three, 6-8 little brook trout, bound for death when winter came.  As I followed the stream there continued to be pools full of little fish.  I caught a couple fish on the way down sneaking up on the little fighters.  When I looked downstream a little later, I noticed a small, but exciting-looking lake.  I went down to take a look.  When I got there, little fish were surfacing everywhere!  I decided to go back to camp and tell them about it.  When I got back there, we decided to fish the pond for a bit.  I got nothing on nymphs, and there was no surface activity, so I decided to try a panther martin spinner, like my dad and brother had.  Soon after, I caught one of the biggest brook trout of my life, measuring 14 inches and weighing well over a pound, with beautiful colors, and a forked jaw.  In an hours time we caught only three fish, but they were all of this calibaties.  We decided that some of the people that had come earlier in the year had kept a lot of the fish from the pond.  This greatly decreased the population and no fish could migrate from the other pond anymore to increase it.  We decided that if we came in the spring, the fishing would be amazing for good-sized brook trout!  We went to sleep to the sound of a family of beavers playing in the water.  In the morning I woke, excited to get down to the lake!  We went down, and as before the trout were busily feeding.  It didn't take long for the little fish to be caught.  My first real dry fly experience!  They would bite on almost every cast!  I, as well, caught my first grayling!  Back up at the pond, there was one, continuously feeding little trout.  After we packed up, I decided to try my luck on him!  I stocked behind a tree by the pond, and tossed out a renegade right over his head!  “Perfect," I thought.  Within ten seconds the little trout had surfaced for my fly!  I pulled and had a real fight on my hands.  He continually jumped a couple feet out of the water as I pulled him in.  A beautiful, 8-inch brook trout.  I gently released him, and we departed.  That is one of the most exciting weekends I've ever had!  That was the beginning of my want to continue to visit the Uintahs.