"We're going to discontinue planting the 3-inch fish and go with 160,000 of the 7-inch tiger trout in the fall. It will be the same number of total pounds, but the fish will be bigger. And we'll be planting them at a time when we'll get better survival," he said.

Scofield is and has been one of the most productive fishing waters in Utah, which is why two decades ago it was second to Strawberry in overall fishing pressure. Then it was overrun by chubs and carp. It was treated in 1991 and no doubt lost some of its luster at that time.

But this past summer it was consistently rated as one of Utah's hot spots, and even with the eight fish limit, it apparently couldn't bring the crowds back.

Just how productive Scofield is can be seen in the overall growth of the tiger trout. Tiger trout were first planted as 5-inch fish in October 2005. By May 2006, they were up to 12 inches, and by the following October, they were between 16 and 17 inches, "which is excellent growth," said Birdsey.

"Scofield has a track record for supporting a lot more pressure and a lot more harvest than it has in recent years and still remain a quality fishery, which is why we're trying to make it more attractive to fishermen."

On a recent trip to Scofield, there were obvious signs of fishing pressure. There were rows of stacked rocks, which make excellent rod holders, along the eastern beach. There were, however, only four fishermen.

Sumner Newman of Salt Lake City was one. He said fishing in the early hours was good, but slowed in the afternoon. He said he caught and released several rainbow, a couple of large tiger trout and a cutthroat.

Byron and DeEtte Gunderson hit the snow-covered shores in the early afternoon, fished for a couple of hours and caught a couple dozen fish — cutthroat, rainbow and one large tiger trout.

They were throwing Crystal Killers and purple and black Crystal Buggers from pontoon boats. Some of the better fishing was in areas closer to shore.

Predictions are that fishing this winter, through the ice, will be excellent. The question then becomes: Will the lure of catching lots of 18- to 20-inch fish be enough to get fishermen to return to Scofield?

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E-mail: grassx@desnews.com