Bruce of Denver, as he signed the letter, couldn't have said it better:

"I remember our first trip down (to Lake Powell) several years ago, and we didn't know a thing about how to catch fish. ... Now we are boating over 200 (striped bass)."

That's the story behind fishing these days. And that's what makes Lake Powell one of the best fishing spots in the world, thanks in part to "Wayne's Words."

Wayne is Wayne Gustaveson, who manages fishing at Lake Powell for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.

He puts out a weekly newsletter that is passed out at marinas around the lake and at outposts leading to the lake and is posted on his Web site at www.wayneswords.com.

His words of fishing wisdom give locations, depths and baits needed to catch fish.

And if anyone knows, it's Gustaveson. He has taken the lake through its good times and its bad times over his 26 years of service.

He is, in fact, the author of current fishing regulations behind the good fishing, which include no limits and chumming being allowed for striped bass.

Following Gustaveson's instructions, Bruce and party — seven adults and eight kids — picked a spot a couple of weeks ago, and by fishing off the back of a houseboat, caught a dozen striped bass, two catfish and two smallmouth bass.

The next day, at the suggestion of his 70-year-old mom, following Wayne's suggestion, his party pulled into a canyon and ... "It didn't take long for us to be on the fish. In the next 1 1/2 hours, we boated 42 fish, with the smallest being 22 inches. The average was close to 28 inches, and my guess would be 5 to 7 pounds. ... The next day we did return, and everyone in our group caught as many fish as they wanted."

The grand total for five days was ... "well over 200 stripers, 10 smallmouth, 6 catfish and a walleye."

Field and Stream, in its June issue, listed Lake Powell No. 7 on its list of the 150 Best Fishing Spots in the United States, well ahead of some pretty prestigious fishing waters.

In its analysis, it reported: "First, the bad news: Bass numbers are down from last year. The good news is that it doesn't matter. Anglers can still catch more fish than their arms can handle. ... "

And it's true.

Typically, at this time of year, when the weather turns hot, the fishing goes cold.

Not this year, which is why fishermen coming to the lake look at him perplexingly when he suggests, matter-of-factly, a daily catch of 20 to 30 fish "is common."

This year, said Gustaveson, "The only thing hotter than fishing is the weather."

There are just so many fish — and they're hungry — that even the most novice of fishermen can catch fish, which isn't the case at most waters.

His Web site notes that stripers will dive deep and away from fishermen during the warmer days. But a little chumming with anchovies, which is legal, will bring them to the surface and get them into a feeding frenzy. And, since striped bass run in schools, once one fish bites, many more are likely to follow.

One of the highlights of Bruce's trip, he wrote, was seeing his mom and grandson standing side by side catching fish, which, nowadays, isn't that uncommon.

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E-mail: grass@desnews.com