PROVO RIVER — The waters are cold, near freezing in many cases, actually frozen in some cases, and the fish are feeling it. So they slow down to conserve energy. Which has brought fishermen to the realization that winter fishing takes patience and a slow, steady hand. Not only do the fish move more slowly, but they also bite more softly and travel less in the winter. So in order to catch fish, fishermen have learned to adapt. They jig and retrieve more slowly, move about more often, hunting for fish, and pay closer attention to rod tips that wiggle and lines that vibrate.This goes not only for frozen waters but flowing streams as well.

Ice-fishing waters — like Strawberry, Rockport, Deer Creek and areas of Flaming Gorge — remain ice covered. Others like Jordanelle are losing their ice.

Moving waters, such as the Logan, Weber and Provo, have been popular with fly fishermen in recent weeks.

Last weekend, for example, rivers and streams were busy.

The Ogden River has been on the slow side, but the Logan and Weber are picking up, and as wildlife officers confirmed, "so is fishing pressure."Several anglers along the middle section of the Provo River over the weekend reported "much heavier fishing pressure."

They also confirmed that fishing was, in sections, good.

As a general rule, 4 inches of ice will support a couple of people; 6 to 8 inches will support a small party, and 12 inches will support a larger group with machines, such as snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles. Thickness can be easily checked by throwing a couple of large rocks onto the ice or drilling a few test holes near the edge before venturing out too far.

The easiest way to get through the ice is with a good ice auger. A hand auger works well, but a power auger is quicker and easier. Tackling the ice with an ax or pick can be difficult, especially when the law reads the hole can be no larger than 12 inches in diameter.

The recommendation is to start drilling in areas where fish have been caught in the past. If that option isn't there, look for areas where fishermen have gathered and drilled lots of ice holes. Fishermen generally gather where fish are being caught.

And with fish being less willing to swim about because of the colder water, it sometimes becomes necessary for the angler to move to the fish. In these situations, a fish finder is priceless. If a locator isn't available, the rule is after 15 to 20 minutes of listening to the ice crack, when nothing has hit but cold winds, move to another ice hole.