PROVO, Utah — If you took a drive through Provo Canyon on Saturday, you might have spotted Santa making an unexpected stop ahead of his big day.
“Pretty much every Saturday before Christmas, Santa likes to sneak out and get a little fishing in,” said Rudy Schenk. “Don’t tell Mrs. Claus, though.”
We found Santa knee-deep in the chilly Provo River near Vivian Park, spreading Christmas cheer and sharing fishing tips with those who were lucky enough to spot him.
“It’s a tough time of year to catch a fish, so I’m mostly fishing for honks and waves,” said the fly fishing Santa.
Fly fishermen Rudy Schenk and Brett Prettyman have done this for four years in a row now.
“The first time we did this, there was 10 inches of snow,” said Prettyman. “We were standing on it all day long. It was hard to get down to the river — really cold and windy.”
“This weather, it’s been so warm — people just can’t comprehend that it’s almost Christmas,” Prettyman added.
All the more reason to come out and catch those honks while supporting some fellow outdoor enthusiasts.
“There’s a young guy who came up here last year,” said Prettyman. “He texted me last week and said, ‘Hey, can I come back again?’”
That young guy was Carter Christiansen, a 15-year-old from Pleasant Grove. Last year, he was on the way up to Sundance when he found this early Christmas gift.
He’s learned some valuable lessons from it, staying in touch with the experienced anglers throughout the year.
“I just kept texting him about fishing, like what flies to use in certain scenarios and stuff like that,” Christiansen said.
Even though it was a quiet day with only a few bites out on the wintry waters, Santa and his elves hope their display can ease the stress of the holidays for anyone who finds them wading in the water.
“The outdoors is special,” Prettyman said. “It’s a good place to tune out and relax. We hope that people realize that — that’s what Santa’s doing, why can’t they do it too?”
