Matt picked me up at 6pm. We were off to our opener location. We stopped at McD's for dinner and wait until dark to move to our camping spot for the night (so no one will get the wrong idea that it's okay to camp...it's okay for us since we have permission...but that's because I know the property owner's son well...we were university housemates
)
While we're waiting for dark, Matt and I put on waders to explore the creek. We found some new pools and about 2 dozen fish scattered but in small groups in predictable spots. That looked like a good sign
After setting up camp, it was a long wait to 12am. We tried to sleep...but spend more time chilling and talking about fishing than sleeping
At 11pm, some little f*#kers threw stones across the creek at us and into the creek...those little $hits were too chicken to show their faces when we spoke up. If I find them next time, they're going into the creek and going home butt naked, dripping wet and freezing cold
Anyways, by then, we were too alert to sleep...so we started getting our gear together and waiting for the 12am alarm.
Finally, alarm went and in goes the first drift. I think it was second drift that Matt missed a hit.
At 12:30am, Matt was the first to be on the score board. Here's Matt with his best bugle trout impression
He got 2 more bugle trout before 2am. Then Matt had enough and went to bed
I fished until 3am still wearing the smelly stripe. Then, I saw a bright flash iin the distance. At first, I thought it was someone downstream taking picture of their catch...but a little later...rumble...
I fished until the storm was getting a little too close for comfort...and then woke up Matt to help put up the fly. I left the float rods propped up against a tree...then realized it's a bad idea to have 12' and 10' graphite lightning sticks pointed up about 3' from our tent...so I went out in a hurry to lay them on the ground
The storm came and it was lightning and thunder all around us with heavy rain for about 20min. But that was it....just a passing storm.
I went to sleep for about 40min and woke up cold. I put on my rain jacket and didn't feel warm enough to sleep...so back I went to put in a few drifts.
About 10 min after I got back to fishing, I chased away the skunk with this nice resident brown. I had to wake up Matt to help me take the pic
We had a small fire going and it kept us a little warmer. Matt's waders got rain water inside...but he joined me fishing anyways.
At around 4:30am, I got a good hit. The fish ran me into the bottom and the hook pulled out. I had the fish on for 5 seconds and my fluoro leader was frayed.
We didn't get another hit until later in the morning when Matt for 2 more suckers. I also managed to tail snag a steelhead that Matt guessed to be around 10lbs. That would have been my PB steelhead if it was fair hooked...but being a foul hooked fish, we didn't honour it with a picture or count is as a fish caught. It was an insane fight though
By now, it's about 8:30am and Matt decided to go exploring. I stayed behind with confidence in the pool. There were fish moving in and out of the pool during the night. We also saw a few steelheads in our pool...but they were circling the pool in typical fashion that spooked, spawning fish do...which means getting those fish to hit is almost impossible.
But...I had confidence in my lovely spot. I put on small roe bags and managed to get a 9" rainbow within a few drifts. Another fresh roe bag later, I got this 10" brown for a quick pic.
With the same roe bag but only a couple eggs left in it, I took a few more drifts and hooked up a 2lb steelhead. I managed to beach the fish and had the camera in hand ready for a shot...but as I was framing the shot, the fish squirmed and managed to twist itself off the hook. Sorry...no pic as proof...but I don't need to prove anything
Matt came back later reporting seeing a bunch of spooked fish. So we put in more time, at my insistance mind you, at my honey hole. I decided to slow down my drift and hooked into a few suckers with live worms...plus this brown...
This was actually the same brown I landed at 4am! Just look at the spots on the cheek carefully and you can tell it is the same fish!
When I released the fish at 4am, the line was wrapped up around the snout a couple of times. My headlamp had quit on me and I couldn't really see how the fish was wrapped up...so I cut the line and wish the fish luck.
When I caught this fish again, the line was untangled and the hook was still sitting at the corner of the mouth. I unhooked it and it swam away strong a second time. I hope this 16" brown will turn into a 17" brown next year and that we'll meet again
Finally, I got into one more big sucker and we called it a day...as you can see...I was pretty tired by now
(Nah, I blinked on the shot )
We broke camp and put everything back in Matt's van. Then we wade downstream and found more of nothing. We saw more spooky fish and eventually ended our hike when we came across some fenced private property
There were a few spooked steelhead right by this border between public and private grounds...and Matt managed to get one to hit and spit.
We called up Kris to see if he wanted to meet up...but Kris reported a lot of nothing as well so Matt and I decided to call it a day.
The catching wasn't great...but the fishing was fun! I'm happy to find some 12"+ browns for 3 years in a row and 15"+ browns two years in a row. Hopefully these trout will live healthy and produce more browns. The steelheading has been getting worst each year...maybe it was due to the low water we've had these few years?
Hopefully the creek will improve in the future!