Tales From the Ararat (An Urbanized tR)

Started by Dee-Vo, May 19, 2022, 20:51:07 PM

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Dee-Vo


I've fished this river from its trickling, falling, private headwaters, all the way through town, through miles of countryside, and all the way to its mouth where it grows into the much larger Yadkin River.

I've caught native brook trout, stocker trout of every brand, and many bass of various types here. It's never been my fave.

Wild/native trout are where my heart is. Nowadays, however, I find it increasingly difficult to drive an hour or even close to an hour to hike into new waters. Appointments and responsibilities keep me close to home.

I cannot look over stocked water when I drive over it six times a day. The fact that I can pull the boots on, string the rod up, catch a hand full of trout, drive to my boy's school for lunch with him, and creep back into the water to catch more fish all within just a couple hours' time is tough for me to overlook.

Casting practice and rod bendage. If I can do these things without a rush or stress crawling into my nerve system, I'll take it when it's there for the taking.

Stockers are mostly dumb. And ugly. I will say though that after a few months of dodging anglers, flies, kayaks, and lures that they can be quiet the snobby assholes that will gladly give you the finger with the best of them.

A few years ago I fought the biggest trout of my life here and lost it once it got under a log and broke me off. My net wasn't nearly big enough. The fish was a massive brown and would have been 25"-27" easy, and heavy. The stamina and power of that trout wasn't of normal stocker display. Maybe it had been there in that deep bend for a year or two, or few. It knew what it was doing and had done it who knows how many times.

I got out yesterday and caught several rainbows and browns. Grabbed lunch with Finn at the schoolhouse. Then took him to a pond where he caught forty-some bluegills, shellcrackers, and a nice bass.

I'll not complain as long as I'm fishing and I'm outdoors chasing something in the water.

Much of my entertainment at an urban stocked stream is derived from some of the fisherpeople that I cross paths with. Huge spinning rods, musky-sized lures, and unbelievable tactics always puts a smile on my face.

Damned stockers.

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Dee-Vo


Worked until about 2:00 this afternoon. Grabbed a few cold ones and found out little man is staying with his grandmother tonight.

Reorganized and drastically cut down on my fly boxes and on-stream hip pack inventory.

The sky was darkening, several days of rain on its way. I hurried to the river.

With distant thunder announcing a closer and closer proximity, I cast and hooked and lost a fish. A few minutes later I netted a brown. Rain began to fall. At least I got one before the storm.

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Dee-Vo

#2

Laced the boots up early this morning and tied a streamer on the leader of the old Redington. This low cost rod has been beat to death over the years. It was my first rod purchase and the one I've used 99% of the time for all of my fishing. Wasn't expensive but the rod and reel has endured more abuse than most I've seen from other guys.

Ordered more flies, tippet, and other goodies from my fly shop man — should arrive in a few days. I'm going to purchase a new fly line this week. The one I have now has been used for years upon years and it shows. Cracks galore.

Last evening's rain sure muddied up the flow. Stripped and swung streamers for a couple hours to no avail besides the green sunfish who came out to play along the bank.

Lots of rain setting in this week. Hopefully I can escape to some higher, smaller flows for fishable levels.

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Phil

Keep after it! I sympathize with not getting enough fishing time. I thought retirement would give me all the time in the world, but it didn't work out that way. "Appointments and Responsibilities" sucks.

Woolly Bugger

Quote from: Dee-Vo on May 19, 2022, 20:51:07 PMesponsibilities keep me close to home.

"Responsibility is highly overrated" - John Gierach


 
ex - I'm not going to live with you through one more fishing season!
me -There's a season?

Pastor explains icons to my son: you know like the fish symbol on the back of cars.
My son: My dad has two fish on his car and they're both trout!

joe friday

you can't go wrong fishing with a kid.