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The Cleft

Started by Onslow, February 28, 2023, 20:47:44 PM

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Onslow


Unexpected issues at a job resulted in a U turn back to the house this morning. So many choices.  It rained .4 of an inch, wind was in the forecast. Not sure what was going to be muddy in the bass world. Tailwaters are tend to be chaotic in windy conditions.  I chose to head to a gorge that feels more like a intergluteal cleft.

Today, the plan was to explore the upper middle portion of this creek just above a place I will call hells gate. Hells gate is a .3 mile section that is nearly impossible to traverse, and offers little in the way of fishing due to the sluices/slides.

A trail is available to use, but I'm not a civilian, and chose a more risky entry point that would put me right at the top of hells gate.

Skid markin down to a feeder branch.  Thankfully there was no escarpment plunge near the confluence.

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Carefully making my downstream to ascertain just how far down once can go.

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I chose to stop at the top of this precipice. I could not see a fishable pool for 100 yds, and the creek dropped about 60' in this distance in a trough.

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I wasn't sure how many fish were spooked making my way down, but I labored on the already tracked over area with little success for over an hour.  I believe it was due to low light, and chill for the most part.

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Things calmed down a bit as I made my way past the branch I used to enter the gorge.

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As the flesh melting early Spring sun hit the stream, life sprang forth.  Mayflies were out, stone flies were copulating, and crawling on my neck, and I started catching fish.

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The stream morphology changed once again as it steepened, and I was is brook trout heaven.

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I chose not to photograph these spots.  Flying low here. One pool was particularly nice. Caught this colorful fish, then caught another around the 10.5 mark that was just as colorful.  My net was shattered, and I had the fish beached on the sand, and when I grabbed it, it slimed out of my hand. Not upset, I was just pleased to see such a nice fish.

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Wasn't really in the mood to take fish pics with the phone.  Tis a pain to enter the damn code, or finger ID with a wet finger. Caught about 15.  Ok day, but not great. 

After about 4.5 hours, I hiked out, and drove to a nearby stream that has no name.

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It was choked with rhodo where it wasn't gladed out.  I was hoping for some deep cuts in the glades, but fishable water was limited.

I did sting one here, probably a brown that was around 11 inches.

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Skunk cabbage bloom

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After 30 minutes, I headed back to the van, and fished the culvert.  Stung one there.

It was time to check on the bees, and plant some spinach and lettuce.


 

greg

Hell of a lot better than my day. Pretty specks.

Trout Maharishi

You do know your wife will need a body for the insurance payout right?
"We're all going to die, all of us, what a circus! That alone should make us love each other but it doesn't. We are terrorized and flattened by trivialities, we are eaten up by nothing."
― Charles Bukowski

Big J

That hit the spot  /'/

Onslow

Quote from: Trout Maharishi on February 28, 2023, 23:28:30 PMYou do know your wife will need a body for the insurance payout right?

Lol, you have no idea how my wife rolls.

Phil

Quote from: Onslow on March 01, 2023, 11:58:09 AM
Quote from: Trout Maharishi on February 28, 2023, 23:28:30 PMYou do know your wife will need a body for the insurance payout right?

Lol, you have no idea how my wife rolls.

From your reports I know how you roll -- you nuts, man!  :bow

greg

Oddly enough I don't fish many place like that but have done enough off trail hikes with smoky mountain hiking club to fully appreciate the sketchy stuff. Good job for getting after that shit.