Some people only care about targeting and catching large fish. A lot of people refuse to target smaller fish. Just about everyone refuses to climb, hike and bushwhack for small fish. However, to some people, that is their niche. My niche is targeting small beautiful fish in beautiful places. Brook trout in cold water and my new found warm water treasure, the red eye bass. When I learned that Alabama has brook trout-esque water, but contains redeye bass instead, I was sold. Plans were made, and I left Saturday morning at 4am for my destination.
I arrive in awe of this beauty in my home state that I had never seen before. I also am a little skeptical that I have to get down there on that river.
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/P7140117copy.jpg)
I get closer to where I will make the descent, and I am still dreading the hike down (not to mention my lack of though about the hike back out).
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/P7140002copy.jpg)
Well, after a quick 10 minutes or so of a knee-jarring, toe-jamming downhill hike, I arrive to the water. I put my rod together and start casting. It's roughly 7am at this point.
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/P7140010copy.jpg)
I concentrate on the current and after 3 seconds after my hopper hit the water, it disappeared.
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/P7140009copy.jpg)
A small, but beautiful redeye. This is what I came here for. Make a few more casts and drifts and I score again.
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/P7140014copy.jpg)
I'm starting to think it could be a banner day of catching. I climb around an obstacle in the river.
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/P7140018copy.jpg)
I find another promising stretch of water and get to work.
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/P7140040copy.jpg)(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/P7140024copy.jpg)
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/P7140028copy.jpg)
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/P7140030copy.jpg)
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/P7140036copy.jpg)
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/P7140063copy.jpg)
The work didn't stop once I made it to the water.
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/P7140042copy.jpg)There was lots of climbing involved on the water not to mention the constant walking on basketball size boulders or skinny flat rocks that felt like standing on one of these coated in oil.
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/champion-sports-balance-platform-pogoball-moonhopper.jpg)
I kept working my way down....
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/P7140043copy.jpg)
I hit every little pocket of water, it was amazing at what tiny water held a little redeye sometimes...
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/P7140047copy.jpg)
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/P7140051copy.jpg)
My thumb showed the signs of early success...
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/P7140055copy.jpg)
I had worked up the the initial lookout point where I looked down at the river.
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/P7140062copy.jpg)
My legs already feel like jello and not only do I have to hike back through the stream, but then back up to the point. Oh well, that's a worry for later in the day...
I worked up to a really deep section that there was no way around in the water....
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/P7140100copy.jpg)
I had to hike out and go around it. I walked through lots of this...
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/P7140083copy.jpg)
And this....
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/P7140082copy.jpg)
Which was full of this...
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/P7140079copy.jpg)
I imagine I'll have a breakout in 4-5 days. I finally think I am past the deep part, but I have to somehow get back down to the river....
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/P7140084copy.jpg)
Back to work on the water...
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/P7140088copy.jpg)
First spotted bass I've ever caught, even though it's a runt....
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/P7140089copy.jpg)
Did I mention the scenery here is awesome?
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/P7140092copy.jpg)
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/P7140093copy.jpg)
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/P7140095copy.jpg)
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/P7140099copy.jpg)
The fishing seemed to taper off around 11am as the sun was out in full force. Also, these guys hit before anything else could anyways...
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/P7140005copy.jpg)
I figure it's time to hike back and out, eat some lunch, re-hydrate and try somewhere else. By this point, I feel how my fly looks...
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/P7140137copy.jpg)
That hike out was brutal. It let me know exactly how bad out of shape I am, but I would still do it again tomorrow. In the meantime I decide to do some sight seeing, got to see the falls.....
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/P7140135copy.jpg)
This little guy was down there with a committee of panfish around him....
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/P7140132copy.jpg)
I made it to my next spot, which was more up in the mountain. Oh good, another hike down into an unknown.....
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/P7140140copy.jpg)
Caught one small jewel out of the starting gate...
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/P7140143copy.jpg)
This flow was even more brutal to hike around and in....
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/P7140147copy.jpg)
I didn't last but a couple more hours and I was done. No more fish except lots of green sunfish. Talk about a tough drive home. I was fighting sleep the whole time. I thought I had started dreaming....
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/P7140151copy.jpg)
Nope, it WAS Jesus!
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/P7140149copy.jpg)
I got home and crashed. I haven't been that worn out in quite sometime. It was an awesome experience and I will be back. I am doing the penguin walk this morning. I feel like someone cut out my calf muscles.
That looks like some fun fishing right there..
Thanks for sharing..
Redeyes kick ass! I don't care what anybody says. Unfortunately, I've been seeing less and less in the Savannah the last two years.....maybe I ain't trying hard enough (I hope).
I've seen that Jesus dude several times out west...he's puttin in some miles!
Kudos for some super photos and commentary. Loved the cross carrying Jesus. 'c; 'c; 'c;
What a great report. Good stuff Bama
That looks similar to some of the canyons we got back in the Drakensburg. Must a been awesome up in there. A fish is a fish, heck Ijust wanna catch em. Jesus and the cross :o
Some have issues, others problems...
Dude I am impressed! Sweet outing.
There ain't no vine, no ivy, no NOTHING, worse than Stinging Nettle. I got stung by that stuff so much about a month ago that I started to see things. ??? not fun ???
Quote from: Petey on July 15, 2012, 17:29:42 PM
So are those bronzeback trout, or some other species? -0-
Bronzeback redeye brook trout
Damn Matt, that's good chit.
Bluelining Dixie style.
Kinda reminds me of the Flint River just east of where I grew up, it has some nice little, not quite as dramatic quasi gorge sections. I never fished it but kayak and canoed it many times.
Quote from: benben on July 15, 2012, 19:21:33 PM
Kinda reminds me of the Flint River just east of where I grew up, it has some nice little, not quite as dramatic quasi gorge sections. I never fished it but kayak and canoed it many times.
The Flint is here in town, but I rarely fish it. Access is tough and the weekends is full of kayaks and canoes. I might make it a goal for the fall.
Quote from: AL trout bum on July 15, 2012, 19:39:32 PM
Quote from: benben on July 15, 2012, 19:21:33 PM
Kinda reminds me of the Flint River just east of where I grew up, it has some nice little, not quite as dramatic quasi gorge sections. I never fished it but kayak and canoed it many times.
The Flint is here in town, but I rarely fish it. Access is tough and the weekends is full of kayaks and canoes. I might make it a goal for the fall.
I was speaking of the Flint in Ga.
Good stuff!
damn i really liked that. quite a little jewel of a stream you got there 'c; who gives a shit about big fish when you can fish a place like that.
Looks like a hell of a fun place to fish...keep up the good work. 'c;
One Helluva damn fine report !!!! bd;0 Gotta like small stream bassums
Petey - that bass is a Cousae. The other fish pictured is a green sunfish
JT
Grand report and pictures!
Quote from: Stone-Man on July 20, 2012, 18:16:01 PM
Petey - that bass is a Cousae. The other fish pictured is a green sunfish
JT
Micropterus coosae, one of Alabama's treasures. So much like brook trout in so many ways. They only occupy the higher headwater streams where there is less competition from other black bass species. If you look at the streams, you would think they contained brook trout. Clear cool water, very rocky, etc. They are very intolerant to pollution, they are small (yet beautifully colored), you find them holding in similar areas of a stream, you have to be stealthy, but if you are, they hit anything with reckless abandon. They fight incredibly well for their size and jump A LOT.
Damn nice report and damn nice scenery. I like bass of all sizes just like the trouts.
P.S. I'm pretty sure you're not the only out of shape lout on here. ;D
Very nice, those are some cool looking fish!
very cool report.