Before I get to that, I tried out a new creek Saturday that is in the middle of town. I am liking it's potential for spring. It hold panfish, bass and catfish.
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/P2040012copy.jpg)
First cast...
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/P2040006copy.jpg)
Unfortunately there were also lots of these...
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/P2040013copy.jpg)
There was no lack of fishy looking water either. There was a foamy eddy at the bottom right of this pic that I'm sure held fish, but I couldn't get to it because of the current dragging my line out.
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/P2040018copy.jpg)
I caught one more fish and called it a day. I had a long drive ahead of me, and I needed to hit the road.
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/P2040011copy.jpg)
This next trip was all about redemption. The last time I was there, I caught one of the famed sulphur hatches the river is known for. It was most certainly a sight to see. However, I only caught one dinky fish out of the dozens rising around me.
Replay from a few months back:
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/9.jpg)
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/11.jpg)
Fast forward to this weekend. I needed to experience this river again. A second chance to put into practice what I learned the last time.
Almost as soon as I got on the road, there was a deluge of rain. I don't know why I was surprised though, that's standard weather when I decide to go on a trip.
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/1.jpg)
I pressed on and hoped the trip wouldn't be a bust. I arrived late, checked into the hotel and tried to sleep. I say "tried" because the anticipation of what the next day held kept me awake for most of the night. No matter how many fishing trips I have been on, and no matter how small any one trip may be, it feels like the night before Christmas every single time.
I arrived to find the water dingy, but not murky, and just a little high.
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/2-1.jpg)
First few casts produced a nice spawning rainbow. Not what I was targeting, but a nice fish nonetheless.
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/4.jpg)
Fishing was slow, I hooked and lost several more nice rainbows. Finally, I felt a familiar tug on the line.
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/6-1.jpg)
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/7.jpg)
It didn't stop there...
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/8-1.jpg)
Another rainbow to keep the variety going..
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/9-1.jpg)
Then another brown...
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/10.jpg)
After quite a few browns and rainbows landed and lost, my stomach told me it was time to eat. All of the browns were caught on this:
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/3-1.jpg)
Hit up a local hole in the wall for a hot meal.....
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/Webbsforlunch2copy.jpg)
After lunch I headed to another area.
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/11-1.jpg)
I could tell some other fisherman had already been there..
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/12-1.jpg)
Glad they practiced catch and release..
Soon after getting on the water, BAM!
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/13-1.jpg)
Further down there were quite a few fish rising to BWOs coming off. I tied on one and picked my target.
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/15-1.jpg)
The grassy area in the middle right of the below picture had a fish that was rising pretty consistently. I made several drifts before making one final cast. I watch him slam it that time! Cool to fish dries in February on high water. Not an easy thing to do.
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/14-1.jpg)
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/16-1.jpg)
As the day was drawing to a close, I admired the nice scenery and picked up maybe the nicest brown of the trip on a zebra midge.
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/17-1.jpg)
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/18.jpg)
I love these colors...
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/19-1.jpg)
No lunkers were caught, but I bested my previous attempt and caught lots of nice fish. Total fish count was around 30. 2/3 of those were browns, which made me happy. I'll be back for sure!
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/21-1.jpg)
Interesting...DSFK
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k534/mrl0004/22-2.jpg)
Aww man! That's good stuff! 'c;
.....fackin ehhhhh -0-
{S;
0:0
Fucking amateur... >:D
Brutal? Fuck Brutal, speak to Sierras, bout brutal u flat land fucka >:(
Alabama has no place on the trout map. Keep i thatta way pederast p;-
Good shit..
'c;
You're killin' me....
Redemption is good indeed.
Nice Matt, I got a calendar from the NCWRC this past weekend and noted they claim the rainbows are starting to spawn in a few weeks. Either the northern hemi is way off on seasons or us "true" southerners have a messed up calendar. Nuthing wrong with pulling cockroaches off their reds. If I had my way, I would extirpate rainbows from the wilds of WNC, they are a nuisance and take over too many streams >:D
Quote from: Transylwader on February 06, 2012, 10:38:15 AM
Nuthing wrong with pulling cockroaches off their reds. If I had my way, I would extirpate rainbows from the wilds of WNC, they are a nuisance and take over too many streams >:D
Yea, this section just opened after being closed for 3 months. So I was fishing for browns, but had some rainbow by-catches. If I had my way I would never have one on the end of my line. I didn't see many fish on reds. There were some reds from the browns spawning, but none had fish in them. However, they were colored up, so I guess their spawning has begun.
Good stuff. 'c; Try standing upstream and feeding your line down into that eddy when your streamer gets to the end of it, strip it back up throught it. Just a thought.
Good stuff :D
Good stuff! 'c;
Like crazy, man!
Quote from: Woolly Bugger on February 06, 2012, 21:54:50 PM
Like crazy, man!
I know you fish that water A LOT, and I thought about telling you I was going to be up there if you wanted to fish, but I didn't know I was going until last minute. I'll be back though -0-
Quote from: AL trout bum on February 06, 2012, 22:26:01 PM
Quote from: Woolly Bugger on February 06, 2012, 21:54:50 PM
Like crazy, man!
I know you fish that water A LOT, and I thought about telling you I was going to be up there if you wanted to fish, but I didn't know I was going until last minute. I'll be back though -0-
couldn't of gone this w/e anyway...