So, I'd originally planned this outing with a buddy, but that was when we intended to go on Monday. With the forecast rain for Monday, we moved it to Wednesday. Then the rain chance increased for Wednesday as well, and I moved it to Tuesday. He couldn't make Tuesday, so it turned into a solo trip. I had originally planned to hit a higher elevation stream in this same basin, but figured I'd give this river a shot.
I had hit it a couple winters ago, but got skunked and really was turned off by the river that day. It wasn't the size or flow I was hoping for that first time I hit it (was hoping for smaller) and the access point I had discovered wasn't ideal. I'm sure glad I gave it another shot.
I left the house a little later than planned and was worried someone may beat me to the trail head. Thankfully, my worries were unfounded, but I did come across several LARGE dog and small human foot prints either from a very early morning hike or the day before. I saw them going in both directions, so figured I had the trail to myself that morning.
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Anyways, following this trail will eventually spit you out at the river where the trail crosses it. I had planned to enter there and fish up, but halfway there, I found a side trail going down the mountain to my left that lead to the river. It was pretty steep, but looked manageable. My felt boots thought otherwise, as I hit my rear twice on the way down. When I eventually reached the bottom safely, I stepped out to this.
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Look upstream
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Look downstream
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Downstream looked like it dropped off pretty quick, so I walked over and took a peek. Yup, I'm glad I didn't try to enter the river any farther downstream. I don't think there's a way up that.
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Anyways, I started fishing up, and began having takes in almost every hole. These guys were voracious. A lot of them came completely out of the water when hitting the dry. They mostly hit the yellow bodied stimulator, but I had a lot of takes on the dropper too.
Shout out to Ethan with Smokin' Trout Flies. I won a giveaway on Instagram that included an assortment of his nymphs. They're very well made, and the brookies sure like the one I used Tuesday (his Yuba Pupa).
Out of the first hole
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I was pretty awed by the assortment of colors these fish had. Some were pretty dark, some were vibrant, and one was almost colorless. I also couldn't get over how gorgeous this stretch of the river was. It kind of caught me off guard after my first visit here.
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Speck yeah! :Dance
Cont'd
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This stream wasn't terrible to traverse, but there were a few hairy spots, including this chute. I definitely didn't want to take a plunge here. I did have to cross at the bottom of it, and thankfully I could mostly do so by stepping over rocks that stuck up out of the water, but my first step had to be into the flow. When I picked one foot up to put it on that first rock, the force of the water almost took my other leg out from under me.
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Pretty cool hole on the top of the rock ledge on the left of the chute.
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The sun came out, and it was lunch time after that excitement.
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Thankfully the sun didn't slow the trout down any.
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I came to a nice hole up under an overhanging branch. On my first cast in there, this guy came completely out of the water. I could tell he was my best of the day as soon as he did. He put up a decent little fight. He might be my second best native to date. I wish I didn't suck at photography. I didn't do him justice.
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I immediately caught this guy on the dropper out of the same hole on the next cast and could see others in there, but I guess they caught on to their buddies disappearing after a snack.
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This was another nice one I didn't do justice with the picture. He slammed the dropper in the back of one of the last pools and was a nice way to end the day.
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I decided to go ahead and hit the trail out that I was originally going to take to get to the water once I arrive to the waterfall where the trail crosses. I usually try to stretch my time as long as possible, much to my wife's dismay. I still had some time to fish, but for the first time ever, I was content. I had no qualms leaving at that point, so I took one last picture and headed to the truck.
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On the way out, I spotted this sign. I guess it's been there a while.
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I also stepped over this guy on the way out. I'm sure one of you can easily identify it.
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I'll definitely be back, but I have a lot of new water to explore first.
Way cool and great pics too!
Beautiful water and fish! Days like that are great. And your little green buddy looks like maybe a luna moth caterpillar.
Fine brookies and Well Done sir!! :cheers
A day well spent for sure; great report with good pics too.
Well done indeed.
That didn't suck.
Very nice!!!!
That stream always has some beautiful brookies. This is what it looks like on the other side of that drop.
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Quote from: benben reincarnated on September 18, 2020, 06:45:22 AMThat stream always has some beautiful brookies. This is what it looks like on the other side of that drop.
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Good to know. I've been led to believe it's brown town down in the lower section. True?
Oh, that stream. LOL, Ben.
d:b That hit the spot.
Very well done!!! Beautiful fish and great scenery that put me there with you for a minute. Thank you.
Very nice
Quote from: hcrum87hc on September 18, 2020, 08:01:28 AMQuote from: benben reincarnated on September 18, 2020, 06:45:22 AMThat stream always has some beautiful brookies. This is what it looks like on the other side of that drop.
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Good to know. I've been led to believe it's brown town down in the lower section. True?
Yes. The lower part is good, too. I've posted a TR on here from the lower part before.