Methed Out Rainbows, Hellbenders, and Heartache (tR)

Started by Dee-Vo, April 19, 2016, 20:58:14 PM

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Dee-Vo







While driving this morning up the mountain to Plan A creek I spoke with Onslow about other options. About halfway to my initial destination I took a hard right instead and ended up at a flow that I wish I would've given more attention to at an earlier date. That's the way things work out. Get to shit when you can. Let the chips fall where they may.

After squeezing my pickup between the white line and a barbed-wire fence I began to tie up my boots. An old lady stops. She says my husband just fished this, and he didn't even see a fish. Fool.


It wasn't too far into the cold wet wade when I stumbled across the mini-lobster. This thing was a hoss.

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Firstly, I nymphed. I quickly realized this was a foolish tactic. Tied on a little something with some meat on it's bones.

Nailed a few of these pretty little browns.

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And I still haven't ordered my flower field guide. Slacker.

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A short while later in a deep pool I hook up with this cranked up 'bow. I've never battled a fish that was as crazy as this one. No exaggeration, this fish jumped 4-5 feet out of the water 3 times. It would shoot straight out of the river like a missile and land 6 feet upriver. Shit was sick. I kind of didn't know how to act. Badass 'bow. Props given.

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I got some underwater-mode practice in.

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And forgot to clean the water off the lens.

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After the meth-head rainbow encounter, I look over, and I will be damned if it wasn't a hellbender. My first one. This made the whole trip worth it. I've wanted to see one for quite some time. I laid the rod down, took some pics, and marvelled at the creature for a bit. One spooky and odd critter, no doubt.

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Best seat in the house.

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As always.

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A little steeply priced for this tree, don't ya think.

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Before leaving I hooked up with and lost what may have been my biggest brown ever. That sucks. It broke me off and gave me the finger. This knocked the wind out of me, and the next stretch of river was very nondescript, so I kicked it back to the truck. I explored and fished another creek several miles away that really turned out to be a cumbersome piece of shit. Stocker central. Muddy as hell.

Little something to brighten your day.

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I look forward to getting the kayak on these rivers soon. Later, gators.   /'/









swervinmervin


Michael Toris

#2
Flower is a Bluet. I've always called them Quaker Ladies.

Houstonia caerulea

DRIFTS

l><))))))))))))))))),/*>~----------------------dave

Dee-Vo

I get tied up in the flora and non-fish-fauna as much as fishing when I see something in the wild. Never know what you'll see.

Dougfish

"Why don't you knock it off with them negative waves? Why don't you dig how beautiful it is out here?
 Why don't you say something righteous and hopeful for a change? "
Kelly's Heroes,1970

"I don't wanna go to hell,
But if I do,
It'll be 'cause of you..."
Strange Desire, The Black Keys, 2006

Mudwall Gatewood 3.0

Very nice report and photos – great job!   
   
If that is Podostemum in your crawdad pic, which I think it is, it might give your competition an idea of where you were.   
"Enjoy every sandwich."  Warren Zevon

Yallerhammer

Nice fish, and cool critter shots!  'c;

Hellbenders are cool, don't see as many of them as I used to. Saw three in one day last year on Snowbird, had one trying to eat one of the the campfire-supper stockers off a stringer I had tied to my belt. That was quite interesting. It followed me probably a hundred yards down the creek.
Women want me, doughbellies fear me. - Little Debbie Prostaff

Dee-Vo

Quote from: Mudwall Gatewood 3.0 on April 20, 2016, 07:16:15 AM
Very nice report and photos – great job!   
   
If that is Podostemum in your crawdad pic, which I think it is, it might give your competition an idea of where you were.   

It might. This is no secret stretch. Most folks are just too damned lazy to give it a whirl.

Onslow

Quote from: Dee-Vo on April 20, 2016, 08:04:47 AM
Quote from: Mudwall Gatewood 3.0 on April 20, 2016, 07:16:15 AM
Very nice report and photos – great job!   
   
If that is Podostemum in your crawdad pic, which I think it is, it might give your competition an idea of where you were.   

It might. This is no secret stretch. Most folks are just too damned lazy to give it a whirl.

Amen dude. If that fellow would have walked another quarter of a mile he, would have been in the midst of some of the finest brown water in the northwest.

Hate you lost your Leroy. It'll still be there when you come back and I'm sure yoi will eventually catch a 20.

Did you hear any single cylinder John Deere tractors fire up in the woods?

RiverbumCO

My real name is Chad Farthouse.

Dee-Vo

Onslow ~ I heard what I thought may have been an atv. Not sure about any other engines.

RB ~ Rivery, indeed.

Onslow

Quote from: Dee-Vo on April 20, 2016, 08:43:11 AM
Onslow ~ I heard what I thought may have been an atv. Not sure about any other engines.

RB ~ Rivery, indeed.

Code for drumming grouse.

Dee-Vo

The analogy was obviously over my head. I've seen grouse on a few occasions up that way.

I will mention this now that we've spoken about noises. I sat on a large rock and had lunch. Behind me, I kept hearing limbs breaking and leaves being moved about. Squirrel, I thought. It got closer and closer. The odd thing was that every single time I turned around to face away from the woods it would make the noise again. I thought nothing of it and continued on upstream. For the next hour I swear some critter was following me as I fished. It would walk and I could hear it plain as day, but never saw it. I think maybe otter, but not in the woods you wouldn't think. Otters make that funny chirp and I'd hear that occasionally. The only other animal I seen was a muskrat that basically went around my foot to retreat to it's watery home under a huge rock. May have been some sizable bird checking me out as I progressed. It was pretty neat, although I never seen it.

I dunno.

ptfranze

Really nice day  'c; 'c;  I have never seen a hellbender on the river either, still really want to.