Not a TR TR

[Dougfish]

I should have mentioned that this water is basically a big spring creek. It reaches the critical 42-44 degrees pretty early in the year. No redds were seen. But it was pumping at 5x yesterday's cfs just a week ago.

[Mudwall Gatewood 3.0]

Thought they did all their fucking around end of feb-march

I think the rainbows have been propagated and planted in alien waters for so long, now composing so many different strains, it is likely impossible to reliably predict spawning times for every fish.

Back in the 80s while fishing the upper Jackson in October, I witnessed a brookie of average size and a rainbow (~16") attempting to kinkily spawn in some sort of pseudo-miscegenation way.  The fish porn was in a small tributary of the Jackson that held brookies and I figured the rainbow was a migrant strain from the downstream Lake Moomaw.  I watched the two for 30+ minutes, and I believe I was guiding at the time, and recall the client getting antsy.  My memory of the client and guiding may be incorrect, but all my recollection of guiding is of a rushed, unpleasant affair always with a client(s) disinterested in the nuances of what was going on, naturally or unnaturally.  Guiding = wasted time on or near the water!!!!!

[troutrus]

I've often wondered why anyone would want to spend their days as a guide, putting up with the likes of me.

[Onslow]

I think the rainbows have been propagated and planted in alien waters for so long, now composing so many different strains, it is likely impossible to reliably predict spawning times for every fish.

This makes sense.  Lake dwellers most certainly appear to spawn early.

I do believe the bloom schedule, and perhaps the riverine reproduction will not be three weeks early this year. This is the most normal Winter we've had in a while. Maples are no where ready to pop.  Heck, in most years the Gillflower, Chickweed, and Deadnettle start to bloom on south facing pastures in January.  This year, only the Gillflower and bluets? are thinking about blooming.

Dougy's stream may be spring influenced, but that isn't going to stop snowmelt from chilling things down.  It may keep the stream from freezing over, but that's it.

[NCsporksman]

Thought they did all their fucking around end of feb-march

I think the rainbows have been propagated and planted in alien waters for so long, now composing so many different strains, it is likely impossible to reliably predict spawning times for every fish.

Back in the 80s while fishing the upper Jackson in October, I witnessed a brookie of average size and a rainbow (~16") attempting to kinkily spawn in some sort of pseudo-miscegenation way.  The fish porn was in a small tributary of the Jackson that held brookies and I figured the rainbow was a migrant strain from the downstream Lake Moomaw.  I watched the two for 30+ minutes, and I believe I was guiding at the time, and recall the client getting antsy.  My memory of the client and guiding may be incorrect, but all my recollection of guiding is of a rushed, unpleasant affair always with a client(s) disinterested in the nuances of what was going on, naturally or unnaturally.  Guiding = wasted time on or near the water!!!!!

IME The client usually gets Ansy when you pull your Johnson out whilst watching fish do stuff....fuckem

[Dougfish]

I set out trying to get a top access to a regular that goes on for miles.
The "fire road" from the bottom is a gloried goat path. And my new truck is too pretty for it!?
A much better fire road on an adjacent drainage goes up and loops over the target.
Is there a gate, or not?
There was a gate.
3 mile hike down and miles back depending on how far up you fished.
Back tracked and hit the stream along the FR. Usually fishes lights out.
Wet waded. Running cold.  Fished about five hundred feet.
Caught a couple handfuls. Not on fire, fer sure. Nothing of size, and there are some sizeable brookies there.











One on the dry, rest on the dropper.  Left the boots on to drive down and cut up to the Parkway to look for the alternative upper access.
Signs on the Parkways say it is closed to ice damage. Before my destination.
Sure as shit, it was gated.
I retreated and headed home.
Hit the interstate love song stream on the way. Fished the first hundred yards and got skunked for the first time ever.   

[Big J]

That last stream is goofy. I've been skunked before.

And the stream you were trying to access first has got to be a piss trickle by the time the fire road gets to it. I've never made it to that fire road

[Dougfish]

Let me dream.

[Onslow]

You could've waited a couple days.  It was damn cold 21 degrees near the river bottom this morning. 

[Dougfish]

Time loves a hero. 28 here. 20whatever up there.
Twas a scouting trip.

[Dee-Vo]

Fish weren't very agreeable with me this morning/afternoon. Still very nice to spend the day in the water. Rivers are low and clear.

However, I did cross paths with a couple of other bonafide fish-catchers.

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[Yallerhammer]

That's about the fattest mink I've ever seen.

[Dee-Vo]

That's about the fattest mink I've ever seen.

The section of river that he was hunting should have him pretty fat; big pools and nowhere much for the fish to escape to. I'm pretty sure I had one of these eating our chickens for a while. He must've been sneaking up from the creek down behind our house in the bottom. I caught a glimpse of him from about 90 yards away one day, surprised me.

[Dee-Vo]

Friday night brought me to Ohio and Pennsylvania for steelhead. 400 miles. As my luck would have it, the rain really set in, partly by surprise, and it really jacked the rivers and streams up good.

We fished for musky one morning where the water wasn't too high. We seen a few musky swimming in the area, but never hooked up.

Many miles were driven to locate a smaller flow with more manageable levels. We hiked and fished. No luck, however we did see a couple steelhead in a small creek.

I bounced a day or two early back to my home in North Carolina. The water conditions sucked. I missed my little one more than I can express. Homesickness is real, who knew?

I'm already looking forward to steelhead in the future. Hell of a time even if we couldn't fish for shit.

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[Dee-Vo]

We got on the big river early — we suck.

Rolled to a smaller flow that usually fishes pretty good. Very low levels and clear as drinking water. Tough.

Another tailgate lunch. The highlight of the day.

Merry Christmas, dudes.

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