http://youtu.be/VG6j4Kp72wM
The alarm was set at 5 AM this Sunday morning. The plan was to squeeze in a quick trip in the AM, and catch up with the late sleeping fam later in the day. This creek is the the darkest corner of Wilkes County. It rarely ever is fished, and is located on private property. The only way in is to carefully make one's way down a very steep grade. Some sliding is necessary.
(https://i.imgur.com/8YOClra.jpg)
I've only fished this creek a couple times before, and both times were in the dead middle of Winter. I was anxious to see how it fished with warmer water. Flows were a bit more juicier than expected. I also started off using the wrong colored girdle bug. Gold is good, but any shade darker is not. I was using both electric prince and Tellico droppers, and all the fish were jamming the yeller. However, I could not hang on to most of the fish. The browns were violent fighters spending most of their time in the air. However, I did manage to land several brookies early on at 1500'. I lost 3 browns before landing the first one after re rigging with a gold girdle.
(https://i.imgur.com/GplUqBp.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/KYlYXFD.jpg)
Not long after, I approached one of the more productive areas of the river, and cast near a nice undercut, and boom, it was on. The fish looked to be in the 16-17" range, but the damned thing broke the leader. Lost the whole damned rig.
I was hoping to catch that elusive 10-12 inch brookie. I thought perhaps a larger drainage would yield better fish, but kept catching the 6-7 punes. I did manage to land, and lose more browns.
(https://i.imgur.com/KSSx5mi.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/A9ANScq.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/PBqeoYd.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/mRb14th.jpg)
This pool.... It is damn huge. The last time I fished this particular pool, I did not get a single hit. Today, I caught 3 brookies, landed one brown, and lost one about 13". Is there a 20 inch brown in there? Probably not. Too many small brookies in there!
(https://i.imgur.com/v7qRLBh.jpg)
Not far above this pool is the largest of many landslide/rockfall zones. Due to excessive rains/floods some years ago, A whole hillside collapsed. The scour is about 900' long, and 150' wide. This event resulted in the spraying VW sized boulders across a large swath of the creek. I have no idea why anyone would build a house on a steep mountain grade. The destruction these slides cause is nothing short of breathtaking.
(https://i.imgur.com/C4vjrPp.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/YYoYD8i.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/RhTvT6j.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/3pk7kDV.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/ElB7E12.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/EbRxOkD.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/0NrW9ax.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/KmUkcMR.jpg)
Called it a wrap at 11, and hoofed out of there. Getting out of the gorge is almost impossible, but possible.
(https://i.imgur.com/cCQwTrS.jpg)
Soon after getting home, got a call from my son. SWARM at the Dobson bee yard!
(https://i.imgur.com/AB5mVuv.jpg)
Three hours later, they were settled into their new home. I was impressed the bees were already carrying pollen for would be brood one hour after hiving them. Small things such as this wipe away all thoughts of the carnage that creeps towards us all. Life goes on, one day at a time.