Chance favors a prepared mind... (Brookie Suckage Contnet)

Started by mattnmtns, April 27, 2010, 19:28:18 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

mattnmtns

Or does it?  Despite the heavy rain Saturday evening I got up early Sunday and checked the USGS water flow data.  If the gauging station was any indication on the water levels on the high mountain brook trout waters in the park I was planning on visiting, the steam was likely blown out.  Not to fret, I had the day off and was determined to fish for some brookies, so I checked the rain fall data the gauging station and choose option C.  It had been years since I had fished this particular stream and I was really wanting to visit it again. 

Since time has been flying by lately and my desire for my health not to fly by either I have been riding my mountain bike and trying to exercise more.  You may ask yourself what this has to do with anything.  Well I figured I had about a mile or so hike up a forest service road and I could make better time on my bike even though the elevation change was pretty drastic.  So I through my bike in the back and grabbed "all" of my fishing gear and began my drive towards my destination.

After a nice drive to my location I suddenly hit a road block.  Not really but quite literally.  A gate was blocking the forest service rad I had planned on driving up to get to my secondary forest service road that would eventually lead me to my final destination. So either by dumb luck or just great planning on my part the closed gate was not an issue.  I parked the truck, put the wheel on my bike and grabbed my gear.  Suddenly I had a sinking feeling and blurted out Oh shit, mother $%*!#@, and some other choice words. I have forgotten a lot of shit before but this was a first.  As "chance" would have it my wading boots were sitting back at my house.

Determined not have the lack of foot wear ruin my day, I said to the hell with it and jumped on the bike and road on up to the stream.  I will say this, I had another realization about two miles in a thousand or so feet up, despite my efforts to get back into shape I still have a ways to go.  After catching my second wind and struggling up the remaining climb on the bike I got to the place where it was time to leave my bike and hoof it on up the rest of the way.  I put my rod together, waders on, and you guessed it, my hiking shoes over my waders.  I was actually surprised that I could get my boot foots in the shoes.  Never the less they weren't the most comfortable and visions of slipping, getting knocked unconscious, and drowning started creeping into my mind. 

I finally reached my destination entered the water with more than a little bit of trepidation. By no means were these "wading" shoes ideal for the situation but I actually faired pretty well.  I will admit I was more careful than normal. Between the footwear and high water, I  passed up sections of water or waterfalls that I would have normally have fished on through. It really ended up being a "spec"taclur day.  It was the first time I fished a new fly rod that I built on brook trout waters, which I appreciated since the rod was inspired by the fish.  Caught and released countless fish. Saw all kinds of cool plant life, such as trilliums, fiddlehead ferns, and ramps.  Spooked up a grouse, saw all kinds of salamanders, and of course lots of nice fish.

So enough of a long story short, too late. I will let the pictures do the rest of the talking.

Guests are not allowed to view images in posts, please Register or Login


Guests are not allowed to view images in posts, please Register or Login


Guests are not allowed to view images in posts, please Register or Login


Guests are not allowed to view images in posts, please Register or Login


Guests are not allowed to view images in posts, please Register or Login


Guests are not allowed to view images in posts, please Register or Login


Guests are not allowed to view images in posts, please Register or Login


Guests are not allowed to view images in posts, please Register or Login


Guests are not allowed to view images in posts, please Register or Login


Guests are not allowed to view images in posts, please Register or Login


Guests are not allowed to view images in posts, please Register or Login


Guests are not allowed to view images in posts, please Register or Login


Guests are not allowed to view images in posts, please Register or Login


Guests are not allowed to view images in posts, please Register or Login


Guests are not allowed to view images in posts, please Register or Login


Guests are not allowed to view images in posts, please Register or Login


Guests are not allowed to view images in posts, please Register or Login


Guests are not allowed to view images in posts, please Register or Login


Guests are not allowed to view images in posts, please Register or Login

Even caught a few bows on my way out, but no brown for the trifecta.
Guests are not allowed to view images in posts, please Register or Login



blue ridge angler


Trout Maharishi

Sweet!....................I mean you suck big time. Good stuff man, really good. ;hb 
"We're all going to die, all of us, what a circus! That alone should make us love each other but it doesn't. We are terrorized and flattened by trivialities, we are eaten up by nothing."
― Charles Bukowski

flynhokies

"The richness I achieve comes from Nature, the source of my inspiration."
-Claude Monet

Woolly Bugger

hot damn! that's some purdy water and fishes too!

Quote from: mattnmtns on April 27, 2010, 19:28:18 PM


Suddenly I had a sinking feeling and blurted out Oh shit, mother $%*!#@, and some other choice words. I have forgotten a lot of shit before but this was a first.  As "chance" would have it my wading boots were sitting back at my house.


did that once this year, sneakers were not an option, and another time I forgot a reel.... that was another aborted trip... :(
ex - I'm not going to live with you through one more fishing season!
me -There's a season?

Pastor explains icons to my son: you know like the fish symbol on the back of cars.
My son: My dad has two fish on his car and they're both trout!

adamsdadd

"We're making memories here.....shut the hell up!"......Chris Smith

benflyfishn

What happens on the stream, stays there..........

FL_Fishing_Fanatic

Man, that looks like a great trip! One you'll always remember because of the boots! I leave Friday for camping near Sylva and dream of finding such places. Maybe I can find a simular place and try out my new 3wt I just bought.

great photos, thnx for sharing!

5xTippett

Nice doggone brook trout, and the rainbow is nice, too.

Get Bent

Konichiwa Bitches!


tbird4


fishhunterphil

What an awesome report!  By my reckoning, those brookies are all really good sized for that water, amazing fish, superb photos, glad you made it back safe