State: VA
Drainage: New
Altitude: ~2450
Drainage size: 27-30 sq. miles
This creek has been on my radar for about 20 years. I've fished the warmwater sector and briefly tested some waters this past Winter. This well attached watershed has many miles of trout waters, and nearly all tribs are stand alone trout streams.
The section of interest today flows every direction on the compass. The place where I started is only .3 miles from where I started. Duration of the wade was about 2. miles. Parked near the creek and dropped down hill and started the inquiry.
(http://i.imgur.com/Dn9t54z.jpg)
First cast, had a strike. Second cast, fish on. I was pumped.
(http://i.imgur.com/oaLrnVT.jpg)
Time to bust out the ridge. 2 miles of water between this spot and the other side. Dam, the woods were fabulous. Old growth mixed forest with some mighty fine white pine specimens
(http://i.imgur.com/tSQFnhn.jpg)
Was greeted by this on the other side of the ridge. Flattish water not terribly great for nymphing early on. Streams change however.
(http://i.imgur.com/RlU1q9v.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/0vW1CMn.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/r4aba2g.jpg)
The snapper was an unexpected sight. The fish were rather disagreeable...three hours and no love since number one.
Took a break and chilled with Kermit. He sat with me for 15 minutes and watched my gear up for some streamer action.
(http://i.imgur.com/XzlLYJJ.jpg)
Shortly after changing tactics, I noticed baitfish jumping, and a frog swimming for his life. Tossed up there and hooked up with a 14ish fish, but it came unglued.
(http://i.imgur.com/hnCqkOm.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/GXjnN37.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/YIkOIcF.jpg)
Finally hooked up with another fish at this pool. Wretched piece of shit. I have not a clue as to where this bow came from. There is only one stocked stream in the entire watershed, and it is trib many miles downriver. I doubt this was streambred.
(http://i.imgur.com/NU3ek6J.jpg)
Not long after landing the bow, I came across an interesting feature consisting of a long undercut rock bank with dammed up water at a logjam below. I stripped some meat along side the undercut and boom! The brown went ballistic...came down towards me full throttle, jumped out of the water with much forward speed cartwheeling and shaking wildly. This was the most spectacular show from a large brown I've ever had the privilege of observing. It was thick and about 18"
(http://i.imgur.com/CVVQiDj.jpg)
This tree marks the exit spot. It was only 12.45.
I had enough time to hit some pools about 2 miles upstream but had to access the river via this creek.
(http://i.imgur.com/o70p4q7.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/kjZB0Hq.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/4JgtIxW.jpg)
Interesting tubers/reeds/grasses along the way up to the pools.
(http://i.imgur.com/1iVB91e.jpg)
Behold. Threw a bugger along side the rock. Bait fish scattered. Hmmm. Tied on a PE, more bait fish took flight, but I never did see what was causing the perturbations. Damn.
Either there are not many fish in this stream, or perhaps there is so much forage, the fish only graze a couple hours a day. Kinda wanna go back, but not really.
I struggle to understand the movements and moods of the fish in this stream. Maybe in another life I will sort it all out.
Dr. Livingston strikes again. y; 'c;
Rock on, dude. Good report.
Looking at reports can never hold a candle to what it takes to make an endeavor such as this successful. Hell of a show of determination to finally scratch that itch. Respect.
Glad there's some sizable browns in there with the snapper. I've come across only one large snapper in trout water. It was marginal and low elevation.
This creek's smaller counterpart was much like the flat featureless water you spoke of after hiking the ridge.
My-T-Fine V:;
Nice report
I see snappers regularly on the trout streams around here
JT
We've got a dead snapper on the side of I-40, 14" diameter. Down in the creeks I've seen them as big as manhole covers :o
Thats pretty big water for you.
Quote from: RiverbumCO on May 27, 2016, 18:37:36 PM
Thats pretty big water for you.
Them steepish creeks are stressing my feet and ankles. Had to take a break from that grind and pull one from the geriatric playlist.
You would dig this one.
Gotta be a few hoss-ass browns in some of those big holes.
Good shit. Oughta be some grown ones lurking in there, for sure.
Quote from: Yallerhammer on May 28, 2016, 08:44:03 AM
Good shit. Oughta be some grown ones lurking in there, for sure.
You bet they are there. Browns in the low gradient streams in the Old Plateau are very fickle. Ample forage and low recruitment results in very short feeding sessions and occasionally frustrating outings. This particular stream is exceptionally challenging due to the lack of deep sandy bottom pools. Many of the deepish areas have ragged diagonal upturned ledges which obviously allows the browns literally bury themselves and disappear. A little frustration is just a small price to tangle with an aggro leroy, imo. How often does one get to see a thick 18" brown jump 4' up and cartwheel 3 times and stay out of the water for the distance of 8'.
Yeah, they didn't get big by being easy to catch, for sure. Most of the big browns I've caught have been right at daylight in the morning, on rainy days, or right after the creek starts coloring up from a summer thunderstorm.