Fishing Forum

I was going to head down to The Blacksmith today, but I stayed up too late and lost half my day today. I got wondering about a stream that's a little closer to home that I've never fished, and decided to give it a try.

It's definitely chillier this week,[inline "icicles small.JPG"]
and the stream was very small and brushy. [inline "creek small.JPG"]

For the first 20 minutes I was really regretting my decision to fish there. Finally I broke into a little clearing and nabbed a pretty fish off the tail end of a run. I had heard that there were browns in there, so I was pleasantly surprised by a pretty little wild rainbow.[inline "bow 2 small.JPG"]
To make a long story short, I fished for a couple of hours and ended up landing 15 fish and losing a couple more. One spunky little bow jumped six times in a row before throwing the hook. I caught a mix of rainbows, cuttbows, and browns. [inline "cuttbow 3 small.JPG"][inline "cuttbow 2 small.JPG"][inline "cuttbow small.JPG"][inline "brown small.JPG"][inline "bow 4 small.JPG"][inline "bow 3 small.JPG"][inline "bow small.JPG"]

I didn't catch anything huge (though I did spot a couple of better browns getting frisky on some gravel), but found some very colorful, healthy looking fish. I don't see wild rainbows and cuttbows around here much, so it was a nice surprise. Most took a foam bodied, rubber legged stimulator, and the rest came on the dropper, either a green caddis worm or a small green Copper John. I saw a few BWOs, but not enough to really cause any commotion. As I was climbing the bank to get out of the stream, I happened upon an apple tree in the middle of the woods that had the tastiest little apples. They were nearly white with just a hint of pink on them, and nice and crisp. It was a perfect way to end the afternoon on this pretty little stream.
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Awesome!! There are a bunch of little streams in my area that I keep telling myself I need to try. Your totally inspiring me to get off my butt. I get so stuck on the bigger rivers trying to catch that "monster"... and i know im missing out on some great experiences like yours. Cool fish!!Great pic's!!
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Thanks, I'm glad I could help inspire you [] I'm the same way sometimes (even today I'm torn between running up there again, or heading to a reservoir for bigger fish). I'm definitely going to try more and more streams around here. You just never know what you're going to find, and so far I've been pleasantly surprised.
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Not trying to guess the stream but there is a stream that looks very similar that I occasional fish. This time of year there is an apple tree that has the best apples of any wild tree I've ever found so I always stop and eat one and take a couple home. There is a man made obstacle that prevents you from going directly upstream right above the tree. Thanks for the pics.
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Beautiful! That is the kind of quiet little stream that I love. Fish or not, just the setting alone is worth the time to be there. The fish are a plus. Nice fish too for such a small water. I'm not sure I care to see the ice on there though...... I am getting to be such a "fair weather" fisherman!
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I hear you on being a fair weather fisherman. I went out on Treasureton today and even with neoprenes and two pairs of heavy socks I lost sensation in my feet. I'm about ready to pack it up and break out the guitar again.
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Now I'm curious about the creek you fish. I didn't see any structures where this tree was. I actually saw a similar one further downstream but didn't eat any then. I'm kicking myself for not taking any home, but then again, I have three trees in the yard that I really need to get picking on.
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They clearly aren't the same streams as the obstacle requires you to get off the stream and go around to continue fishing. If the obstacle wasn't there I wouldn't have found the tree. The one I'm talking about flows into the SL valley. Maybe something about the growing conditions in a river canyon close to the stream that produces very good apples.
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+1 - very nice. Between you and Loah - maybe we DO stand a chance of catching fish out of a toilet! Or nearby stream/pond/puddle. Wonderful colors - that's an awesome collection. And some of them aren't minnows either!

You fly flingers! Always impressed at anyone that can fish in woods flinging flies without spending their whole time knotted up in trees and bushes! Well done!

And the apple tree on the way out - suweet surprise. Gotta love that. We have an "old" orchard behind us. Typically - most of the apples fall to feet the multitudes of migrating deer that pass through in winter, but my boy's been getting out there, climbing and harvesting. Some good crunchers.

Maybe I oughta come up with an apple/trout recipe! Kinda like stuffing a pigs mouth, but more like an apple salsa stuffed in the belly, or rolled in a fillet, then smoked. Hmmmm - idears!

Yeah, this stream is further north and in a less populated area. I'll send you a pm with the location.
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How about some smoked trout served on a nice crisp slice of apple. Simple but sounds like a good combo to me. Cooked apple with trout doesn't sound too good to me.
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Well thank you. I still can't believe what he caught out of that little drainage ditch.

It does take a lot of practice to fly fish brushy little streams, but it's well worth it. I only managed to lose two flies, usually I lose them when I miss a fish or it comes unbuttoned and then the fly launches up into the trees. Setting the hook is always a tricky endeavor in these places.

I'll bet there's a recipe with apples and trout involved. At the very least there's always apple crisp for dessert.
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Well I went back to my new favorite stream today. Overall it was a lot slower than last time. There was ice all over the rocks and I didn't even see a fish for the first half hour. Finally I caught this pretty little egg laden brown on a green caddis worm.[inline "brown small.JPG"]
It was pretty spotty fishing. The last half hour, I saw midges and even a few October caddis coming off, and I scored a couple more fish, even one on a stimmy.[inline "bow small.JPG"]
I ended up with five browns and two rainbows[inline "bow 2 small.JPG"], mostly on the caddis worm. Last week I fished it later in the day, and if I hadn't had to leave for work, I'm sure I would have had some faster action. Still, it was a beautiful day, I found more apple trees, and ran into a ruffed grouse getting a drink from the creek. Not a bad way to spend a couple of hours, especially with snow in the forecast.
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Those are some pretty fish, and great to get some on top water bugs like a stimulator this late in the year.

I am to see the snow and ice come. I too have sure enjoyed the small creeks. The fish may not be big, but the surroundings can't be beat!

Thank you for sharing your fish and adventures!
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Looks like you're still producing. Good on ya, As you can see from my recent posts, I've been doing fair on the Web. for rainbows and combos,( trout and duckies) so Sparky and I are happy, happy.
Send me a pm if you want ti join me as a guest.
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Yeah, you guys have definitely been doing well on them, and eating well I might add. I'm glad Sparky is getting out and having some fun with you on your trips again. I don't know if I'll be able to make it down that way, but thank you for the invite. I will definitely contact you if it looks like I can.

Greg
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