9 To 5
4/08/26
I stepped into the creek and the mountain water surrounded my ankles and shins. The chilly outside temps might have shivered my senses but the cold chilled water was an eye opener. I knew the best position, to get a good drift in the current, was to cross the creek. I took careful time crossing the stony millstones that moved beneath my boots. Once on the other side I walked the bank, not wanting to disturbed the water before stepping in. Checking my surroundings I’d be mostly roll casting. The laurel and thin branches, that overhung some of the bank behind me, was definitely something I wanted to avoid.
I started to roll cast a Woolly Bugger across and let it swing down creek. After a few casts I finally got a bump. I kept at it and finally got a hook up. My first trout took a Woolly Bugger.
Not getting another strike for some time I considered my options. I was prepared for a long day on the water so I had plenty of offering options in my pockets. I selected a Triple Threat streamer and hooked it to my Fas-Snap. Looking up in the overhanging tree I saw a bunch of fishing line hanging down from the branches besides an indicator and some brand of spinning lure. I figure the line was cast from the other side of the creek or the water was too high to retrieve it from my side. Anyhow, if fishermen were using minnows my Triple Threat might entice more strikes. I always figure bait fishermen, using minnows, don’t always hook up with a trout when a fish grabs it. In turn the loose minnow drifts down the creek and eventually another fish will grab it. I mean, when did you ever see a dead minnow laying on the bottom of a creek in clear water?
I hooked into 2 out of three of the next trout on the Triple Threat. They evidently were more interested in the minnow looking streamer than the bugger. I took my time slowly wading down creek some with casting the Triple Threat.
I had a couple of taps but nothing hard enough to hook one. I waded back up stream and stood ankle deep looking around me.
Behind me the forest trees stood tall with their bare branchy limbs almost begging for warmer weather. It may sound silly but sometimes I think trees have feelings also. After a freezing brutal winter I’m sure there is a sign that they want to sprout and leave old man winter behind. Up creek the water branches out on both sides of the small grassy island that I crossed over. Across creek a narrow mountain stream run off gushes down the bank, from under a culvert, and brings colder water into the main stem of the creek. The far bank-side is steep but there is enough room for a fisherman to stand along the dry bank, or on the big boulders, and cast into the water. Downstream the creek widens into shallower tumbling riffles as far as the eye can see. I’m sure there’s pocket water that trout could be holding in. After my observation I pull out a dark brown cigar from my pocket and lite it.
I switched to a Woolly Bugger and decided to cast up creek and let it drift down creek as if I’m nymph fishing. To my surprise the line shoots upstream and I quickly raise the rod down creek and quickly strip back the slack line. I see a flash, below the surface, of a fish turning down creek. I raise the rod directly over my head trying to bring in as much line as possible. The line moves down creek and it isn’t till I feel the resistance on the other end that the trout is still hooked. I play him towards me and net him.
I continue fishing the bugger casting up creek again and across creek. I catch one more up creek and a couple more down from where I stood before deciding to make my way down creek to another section I’ve caught many trout in years past.
On the way wading down creek, fishing riffles, I hook up with a couple of smaller trout on the bugger. Getting to where I want to make a stand and fish I look the water over.
Water tumbles over heavy boulders and rock ledges just about clear across stream. The waves settle down and is split by a half submerged boulder just out from me. The water continues on in maybe thigh high water in spots but has good rolling surface current. On the far side, out from the far bank, the water waves up against a big boulder that rims the bank. The water looks deeper there but trying to cast across that far, with hazard branches behind me and cross currents, once my fly line hits the water just is a waste of time trying. Down further from the big boulder there in a better chance of getting an offering to that side of the creek. I focus on what is in front of me and down creek within easier casting distance.
Casting the Woolly Bugger across creek I let it swing across current and down creek. First swing and a trout grabbed it before it ever swung down creek very far. If was if he wasn’t going to give any other trout an opportunity. After the hook set he shook it’s head a couple of times, tugging as if he couldn’t believe he was hooked. He took off down and across creek continuing tugging. Down a ways he swam mid-stream and I let him calm down, letting him tug a bit, before starting to bring him in. I had the rod extended out towards the middle of the creek and he slowly followed upstream as I brought in line. Once across from me he gave a hard tug and swung around heading back downstream. The top section bowed towards the trout but I only gave him little line which made him turn up creek again. We had a short battle just in front of me before I got him splashing to the net. H was a nice healthy energetic rainbow!
I caught one brown trout on the bugger before the trout shut down. It was if my caught trout made such a ruckus, disturbing the water, that they were wary of any kind of streamer passing by. Since I caught a brown trout I decided to cast a wet fly above a small black stone nymph. Three quarters across creek is where I was aiming. There was a good stream of water and I was aiming along the inside crease. I made a cast and my offerings landed pretty much across creek where I wanted. I mended line a little upstream with little slack so my offerings would drop before entering slower water down creek. Wham, a trout grabbed one of my offerings like it was one of my buggers getting away. I reared back and had a trout on the line. It ended up to be a brown trout as I anticipated. I caught one more and missed two before I gave up on that combination.
I played around with them for another hour or so offering them an assortment of dries, nymphs and streamers like a peddler on a street corner.
There was a riser clear across the creek. Occasionally he’d come up around the same area. Trying to get a dry fly to settle down long enough for a take, because of the converging cross currents, I decided to cast a Woolly Bugger. I had to wade up to my thighs, which I know I probably scared some trout, but I needed to get enough back casting room for a long forward cast. As I was false casting I was stripping line out of the spool. I felt the rod load behind me and forward cast the weighted bugger upstream from the riser. I was a little short but let the bugger swing down creek not to disturb the water. I reared back the rod and the bugger surfaced and took to the air. I stripped in line and forward a single haul cast and pointed the tip towards the opposite bank. The bugger followed and dropped, with a plop, near the far bank up from the riser. I straitened the rod a little down creek and anticipated a take anytime during the swing. Wham! He grabbed as if he was waiting for a full meal instead of small snacks. He wasn’t letting any other trout steal HIS meal. I reared back line and raised the rod high getting all line off the water. The line tightened and the rod bowed good into the mid section. The fish gave a hard tug and headed down creek. The spool spit out tensioned line and the top section bounced with each hard tug. Down creek was shallower and I saw the swirls the trout was making fighting the line. He still stayed near the far side so I swung the rod down creek, horizontal with the surface water, to put side pressure on him. He tugged a bit but followed the pull toward the middle of the creek and just about stopped holding in deeper knee deep water. I couldn’t see him yet but I suspected the trout being a brown because he stayed low and didn’t rise to the top.
I swung the rod up creek trying to force him upstream. He followed until he got across from me. Feeling the side pressure again he decided to swim down creek again. I didn’t give him much line and let the rod do the resistance more than the reel drag. He turned quickly. We had a short battle of wits after that and I finally got him coming my way. Nearer me he tried for a quick escape like a handcuffed shoplifter but I had a good hold on him and was able to scoop him up in the net. A fine brown trout laid eagerly in the net wanting to get turned loose.
Back upstream, where I started, I was trying wet flies and nymphs seeing if any trout were interested. I cast up creek and high sticked the nymph and wet fly and caught a couple of trout. They actually took the nymphs up creek before my offerings even got across from me.
Making a cast, into the colder water emptying into the main branch, with a Woolly Bugger, I picked up a frisky rainbow.
Waiting for my cigar to burn down, to give me a reason to leave, I was just trying different offerings like an old time carpetbagger offering different kinds of elixirs to a group of town folks. They weren’t interested. I waded down from the faster water and casting a bugger near the far boulders. I let slack line out so the bugger would drop deeper before swinging down creek. I caught another rainbow but he wasn’t worth a picture.
I took the last couple of puffs from my burned down stogie and called it quits for the day. When I got back to the truck it was nearing 5:00. I undressed out of my waders and headed back to my camper without having to punch a clock.
~doubletaper
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