May 13, 2020 – It Was Touch and Go There for a While – SEPA Blueline

A great day for humans but tougher fishing conditions today.

Eric and I nearly had our arses handed to us today by some spooky wild browns with lockjaw.  Thankfully, we put together a half decent second half and landed a few fish, including two nicer ones.  We caravanned over to our Covid 19 spot, our little private stretch of heaven (sometimes).  This is the fourth time this year, and I would rank this visit third out of four in terms of success.  As Eric stated today, we are learning this creek, and every time out has been a different experience.  The first visit was a winter foray just to explore, and we landed a couple fish.  The second time was during a caddis hatch, with fish rising everywhere, and we tore them up.  The third time was a day of bigger fish, but only one or two at each prime spot.  Today, well, today was a sunny late morning following a couple cold overnights, and the water was lower and clearer than we have experience before.  Had we seen more bugs alight, we may have gone to dry dropper, but the fish we did catch were mostly deep, in the shade, and close to cover.  A rare exception was the one or two active fish in the riffles near cover.  I had a couple small dark caddis land on my hand while on the bank, and we saw a couple larger tan caddis flying, but they could have been stirred from the bankside vegetation by the breeze, in other words another day’s brood. 

We knew we had to catch one at this hole eventually this spring!

We just kept plugging along, acting as cheerleaders, saying some form of, It’s going to happen, it’s going to happen.  I had my doubts.  To borrow one of Sam nuggets, wild fish can be dicks.  They were not feeling it at all for the first two hours, I bet.  And because the hits were so light and so few and far between, we both miffed on an early chance or two.  I finally caught the first fish, all of 5 inches long, while sneaking up the tributary where I landed a monster holdover brookie last visit.  We decided not to spend too much time here, opting to try and redeem the day at two great holes on the main branch.  Well, I missed my shot at what might have been a good one at the first honey hole, the bend pool where Eric landed a good one last visit.  I almost felt like I stuck a fish somewhere besides the mouth with my dropper the way the line just shot downstream, but it also could have been an embarrassed pig.  We did not get to find out today.  Eric let me try the next hole too, where we have done well and where we believe I dropped the king of this stretch of the creek last visit. 

...and we did.  Eric's better fish.

With the water lower and clearer, we got a better glimpse of this bend pool, anyway.  No fish even spooked, but we collected better intel for next visit.  What we thought was a log the last two times, is actually a shelf of rock or a partially buried boulder that may have been placed for cover or simply removed from a nearby farm field.  It is much less perilous to drift bugs next to a boulder than a log, so lessons for next time.  Eric also ventured upstream and found another couple of good holes.  He got bounced by what he thought was a good one in a very technical hole with all kinds of wood in it and over it.  When he had to go in to retrieve his bugs from a snag eventually, I saw him spook a couple fish, though nothing huge.  In the flat above this spot, I also prompted three more fish to shoot under an undercut bank, so at least we confirmed a couple more spots to try when the conditions are more favorable.  Like Valley and other small, clear creeks, a little stain and little extra flow goes a long way, especially if the bug activity is not enough to coax them out, which was the case today.  Unlike Valley, this spot sees very little traffic, so the fish are even more skittish.

Redemption fish.

At least the fish were starting to eat, so we did catch a handful on the retreat.  In a spot where I swore to Eric on at least two occasions that a fish had to live, he landed a nice one, probably 10 inches and beautiful.  I also landed another at the next spot, but not before getting bounced at least two times and not connecting.  Dicks, I tell you!  It was Eric who suggested that we throw a hail mary and visit a spot downstream of where we parked.  We landed a good fish here once, and I connected with a good one for about two seconds one other time.  Today, I did not miss.  This was a strong, beautiful fish and an awesome way to salvage an otherwise challenging trip.  It was not broad like a couple of the fish we caught earlier this year, but it was 12 inches long and gave quite a tussle in tight quarters.  

Another shot of the same fish above.

Eric was looking out for me, offering this redemption, and he was rewarded himself with another fish to end on.  I got one more little guy here before we decided we’d had enough.  The only thing certain is that this little place will be different next time too!  It was great day to be out, and a mental challenge to overcome for the two of us, who had been totally spoiled the last two visits.  I am looking forward to getting out on some of my favorite larger creeks now that we are in mid-May and another warm up is coming, but this place has been the right creek for the right season, so I am certainly not mad at it!

One more for Eric on the bow and arrow before we called it a day.