October 19, 2022 – A Midday Midweek Walk with Small Bugs and Way Too Many Anglers – Valley Creek

A few pretty adults.

Okay, so I have been talking myself out of fishing Valley for a year or more now, especially when the Silver Fox invites me on a weekend, because the pressure over there has become insane.  I used to sneak over like I did today and not see a soul, or maybe run into one dry fly guy late afternoon as I was walking back to my car to go home.  Today, I ran into 6 dudes and avoided one other parking spot because an angler’s vehicle was there when arrived, so technically 7 dudes, all before 2 PM on a chilly and blustery Wednesday.  At least 2 "stocker lockers" on the rooftops of SUVs in the main lot as I was rolling home too!  I can only imagine what it would be like on a nicer day.  I will not find out because this post is a reminder to myself that I must stay away.  I caught some fish covering a lot of ground and targeting just the most midday nymph-friendly spots.  I thought with the sun up, they might move up into riffles and eat, and some did, but most were youths.  I caught over a dozen YOY on an 18 CDC jig, so many that I felt guilty like a cradle robber or something.  They are unavoidable with small bugs, and with normal clear flows and the middle of the day, I probably needed small bugs to catch the three real size fish that I did catch.  Wind sucked too: blowing 25 to 30 at times.  At least all the babies bodes well for the population, but they are ravenous and fragile, so I was part of the problem today!  It will be a cold day in late January before I poke my head around my old home waters again.  I may have to chase stockies close to home this winter if I need to get out for a couple hours to stretch the legs and the tippet.  

Bottom left is likely two years old, not even one of the little ones!