December 9, 2022 – Paying the Local Stockies a Visit While Surf Fishing is on Pause? – SEPA Freestoner

It was nice to be in the woods.

Well, the conditions at the beach took a turn this week, and they look to continue in a snotty vein for the foreseeable future.  I am hoping it is not over because, even though I grow tired of a blitz bite and the crowds, I was not quite done with the striped bass this fall.  I am hoping that mother nature has not made that decision for me.  I typically catch some short bass, sometimes many short bass, into the second week of December, and in really mild years, even into Christmas.  I would not mind a mess of shorts on light tackle, but I also have a feeling that things will be very different once this swell settles out.  I also wanted to get the boy on a bass.  I guess we will find out if the wading boots we bought still fit him this time next year….  So what’s a guy who can’t fish the surf and who doesn’t want to disturb the wild browns just yet supposed to do with the time? Stockies, of course!  If we get a few warmer days again, I am ready to chase some winter wild browns, but I was not driving too far today, and I was definitely not going to fish the kind of bigger creeks I like to target post-spawn.  A couple very local spots get a fall stocking, so I only had to decide between two nearby cricks late this morning.

Some fat stockies on small bugs.

I chose this creek because the Trout Unlimited chapter to which I pay dues actually stocks this one, so I know the fish have been in for a while and that there was the possibility of some quality fish.  I will visit the other creek on my list next week, another club stocking situation, I am sure.  I guess I wanted company because I texted the Silver Fox and young Eric, but neither could sneak away on a work-from-home Friday.  I ended up having the creek to myself, which ended up being what I really needed after a few weeks of social fishing.  I thought I would have a couple hours outdoors and land a couple trout, but since Tami left work early, I actually stayed out there for a good four hours and landed at least ten trout and messed with a handful more.  When it was still cold, I focused on a deep hole with midges and a bobber, but from about 1:30 to 3:30 PM I had some fun tightline nymphing small bugs in pocket water, which I did not expect.  I just don’t love to sit in a hole and fish, so I eventually went exploring.  Before taking a walk, I probably did land or at least turn every fish in one deep honey hole!  Fish get off barbless midges, especially when they are hot and beefy bows like these, but I did not care.  Close to a dozen stockies on a chilly, breezy Friday?  It’s not slot bass one after the other in the surf, but it’s not an altogether bad way to spend the afternoon either!

The first fish and the smallest one of the afternoon.  Not too shabby.