March 27, 2023 – Happened Upon Some Fresh Stockies – SEPA Freestoner

Some cloud cover, eventually some rain, some fresh stockers.

I was finished what I had to do today by about 1:45 PM, so I decided to take a walk with a fly rod over at a nearby creek that is managed as catch and release artificial lures only.  I was here a couple times this past winter when I had an hour to kill and/or an itch to scratch, and there were some pig rainbows in here from the fall that I was hoping to scare up in the increasing clouds and impending rains.  With a few exceptions, that was not the case with this new crop, but I did not know the fresh fish were in there, so I just rolled with the surprise.  The TU chapter that I pay dues to actually stocks this one, but I rarely hear about stockings unless Chris H. lets the Silver Fox know and he lets me know—and honestly Chris H. is often not in the loop since those stocking the creek keep it close to the vest for whatever reasons, likely selfish or paranoid ones?  I guess I could go to meetings, but I am really just contributing to the national fund and membership numbers, I suppose, since I have not been free on the nights they hold meetings in close to a decade.  The dudes I have met down there seem like nice enough, older gents, and I even donated money to the stocking fund at least once when I used to take my dad over here.  He eventually joined the chapter before he passed, maybe just to feel like less of a heel catching the private stockies because he never went to a meeting either!

Bonus shot: had to land one piggy!

When I tightlined up a couple small, fat stockies with fin damage, it became clear that I was going to find it challenging locating those holdovers I had in mind.  No matter.  I just switched to a bugger and landed probably ten more fish and moved half a dozen more, including a couple pigs.  When I couldn’t get a fish over eleven inches to eat the bugger or to compete with the savage little guys, I put on a midge and a small indy and tried a different approach in a nice deep bubble line.  I still caught four or five more average, fresh stockers, along with rock bass and sunfish, but I was able to quit after catching a big old hen that looked like a fresh one.  Sometimes silly fishing is fun for a bit.  Since the boy had his round of silliness on Saturday, I guess it was my turn today.  I even texted the Silver Fox to let him know what was up in case he wanted to brave the rain for a while and partake in the short-lived madness/ guilty pleasure that is fresh from the bucket fishing.