Took my 72 yo neighbor out this afternoon. The fishing machine is sadly slowing down and I hate it. I carried the PAA/Z special spinning rod to give him room with his Orvis.
I knew the team had stocked Saturday. I also knew we had to run hatchery stock down to repair then suffered die off to cold water disease so the fish measured in pounds would be slim. If I could roll back clocks to this time last year the neighbor would’ve cleaned up on monsters.
Not knowing where they had access Saturday with trails choked we hit the usuals that have easier access for him. Flew in on redeye and bed at 4am so I wasn’t anxious anyway.
After the first few pools I was disappointed. He had a few fat 15”+ but no jumbos and I had zilch.
We worked back towards the SUV slow and the long easy stretch of runs I left him at. He likes those small pockets as much as I do. I went up to a hard access deep hole under a bridge I knew usually held over brutes. Plus the walking warmed my icicle toes a bit.
First cast up under the thingamabob wasn’t floating well but I’d left my larger clear floats at home. I started pulling in and saw a giant brown just miss it nearly st my legs. I rigged up a shiner but left the size 12 heavy wire hook on. I’d started with micro barb 2’s. Soon I regretted the small hook. I also added a second Pink thingamabob to try to combat the added weight of the shiner.
A brown bigger than any I’ve caught grab it near me. I opened the bale knowing he’d be a soft bite and that tiny hook would be tough to find. After he pulled both floats under and had grabbed the shiner 5x, the last swallowing it, I closed the bale.
He quickly spit it out….. I knew I had more shiners in the truck but neighbor would want to go when he fished up to me. I tried a few other things but nothing. No neighbor so I climbed the sketchy bank to the SUV.
Looking down the trail one last time I saw him walking up toward me. I was going to just wait but he wasn’t walking fast and there might be a quicker access from the top of the bridge.
Rocks were sketchier still and he got to me first. I bought at least a single cast by opening the suv from down by the water. Drifted down and nothing. This side for some reason they don’t bite like they do from the far end of the bridge 75’ down creek. All ready to pack it up and get him home but something told me to cast one last time.
Good drift and this time the water was glass while the float silhouetted just barely. Beautiful drift but no takers again. After shaking cobwebs out of waders literally I wanted to steal a few more seconds. Retrieved extra slow and watched the float stop a few times to wiggle while condensation dropped around it.
Seemed like a drip at one point but I twitched anyway. For reasons unknown to me I really slowed there. Maybe lost in thought who knows? Whatever it was the water exploded. After a tense few minutes and turmoil on the surface the whole way I netted a beauty. I yelled up to my neighbor who I knew would be ecstatic but he couldn’t hear well. I debated a quick pic or two. Ultimately, I decided the holidays might be ok to smoke a fish and my freezers didn’t have any.
A sorta odd trail Walker was chatting up my friend. I knew the guy well and he can make even me seem reclusive. One night he talked to me past dark and I barely dodged hypothermia. Needless to say, trail side pics weren’t possible. My brother snapped a few for me down in his apt. Our faucet broke but rather than it an figure it out I turned the water off to go fishing!
I knew the team had stocked Saturday. I also knew we had to run hatchery stock down to repair then suffered die off to cold water disease so the fish measured in pounds would be slim. If I could roll back clocks to this time last year the neighbor would’ve cleaned up on monsters.
Not knowing where they had access Saturday with trails choked we hit the usuals that have easier access for him. Flew in on redeye and bed at 4am so I wasn’t anxious anyway.
After the first few pools I was disappointed. He had a few fat 15”+ but no jumbos and I had zilch.
We worked back towards the SUV slow and the long easy stretch of runs I left him at. He likes those small pockets as much as I do. I went up to a hard access deep hole under a bridge I knew usually held over brutes. Plus the walking warmed my icicle toes a bit.
First cast up under the thingamabob wasn’t floating well but I’d left my larger clear floats at home. I started pulling in and saw a giant brown just miss it nearly st my legs. I rigged up a shiner but left the size 12 heavy wire hook on. I’d started with micro barb 2’s. Soon I regretted the small hook. I also added a second Pink thingamabob to try to combat the added weight of the shiner.
A brown bigger than any I’ve caught grab it near me. I opened the bale knowing he’d be a soft bite and that tiny hook would be tough to find. After he pulled both floats under and had grabbed the shiner 5x, the last swallowing it, I closed the bale.
He quickly spit it out….. I knew I had more shiners in the truck but neighbor would want to go when he fished up to me. I tried a few other things but nothing. No neighbor so I climbed the sketchy bank to the SUV.
Looking down the trail one last time I saw him walking up toward me. I was going to just wait but he wasn’t walking fast and there might be a quicker access from the top of the bridge.
Rocks were sketchier still and he got to me first. I bought at least a single cast by opening the suv from down by the water. Drifted down and nothing. This side for some reason they don’t bite like they do from the far end of the bridge 75’ down creek. All ready to pack it up and get him home but something told me to cast one last time.
Good drift and this time the water was glass while the float silhouetted just barely. Beautiful drift but no takers again. After shaking cobwebs out of waders literally I wanted to steal a few more seconds. Retrieved extra slow and watched the float stop a few times to wiggle while condensation dropped around it.
Seemed like a drip at one point but I twitched anyway. For reasons unknown to me I really slowed there. Maybe lost in thought who knows? Whatever it was the water exploded. After a tense few minutes and turmoil on the surface the whole way I netted a beauty. I yelled up to my neighbor who I knew would be ecstatic but he couldn’t hear well. I debated a quick pic or two. Ultimately, I decided the holidays might be ok to smoke a fish and my freezers didn’t have any.
A sorta odd trail Walker was chatting up my friend. I knew the guy well and he can make even me seem reclusive. One night he talked to me past dark and I barely dodged hypothermia. Needless to say, trail side pics weren’t possible. My brother snapped a few for me down in his apt. Our faucet broke but rather than it an figure it out I turned the water off to go fishing!
