Summer Solstice (more or less)

Rob and I got together for our mostly annual summer solstice celebration, fishing until dark as close as we can get to the summer solstice. No, we don't do any other weird things like put on long robes with hoods or masks of animal heads or anything, we just fish until dark.

Rob came down my way this time so we could visit my home stream. It turned out to be a good choice. Water level had dropped about 25% from my last visit a week and a half ago, which brought it to what I consider the perfect level to fish. Still high enough for water to be deep enough that fish will be found in the shallows at the sides of the stream (where most people would walk), not so fast that they won't be found in some of the flat riffles.

We both double psychoed the whole time. Fishing was good. Really good. Rob didn't even try to fish a renegade.

 

We found fish. Lots of fish. More in the 8 to 11-inch range than I've ever had before here. Rough estimate of 70 to 80 fish to hand. Each. Probably 75% were 8 to 11 inches, only 25% in the smaller range. A few to 12 inches.

Some runs had lots of fish and we consistently found some fish all along the way. Lots of flies attacked in water less than 6-inches deep. Lots of frustrating indicator strikes (they love to do that on this stream). Couldn't have had a better evening. Well, it could have been a couple minutes longer if we could have done it on the actual solstice...

Fish and Flowers

My Friday off, I did things in the right order - fish first, then flowers. Back to the same spot as two weeks ago. Flow is down to 130 cfs, about half what is was two weeks ago. Still a little high compared to my normal summer fishing levels, but wadeable and fishable this time.

A nice little 10-inch rainbow

The first run is a little narrower and faster. The floods earlier in the year ran 10,000 cfs through this stretch, stripping the banks of growth and moving a lot of gravel around. Fish are still there, though perhaps not as many. A lot of changes further up, tends to be more flat gravel, but it did make one new long run where I found quite a few fish. Fishing was slower than normal, but I did manage about 80 to hand, so I won't complain. Most were 6 to 9 inches, about a dozen in the 10 to 11 inch range. All on the psycho, size 12 and 16 or 18. Could be fewer fish after the floods or could be the higher water is moving the flies faster. I'll have to come back in a week or two and see how it fishes with lower water.

Just shy of 11 inches, looks like he might have had an encounter with a bull trout

After onion rings and a cone from the local drive-thru, I still had time to run up the nearby mountains to snap some pics of wildflowers before heading home just ahead of yet another thunderstorm.

Purple broomrape and Douglas' buckwheat

The Creek and Stream 141 for Rick

Rob has been slumming it at The Creek three times a week since it opened (you'd think he'd be home brushing up on his Spanish and reading scriptures all day while he's waiting for Peru to open up so he and Mary can start their mission...) and he invited me up to join him this morning. I was happy to oblige - who doesn't like a clear stream in a beautiful desert canyon full of little redband rainbows?

One of the few open areas on this creek

This is such a happy place - memories of many trips with Dad and brothers, the smell of the blooming mock orange filling the air, grass hanging over the stream and sending out clouds of pollen when you brush by, sneezing, runny nose - OK, not all happy, but I can put up with the allergies to fish this little gem.

Fish found our renegades, most 7 to 9 inches with fat bellies. It was a little "slow" for the first hour, as the sun got higher in the sky the fish seemed to also warm up. By the time we were ready to climb out and walk back to the car, we had each probably had 40 or 50 to hand. I guess not too slow.

Nice rainbow, mangy lockdown beard

Now the fun. Stream 141, We stopped where a side stream came in from a spring up a side canyon. It could have enough water...A short distance up, there was a small fall with a deep pool in the basalt. Tossed the fly in, and a small rainbow hit it as soon as it hit the water. Stream 141 was in the books. Thanks for the picture Rob!

Stream 141 where Rick has caught trout in Washington, an unexpected addition today

Returning to the car, an osprey was posing for pictures in a tree above the creek.

 

Just love this place.