Wenatchee Stake Golf Tournament was today, and Dad, Rick, and Tom played together along with Kyle Cox, spouse of one of Tom and Rob's assistants. Golf was fun, with the chips going pretty well. Then we came to the 4th hole on the Lakes course. Par 3 with a cattail-ringed pond to the right of the hole. Tom hit first, pulled the fly rod out of his golf bag with the big, ugly-green, rubber-legged bass bug attached, and started heading down the right side of the fairway. By the time we reached the green, he had stripped his bass bag a few times through the pond and had a 12" bass flopping on the shore. We were tempted to leave it in the hole to surprise the next group, but decided it was "be nice to fish that aren't trout" day (although if it were a dolly varden, he probably would have whacked its head on the side of the cart, then left it in the hole with the flag impaled through it - years of conditioning at Bella Coola!). He returned the bass safely to the water and instead recorded his catch on the closest-to-the-pin sheet. He was recognized at the awards lunch for recording the largest (and only) catch of the day, but didn't receive a prize, other than a lot of people shaking there heads and mumbling something like "crazy Bishop!"
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Friday, June 17, 2011
Little Nunya
Friday, June 17, 2011 Little Nunya
This day found Sarah and I traveling to Wenatchee for Girls Camp and golf, and since Little Nunya is right on the way (as long as you go the right way!), we made time for a little dad/daughter fishing.
We arrived about 6:30 pm, nobody at the pullout, and no sign that anyone had been downriver for some time. The water was slightly colored (not muddy brown, but good greenish) and quite high, with a good flow coming over the top of the little wall of basalt at the top of the hole above the bridge - an easy 6" higher than the normal level, or more. The barbed wire fence partway to the falls has been repaired, but not posted, so we squeezed through the fence and chased some cows as we made our way to the falls.
We fished above the falls and in the falls, then the deeper hole above the island just below the rapids downstream of the bridge. Sarah fished like a champ, likely catching more than I did, including an in-your-face she hooked a few feet in front of me, although I caught my share, too.
Swarms of really small flies above the water (gnat-like) and lot of takes as the fly hit the water. A small dry or emerger would probably have worked well, but we just dropped the strike indicator to about 9" above the fly and that got us a lot more hook-ups. Fish were on the whole smaller than normal, but fat-bellied, so they should be a lot bigger the next visit.
With the water this high here, I imagine that Nunya will be running high for a while. If I were you, Tom, I probably wouldn't try Nunya until August, maybe September. Since it is such a far drive for you, I figured I would check it out and save you the trip, and after I have three or four 20-fish days, I'll give you a call and let you know it is shape and worth your drive.
This day found Sarah and I traveling to Wenatchee for Girls Camp and golf, and since Little Nunya is right on the way (as long as you go the right way!), we made time for a little dad/daughter fishing.
We arrived about 6:30 pm, nobody at the pullout, and no sign that anyone had been downriver for some time. The water was slightly colored (not muddy brown, but good greenish) and quite high, with a good flow coming over the top of the little wall of basalt at the top of the hole above the bridge - an easy 6" higher than the normal level, or more. The barbed wire fence partway to the falls has been repaired, but not posted, so we squeezed through the fence and chased some cows as we made our way to the falls.
We fished above the falls and in the falls, then the deeper hole above the island just below the rapids downstream of the bridge. Sarah fished like a champ, likely catching more than I did, including an in-your-face she hooked a few feet in front of me, although I caught my share, too.
Swarms of really small flies above the water (gnat-like) and lot of takes as the fly hit the water. A small dry or emerger would probably have worked well, but we just dropped the strike indicator to about 9" above the fly and that got us a lot more hook-ups. Fish were on the whole smaller than normal, but fat-bellied, so they should be a lot bigger the next visit.
With the water this high here, I imagine that Nunya will be running high for a while. If I were you, Tom, I probably wouldn't try Nunya until August, maybe September. Since it is such a far drive for you, I figured I would check it out and save you the trip, and after I have three or four 20-fish days, I'll give you a call and let you know it is shape and worth your drive.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Nightmare
Sunday, June 12
I had a weird dream this morning that merits a blog entry. I was with Rob on the Wenatchee fishing for steelhead below the bridge in town. I know it was a dream because there weren't any other people on the river. I wasn't fishing for some reason, but Rob was spin casting a strange-looing yarn ball and reeling it back in and hooking a steelhead every time. I was just watching him (that is what made it a nightmare!). After he had landed several, I realized I didn't have any spinning gear. Rob suggested I drive back to Richland and get my spinning rod (good move, Rob! By the time I'd get back you'd have caught fifty). Anyway, I realized that I could cast my flyline out as far as he where he was hooking the fish, and if they'd hit that thing Rob was tossing, they were certain to take a bead dead drifted. So I opened up my flyrod case and found everything so tangled it was going to take hours to untangle and get ready for fishing (that was doubly the nightmare!). Then I woke up. I tried, but couldn't get back to sleep and the dream to try and resolve it. What an unsatisfying way to wake up. I guess I'll have to wait until next March on the Methow to resolve this one!
I had a weird dream this morning that merits a blog entry. I was with Rob on the Wenatchee fishing for steelhead below the bridge in town. I know it was a dream because there weren't any other people on the river. I wasn't fishing for some reason, but Rob was spin casting a strange-looing yarn ball and reeling it back in and hooking a steelhead every time. I was just watching him (that is what made it a nightmare!). After he had landed several, I realized I didn't have any spinning gear. Rob suggested I drive back to Richland and get my spinning rod (good move, Rob! By the time I'd get back you'd have caught fifty). Anyway, I realized that I could cast my flyline out as far as he where he was hooking the fish, and if they'd hit that thing Rob was tossing, they were certain to take a bead dead drifted. So I opened up my flyrod case and found everything so tangled it was going to take hours to untangle and get ready for fishing (that was doubly the nightmare!). Then I woke up. I tried, but couldn't get back to sleep and the dream to try and resolve it. What an unsatisfying way to wake up. I guess I'll have to wait until next March on the Methow to resolve this one!
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Rainbows, and Tigers, and Browns--Oh My!
The boys scouts of Troop 37 from East Wenatchee camped at the Fighting Rainbow Club and began the process of removal of aquatic weeds at the FRC Friday-Saturday, June 3-4. Using the rollers/rake from shore we were able to clear much of the milfoil from the dock around to the southwest corner entrance to the club. Also dragged the cutters behind a boat with oarpower (insufficient) and determined that the cutter works well, but a more powerful method of propulsion would make the task more efficient and effective (understatement). Good to get some experience with those tools so that plans can be made by the club to continue the work begun by the scouts.
Friday night found fishing good with Brian catching a nice tiger trout and Rob missing lots of opportunities to catch other fish. Dr. Rob seemed to have more fun with the fish taking out lots of line, wrapping around weeds, and coming off. Good reason to reduce the weed population some.
Saturday morning water temp was 58 degrees and Rob had much better success from 5-8 a.m. bringing in a dozen nice rainbows. Largest was a 23" triploid that was 6" in depth--fish was in great shape and took a black woolly bugger on a floating line with about 9' of leader and out about 40-50 feet at a very slow troll. The other fly that worked well was a pheasant tail, size 14. Lots of surface activity, but much of it in weeds, so difficult to troll through without picking up weeds.
Once sun got up high and bright, fishing came to almost a complete halt--which made starting the service project much easier.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Opening Day
Saturday, June 4 The Creek
Floods had done some cleaning out of the floating mats of grass, but more would be nice. At least three dams/partially broken dams below the crossing. The one monster above the crossing is also still there. From the waterfalls to the crossing has a lot of trees and such that force you in and out of the water, over and under branches. I sure hope when I'm 80 years old that I'll still be bushwacking it like Dad!
Thanks to Alyssa's baptism, Rick was able to make it to the Creek for another important event - opening day for streams. Well, kind of opening day, because it was clear there had been significant poaching before the opening.
The road up out of Moses Coulee is deteriorating, with one section just as you start up the hill that is just about at the point of high-clearance vehicle only. We parked at the tunnel collapse and were glad to see no sign of vehicles or people down in the canyon. The creek was a little colored and higher than normal, but still wonderfully fishable. We started around the waterfalls, and each caught several.
We then worked our way up to the crossing and up a short ways from there. We found fish, but not a lot. One or two in a hole, and that was it. Size about 6" to 10", but seemed a little more on the small side compared to past years. Perhaps floods cleared out a lot of the fish. Water was murky enough that it could have been hard for the fish to see the fly as much as they normally would. I tried the psycho prince and had some success, but the renegade still topped it here. Some things never change. Together we probably caught 50 fish or so, but it seemed a little slow. All in all a very nice morning together.
Floods had done some cleaning out of the floating mats of grass, but more would be nice. At least three dams/partially broken dams below the crossing. The one monster above the crossing is also still there. From the waterfalls to the crossing has a lot of trees and such that force you in and out of the water, over and under branches. I sure hope when I'm 80 years old that I'll still be bushwacking it like Dad!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)