Wake and Take II

Tom and Rick met post-Thanksgiving at the Ford to try and repeat the previous weeks' success.  Dad and Eric "Here Bear" Burns came along (glad there weren't any Grizzlies at the Ford for Eric to attract by dangling splashing fish in front of them).  We started at the same running water at the second lot as last week, and although there were a few wakes, it was definitely slow compared to last week.  Eric was able to pick one up stripping in the soft water above, and Tom found several, including the large one artfully landed as shown in the photos below.

Eric and his first Rocky Ford fish

Tom and his relaxed fighting technique

Delicate handling of the fish and a view of Tom's better side

Big fish of the day - almost pulled Tom's hat off!

With the limited success here, we moved down to the third lot with intentions of checking out the skinny water down below.  The stretch above the bridge was empty, even though there were a half dozen cars in the lot, so of course Rick stopped and started stripping right at the corner above the bridge.  Three casts and three wakes and takes, and it was clear the skinny water would wait for another day.  While Rick was landing these fish, Tom caught the first of six while standing on the bridge, Dad started breaking off flies in fish and in addition to landing a few from the other side just above the bridge (we neglected to tell him that we had switched to 3x).  Eric got into the action somewhere there.  While Tom and Eric were playing at the bridge and below, Rick and Dad worked up the far side above the bridge, pretty much finding fish every cast stripping bugs for more than an hour.  Rick thought they were pretty small, until he measured a couple and found they were all about 15" and fat.  But that is little at the Ford.  After some really hot action, things finally slowed down enough that we were able to pull ourselves away from the stream and head home.  Another great day at the Ford.

Wake and Take

Tom and Rick paid a post-Phantom visit to the Ford.  No other fisherman were around when we arrived, and we stopped at the second parking lot and fished the little stretch of running water there.  Tom started with the scud and micromayfly that had been successful for him the previous week, while Rick began stripping bugs.  After Rick had six wakes, a couple flies broken off on fish, and one to hand, Tom was stripping and we had a lot of fish for the next while, black and olive bunny leaches in mid to large size (as were the wakes).  When that slowed down, Tom went back to his original setup and consistently nailed a bunch more.  Rick continued mostly stripping, and found more from time to time.  A very good day at the Ford.



Tom and a nice Rocky Ford rainbow

A nicer Ford rainbow

Steelhead success

Thursday, November 15 on the Wenatchee River with Don Shurtz.  We fished the stretch around Leavenworth putting in at the bridge on Icicle Road and taking out at the takeout on East Icicle Road.  As you can see the boat launch was somewhat steep.  We probably don't want to bring the Clakacraft to launch here.  River was running clear and 42 degrees.

We found a fish at the 4th hole.  It was only the third hole on the stretch, but is called the 4th hole because the  4th hole of the Leavenworth Golf Course is adjacent to the river there.

A hard day fishing, but finally found a nice wild hen.  Guide was Doug Pendleton with Red's Fly Shop and he worked hard for us.  Rain sprinkles a bit, but not as cold as Monday on the Methow.  The cloud shrouded mountains looked more like southeast Alaska or the Olympic peninsula.

Steelheading, or snow job?

That was the question Mark had after spending the day on the Methow with Uncle Rob.  Lots of snow--day started by passing an overturned car on the shoulder just as we approached Pateros.  Mark learned, and Rob remembered, that toe warmers work best if you let them warm up for a few minutes before putting them on your feet and into your boots.  Otherwise, they don't get enough oxygen to start the reaction and it doesn't happen until you take them out at the end of the day.

It was a nice day for a float--no wind, some sunshine, crystal clear water.  Flows were up a bit from normal and that made it hard to get the flies to tease through the holes.  Water temp was 36 degrees in the morning and warmed up to 38 degrees by the afternoon, but that is still bone-chilling and the fish may have been in a catatonic state.  In their thoughtless stupor they ignored our offerings.

Rob caught a bull trout.  That was pretty much it for the day.  With steelhead you have to put in your time.  I tried to reassure Mark that even Uncle Tom and Uncle Rick don't catch steelhead every time they go out (though admittedly they do far better than the average angler!)

I have to put my vote for steelheading, not snow job.

Tom not fishing...?

I think I figured out why Tom has no posts since moving to the new church building.  Dad said the new building was essentially right next to the Monitor bridge (and the nice steelhead hole there).  Has anyone asked why you have a pair of waders in the closet of the Bishop's office, or has Elizabeth wondered why you are starting your Bishopric meeting an hour earlier Sunday morning since the Wenatchee opened for steelhead?  You can't post fish caught on Sunday on this blog!

Closing Day at the Creek

Rick made a quick trip to Wenatchee, ostensibly to help Dad finish setting up his new computer and to pick up a bunch of apples for applesauce, but we all know the real reason men get together in the Merrill family - yup, Dad was longing for a visit to The Creek before it closed for the season.

The road may be impassible after another year unless someone gets in there and grades out a really rough spot at the start of the hill.  Which may not matter, because in another year The Creek may be renamed The Swamp.  Very few places were even fishable, the first hole above the crossing is 2/3 full of cattails, and the banks are mostly two feet or more of floating mats of grass.  We found some fish, only a few of normal size 7" to 9", most were very small.  Either the larger fish are hiding under the mats of grass, or people have been spending the year catching and taking, leaving only the little guys.

Although we caught a reasonable number of fish, it is getting harder and harder to return to the creek. This may be my last time until a big flood cleans it out. Little Nunya is open year round and is closer for me. And it isn't overgrown.

About the biggest of the trip, this guy was dark and malformed or torn jaw

Dad at one of the few open areas (the old beaver dam above the crossing)

 

Dad doesn't quite look as excited as he does with a 26" Naknek 'bow...

#98

On the way to Walla Walla and back for Melinda's cross country meet, I took advantage of a beautiful fall day to visit an old friend (Touchet near Dayton) and a new friend (Mill Creek near Walla Walla) and in the process picked up my 98th stream in Washington where I have caught trout.

Starting on the Touchet, I had a couple hours of bliss, catching fish pretty much continually through the first stretch of water, then finding it more spotty further up.  Probably 50 or 60 or so in the couple hours ranging from about 4" to 10", with quite a few in the 9" to 10" range.  Split between the stimulator (size 8 or 10?) and the rubber-legged prince (size 18).  They psycho prince also caught some, but the x-leg prince was chewed down to the hook.

Touchet River - caught a bunch in this stretch



Nice Touchet trout

After Mel ran at the cross country meet at Fort Walla Walla (and bettered her time by 2 min 30 sec from last week), I took off to investigate possible access to Mill Creek, a new stream to me while she watched the rest of the grades run and took the bus home.  Just outside town I found easy access to a pretty stretch of the creek and again found myself alone with a beautiful stream and willing trout.  Almost everything here was on the stimulator, with the fish consistently about 5" to 8".  Much smaller stream than the Touchet, but pretty water, lots of nice holes.  I'm glad I came looking.  A great way to end the day.

Stream #98 - Mill Creek, Walla Walla county