Weekend Update

The fishing continues to be good and the weather is amazing (60-65 the last couple of days). The only problem has been the huge number of people out fishing. I have only fished for brief periods of time each day but we have still caught a lot of nice fish. The browns are mostly done spawning so it may be time to switch tactics and target different water. Here are some of the pictures from the weekend.

Happy Thanksgiving

Since the morning temperatures were so cold again and the afternoon is filled up with spending time with families and eating, I decided to take a break from the fishing today. However, I do want to keep to my goal of posting as much as possible. So, today's report will be an update of the last few weeks of fishing. When I think back on the last month two words come to mind..."high water". The creeks have been higher than I can ever remember in the fall. This has caused two things, many unfishable days and many days of amazing fishing. The great thing about the high water is it spreads out the fish and keeps them safe from less than ethical fisherman. The browns this fall have been numerous and I was lucky enough to get my biggest ever. It was a female that was 32 inches long with a sloppy 21 inch girth that I estimated at around 19 pounds (unfortunately no picture as the camera batteries were dead). Besides that monster we have also landed other male and female browns up to 13 pounds. The steelhead and rainbows have also begun to show up in good numbers and we have caught some very nice fish. Enjoy the small sample of pictures.

Great Morning on the Water

Carolynne and I planned on hitting the stream early this morning but when we woke up it was 25 degrees and frosty. So, we slept in and hit the creek around 9:00. We arrived at our first spot and were into fish right away. I was lucky enough to get some nice browns quickly and Carolynne's competitive side began to kick in. After a few minutes of accusing me of taking the best spots and messing with her rod, she focused and went on a five fish run. She would get a hit, I would help her land the fish and get her set-up again. Just as I would get ready to make a cast she would be hooked up again and the cycle would start over. I eventually broke this cycle and managed to get a few more nice fish myself. After about and hour and a half of consistent action we made the difficult decision to leave fish to find other fish. At the next spot I hooked what appeared to be a large fish fairly quickly. The fish took several long runs and then took off down stream. I chased him and eventually landed our best steelhead of the day, a long fish that weighed around ten pounds. We went on to hook a few more fish here and then headed home for some lunch. The totals for the four hour trip were a very respectful 18 browns and 2 steelhead, split equally between the two of us.

Browns After Work

As I drove to work in the snow this morning I glanced at the creek and was surprised by how good the water looked. I decided to do some scouting after work and boy am I glad I did. The water looked perfect and the fish were cooperating. In less than an hour I caught eight quality browns without moving from the hole I was fishing. The water is cold and the fish were biting lightly but they fought hard and were healthy and clean. Man I wish I did not have to work tomorrow. Anyways, I will be on the water as soon as I can be tomorrow and can't wait until the holiday weekend.

Welcome

For the past couple years I have been recording my adventures in the outdoors on a small calendar. One of the great joys I have is looking back at these notes and remembering the time spent outdoors. I created this blog as a place to share my experiences with other people who have the same passions as I do. Since I was young I have been drawn to the great outdoors. Looking back on my childhood, I remember camping and fishing with my family.

My obsession comes in the form of fishing. Those of you who know me well, know that fishing is not something I do, it is who I am. What makes me enjoy this activity so much? That is not a simple question for me to answer. It may be the beautiful places it takes me to. It might be the excuse it gives me to spend time with family and friends. Maybe it is the ever changing challenge of trying to understand something that can never be fully understood. Most likely, it is the quality time spent in nature with great people.

Whatever the reason, my obsession runs deep. As my lovely wife, Carolynne, can attest fishing is never far from my thoughts. If I am not on the water then I am thinking about when I will be. Fishing has become the reason to watch the weather. Directions to places revolve around scouting water for future trips. Trips to the store must include a brief stop at tackle shops. Vacations revolve around angling opportunities. Our house consists of: rooms full of rods, reels, and tackle; shelves full of books, magazines, and catalogs; collections of vintage tackle on nearly every wall: a "fish room" filled with mounts and pictures, and boats that if they could fit in the house would have their own room. Carolynne, despite her best efforts, has even begun to transform into quite a fisherwoman herself. She says she goes fishing to spend time with me and enjoy the nice weather on the boat, but her competitive nature has forced her to want to become better and learn more. I have to admit that she's getting very good (at doing what I say) and has caught many quality fish of her own.

Once again, welcome. I hope to record our experiences on a regular basis, and I hope others do the same. Good fishing!