A good friend of mine from SC came up to spend the weekend and do some fly fishing. He puts me on bass, catfish, crappie, and deer down there; so I try to put him on some wild trout and smallmouth up here.
Friday morning was dark, foggy, and drizzly. We headed way back in the mountains to try to find some specks. Started on this little creek at about 4200' and headed up. Sorry for the pic quality, but it was dark as a dungeon up in that gorge under the fog and drizzle.
1creek1 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr
The streamside vegetation mostly consisted of these lovely head-high stinging nettles that feel like a swarm of yallerjackets hitting you when you touch one:
1nettles1 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr
1nettles2 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr
The going was rough, with lots of boulder hopping and fallen logs, but specks were plentiful and came to hand from almost every hole:
1speck1 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr
1speck2 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr
1speck3 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr
1speck4 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr
1speck5 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr
Not surprisingly even this high up, we caught a few of these, too:
1bow2 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr
This one looks like it had a run-in with the friendly neighborhood otter. Check out the tooth marks, They matched on both sides. Lucky little guy:
1bow1 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr
Needs more rhododendron:
1creek2 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr
1creek3 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr
We finally arrived at the head of navigation. Just above here, the creek forked into two tiny branches that you could have soaked up with a good dry towel.
1creek4 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr
The fish were starting to look like this:
1tinyspeck by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr
So we turned around and made the rough climb back out.
We still had a few hours of daylight, so after recuperating our fat selves from the climb with a cold beer or three, we traveled a few miles and hiked into the lower reaches of the same stream. Not as steep and rough, and a good bit more water; but still full of blowdowns and rock ledges at intervals. Beds of bee balm were blooming, and the hillsides were covered with flowering rosebay rhododendron:
1-2creek1 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr
1beebalm by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr
1rosebay by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr
Still plenty of good specks:
1-2speck2 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr
1-2speck1 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr
Of course, these were much more plentiful on the lower reaches:
1-2bow1 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr
And we also picked up a few of these:
1-2brown1 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr
1-2brown2 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr
Fishing was good, but light was fading. So, reluctantly and tiredly, but happy, we hiked back to the truck, moving about like this guy:
1-2snail by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr
Back home, we devoured some home rolled sushi, ribeyes, baked taters, and a beer or six; and slept the sleep of the righteous.
And the morning and the evening were the first day
Friday morning was dark, foggy, and drizzly. We headed way back in the mountains to try to find some specks. Started on this little creek at about 4200' and headed up. Sorry for the pic quality, but it was dark as a dungeon up in that gorge under the fog and drizzle.
1creek1 by Yaller Hammer, on FlickrThe streamside vegetation mostly consisted of these lovely head-high stinging nettles that feel like a swarm of yallerjackets hitting you when you touch one:
1nettles1 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr
1nettles2 by Yaller Hammer, on FlickrThe going was rough, with lots of boulder hopping and fallen logs, but specks were plentiful and came to hand from almost every hole:
1speck1 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr
1speck2 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr
1speck3 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr
1speck4 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr
1speck5 by Yaller Hammer, on FlickrNot surprisingly even this high up, we caught a few of these, too:
1bow2 by Yaller Hammer, on FlickrThis one looks like it had a run-in with the friendly neighborhood otter. Check out the tooth marks, They matched on both sides. Lucky little guy:
1bow1 by Yaller Hammer, on FlickrNeeds more rhododendron:
1creek2 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr
1creek3 by Yaller Hammer, on FlickrWe finally arrived at the head of navigation. Just above here, the creek forked into two tiny branches that you could have soaked up with a good dry towel.
1creek4 by Yaller Hammer, on FlickrThe fish were starting to look like this:
1tinyspeck by Yaller Hammer, on FlickrSo we turned around and made the rough climb back out.
We still had a few hours of daylight, so after recuperating our fat selves from the climb with a cold beer or three, we traveled a few miles and hiked into the lower reaches of the same stream. Not as steep and rough, and a good bit more water; but still full of blowdowns and rock ledges at intervals. Beds of bee balm were blooming, and the hillsides were covered with flowering rosebay rhododendron:
1-2creek1 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr
1beebalm by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr
1rosebay by Yaller Hammer, on FlickrStill plenty of good specks:
1-2speck2 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr
1-2speck1 by Yaller Hammer, on FlickrOf course, these were much more plentiful on the lower reaches:
1-2bow1 by Yaller Hammer, on FlickrAnd we also picked up a few of these:
1-2brown1 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr
1-2brown2 by Yaller Hammer, on FlickrFishing was good, but light was fading. So, reluctantly and tiredly, but happy, we hiked back to the truck, moving about like this guy:
1-2snail by Yaller Hammer, on FlickrBack home, we devoured some home rolled sushi, ribeyes, baked taters, and a beer or six; and slept the sleep of the righteous.
And the morning and the evening were the first day
It worked.
