Escape From LA Part I: Utah

The boys of South Bay wanted to get the hell out of California and we discussed a road trip to somewhere other than this place.  Discussions of Idaho, Montana, Wyoming were considered but Colorado won out.  I didn't know much about Colorado other than it's California Lite.  I know there is good fishing but that's about all I knew.  Planning of this trip laid on my shoulders so I looked into options and started making calls and calling in favors. 

On the agenda for the first day was Manning Reservoir.  I generally do not like fishing lakes particularly from shore but I was told these fish like to hug the banks.  Seemed like everyone was getting on fish but me.  They all crowded the bank I wanted to fish but I opted to avoid them and fish the other side.  That proved a mistake as the fish on the other side were all dinks and all the good ones were on the other.  After a couple hours it was back to camp for dinner and some relaxation.

July 18, 2020

The following morning we headed north to our next destination in Utah.  The first creek was simply too small to fish all six of us and the fish were all dinks.  It wasn't worth our time.  So we tried a nearby river.  Water looked good and all indications were it should fish well.  But between all of us Joel was the only one to get a bite, he did say it was a big one.  He was nymphing while the rest of us were all on top water.  After a few hours it was time to find a camp.

The mountain was crowded.  More so than I ever seen.  I guess everyone were sick of lock downs too.  I couldn't believe how many RVs and trailer made it up that mountain.  It took some time but we managed to find a decent camp seclude from others. 

July 19, 2020

Next morning we split to fish different sections.  When we met up later in the morning I was told JP took off to Colorado already which pissed me off somewhat as I had planned this creek for his son as it would almost guarantee him a fish.  I knew the rest of the trip would require more skill than most rookie fly fisherman process.  Planning trips can be stressful as you're trying to please everyone.  We had three rookies in the group and I wanted to make sure there was something for them on this trip.  So the rest of us stayed to fish it.

Fishing was good and I managed the tiger trout that eluded me the previous year.  I could now mark that on my species lists.

Small hoppers lined the banks and were the ticket for this day and there were plenty of grabs on this particular fly. 

Eric, Capt America, is Mike's best childhood friend and invited him along for this trip.  He's an avid fisherman and took up fly fishing just for this trip.  He said he only practiced casting a couple days before coming.  

I quickly learned I didn't have to worry about him. He had this dialed in and knew what he was doing.  A real natural.  

He'd already caught a few good fish the previous day and now he'd gotten the best fish of the trip so far.  At that time that was the largest fish I'd ever seen out of this tiny creek.

As the trip progressed he'd continue to impress with his natural ability.  He figured out early how it all comes together.  Even indicator nymphing which is the most complex way to fly fish.  Didn't matter the technique this guy had it going on.  

I'm starting to believe he was all lying to us and has been doing this for years.

By late afternoon it was time to start our way to Grand Junction Colorado to get intel and fishing license for the next few days.

More Local Mountains June 19. July 2 2020

 June 19, 2020

Out of shape from lockdown and new boots giving me blisters still managed some quality locals after several mile hike in the heat.

July 2

Took to the mountains to fish the usual spot while trying to venture into new unexplored territory. We took what we thought was a poorly maintained trail only to find ourselves half way up in the scree chute from hell. It was most likely a bighorn sheep trail. We soon realized this was a death trap. Once we came to the obvious conclusion this was beyond stupid we gingerly tried to make our way down (at least down without harm).   We had to drag our asses on hill to  make sure we didn't face plant off the mountain.  Spent a lot of times in the wilderness and I never felt like shitting my pants more than I did today.

Other than near death experience, the local fish were still excellent .  Healthy and strong and willing to take a dry.  Overall a good day on the water.  I guess any day you don't die is a good day.

Sierra Trip with the Boys June 12-14, 2020

June 12, 2020

Made a Sierra run with the boys of the South Bay.  They had already put in a few Golden Trout Trips during the lockdowns.  Unfortunately I did not make any one of them but I did manage to get out for this one.  After a long drive up we met up for lunch before heading the water.  First  on the agenda we fished for small brookies at a small high altitude creek.  Managed more than a few.  It was fun on light lines.  KB and I fished this the year prior and I managed a hog holdover that flushed out of the lake. This year there were none left.  This area gets plucked by meat fishermen and those fish are rarely in the system long before they end up in someone's freezer. Joel and Mike would fish downstream of us and would be sight casting to fish all afternoon.  Mike is new to fly fishing and Joel was with him to guide him through it.  He'd tried fishing on the fly during their earlier trips but also fished conventionally.  On this trip he committed to only fish flies this trip.  KB and I would fish together upstream of them toward the outlet and see if we could manage another hog but only dink brook trout for everyone.

It was time to look for a dispersed camp spot in National Forest.  We found a nice secluded area that we could play Bocci Ball and set up our trucks to make the most of all the awnings we had on our trucks.

June 13, 2020

The following day we decided to check out a creek KB fished successfully ages ago.  I had never fished it so I was willing to give it a shot.  Place was gorgeous.  Water looked excellent. I was excited to catch fish in a new area.  Joel and Mike would take the water early in the hike while KB and I opted t o go down further.  A few miles into the hike KB and I started to fish and we eventually split up.  I'd throw cast after cast and have no luck.  Odd.  Perfect casts.  Perfect drifts.  Nothing.  Hours would go by and still no luck.  I'd eventually catch up with KB and he managed a brown.  A nice one.  But after that nothing.  We'd fish some more before heading back to the trucks  Catching up to the others I'd ask how they did and the were skunked too.  So KB caught the only fish in the whole system.  He took us here on his insistence.  The whole drive up on the ham radio he'd tells us how good this place is and he was the only dickhead to catch the only fish in the river.  We gave him so much grief for that.  We still do. As any good friend should. 

After some investigating when we returned home this watershed was devastated by a fuel spill years ago.  Killed much of the aquatic life for ages.  Perhaps that was the reason for it's poor fishing.  It was time to head out and try our luck at the East Walker.

It was slow there as well.  Busy too.   I tried to fish my honey hole but it was occupied so I just waited there until the group moved downstream.  Once they did I took over and all I could catch were tui chubb.  Caught a few in this range.  Never caught one so I guess I could count it as a win.

In no time it was time to camp and like most during the Covid lockdowns I spent most of my time buying stuff over the internet.  One item was a Snow Peak Takibi Fire & Grill.  I used to think these fire pits were silly but after a camping trip in a pine forest with KB I thought otherwise.  We had made a fire ring on the ground but after seeing all the dried pine needles everywhere that could easily catch my mind had changed.  An elevated and portable fire pit in that situation was necessary.

This trip would be the first time using it.  First meal on grill would be Thai Lemongrass Chicken with rice.  

June 14, 2020

The Upper Owens would be our destination for the last day.  Fish were willing to take on dries.  Most fish were in this class.  Some significantly smaller but a handful maybe slightly larger.  After a few hours it was time to go our separate ways and head home.  Much like the other trips beforehand the fishing was pretty poor.

2020 Fishing Season Begins Jan. 5. Feb. 14-17, 29. Canyon Lake May 25, 30, June 7, 2020

January 5, 2020

On the fifth day of the new year I took to a local to get my first outing of the new year.  It would be a quick one fishing only from 10am- noon.   Ultimately I managed only a couple fish to hand but three times as many missed or lost.  I spent most of my time hiking looking for a particular hole that produced quite nicely in the past.  I overshot my destination and double backed looking for it but not before hitting a hole that produced my first trout of the season.   I only hit three or four holes before having to head back to the truck.  Not stellar and too short to really get my fishing fix but at least got in about five miles of hiking in. 

 

Feb 14-17, 2020 President's Day Weekend

Took off to the Sierra for a few days off during the long holiday weekend.  I don't recall much from this trip other than it was tough.  Fished with Chul's friend Cameron and I lost a nice one and managed one fish.  We ended up snow camping for the night.  The following day we fished Hot Creek and I don't recall if we got any fish I do recall some idiot in wading in the water.  Chul confronted him and politely told him not to wade in this river.  His response was he couldn't cast from the other side.  Chul then asked him if he caught anything.  He said no.  So you trample a fragile fishing area and you didn't even get a fish for it. Learn to cast dumbass.  We checked out the Lower but it was uneventful.

An idiot on Hot Creek

Pretty much summed up this trip, 2020 in fact we'd later learn.

February 29, 2020  Leap Year Fishing

Took Luc out to the Honey Hole to show him the spectacular fish.  But to get to them it requires a fairly strenuous hike.  Nothing too bad.  At least that's what I thought.  Luc struggled to hike up the mountain but he managed to soldier on.  When we reached the water it was devoid of fish!  I was pissed.  I made one of my great fishing buddies hike up this damn mountain and for years been praising it as the best Socal local spots only to show him shit.  Sorry Luc.  Little did we know this going to be a great start for 2020.

May 25

I don't have tell you how bad Covid lockdowns of 2020 were but when California finally started easing up, the Canyon Lake association finally allowed visitors.  Luc invited me to finally get my line wet and I fished for the first time since February.  It was popper season, our favorite time of year, and I'd be trying out a new pattern for me Chad Johnson's Freaky Frog.  Probably as revenge for our last outing when I took Luc on a strenuous hike only to be skunked, he returned the favor.  I got The Skunk this time but Luc managed a few.

May 30

I'd get another invite soon enough and it wouldn't be long before I'd get my first covid fish.  I recall fighting it and Luc was more excited than I to get it.  I was thinking though I need to land this thing and if it pops off I'm going swimming for it.  I didn't care I was that desperate.  

June 7

Back again and this time another Skunk.  I did although have one on jumped lost it. Again I'd be fishing the Freaky Frog popper.

DMV Trip Oct 17-20, 2019

October 17-20, 2019

As we move toward Real IDs scheduling an appointment near my home to renew my driver's license was more difficult than anticipated.  Seemed like all the DMV offices near me were booked out for months.  So what to do?  I scheduled it in rural California and make a trip out of it. I called up Kelly and asked him if he wanted to do some fishing that particular weekend.  He was game. 

I scheduled my DMV appointment on Friday and got up to Bishop Thursday afternoon.  Fished a couple hours on the Upper when I got up there and wasn't able to connect with anything.  The wind was howling and calling fishing in those conditions challenging would be an understatement.  On the next day after finishing up my renewal appointment I went back to the upper.  I can't recall even if I managed a fish though I think I may have lost one.

I waited for Kelly to get up and when he did we went further north to make camp.  The following day we'd hike up to the high country to check out Green Lake Kelly always enjoyed.  By the time we made it up the winds were howling and so we only fished the creek following out of it as it was somewhat sheltered.  I don't recall if we even got a fish to take.

After descending the mountain and since the fishing was poor with the winds not in our favor we came up with a Plan B.  Rather than fishing check out some sights I'd always wanted to see but never found the time.

We made our way southward to Bodie to check out the ghost town. 

After that it was time to head home but not without first checking out some fall colors on the way.  This would be the last trip of 2019.

Tidying Up and Return to Blogging

I'll admit I've been lazy with the blog.  Covid lockdowns did not help.

This year is nearly up but before it's over I'll be trying to tidying up this blog.  Photobucket screwed a bunch of us who hosted pictures on their site for years using it to post pics for blogs and forums. For some time I used it to host some of my pictures.  At the time it was free and easy.  A few years ago they changed policy years it really screwed things up.  I've been meaning to clean up the affected photos here for  along time but never got around to it.  So I'm going to try before year's end to clean it up.  Unfortunately not all can be saved as some of those pics I no longer have on any of my hard drives.  No telling how long those pics will remain on his blog before PhotoBucket deletes them as I'm unwilling to give them my cash. 

I'm going to start blogging again and there are many adventures from the past two years that have not been posted.  I'll try and write about them but my memory maybe so hazy that they may just be pictorials.  I have also acquired some interesting new toys that I do intend on sharing so stay tuned.

A Gift From a Blog Reader and Friend

When I started this sorry blog, I had two intentions- 1.  Have a backup for photos I deemed somewhat important, (I was notorious for never backing up my files and particularly my photos).  I lost more than my fair share of cherished memories due to computer crashes and such.  I felt posting them on a blog would at least save a few choice photos in case my computer ever crashed again.  2.  To practice my very poor writing skills.  At the time I really never had to write for my occupation other than the quick emails or other informal communications.  I've never been a strong writer particularly in school.  I hated it in fact but as my career progressed, not having to really write I noticed when I was forced to my writing was even more piss-poor than it ever was before.  So I decided to force myself to write something and so I decided to write a blog.  At least I could write about stuff I was passionate about.

The intention was never to become "known" or "famous" or whatever.  I've never promoted this blog in any regards.  In fact all my sporting friends that I made before this blog don't even know I write one. For me the blog was merely a tool for me to save pics and practice writing but also served another practical purpose as my journal so I could reflect back on some sporting memories.  So it always surprises me when people write to me because of this blog.  I really do appreciate it.  I've made some good friends through the years.

One of those friends is my friend Brad who himself started a great blog, Game and Grapes.  Back in 2018 I had read his posts (here) on the process of making a knife pouch for his Boker Bird Knife.  I was all but ready to email him and ask if he'd make me one.  I'd pay him of course but over the holidays before I could email him he asked me if I wanted the pouch.  I told him of course and was about to ask him if he'd sell me one.  He refused and gave me one for Christmas.

The pouch is beautifully made in traditional leather.  How do I miss leather knife pouches.  Everything you find at knife stores these days are tactical nylon trash.  It's disgusting.  I guess the market for traditional goods like these are not enough to sustain itself.  It's a shame.  The pouch has a tab closure for the lid and the belt loop is not closed but attached with a button snap that allows quick remove without undoing your belt but the main reason for it was Brad wanted to attach it to his Filson hunting vest which I think is ingenious.

Many thanks Brad!  As promised when we meet I have a Cuban or two in my humidor with your name on it.