Winter Comes to Northern California

First, a little note about yesterday (Monday). Got up to go to the lab for a gallon or so of blood for my 6 month check ups. OK, maybe not a gallon, but 4 tubes. Since the lab is in Sacramento, I already had my fly gear packed and was going to apply the knowledge I learned in Oregon on the American. Got upstairs and one of the first things I do in the morning is feed the cats. You remember those two, from a couple of posts earlier this year. Got a cup of food out of the can and bent over to put it into their bowl. That was it, a small snap and I couldn't stand up. I was walking around like I was 110 years old. The back went south. Hobbled out to the truck and made the hour and a half drive to the lab. Hobbled in and gave my gallon. Hobbled out and thought, maybe I could go down to the river anyway. Nope, it started raining. Now, I'm not a fair weather fisherman, but rain does tend to dampen my spirits, erk, erk. So I drove home and became one with the heating pad.

Second, and this is really bizarre. You know from the last 5 posts or so that I spent last week on the Deschutes River in Oregon fishing for Steelhead. When I went to the Post Office to pick up the mail after we got back, the newest issue of Fly Fisherman (just started my subscription) was in the pile. When I got home, I opened the magazine to remove the cards (you know, subscribe now and save 50%) and the page I opened it to was a story called Deschutes Gunmetal. Fishing for Steelhead right where I was last week. How bizarre is that? Wish the issue would have been here a week earlier.

Third, as I said above, it rained yesterday, that means snow in the high country. My back was better this morning, so I took a drive up to Red Lake. Got there at 8:00am and only one other person fishing. Yup, it was cold. Snow on the ground, BUT, the lake was still open. Set up in my usual place and put out one rod with Power Bait (Rainbow). Fished the usual lures and nothing. When I had stopped for coffee, thought I forgot, huh, I also picked up a box of Mini-Crawlers. So when everything else didn't work, I put a crawler on the slip sinker rig. Nope, that didn't work either. As a last ditch effort, I put a crawler out on a clear bobber and 18" of fluorocarbon leader. By now it was 10:30 am and the sun was hitting the water. That was the thing. Barely hit the water and a Brookie snatched it. After that, it was about every half hour and another Brookie was added to the stringer. There was also one small Cutthroat, but I released him. Six total for today.

I did take some pictures, but for some reason, Blogger won't upload them, so I'll keep them for another day. Going to try for Steelhead on Thursday when I take the car in for service and Stripers on Sunday with Rich and Mark. If Thursday turns out good, maybe Steelhead on Sunday too. We'll see.

Till next time, remember: "A bad day fishing is better than being one, with the heating pad".

Shoreman