Tenkara Wednesday

I've been following Mikes site Tenkara Sasquatch and told Mike that I'd keep an eye out for Sasquatch while I was using my Tenkara Iwana this morning.  

Got to the creek at 0815 after a stop for coffee at Cooks Station. Got my vest on, Tenkara rod out, and a box of flies I've designated for Tenkara fishing. I walked about a half mile from the truck planning on working my way upstream to the pool under the bridge. 

I had just got to the creek and was about to make my first cast when this big, hairy, stinky thing ran out of the bushes, and grabbed my Tenkara rod (I think I heard the word "Mine"). In the fight that ensued, the rod broke at the second section from the tip. Having broken the rod I guess he figured it wasn't any good to him any more, he turned and bolted back into the brush and was gone. I didn't even get a chance to snap a picture. 

Can you believe that? Probably not because if you did, I'd start worrying about you. Here's the real story. I got to the spot alright and opened the Tenkara rod attempting my first cast into a small pool, only managing to get the fly stuck in the tree behind me. I got the fly out and instead of trying to cast again, I started to collapse the the rod and move to a more open spot. As I got to the second section from the tip, I guess it was stuck more than I though and it just snapped in two. I never even got a fly in the water and Tenkara fishing was over.

A half mile hike back to the truck for my fly rod with floating line and a half mile back to where I started. No Sasquatch intervention this time. I guess he only does Tenkara. Tied on a Royal Wulff and fished this hole and that hole and finally got a take. Brought this little native Rainbow to hand long enough to snap a picture and back he went for another day.   

Native Rainbow

Rainbow came from here

Fished here and there and finally stopped at a pool just below the pool at the bridge. Hooked this little brown on a yellow stimulator. Again, a quick picture and back for another day.

Native Brown

Brown came from here

Over the next hour or so I got several hits on stimulators, but missed them all. Then I went to the upper pool, but couldn't get any interest. The water was too turbulent and I would have had to use a half ounce split shot just to get a fly to the bottom of the pool. There was no controlling a dry on the surface. I crossed the bridge and tried the pool from the other side, but it wasn't any better. I walked a hundred yards down stream and fished a cut under a big tree with a black gnat and got several hits, but couldn't manage to get a hook up.

Then I came back to the same pool I caught the brown in and after a couple of missed hits, landed another native rainbow but in very odd way. He hit a green stimulator and as I raised the rod, I guess he got tangled in the line because I reeled him in backwards. The line was around the fish and the hook on the fly caught the line putting the fishes tail in a noose, if you will. Got him loose and back in the water for another day, but didn't take a picture because I didn't want to embarrass him after the way he was caught.   

Packed up at 1:30 and headed home. If my body isn't too destroyed from today, I plan on a trip down to the American River for a little early Shad fishing on Friday. Rumor has it that they are in the river and they are running about 5 pounds, so I'll just have to check it out. I'll let you know.

Till then.

Mark