Another Creek Crossed Off The Tenkara List

Back on August 2nd I went to secret spot #3 (remember I'm sworn to secrecy with threat of death) with Roy and Don. We didn't catch anything that day, but Don went back since and reported a guy with a stringer of browns caught on crickets and that Kastmasters were taking some fish.  

I decided that I would take a run up there this morning and give it a try. I got to the lake at 0815 (and I have to note right up front that I didn't stop for coffee) and rigged up my 6wt fly rod. My plan was to fish a bead head Thin Mint at the inlet and if that didn't work, a nymph under an indicator.

The Thin Mint didn't produce anything and when I changed to the nymph, I used a size 10 Keystone Brown with the idea that something fat and juicy might entice a brown to bite.  I didn't get any interest on the Keystone Brown, but I might have gotten one of those "you weren't paying attention when the line slapped the rod" hits, but when I looked there wasn't any change in the line, so I'm not sure if something happened or not. Obviously I didn't catch anything.  

On the way out I stopped at the little stream that runs along the side of the road. I mentioned that this would be prime Tenkara water and look at the pictures below, see for yourself

Downstream

Upstream

Well, it might look like prime Tenkara water, but there wasn't a fish to be found. I fished 100 yards upstream and 100 yards downstream and didn't see anything that looked like a fish, or anything that looked like anyone had ever been fishing on the creek. There is a possibility that there could be fish further downstream because it runs into the lake above secret spot #2, but the canyon is all but inaccessible. 

I don't know if you are fans of John Sanford, but I'm currently reading a novel called Shock Wave. The main character is a guy named Virgil Flowers. He makes a statement (keep in mind this guy investigates murders with a boat attached to the back of his truck) about taking your fly fishing gear with you because, if you have it and don't need it that's OK, but if you need it and don't have it, well you get the idea. Prophetic words if I've ever heard them, but he didn't say anything about spinning gear. Today I left mine at home and I could have stopped at secret spot #2 and possibly have hooked up with a brown or two, but I didn't have my spinning gear with me. Maybe I'll go back up in the morning and give it a go.

OK, that's it for today.

Mark