If You Offer, They Will Come

A sad day yesterday. Annette Funicello passing away. Annette from the Mickey Mouse Club. Annette from Beach Blanket Bingo. Annette that I sang along with. M I C, see you real soon. K E Y, Why? Because we like you. M O U S E. At least I think that how it went. Come on, it was a long time ago. She was only three years older than I am. Very sad.

On to fishing. 

I had one of those light bulbs go off in my head the other day. Seemed to me that it was nearing time for my yearly pilgrimage to Ice House Reservoir. I went out to my journal (formally know as the fish to cost of license ratio spreadsheet) and for the last couple of years it was somewhere between April 5th and April 29th so I figured that April 9th would be a good day to go up there. 

I headed out at 0715 and after gas and coffee in Placerville (formally known as Old Hangtown during the gold rush.) I started up the hill. I didn't know what to expect since we had a storm on Sunday night and the snow level was down around 4000 ft. Ice House Reservoir being 5450 ft there was no telling how much snow I'd run into.

As it turned out, I didn't run into much at all, in fact look at the picture below. 

Where I parked

I got to the lake at 0915 and put out one rod with plain rainbow Power Bait and the other with rainbow Power Bait and a couple dabs of Pro-Cure garlic scent. While I was waiting for that first bite, I shot a couple of pictures of the surrounding mountains for your pleasure. 

Across the lake

To the left

Across to the right

In the picture below, double click on it and look at the snow blowing off the peak.

Telephoto (10X) of the snow

Somewhere around 45 minutes into the day, I switched to one rod with plain PB and the other with a little Pro-Cure sweet corn scent. It wasn't 3 minutes and the first fish came to hand. Then with both rods with sweet corn scent, in the next 40 minutes, I put four more on the stringer for a limit and a little stock for Bob's freezer. He hasn't needed to plow my driveway but once this year, but he's been doing some road work and deserves a couple fish. OK, I gave him all of them. 

Oh, did I mention it was COLD? How about WINDY? How about COLD & WINDY? Not a day for weenies. I was the only one up there fishing, but had my parka and gloves. The wind was coming off those mountains above, across the lake, and in my face for most of the hour and a half I was there, but for a limit, I can endure.

Same mountain just down the road aways.

Telephoto (10X) down the same road.

This is one of the places I've wanted to take a picture of and show you guys. This is Bridal Veil Falls. It's on Highway 50 about 5, 6, 7 miles from turn off to Ice House Reservoir. It runs heavy in the winter and is almost mist in the summer.

Double click on it and take a better look.

Bridal Veil Falls

And the fish, These are the five from today. All hold overs because they haven't started planting yet.

A limit of hold overs 9" to 13"

Maybe I'll make another pilgrimage up here soon. Much better catching than the down country lakes just a little farther drive. 

Mark