Not Stellar, But You Benefit

What does that mean? Like most of you out there (I'm only guessing here) when fishing isn't knocking your socks off, you tend let your mind wander. This morning was a day just like that. So sit back and enjoy.

My driveway after four days of rain

I rolled out of La Casa Kautz at 0745 and after coffee at Cooks Station I backtracked to the road to PIPI Valley Campground. It's a similar trip like the one to Cat Creek, about eight miles of winding road. Got parked, wadered up (not so new hip waders now), fly rods (regular & Tenkara) strung, and off I went. 

Middle Fork of the Cosumnes

This is a few miles downstream from Cat Creek Road and flowing a little faster because of a couple of feeder creeks in between. I fished my regular fly rod and Tenkara based on what the conditions were. It gives you a sense of flexability.

Not too far from the bridge this little guy came to hand. He's kind of hanging there because I couldn't get close enough to the water to get my hand wet for a release. I snapped a quick shoot and then got him back into the water for another day. If you stretch it, he was probably seven inches, but enough to put off the old shunkeroo. 

Another thing I forgot. That was caught on a yellow paralyzer. 

First and only fish of the day

All right, the caption gave the rest of the day away. Here is where you benefit. When there isn't a lot of fish biting, I tend to take more pictures.

These pink (they are actually red) flowers as a sure sign of spring. I've come across them in most mountain areas and sometimes they even stick there little noses up through the snow.

Spring is here

I fished the area below and and had a couple of follows, but let me tell you they were little.

Further upstream

Up a ways from there is this boardwalk. It runs for a good distance and I think the main reason is that the ground is quite mushy in the spring.

A little viewing area on the right.

I wandered down to the creek here and again had a couple of follows and as the above spot, they were little. Over to the left of the viewing platform, this was the view across the meadow. I wanted to put this one and the one above side by side, but Blogger won't let me so you have to use your imagination. 

Meadow

All along the boardwalk there are names etched into the boards. I couldn't find, nor did I have the energy to chase down the campground host and ask the how and why this is done. If I had to hazard a guess I would say that it's a buy a board and honor someone or some family that is alive or deceased, that liked this camping area. In the future if I can find out, I'll add it to another post.

That's it for this trip. One brought to hand and a couple missed along with a mile or so cardio walk out and a mile walk back. Needless to say that this old body was pooped by the time I got back to the truck, but like my wife says, walking and spinach is good for you.

Forgot one thing, water temperature 46.8 degrees. Paid all that money for the handy dandy digital thermometer, might as well use it. 

Till next time.

Mark