In Search Of New Spots

Armed with two printouts from Google Maps, I set out to find new spots to fish. I have to say that I'm a big fan of Google Maps. You pick a city and just move around from there and in doing so I discovered a couple of creeks off roads that I knew.

Out of La Casa De Kautz at 0715 and with a quick stop for coffee at Cooks Station, I was on my way. Plan A was to hit an unnamed road across the highway from one I did know and see if it crosses the Middle Fork of the Cosumnes River (You know the Cat Creek Road place).

Short diversion to Plan A. In checking out campgrounds the other day I found out that there are a couple up the road from the turn off to Bear River Reservoir, but on the other side of the highway.

Made a left and started down the road. The road, if you want to call it that, was a 4 wheel drive road and that's being generous. I came to a Y and took the up hill road (still 4 wheel at best). After two miles, I turned around for fear of breaking my axles, but I noticed a sign that stated "Fiber optic Cable buried" and a bunch of little orange and red tassle type things buried in the "road" and I use that term loosely. I have no idea if they were marking something, but they were all over the "road" for the better part of a mile.

After a U-Turn I headed back to the Y and took the down hill "road". It wasn't 100 yards and I popped out on the highway. If there are campgrounds up  that road, they're going to stay there without me.

Went up the highway a little further and turned on a side road (as long as I was exploring I might as well explore, right?) and was surprised to see meadow like fields on both sides. A hundred yards in I came across a truck parked in the middle of the road and a couple guys standing by it. I asked what the place was (staying in the car with the engine running) and was told it was private. I apologized for bothering them and backed out. It was a beautiful meadow, and had sprinklers watering the area. I thought it prudent to get the hell out of there.

Back to Plan A and a turn on the road that goes to a place called "The Hideout". A creek of some sort crosses the road in a couple places to about half way to "The Hideout". First thing I saw was a sign saying "You are just beginning your journey". OK, my brain goes to odd places when I see a sign like that. I start thinking about cults, Jim Jones and Guyana, the space people in San Diego and Cool-aid.

Wrong on all points. This is a back in the woods chapel to get married. You can also rent this beautiful 5000 sq ft cabin (with it's own lake) for a mere $6500.00 a week. It's even available in the winter via snowcat. Did I mention it's 15 miles off the highway and out in the middle of nowhere? From the highway to the lodge is private property with no trespassing signs. No fishing here.

       

Another dead end and back to the highway. I didn't know exactly where that other road was so I kept going up. When I got to Silver Lake I stopped and decided I might as well fish a while. Got my gear and walked out to the rock where I usually fish.   

Windy, cloudy, and a bit cold. Also, the rock I fish on was still surrounded by water, but did that stop me? Of course not, I just waded (I wasn't going all the way back to the truck for my hip waders) out and got set up. The water was only a foot deep in most places. OK, it was cold too.

Still had that bow in the line problem that comes with the wind, but I held on for an hour or so. Could have had a bite or two, but I'll never know.

Silver Lake

Cloudy, windy, cold

On to Plan B. Plan B was to check out Caples and see if I could fish there. Nope, too windy again so I did the most logical thing and that was go over the hill with the hopes that Red Lake was calm like last time. No such luck and I really wanted to fish with my fly rod for some of those small Cutts. With my little Okuma in hand, I walked to the dam and started casting. Not easy to cast into a 70 mph (maybe not 70, but 25 or 15, or 10), in your face, wind. I told everybody that was up there the little ones could be caught on a silver Kastmaster, but I guess they didn't have any in their tackle boxes because they kept fishing the way they were. Eight Cutts later I went back to the truck and headed down the hill.

I found the original road I was looking for, but the only road across the highway (where I was planning to go) was the same one I came out on in the beginning. When I got home I got out my forest map and there is supposed to be a road there, so I'll have to check it out next time.

I'll settle for those eight little Cutts. They're fun to catch.

Mark