Not Quite What I Hoped For

Let me start with yesterday. The weather guessers said there was a small chance of thunder showers yesterday afternoon. That small chance turned out to be 2 hours of thunder and torrential downpour. That bears some significance to this post, but I'll get to that later. 

I pulled out of the house at 0745 and after coffee at Cooks Station, headed up the hill. I didn't have any particular destination in mind except one where I could sit and fish. The old back is giving me some trouble and walking someplace like Cat Creek was just not in the cards.

As I came to the turn off for Bear River Reservoir I noticed that the resort was open (it's on the sign) so I made a quick right and headed down the three mile stretch to the gate in hopes it was open. I didn't get very far before I was stopped by road construction. Remember now, California has two seasons, winter and road repair and I guess winter is officially gone.

It was OK though because I got right through only to find the gate still closed so I made a U-turn and headed back. This time when I hit the construction, there was no get right through in fact I sat for almost an hour before I could get through. Boy was going down there a mistake.

Since I had a lot of time (sitting for an hour) to think, my mind wandered to April 17th and that 19" holdover from Silver Lake. Once freed from construction hold, I pulled into check-in at Silver Lake  and once again no envelopes so free fishing occurred. Parked in my usual spot and I walked out to the rocks where I fished last time, they were gone!!!   

The lake was, as far as I could tell, full. Surprise for a severe drought year. I found another good, flat rock and set up.

I took this picture, the place where I used to fish is this side of that big rock. Just a little too damp to be sitting there.

Former fishing spot.

Got one rod in with rainbow Power Bait and the other with a crawler and a couple of those white floaty things. While I was sitting and waiting for another of those 19" holdovers, I took a couple pictures.

Across the lake and to the left.

I took the shot below of the creek flowing into the lake. Where there was a surge of water on April 17th, there was barely a trickle today. 

The inlet is over there.

When we had the small chance of thunder showers yesterday, they got snow above 5000 ft.  Not a lot, but a little more on the hill.

Straight across the lake

To the left of where I was sitting.

During the time I was there, I managed to get my crawler rig hooked on the bottom and had to break it off. On my Power Bait rig I managed to land this, I'm not sure what you'd call it.

What is it?????

Attached to what ever this is, was a copper Kastmaster without a hook. I don't think the hook rusted off because the Kastmaster and the O rings were all in good shape. Just a little strange is all.

Figure out what that thing is? It's a stick. Got you.

OK, remember my comment about the small thunder storms yesterday that where huge, well they started to build again this afternoon. The wind picked up, the temperature dropped about 10 degrees, and the clouds were plentiful and very dark. Thought it was time to get out of Dodge.

As I reeled in my last rod, the crawler rig I'd lost earlier was attached to the treble hook. What are the odds?

Yes, I got skunked.

Not this coming weekend, but next weekend we're heading down to fish the Kings River, hopefully with Daniel from the Impractical Fisherman. I don't think I'll be out again before then, but if I do you'll be the second to know.  

Stay tuned.