It Wasn't Stellar

I had a choice. Silver Lake, Caples Lake, Red Lake (which is already green), or Upper Blue Lake. I think you can guess where I went.

I pulled out of the house at 7:30 and after a coffee stop got to Upper Blue Lake at 9:40. Yes, that is two hours and ten minutes and I wasn't letting any moss gather on my tires either. 

On the way down to the lake, there were a bunch of these little yellow flowers all over the place.

Little yellow flowers

 No, I don't know what they are.

See, they're all over.

Once parked, I took some shots around the lake just so you can see how low the water is.  Looks like about August level.

That's the dam over there.

Across the lake

Way across the lake

Even a little snow here and there.

Temperature when I landed was 55 degrees with the wind blowing about 10.When I left it was still 55, but when I got to the house, 87.

Two lines out with rainbow Power Bait and parked in the red Coleman camping chair which I have to mention is getting a bit ragged after, what five years? Maybe I'll get a new one next year.

First fish came at about 10:30. It was a holdover Rainbow about 11 or 12 inches. I'm guessing holdover because of the coloring. Most stockers don't have much color. Sorry, I forgot to get a picture.

An hour later and nothing to show for sitting there, I put a 1/4 oz. pink Kastmaster on one of the rods just for something to do. Second cast out, BINGO. The lure was almost as big as the fish. That would be the fish in the picture below.  

Missed a side shot

Missed him completely

Oops, missed again

Aah, there he is, but no side shot.

I didn't mention that those first two went back for another day. I wasn't planning on keeping any. A couple more casts and I noticed I was getting bumps, but no hook-ups. That told me the lure was too big so I dropped it down to the 1/8th oz.

While I was reeling in fish after fish, it's always cool when a PG&E helicopter lands near by. Also helps that this lake is a PG&E lake.
 

Coming down

Landed

Since I was having so much fun catching those little (7 or 8 inchers) that I packed up my gear and got my little Okuma with 2# and continued, but smashed the barbs on the lure. By the time Noon rolled around I had brought a total of 9 to hand and released. Since I wanted to be home by 4:00 to watch the Giants game, I decided to head back down the hill and maybe stop at Red/Green Lake and try for a couple of those little Cutts that are there.

As I popped over the hill at Lower Blue Lake, I thought "what the heck", might as well give it a try.
With my little Okuma and the lure case I walked down to Lower Blue Lake. You all know that I've not fished Lower so I had no idea what to expect.

I chatted with a gentleman who was there fishing with his son, but he hadn't caught anything. I moved down the shore a little way and first cast out, my first fish at Lower Blue Lake. It was one of those little ones, but who's complaining, they're just as much fun as big ones.

After a half dozen caught and released I asked that same gentleman if he had one of those little pink Kastmasters, but he said no, so I gave him the extra one I had so maybe he could interest his son (he is the future of fishing) in catching fish since all he had to do is cast out, and reel in. The fish would do the rest.

In case you haven't been keeping count, that's 15 for the day. Like the title said, it wasn't stellar, but is was mighty good.     


On the way home, I stopped at Caples and Silver Lakes just to show you how full (and I mean full) they are. EID (El Dorado Irrigation District) who controls these two lakes seems to be doing a good job holding water for later in the summer.

Caples at the dam

Silver lake at the trailer parking area

Silver Lake full

Unfortunately those of us that reside in beautiful downtown Jackson, our water is not fed by Caples or Silver Lake so we have to rely on the Tiger Creek system for our water and it isn't a pretty picture. Let's hope we get a good El Nino this year.   

Maybe next time I'll hit Silver Lake. Shouldn't be as far a walk down to the lake as it usually is.