Washington Fly Fishing Forum banner

Okanogan Cast And Blast

1624 Views 20 Replies 17 Participants Last post by  Salmo_g
9
Last week Scott joined me at the ranch for some fall fishing and grouse hunting. Weather came and went and I believe the full moon messed with our success too. But we did manage to find some nice fish and a couple of grouse.

Let's start with Scott...with a nice fatty from a lake close to the house. There were few to be had but they were full of fight. These have been growing nicely all year long. I caught quite a few on previous visits.



As I said, the full moon was messing with us, but still awe inspiring.



This photo just says so much about the season on the east side.



When Scott headed home I headed to the woods.



Wheat harvest is in full swing in the highlands and many old structures dot the fields up there. What stories they could share...



After taking that grouse I headed to my favorite lake that holds brook trout. I found one sweet spot where larger fish were hanging around and brought several to the net.





The next morning I headed again into the woods to search for grouse. I found an old logging spur that was gated which told me the roads hunters hadn't touched it. At the very end of the road in I took my second bird. On another trail that was heavy with blow downs and tight cover several birds flushed with little more that a glance before they disappeared. But that's hunting...



All in all it was a good trip. Fishing, hunting, ales and onion rings at the tavern, steaks and a great merlot one night, Scott's great company, and a major chore done on the pole barn. The last rain to come through dumped snow on the east side of the Cascades as seen from the house. Winter is not far behind us...

See less See more
  • Like
Reactions: 5
1 - 20 of 21 Posts
awesome. thanks for taking me along in your journey.
Thanks for the journey.
Every autumn my heart and mind travel to the east side of the ridges.
So many memories.

Thanks
Great trip & tale, Roper! Thanks for sharing. Brookies in the fall are plumb gorgeous and grouse - almost mythical in their ability to flush-away so effectively.
Thanks. I needed that.
While the pictures and commentary are nice, can't make up for really being there for the activity. That included a cow moose & calf at one lake, me losing a big one which was likely my biggest fish of the year - came unbuttoned. Smacked my face with a bead head. Watched a merlin snatch and eat dragonflies. Some cool stuff.

Roper is to kind to me but, a perfect host, in spite of my short falls. I' ll keep going back as long as he'll put up with me.

Such pretty area with so many opportunities for various activities.

Thanks for putting up with me..... You saw that big fish, right.

Have fun on the ride!
Nice report and cool photos. Now, is that rainbow Scott is holding really a rainbow/crappie cross? What a fatty! I've only been in that part of the state a couple times. Your photos make me think I should visit again. Soon. Well, probably not before next spring.

Sg
  • Like
Reactions: 1
Beautiful neighborhood, well chronicled. Purdy shoot too.
Beautiful shots of a great time of year. Circumstances changed my plan two weeks from purchasing waterfront in the Oroville area. No regrets, but would love to be up there in the fall.
While the pictures and commentary are nice, can't make up for really being there for the activity. That included a cow moose & calf at one lake, me losing a big one which was likely my biggest fish of the year - came unbuttoned. Smacked my face with a bead head. Watched a merlin snatch and eat dragonflies. Some cool stuff.

Roper is to kind to me but, a perfect host, in spite of my short falls. I' ll keep going back as long as he'll put up with me.

Such pretty area with so many opportunities for various activities.

Thanks for putting up with me..... You saw that big fish, right.

Have fun on the ride!
Yes, Scott had one hell of a fish on at...um, that lake we were at. It was easily a 20 inch plus fish. The cow moose and calf were really neat to see also, they weren't spooked by our presence at all.

Oh, and Scott, Melissa says "Hi"...
Nice report and cool photos. Now, is that rainbow Scott is holding really a rainbow/crappie cross? What a fatty! I've only been in that part of the state a couple times. Your photos make me think I should visit again. Soon. Well, probably not before next spring.

Sg
C'mon up, we have lots of room...
You can't drive down a dirt road here and not see grouse.

Two weeks ago there were five of them on the other side of the divided highway west of Smithers. I was towing a trailer at the time. When I saw the first one take off across the road flying I barely had time to say "oh shit" before we were mowing through the back three with the Acadia.

Broke the grill, and unfortunately wasted some perfectly healthy critters..
Melissa? Chesaw, right?

I gots some splaining to do, eh?
1 - 20 of 21 Posts
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top