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Drove back up to the stocker pond yesterday afternoon. Some gnarly rain showers and a mild 8-10 mph breeze were happening, but it was in the mid-50's and not so bad with rain gear. In fact, it was downright balmy and comfortable.
I made there just in time to fish the "post-siesta dinner bell." At 2pm this time of year, the trout there usually aren't feeding. By 3pm, that usually changes.
Was a repeat of last week's fishing, except that I caught more trout per hour, but several more of the 1.2 pounders, and only 3 of the 2-pounders. OK, that ought to be enough stats to satisfy the curiosity of you numbers guys. Nothing out of the ordinary, so far.
Right during the middle of a hard shower, I was fishing along a row of pilings, stripping my Cookie Girl just off the bottom in about 9 feet of water, and I hooked a good fish that stayed down and dirty, never jumped, but at least swirled on the surface a few times. The wind was blowing me right into the pilings, and the fish tried to wrap me up. Thanks to the 3x florocarbon tippet and my solid loop knot, I was able to tighten up the leash and keep her clear. I fended off with my left hand and the wind blew me through the gap and suddenly I was clear of the pilings, with the trout still fighting. Like I said, it was a good one.
I finally got her in the net, and was surprised to see, not another 2-pounder stocker bow, but a bright, fat and sassy Searun Coastal Cutthroat! That explained the lack of aerial displays and the tough down and dirty dogfight. My camera was stashed in my roll-top dry bag, and I so just did a quick measurement and released her. She was a sweet sixteen!
Last week when I fished the lake, the water level was at least two feet lower, and the outlet creek was running pretty low, still. Yesterday, the Satsop was running chocolate and high, and the outlet creek, which flows into another creek that flows into the Satsop, was up!
I'm assuming that this fish was from the Grays Harbor/Chehalis/Satsop system.
I made there just in time to fish the "post-siesta dinner bell." At 2pm this time of year, the trout there usually aren't feeding. By 3pm, that usually changes.
Was a repeat of last week's fishing, except that I caught more trout per hour, but several more of the 1.2 pounders, and only 3 of the 2-pounders. OK, that ought to be enough stats to satisfy the curiosity of you numbers guys. Nothing out of the ordinary, so far.
Right during the middle of a hard shower, I was fishing along a row of pilings, stripping my Cookie Girl just off the bottom in about 9 feet of water, and I hooked a good fish that stayed down and dirty, never jumped, but at least swirled on the surface a few times. The wind was blowing me right into the pilings, and the fish tried to wrap me up. Thanks to the 3x florocarbon tippet and my solid loop knot, I was able to tighten up the leash and keep her clear. I fended off with my left hand and the wind blew me through the gap and suddenly I was clear of the pilings, with the trout still fighting. Like I said, it was a good one.
I finally got her in the net, and was surprised to see, not another 2-pounder stocker bow, but a bright, fat and sassy Searun Coastal Cutthroat! That explained the lack of aerial displays and the tough down and dirty dogfight. My camera was stashed in my roll-top dry bag, and I so just did a quick measurement and released her. She was a sweet sixteen!
Last week when I fished the lake, the water level was at least two feet lower, and the outlet creek was running pretty low, still. Yesterday, the Satsop was running chocolate and high, and the outlet creek, which flows into another creek that flows into the Satsop, was up!
I'm assuming that this fish was from the Grays Harbor/Chehalis/Satsop system.
