raposaNegra
03-28-2008, 08:48 PM
with a partner.
I was down on my no tellum spring creek chasing hogs today. Had originally planned to fish the Big Lost today but after yesterdays ugly snow storm, and ice cover roads I thought it would be better not to travel across the desert, and decided to go to my hog hole spring creek instead. I probably should have gone to the Big Lost as it was beautiful weather this morning and there was more than likely phenomenal BWO and midge hatches at the Big Lost.... but oh well (And the bwos and midges were hatching like crazy on the spring creek).
After a couple of hours with nothing but 10" rainbows I was nymphing one of the most productive stretches when I saw this huge wake about 10 yards upstream of me. "That has got be a beaver" I thought....... but as I watched I saw two pairs of enormous tail fins. I snuck closer and saw a pair of spawning rainbows that would have made a steelhead jealous. Each of them was well over 24 inches. When they noticed me and took off they cast wakes over the shallow riffles, running upstream into some deeper holes.
I know that this creek can hold some huge fish but did not see many this morning (outside of the spawning pair) and was quite stumped as to where they were hiding. So I started hiking around. In the upper spring hole, now a good two feet deeper than in previous years due the addition of a new beaver dam I finally found the fish. And what fish. There were rainbows in there bigger than the big pigs below the bridge at Big Springs. Several well over 10 lbs. Or at least it looks like that to me sitting on a cliff 10 feet above them and watching them in 15 feet of crystal clear spring creek water. The best word to describe the 25+ big fish just holding and cruising in this water is DAMN!
So if any of you would like to chase some huge monsters from a float tube, on a deep spring creek damed up by some over eager beavers let me know. These fish are huge. Are sitting in 15 feet or so of crystal water, and are super spooky. I Will be more than happy to take you in there, but will probably stick to the moving water...... I don`t think you can fish to these fish from anything but some kind of boat. There is just too much brush on the banks and you are up on a cliff to boot. But if any of you are feeling adventurous drop me a note and I will try to take you in to the creek or at least give you good directions.
Well I watched the fish for a bit and then hiked back down a ways and started fishing back up to my honey hole. In the hole right below the usual pig hole I look down deep and was struck by a bolt of magenta that I at first believed to be a kokanee. Realizing that it was definitely the wrong time of year for kokanee I cast my nymphs and on the fourth time hooked into the offending streak of crimson. It proved to be a very fat about 20 inch long rainbow male in the brightest spawning regalia that I have ever seen adorn a rainbow. Beautiful fish. I debated about bringing him home..... but released him.
I really need a fishing partner so that some one can vouch for the credence of my tales.
I was down on my no tellum spring creek chasing hogs today. Had originally planned to fish the Big Lost today but after yesterdays ugly snow storm, and ice cover roads I thought it would be better not to travel across the desert, and decided to go to my hog hole spring creek instead. I probably should have gone to the Big Lost as it was beautiful weather this morning and there was more than likely phenomenal BWO and midge hatches at the Big Lost.... but oh well (And the bwos and midges were hatching like crazy on the spring creek).
After a couple of hours with nothing but 10" rainbows I was nymphing one of the most productive stretches when I saw this huge wake about 10 yards upstream of me. "That has got be a beaver" I thought....... but as I watched I saw two pairs of enormous tail fins. I snuck closer and saw a pair of spawning rainbows that would have made a steelhead jealous. Each of them was well over 24 inches. When they noticed me and took off they cast wakes over the shallow riffles, running upstream into some deeper holes.
I know that this creek can hold some huge fish but did not see many this morning (outside of the spawning pair) and was quite stumped as to where they were hiding. So I started hiking around. In the upper spring hole, now a good two feet deeper than in previous years due the addition of a new beaver dam I finally found the fish. And what fish. There were rainbows in there bigger than the big pigs below the bridge at Big Springs. Several well over 10 lbs. Or at least it looks like that to me sitting on a cliff 10 feet above them and watching them in 15 feet of crystal clear spring creek water. The best word to describe the 25+ big fish just holding and cruising in this water is DAMN!
So if any of you would like to chase some huge monsters from a float tube, on a deep spring creek damed up by some over eager beavers let me know. These fish are huge. Are sitting in 15 feet or so of crystal water, and are super spooky. I Will be more than happy to take you in there, but will probably stick to the moving water...... I don`t think you can fish to these fish from anything but some kind of boat. There is just too much brush on the banks and you are up on a cliff to boot. But if any of you are feeling adventurous drop me a note and I will try to take you in to the creek or at least give you good directions.
Well I watched the fish for a bit and then hiked back down a ways and started fishing back up to my honey hole. In the hole right below the usual pig hole I look down deep and was struck by a bolt of magenta that I at first believed to be a kokanee. Realizing that it was definitely the wrong time of year for kokanee I cast my nymphs and on the fourth time hooked into the offending streak of crimson. It proved to be a very fat about 20 inch long rainbow male in the brightest spawning regalia that I have ever seen adorn a rainbow. Beautiful fish. I debated about bringing him home..... but released him.
I really need a fishing partner so that some one can vouch for the credence of my tales.