'09 Elkhorn Bamboo Challenge
This thread is distinctly an FAOL Bulletin Board kind of thing. Last April, I won the monthly FAOL drawing and was awarded an Elkhorn ES1489-6 two handed rod. After outfitting that rod and learning some basics of spey casting, I put it in the corner until ...... Late last September, I was thinking about what rod to build next, and it occurred to me that Elkhorn also sells bamboo rods and blanks.
Never having cast a bamboo rod, I thought it would be interesting to build one and fish only it for a whole year. I had pretty much decided that the 1489 two hander was not going to be much use for the kind of water I like and the type of fishing I do. So after reading some more about bamboo rods and thinking about it for a few weeks, I talked to Brian at Elkhorn and we worked out a deal where I would trade him even up the complete two handed rod outfit for a bamboo blank, grip and reel seat.
That resulted in the Elkhorn Bamboo Project and Challenge thread that I started in late October on the Rod Building Forum. Follow the link for the Project part of it.
http://www.flyanglersonline.com/bb/s...ad.php?t=24106
Last year I posted a number of threads on this Fishing Reports Forum for the different rivers, streams and lakes I fished - four long running threads and several one time only fishing reports, starting as early as late February and ending just a couple days ago.
I didn't really expect the level of interest in the places I get to fish and hike, the fish I get to catch and the scenery and wildlife that surrounds the whole process, and the feedback and encouragement I received from so many people to continue reporting on my outings.
Admittedly, some days I didn't much feel like sitting down and writing about a day on the water and posting pics, even though the reports and pics are a great way for me to relive my experiences. When I felt like that, usually some comment in a post or a PM came back to me and reminded me that while I can't take this all too seriously, some folks really do appreciate the opportunity, for whatever reasons they have, to go along with me.
So this year I decided to report on the Challenge in a single post, assuming the administrators don't shut it down !! MontanaMoose recently referred to the "Elkhorn Chronicle" in a PM to me. I almost decided to put that title on the thread, but finally settled on something a bit more descriptive.
I'm looking forward to another interesting year in my backyard here in the Intermountain West. I hope all that come along enjoy it as much I plan to. If at any time it seems I'm taking this too seriously, somebody please give me a whack upside the head.
John
Central Mountains - Birch Creek - Part 1
Where to start ?? Where to start ??
A pair of Golden Eagles ?
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...029_edited.jpg
Or some Pronghorn Antelope ?
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...o/P1110048.jpg
Maybe a band of Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep ?
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...027_edited.jpg
Ah, how about fishies ?
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...043_edited.jpg
Saw several Bald Eagles, but they were out of camera range. The Coyotes were also out of camera range - but not out of earshot, several of them in chorus.
Now that I got started, I'll head on down to Part 2, which is about fishing. Well, maybe a couple comments about the wildlife, first.
The Golden Eagles were having a feast near the side of the road. Probably a road kill which ended up far enough off the pavement to provide a safe place for these guys to chow down on it. They were pretty persistent. I took a total of three passes by them, and got pics two times. A couple were almost good shots of the eagles in flight, but just didn't frame quite right.
There were more Pronghorn Antelope up there today than any other time I've been there. The band in the picture is part of a larger band that I counted to seventy-five before stopping. There were several other bands of that size or larger, and several smaller bands. Must have seen around three hundred, probably more.
This was the first time I had a camera with me when the Bighorn Sheep were around. Over the past four or five years, I've seen sheep at this location five or six times. The biggest band before today was six or seven. Today I counted eleven, both with the binoculars before I approached and when I got within camera range. All eleven can be seen in the photo. There was one ram that had a full curl, a couple younger sheep, and the rest all appeared to be females.
Besides the wildlife that let itself be seen, there were lots of other critters, big and small, that left their sign. Moose and deer tracks around the creek, and some small tracks that I couldn't identify.
All in all, the ride was well worth it, fishing or not.
( Continued )
Central Mountains - Birch Creek - Part 2
The time and temp in Terreton read 16F at 11:00 on the way up, and 21F at 4:00 on the way back. My destination is about forty miles north of and 1500' higher than Terreton.
The first place I fished was downright cold. My fingers were almost numb before I got the fly tied on - a Quigley Cripple tied on a size 14 2X short emerger hook. Had to walk several hundred yards to reach the spot I wanted to fish. It's a beautiful little riffle with the Beaverhead Mountains as a backdrop.
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...010_edited.jpg
Only fished here for about half an hour. I suspect the temps were not any higher than they were in Terreton when I went through, and the "breeze" dropped the chill factor, for sure. Ended up with about ten small rainbows before deciding to head on down the road.
Went back to where I had seen the Bighorn Sheep. Still there. The breeze was not blowing in that area, and the sun was out, so I grabbed the camera and walked a couple hundred yards across the desert, just to the point that the sheep were ready to move away. Not too bad walking - lots of places the snow was less than 6" deep, although in places it had drifted to a foot or foot and a half, well over the top of my hiking shoes.
After getting some pics of the sheep, headed back to one of my favorite stretches of Birch Creek. I've never fished it in January before. In fact, I've never fished this stretch between October and April. Wasn't particularly optimistic about catching anything, but was really looking forward to the fishing.
First spot I fished proved very productive.
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...037_edited.jpg
Landed five smaller bows and three little brookies at this spot, and had several hits that didn't hook up.
Walked on downstream a few hundred yards to try a couple of my other favorite spots. Landed three bows at one place, including the two biggest fish of the day, one of which took the Quigley Cripple dry, and one of which took it when fished wet.
The next spot was almost as hot as it normally is in the spring. Somewhere around ten or twelve fishies. Mostly rainbow, but a fair number of brookies in the mix.
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...033_edited.jpg
All of that in a little over an hour. Which was just fine with me, because I was starting to feel the chill again. Ended the day with something over thirty trout, mostly bows.
On the way out, I stopped several times to watch the antelope. Would like to have gotten a bit closer, but had to leave it to the zoom or risk not getting any pics at all.
For a few more pics from the day, click on the photo.
http://s273.photobucket.com/albums/j...039_edited.jpg
John
Central Mountains - Big Lost River
We are having an exceptionally mild winter, so far. Not sure we will be so happy with it come this summer and on into fall, unless we start getting some serious precipitation soon, but for the time being only one thing to do - enjoy it.
Several years ago I fished the Big Lost River right at the end of January. Looking at the flows over there, and the weather forecast, decided to get an earlier start this year. Thought I would give the upper access, just below the Mackay Dam, a go. Last time over, late last year, the flows were low, the water further downstream was pretty cold, and the fishing was really slow. Figured things might be better up closer to the dam.
When I got out the truck, about 11:00 a.m., I thought it must be March !! Temps were in the mid 30s, with something of a breeze, but a warm one. I knew it would be decent - but this ??
There are a couple nice pools right at the access. The only other time I fished from this access, the larger pool held a bunch of big bows. That was in late March. Today I saw only one fish here, and caught only one, in the smaller pool just above the big one.
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...o/P1130004.jpg
Ended up covering the best part of a mile of water. Only saw one other fish the whole time. Only saw about half a dozen up over about three hours of walking, wading, looking, casting.
The first fish of the day took a t.c.t.k. trailing a Quigley Cripple. After fishing that combination for a while, I decided to go with a soft hackle p.t. fished wet. That approach accounted for the two other fish on the day. All three bows were just like this one.
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...006_edited.jpg
After releasing this fish, I could look over my shoulder at this view.
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...008_edited.jpg
Did have another one on, and lost it, and had a couple light hits. Not a lot of action. But then again, there is some scenery over there. Click on the photo for more of that reason to fish the Big Lost.
http://s273.photobucket.com/albums/j...003_edited.jpg
Probably won't go back over there for a month to six weeks, even if the weather stays mild. Some other places close by to try, which this time of year are generally more promising, assuming the weather cooperates.
John
Central Mountains - Birch Creek
Absolutely beautiful conditions driving over to Birch Creek today. For the past week, there has been a LOT of fog and the temps have been hovering from the low single digits up into the mid 20s, at best. ( Today the time and temp in Terreton read 6F on the way over and 16F on the way home. Suspect it was in the low 20s most of the time I was fishing, but sunny and no breeze at all. )
Every tree, bush, sagebrush, grass clump, flower stalk, and bunches of other things are heavily flocked, and I mean heavily. Or should I say heavenly. Huge old cottonwoods cloaked in pure white from ground level to the very tops, birch trees and weeping willows hanging extraordinary strands of built up frost that is just breathtaking, clumps of sagebrush or individual plants just draped and decorated in the same thick coat of distilled fog.
This pic shows just a taste of the treat we had today - along with a golden eagle.
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...004_edited.jpg
I seriously considered stopping any number of times to take some pics of the flocking, but it just seemed there was no way I would be able to capture and convey the magnificance it rendered even the most ordinary things.
Lots of antelope again today. Further down the valley, more spread out, and further from the road than the other day. But certainly just as many.
The fishing today was more about trying out a new fly that I tied yesterday, than actually going fishing. A Coq-de-leon nymph - a very simple fly using only fibers from a Medium Pardo CDL feather, tied on size 16 1X short and size 20 2X short hooks.
The well tested testing riffle.
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...010_edited.jpg
The size 16 did reasonably well, taking seven rainbows in about half an hour.
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...005_edited.jpg
The size 20 didn't fare as well - probably a bit small ( it's actually about a 24 ) for the water I was fishing. It did take a couple bows in a couple different places.
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...014_edited.jpg
BUT - the real treat came on the way back down the valley. FOURTEEN. As in fourteen Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep. The same place I saw them the other day - just more of them. Today there were three rams. The one with the full curl, and two others with somewhat smaller, but still quite impressive curls. Two little guys. And the rest adult females. Decided to just watch them with the binoculars today and not pester them by trying to get more pics.
John
South Fork - Lower Trestle Flat
Delightful weather we are having this winter. Yesterday afternoon the temps got into the upper 20s and there was no breeze. Went down to the South Fork hoping to find some rising fish eating midges ( kind of like Joe's article this week ).
Started at the Trestle Run which is pretty reliable for some kind of action on a nice day. Quite a bit of ice in the river - shelf ice breaking off, not slush as such. But not a single rise in the hour or so that I spent there. Fished a nymph for a while with no results.
Decided to take advantage of the situation - no wind and no fish - to experiment with a DT3F line on the rod. Just casting a small dry fly, it handled the 3 wt line reasonably well. Obviously a very different feel when casting such a light line, but with a little more attention and effort, I could manage 40' with reasonable accuracy. The experiment was a success, from my point of view, and encouraging as to the flexibility of the rod ( no pun intended ).
After playing around on the Trestle Run for a while, I decided to head on down to the big flat below Lower Trestle. That is another place where there will always be fish rising, if fish are going to rising anywhere in this stretch of river.
On the walk down, I got to see the four trumpeter swans that I heard and saw on 1-1-09. Three of them were in the river, in some very soft water, with a large company of ducks, and took off before I got in camera range. The other one was up on the beach and hung around long enough for ...
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...002_edited.jpg
The Lower Trestle Flat was ......................... flat.
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...003_edited.jpg
Hardly ever see it quite like this. Usually there is at least a light breeze to ripple the surface, and any number of fish, mostly whitefish, to add rings for effect. Not a ripple nor a rise.
SKUNKED.
But it was good exercise in a beautiful place. And a long distance shot of a trumpeter swan is better than none at all.
John
Flat water, trumpeter swan
Thanks John, great read and pics as always as I stay in today watching the inauguration.
Cheers,
MontanaMoose
Central Mountains - Birch Creek
Had some fun testing my new CDL Parachute at Birch Creek this afternoon. That of, course, required fishing for several hours to make sure that catching a fish on the very first cast wasn't a fluke. Somewhere around twenty rainbows, ranging in size from several inches to about a foot long, proved it wasn't.
This was the second fish that took the fly. ( Took a pic of the first one, but it was out of focus. )
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...003_edited.jpg
Started at the well tested testing riffle and caught seven or eight fish rather quickly.
Then I decided to head on further upstream than I usually do. Haven't fished up there for several years, since I generally prefer the water a couple miles downstream from this spot. But this time of year, I thought the fishing would be better upstream because of all the springs keeping the water temps more favorable for the fishies.
This is a downstream shot from a spot that was very productive.
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...006_edited.jpg
This is an upstream shot from the same spot.
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...005_edited.jpg
So if you take these pictures up to Birch Creek and locate the spot with the exact views in both directions, you'll have some great fun with a small stream rod and little dry flies !!
After working out the CDL Parachute for about an hour and a half, I put on a size 18 Quigley Cripple for a change of pace. Put it on just before I arrived at a really nice little run. Six fishies in just a matter of minutes in that small patch of water.
Also fished some water today that I have never been on. Since it was about 10F** when I came through Terreton, I thought I would spend some time before getting started checking out the creek further up the valley. Found an access a couple miles above where I usually fish. Smaller water, but had a real nice spring creek look to it.
After fishing downstream for a couple hours, I returned to that access to do some more exploring.
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...009_edited.jpg
Saw a fair number of smaller trout in this section. Ended up catching four on the CDL parachute. Scared a lot more than that by almost stepping on them. This stretch held mostly small to very small rainbows. Could be a LOT of fun with a 1 wt rod on a calm day.
John
** There is an inversion in place in this general area recently and the temps are higher at higher elevation. While the temps at Terreton only got into the low 20's today, it was in the mid to upper 20's where I was fishing.
Grayling, young Eagles and mile after mile...
...of mile after mile. I hear you loud and clear John, I'm no stranger to ID and have been going there since around '92 I think it was.
I love my wide open spaces and though admittedly I don't have that much where I am now, I do remember being in places like Wood, Boise, Payette and Salmon. One place I remember well is 'Bear Track' on the little wood...could see forever but if I looked behind me I could see the stacks on over the road equipment going on a hiway, though they couldn't see me or my vehicle.
Another great place in ID is the North Fk Boise I believe it is...just over the hill from Loman. Used to go to Loman and camp when there wasn't much there besides what's her name's gas and groc...you pumped your gas then went inside to pay if that lady was open...if not you slipped it in a slot...talk about the honor system...where'd those days go?
I want to go back to Salmon ID and fish around there more...especially over the hill to that smaller river...can't remember the name....but now...and this is all your fault...but a really good thing...I want to fish that South Fk and tribs...shoot, I've been by many places and not fished when travelling ID, but not the next time I make the trek...no way.
Speaking of NV, well I drove to Austin...then north to check out the Rubies...what a vista...din't wind up fishing though as I was actually on my way...yep, the scenic route for sure...to ID...had the used to be lab along for company and just fished for days in western ID...had a really good time.
Utah is on my 'need to' short list also and I don't really know why, but I've never made it to NM...crazy I know...Montana a number of times, WA, CA a lot and of course OR the last going on 10 years but the deal is, I always think about ID...I really don't see how to top ID. Ok, end of testimonial, but let us not forget the ID FI's...I've been twice and look to go again each year but stuff has happened...I know you know that feeling.
Like you hope to make it out this side of the border, I hope to make it back to ID this year...sure gonna try. Remember to get in touch if you cross into OR and we'll have a fish somewhere.
Cheers,
MontanaMoose