But are there places you don’t care to fish, even though you know there is good or even great fishing to be had, because you don’t care for the aesthetics of the place ??
For me, a couple are the Snake River downstream of Idaho Falls and some stretches of the Henry’s Fork.
Great streamer fishing on the Snake for big browns and bows. But the four or five times I’ve gone to a highly regarded stretch down around Shelley, with all my gear and psyched to do it, I get there, look around, and go somewhere else.
Same thing for a few stretches of the Henry’s Fork. Hard to beat the fishing, but the aesthetics just don’t do it for me.
The question is not just for trout fishermen ( you, too, Betty and Joni ) but regardless of species.
Both Agency and Klamath Lake which are only a few miles from the house. The water stinks and is full of algae. Despite that there are some very nice size rainbow trout in them. My biggest was close to 11 lbs but I haven’t fished it in years.
any place that is elbow-to-elbow with people is ugly to me. I haven’t been to the San Juan in a year, I turn around in the parking lot if my local water has more than a few cars in the lot, too. When people are close enough to talk to, they are too close.
Come to think of it, most of SW Montana looked like that, the last time I went through.
I probably won’t fish Amber Lake again. It’s down in a small canyon and you can drive down to launch your pontoon or float tube. But, you can’t park down there. My legs will no longer allow me to make the hike up an down the hill so I don’t fish it. There are 20" - 22" rainbows in there with lots of good fish holding areas and no big boats. There is also one or two handycapped parking spots down there, but my doctor won’t allow me to have a permit. I’d change doctors but I go to the Vet’s and I’m quite limited with that option. Lots of other good spots to fish though.
“Many moom ago” we used to love (and never miss) ‘opening day’ on the upper Yellowstone at Buffalo Ford. Big parking lot, big water, most no more than waist deep, at least a hundred fishing, one big party. Renewed past years friendships, swapped flies and lies. Big crowd, big day, big party,loved it. Solitude? Not a bit; exact opposite. Grand time for all. Pretty place too, no ugly water anywhere.
I’ve fished in some places on the Little J in Pa and some smaller streams in both PA and VA where the shore junk and garbage were horrible. I always try and take some trash out but I can’t carry old refriges, and tires up the banks. Also a lot of broken glass in some areas. I’ll fish somewhere else next time.
Anywhere I feel unwelcome. Can only think of one in the North Island, The Ohau channel, the main area is always crowded and the land owners downstream do not like anyone who is not the right colour so I do not bother with it.
All the best.
Mike.
I have often thought of how great our pass time is. I always appreciate those days when the bite isn’t happening and I just take a stretch to sit and take it all in. Those rare times when I fish someplace where it isn’t spectacular I never return.
Close to where I live is a fly fishing only lake that is absolutely beautiful. Pass Lake is about 100 acres, no motors allowed, is stocked and managed to be a trophy lake. I have fished it a couple of times and caught a few very large fish. There is only one thing wrong with it; a major highway runs right alongside. I mean right up to within a few feet of the shore line. The noise of the traffic ruins the whole thing. I haven?t been back to fish it for number of years.
Another from Washington state. There’s a spring creek in central Washington that’s near a commercial trout hatchery. That hatchery stocks the creek with these giant triploid rainbows. And since it’s a spring creek the water temperature is the same year round. In the winter, it’s the only place nearby to get a trout fix. Butt ugly place though, and crazy crowded. But like I said, when you’re jonesin’…
I go there once or twice a year. Always in the dead of winter. When I get there I always wonder why I came – again.
The only places I dont fish are the places that have too many people. If I can see another fisherman I tend to move. Makes it hard to fish around bozeman at times, but the winter fishing is to die for. Also some small stream fishing is great. But there are times when it looks like some of those old photos with people within ten feet of each other.
The Pecos River between Roswell, NM and Red Bluff, TX has to be the place. No trout would or could live there. Only thing that kept me going back for 10 or so years is the Bait Houses sold tackle by the 6 pack, 12 pack, case or keg. The ratio of catfish to water moccasins was about 1 to 3. Crappie, blue gill and carp to rattle snakes was about even. Jim
One place that stands out in my memory, is Potholes Res. in Washington State. I went there twice with my boat and I was amazed how noisy it was there. The B-52’s & the 747’s taking off and landing, the Carp jumping all over the place and the wind blowing constantly and I never hooked or caught one fish.
Doug
