Just a note about closers

     I know I know it’s been a long ass time and I have gone fishin more than I have reported, so has Gary  my partner in fishin adventures.  Yes we have drugged RB and Spock a time or two.

Season started here in the beautiful northcentral state of Confusion or Wa. on the 22^nd of April or the fourth Saturday of April. ( Just for you readers outside of here) the 51^st state  I call Confusion.  Our fishing regs are a bit confusing to so many that the state is now rethinking and getting read to totally rewrite them and so the stories are out that are so wrong with what is really happening.

On opening day many of our lake are still inaccessible doto late snow falls, heavy rain and thunder showers and the lack of real working man power (State and County employees) and their excuses  of why thing haven’t been done. Budgets, cut backs, and higher taxes. To damn many Chiefs and not as many workers to do the jobs.

The road to Chopaka is closed and may not get opened until sometime late this month or maybe early next June.  We had a better than fair fall with little to no presip. But they had lesser important projects to do.

The road to Buzzard Lake is impassable,  Limebelt Road impassable to get to The other Blue Lake the Road to Washburn impassable and iff’n you wanted to go from Conconelly to Big Blue in the Sinlahekin Valley you had to come all the way down the hill almost into Omak, take the Riverside cut-off to 97 then head north to North Pine/Fish Lake Road then north again another 6 miles, At least they could of put a sign up saying the road was closed before people drove the 13 miles to find out then turn around and go all the way back into Conconelly  (26 miles round trip or an hour) and then drive another hour and half to get to Big Blue.

Iff’n you were stayin in Tonasket there is no signs telling you the north end of Sinlahekin road is cut off just 1.5 miles from the lake making it another 2 hour drive to get to Big Blue.

The main road from the Methow Valley to the Okanogan Valley Hiway 20 has a major wash out due to a uncleaned covert pipe and blew out more than a quarter mile of road and will take weeks to fix.

With so much snow in the mountains and the north-cross passage  Hiway 20 a last start and some more snow Hiway 20 may-not get opened till last this month.

We didn’t have a Steelhead Season here in the Okanogan or the Methow water sheds due to low returns, But they sure took out $$$$$s for the upper Columbian endorsement stamp so we could.

Rocky ford Creek is a blast to fish in the winter most of the time. This year the weather getting there was a different story we started getting freezing rain in late December, fog  thicker than pea soup and frozen to boot. I did make it there a few time and was support to meet up with a few old friends that live on the Wetside of Confusion. I did catch some fish when I went not many but some.

Many other popular lake still have or are just coming off.Like Beaver, Beth, Lost, Long and some of the other higher lakes that have campgrounds.

Just something I was thinkin about

    Late September Through March, usually  the primary gamefish pursued by Okanogan and Methow Valley fly anglers is chasing summer steelhead. BUT not this year, many dreams of coastal rivers, but don’t make it there much anymore, because they are to far away to drive for just a day or two, and usually either too low and clear for good fishing, or too high and blown out. The steelhead-never plentiful these days-might be in the river,  or most of them might have died as smolts going through the turbines  Just getting here over 9 dams and over 500 miles, only the  strongest remnant have made it back, and WF&W make us  keep the adipose clipped fish. 

    The odds are so deeply stacked against winter fly flinging Steelheaders that you have to wonder why they would leave a comfortable warm toasty home to stand in a freezing river, testing the limits of new age hi-tec long johns and human endurance in pursuit of a fish they're unlikely to catch. The easy explanation--"we're nuts"--doesn't dig deep enough into the soul of the winter fly flinger.
   To be sure, there are some whom hook at least one fish on most trips. And every now and then you might hit it just rite on a mild, cloudy freezing but windless day, when the river is dropping and  hook three strong wild fish before noon. Those days are rare, however, so you have to dig deeper to answer the question.
                                        "Why do people do this to themselves?"                        
    One line of reasoning goes like this: North-central Washington is a great place to live and fish. Some people feel they can’t enjoy it unless they prove themselves worthy. Winter Steelhead fly fishers is one way to do this.  It taxes your ingenuity, commitment, knowledge, courage, and faith. If you can keep fishing through a North-central Washington winter, then your mental has been tested, and you have earned the right to enjoy yourself. This attitude combines many elements with ancient "rites of passage." It fits the traditions of the Okanogan and Methow Valleys: it would have been understandable to both the Indians and the religious-minded pioneers who settled the valleys.
For some anglers, however, the winter fishing urge may have even deeper roots: nothing less than the need to demonstrate a victory of the spirit. They go forth in miserable, uncertain conditions, endure the worst that the forces of cold and darkness can fling at them, and thereby attest to the strength and resiliency of the human soul. It is not masochism that makes these Fly-flinging anglers leave a warm hearth for a cold river. They are on a noble quest, spurred by an idealistic compulsion to demonstrate a triumph of hope over despair, faith over cynicism, spiritual strength over physical weakness.

Or maybe we R just a bit nuts.  

Rocky Ford Creek

  Well Poppy didn't make it, he had forgot that he had told his  father-in-law Jim that he would take him hunting over the long weekend if he didn't already get a deer.
      As it turned out it was just JB and I that made it to Rocky Ford, that's cool more one on one time making sure that JB gets into fish.

8:30 Nov. 25 overcast skies but a warm 40 with very little wind.

I had brought JB a pair of my Simms waders to wear but with his long ass galut feet and him only having a pair of  tinny runners he had to wear his old neoprenes. 

 Without us seeing each other for servile years He said something in the line of. "I just can't get over how gray your hair and beard have gotten. "  I just let it roll off. After us getting suited up and the rods strung, JB asked me what are we using?   

His line had been on the reel for so long with out being used looked like a pigs tail or slinkly. So we had to give it a good stretch to get the kinks out tye on another leader, old school line so we had to  cut off the looped 4X leader and put a nail knot EZ stuff. Then when I saw he was going to tye on some old 5X mono tippit on I stopped him there and gave him a spool of fresh 4X fluorocarbon, told him to tye on about 2 feet. He had to think about it a minute or two to remember how to do a blood knot but he got it. then I gave him a box of flies first the box without some tippit tyed on. " Come on Gregory! I can't see to tye those on. You got a pair of cheater I can barrow? Then I handed him a box with the tippit tyed on, just use a surgeon's knot or a blood and you're ready to go. 

    He ask me what I was going to start out with? 

  I'm starting out with a Sz 18 brown pheasant tail without a indicator, and showed him. He went with the same. 

We were on the water by 9:30 and there were 5 or 6 guys down at the pinch off mid stream. It took awhile to get his casting down. Hi sticking it so that his back cast didn't get hung up in the reeds behind him but he got it. getting the feel of the drift was the next challenge, but he pick that up pretty quick too. 

We leap frogged from spot to spot working our way down from the middle of the creek on the west side down to the bridge I hooked a 5 fish and landed only 2 by 11. JB being a lil rusty got snapped off and we had to retye on another bug.  We crossed the closed bridge and started back up the east side and by the BIG ROCK JB got his first good hook up and didn't get to excited and played the fish like a old pro. Slipping, sliding and falling down in the shoreline slime, but he keep his rod tip up and and this one was in the net. I was above him saw the hookup and was able to strip my line in while watching make the run down to get the photo shot. JB was one happy Boy just like a kid with his first fish ever catch ever on his own.

I just wished I had my GoPro so that I could show everybody the new dance steps that he did. 

The sky got dark a few times with the threat of rain, but never dripped down on us other than a small amount, another good thing with both of us leaving our rain gear at the trucks. It was early afternoon that I had to peel off my sweatshirt and just leave on my lite jacket. 

   By 1:30 we had made it to the middle and the pinch off there were 5 guys fishing here and on this side and 4 more from the other lots of casting and no catching.  JB  found a spot to work while I keep heading up.

  I found a small clearing in the reeds looked like a good spot so I headed in. About half away I stepped into a Muskrat hole a sank to my knee, and fell on my ass, swamp muck all over me. Picked myself up got as much as the muck off and made it to the water. Small peninsula maybe 3 feet wide. strip out some line after dipping my reel into the water. I saw a couple of fish rising and had to do a long roll cast to get out to them. Third cast hook up and the fish took off up the creek. I put some pressure on and stepped back and off the edge I went into about four foot of water landing on my back snapping off the fish and almost swamping my waders. Now both boots are full of stinking swamp muck my back is all slimed my tyed on sweatshirt is wet and flopping on my ass when I walk and I no longer have a fish or fly on my line. I work my way back out missing the Muskrat hole and retye on another fly this time a Sz 18 BWO emerger after see several fish  and look slurping off the surface.
I found another split in the reeds and headed in watching a couple of fish rise to the far side I stripped out what I thought would be enough line to make my cast, but I fell short by 8 or so feet from where I wanted it. As I started to strip back in with that little wake it was taken by a brut and my O my did it like to run and jump. he headed bac at me and then turned and headed into the weeds I laid my rod down and was able to get it turned, heading into the stronger current we did a little tug a war and I soon was going to my knees to scoop it up. With the long leader I put the leader thru the first two guides and at the third guide and the thump I was just about able to reach with my net handle fully extended rod bent bac behind me his head almost in the net a wiggle from him and he was gone. along with another fly.
    Licking my wounds and with my head down JB comes walking up just as I made my way out to the trail. " Bummer Brother, I saw the whole thing that was a nice fish, I would of live to get a picture of it with you. My reply. Lost another fly but he was worth it and was going to have to let him go anyway.
JB....... "How the hell did you get so muddy, you look like you been rolling in the muck?"
            I told him about the Muskrat hole firsh them about the hookup and fall.
  JB...... "I heard the splash but didn't know it was you was down at the spot just below ya."
We both got a big laugh and JB said "I'd give ya a slap on the bac but don't wanta get my hand all mucky.
By now it's getting to be close to 2;30 and so we decided to start working our way back towards the trucks since the sunset is close to 4. On the way back JB hooked into a couple more One was huge got it close but the fish found a good hiding place in the weeds and He couldn't free him. but could see him. I suggested we cut the leader and as soon as we did we watched it swim away looking bac at us laughing all the way.
 We stopped at the big rock where he landed his only fish He gave it the go again with no success and had me give it a try. My second cast and drift it was game on almost all the way to the net then it spit the fly and was gone as fast as it could swim.
We then headed back over the bridge and worked our way bac up I found a spot I wanted to try, JB watched a while until I caught the weeds across from me and I had to break off and retye up all my stuff. By the time I was done he was long gone heading bac to the middle. I stopped twice more and got me another fish, then another hole and hooked up but lost it, slipped on my ass again. By now it was getting to the point where it was getting to hard for me to try to retye on another fly so i headed to meet up with JB.
 On the way I met up with a fellow (Jack) that was there from Portland he and his son had been coming here every year Thanksgiving weekend for the last 9 years since his wife passed away. and this was the only time he got to see his son who flies out St. Louis for the trip.

I later found JB and he just got to where he wanted to be and had his line out said he'd be up shortly.

At the truck I started pulling all muddy stuff off and noticed my net had come off its magnet holder somewhere between talking with Jack and seeing JB, and by the time JB got up to the truck it was to dark to go look for it.

We headed in to Soap Lake to see about getting a decent room and some grub, we stopped at the market to pick up Beers and some milk. I asked a couple if they knew of a good place to eat and a to get a room. " Better go into Ephrata son the man said just about everything here is shut down for the season. Unless you want to spend big money to stay at THE LODGE and what they'll charge you for a room we can live on for a month, We also heard that you can buy groceries for a family of six to eat a week for what it will cost ya for a meal.

So off to Ephrata we headed. JB googled cheap motels in Ephrata and came up with three. The Knight was the frist place he pulled into I followed. 50 bucks gave us a nice room friendly desk clerk, discount for TU/AAA members. Just wan't to see my ID. Which by the way I didn't know that I had left it in my pants bac home But I showed her a picture of me from one of my other C cards and that was fine. we were paying cash anyway. She also told us about a sports bar that had the best food around for the $$$$$. So after a quick check of the room and throwing what we could in we headed to The 12 Hawks Sports bar. Giant Burgers and very reasonable. I'll be back there again. both places.

It didn't take us long after the dinner a few more brews at the rom befor we were dead asleep. Saturday morning up early before the sun hitting up Walmart for cheaters for JB eyes, then to grab some breakfast and bac to the creek. I headed out looking for my lost net. JB headed bac to the east side of the creek so that we weren't lookin into the sun when it came up.
  Never found my net but I get get a small bow that was only about 10" the only fish I landed that day, I hooked many (4) lost them all way before they would of made it to the net.  It stayed overcast till about 9:30 and with a bright sky the fishing completely turned off. we stayed getting in lots of practice cast and by noon we noticed that most everybody had left.
We headed back to our trucks and never even pulled off the waders and headed up to lake Lenore, it was as calm as glass we checked to see if we could see any cruzers, Nothing JB talked about meeting up with a friend by three rivers to do the late Muzzleload deer hunt. We said our good byes and we both headed up 17 stopping at the Dry Fall overlook to be amazed at just how low the water was no mre Island to row between.
Another round of good byes and we'll have to do this again soon. We both had a blast. The highlite for me was just getting him there and the bonce wasn't me catching fish it was watching him and it resparking the fire for him to want to make the time to do it more.

 
     

Good times so glad JB could make it.

A unexpected call

Sittin here thinkin about what to tye up next now that the Rocky Ford Creek boxes are almost full, nothing larger than a size 16 and down to sz 22. Scuds, Flashback nymphs, some Pheasant tails, different Midges, Dries, Bloodworms, emergers, Chironmids. zebra midges. Most have the tippit put on while in the vice so that I can get bac to fishin when broke off.

sz 20

Two boxes

So anyway first Jon Boy calls this morning, said he was in to going, and just a couple of minutes ago Poppy called said he was in. 

Poppy lives in I-da-ho  and Jonboy over on the wetside,its been years since the three of us got together. The plan is to meet up in Ephrata, early Friday fish all day have some chow, get a couple rooms, twisp some flies, crash, get up early (haha) and get back to the Creek and fish till maybe 2on Saturday then all head home. Should be a blast.

 Jonboy came over when I was still guiding to rip some Steelhead lips out of the drift boat and I got him into a couple of nice ones.

Not a bad day

  

Neither of them get out and fish as much as they like anymore you know that life thing just to busy making a living feeding the family and the hustle for work and responsibilities. 
Where I learned life is an adventure you better enjoy the ride now because tomorrow there just might not be the time.
I truly believe that they will make it, but no matter what, I know that I'll be going the day after Thanksgiving.        Ginny knows that this is what I love to do, and she backs me all the way.
Winter is coming the roads will be getting bad Snow, Ice, Fog, so I had better get-R-done now. 
           Happy Thanksgiving to all my readers and i'll be typing again soon.
                    Fish when you can, rod bent & Tight lines my friends.     

Omak Lake under dripping skies

    Just got bac from Omak Lk 37 degrees a little rain but well worth the trip. I had the lake to myself until just about noon. I was fishin off the north east shore around the corner, the whole beach was empty.

 So what do these guys do after watching me hook into a couple of fish.
   Yeah you know!  they set up camp on both sides of me the one that went pass asked: Hows the fishing?? Looks like you found a pretty good spot...............

Packing his over size tackle box that probably has everything in it from Shamo to silver dollar blue gill, carrying a salmon size rod.

I throw out a couple more cast and brought in another fish and both of them had to rush over to see it. Dang thats a nice fish, ante you gona keep it? As I let it go.........

I let it go and pick up my rod and started heading back towards my truck by the boat launch, stopping on the way here and there casting my line. hooking three more fish.
It was getting time to leave anyway my big guts were starting to gnaw on my little guts.

I had a good time tho with putting 10 fish in the net the rain let up a few times, never really pored hard. Yes it's better to just bit my lip sometimes bear and grin at the others, Oh I really wanted to say something other than good luck. I wasn't going to rune my day..

Gray's last pontoon trip of 16

Took a trip up to Fancher Dam on Sunday for my last outing of the season. 
 Weather was great for the middle of November, overcast with a slight drizzle of rain and no wind.  Water temp was 45 degrees and the lake was almost full of water. 
   I had the whole lake to myself.  It took me awhile to figure out where the fish were.  I trolled down the lake in about 15 to 20 feet of water with a few hits and only one fish in the net using my usual flies for this lake (micro leeches, zug bugs, etc).  Once I got to the east end I saw some fish working the shallows. Not having a floating line with me (big mistake)  I pitch an intermediate line into the shallows with a small pumpkin head (size 14) and started to strip at a fairly quick rate.  The fishing was always great but now the catching was outstanding.  I had a fish on almost every cast and it stayed that way for the rest of the day.  The fish were not big, mostly in the 10-12 inch range with about 70 percent Bows and the rest Brookies.  The Bows were fat and healthy, the Brookies a little skinnier but both put up great battles.  I continues to cast to the shallows in the east end and then all the way back to my rig with great success.  By about 4:00 my feet were getting numb from the cold so I grudgingly called it a day. I did not catch anythng worth getting my phone wet for but it was a great last trip.  Time to put the pontoon away for the winter, clean all my lines, restock the fly boxes and wait for next spring.
 
Weather today was outstanding.  Wishing I had waited a day or two to put up the pontoon.

Lb Blue with Ken

I met up with one of my fishin Buddies, Ken Stone under cloudy skies at about 9:15 this morning and we were in the water in no time. Rippin lips, the water temp hasn’t changed for the fishin sure did. The fish were deeper today until just about 11 then, if you watched the water surface you could start to see the hatch coming off slowly and by 12:30 it was on small Caddis fluttering off the water. I finely made it to my spot and dropped anchor with my Sage Accel 3764 and size 14 Elk Hair Caddis I started pitching into the shallows, lots of rejection and only a couple of takes. I changed out to a sz, 16 and it was game on.

Ken made his way down and after letting him know just what I was doing soon he too were in the game.

For a while it was just about every cast weather you pitched and waited or pitch and twitch you were sure to get a strike.

After putting more than 15 in the net and loosing the size 16s I had I put on a prince nymph in the same size 16 and gave it a fling and almost the same thing. Fish after Fish. It was hard to pull away but I had to go you see I have a new leak in one of my pontoon and I was starting to list to one side pretty bad, bad enough that I went to the ores in order to get back to the launch. Back in the canyon at that time of day (3:30) it was getting dark.so it was time to check out. 

At home tomorrow I'l have to disassemble and find the hole, do the repairs and maybe just maybe think about put it away till next season or I can find the hole repair and take it out for a few hours just to see if I got it fixed,    

Happy Ken  netting one of his many!! 

gota love this stick casting 40+ ft 3764

Little dri-flies and hungry fish