It's been awhile since my last post, due to work and life in general. I am though trying to fish as much as I can, and last week was a good time to get out for a day. I went back into the Lion's Den with full attention on catching a fish I saw last Oct. So off I went, wading across the Cache La Poudre River with still a high water level for this time of year, thanks to our incredible snow pack. On the first day of summer, we got two feet of snow in Steamboat Springs Colorado. So our rivers are running high and fast still.
Once I crossed the lower chest high water in the Poudre, it was a nice but challenging hour hike through brush, burnt timber, and rocks. Crossing the creek here and there, chasing down the game trail that kept vanishing on me - I swear the animals keep moving it on me - and finally got to where I wanted to start the day.
I started with my usual duo system, a Delaware Adams followed by a light weight Pheasant tail. This is a great duo to find fish, and I stay with it till the fish want something different. I caught fish pretty much on a steady pace, and then I thought that this isn't fishing, it's catching. I'm not sure how many fish I caught, but I do know it was over twenty.
What I like about this place is, it's wild. You don't know what you'll run into on any given day. But mostly, it's like undiscovered country. I have never seen anyone back in here, and it feels as though I'm the only one who knows about it. What an incredible feeling.
The browns were what it seemed behind every rock and in every pool no matter the size. The fish in here are not giants, but mostly your average creek fish of about twelve inches long, but there are bigger ones lurking here too. The scenery is something unique, because there was a wild fire here a few years back, so it gives this place a certain look. Not the most beautiful area I fish, but it has character, and if it's solitude you're looking for, this place has it. There's only one negative, if something unfortunate happens, you may not be found for a very long time. So taking your time, watching every step, and looking over your shoulder now and again is a must.
Around noon, the fish seemed to disappear, and I couldn't get anything to work. I did notice the wind direction did change to where the wind was now coming from the East, and that's usually not good if you want to fish. But that was fine with me. After awhile I happened to look up and saw that I was being watched. I stopped and just looked at this bear watching above me on a rock. He was enjoying what I believe was a grouse. I figured as long as he stayed there and ate his lunch, all was good. He really didn't want anything to do with me, thank God, because it's the time of year they are on a feeding frenzy before their long winters nap. But I also figured that I don't get to have an opportunity like this very often, so I sat down and just watched him. After he ate, he got up and looked as though he wanted down off the rock, and I figured it was a good time to get out before he found a way. So off I went calmly, not trying to make any unwanted commotion and get anymore of his attention than I wanted, plus running here could also attract a lion, and that's the last thing I want.
Please forgive my lack of photo taking. All I had was my phone, and the suns glare was rough. But most are good.
There are caves in this place, like the one here in the center of the photo just above the willow bush. I don't dare go in and take a look.
By the way, I never did catch that fish that I encountered last Oct.
