Not to Be

When I parked the truck and stepped out, there at my feet was a large, black thingamabobber.  Here's your sign.  The sky over the creek was mostly covered in white cirrus clouds making for that dull white glare on the water that makes sight fishing impossible.  Of course, those clouds come with wind, or wind comes with them, whichever the case may be.  The hatch, if you can call it that, was late again.  By the time it started at noon, the wind was blowing everywhere, even on the pools and runs shrouded by cottonwoods or large willows.  Flat light, gusty winds, shitty hatch.

And wouldn't you know it, today was the day I decided to re-visit the middle section, where I've had great sight fishing in the past in the variety of water there.  Riffles, runs, pools, cut banks, sharp bends, culverts, buckets, . . . it has a little of everything.  Good wading gravel in the upper half.  I walked from the Fisheman's Hut to the pond, and back.  Nobody there, just a guide and two clients in the long run above the hut.  Saw a few little ones come up here and there, caught a few, but it was overall pretty dead.  It became clear the wind was going to keep blowing, and any bugs hatching were quickly blown away.  I walked back up and out mid-afternoon with little to show for it.

As I was walking up the mowed trail back to the Hut and truck, I walked up to within about 15 feet of a skunk just sitting on the trail.  Good thing I was watching the trail and not the creek!  This was the final sign.

I just got a cancellation for a rod on Friday.  Forecast is for sunny and damn hot, high 90's.  80's tomorrow.  We'll see if the more "normal" July temperatures make for more rising fish on Friday morning.  A cold creek is a good place to be standing in such heat.  I think I might go back to Eva's too.  Or lower.  Just seems more fishy down there.

Been a couple years.  There were small fish rising here, and the nice mid-creek rock to sit on

Got a few like this

On this

The iconic view from the creeks, after bypassing the skunk.