In streams like this, I lost countless hooks by allowing the line to drift too freely, catching a lot of branches and roots, both under and above water. Hundreds of times wild roses attracted my line like a magnet, requiring the loss of precious trout time to untangle the bird’s nest. Hundreds of wild trout darted to safety when I trod too hard, or unknowingly let my shadow cross the creek, or when I let the bait land too hard on the water. And fisherfolk face…
Read More
Grace and Power
Early August saw my son in law David and two grandsons Josh and Gavin and me heading to the Sierras for some stream trout fishing. We use the classic Sierra stream rig: a limber fly rod with automatic fly reel and 4 lb. monofilament with nightcrawlers, or grasshoppers—when we can catch them. That set up allows us to reach all of a stream, with brush and trees at the water’s edge, without spooking the wild trout. The key is…
Read More
image by usgs.gov
Trout as Teachers
Trout, much like the cutthroat in the pic above (by usgs.gov), have taught me much about the finer aspects of the spiritual life. Honest. When fishing for the hatchery-raised idiots in California’s roadside streams, Power Bait works well with fish who don’t recognize genuine trout food. Scientific research has blended the scent trout love with a consistency that will stick on a hook, yet with no nutritive value. But I most love hiking into the backcountry to find…
Read More