We set out today for Hayden Creek and the Hayden Fishing Ponds, determined to get a fish for Diane. I really was beginning to wonder what we had done to anger the fish gods! We drove through beautiful country and several miles into a gravel road to find the access to the Ponds. A sharp turn and a very small bridge took us across Hayden Creek and into the Ponds where we were stunned to find men and heavy equipment working!!! No water...no trout...just dirt!!!! They were turning two ponds into one, next year the fishing will be great.
So, yet once again, our best laid plans went awry! And yet once again, turned into a wonderful afternoon!
We drove upstream a ways and found a place to pull out and park. The area was fairly clear, you couldn’t backcast but you could do a nice roll cast. We spread out on the stream and started fishing. Wasn’t long before I had a brookie, a small trout, beautiful little fish. We switched places and I got two more downstream a bit, Luanne got two and Diane practiced her casting! We decided to stop for some lunch when Luanne followed Tucker down to the stream and came running back with her arms spread wide hollering something. I thought she’d seen a snake but turned out she saw a BIG trout, Tucker almost stepped on it in the water!!
Reenergized and fed, we hit the stream again. I was fishing from a high bank in a tight spot, casting the fly a bit upstream and letting it drift under a huge tree to my left where the water was deep and “fishy”. WHAM, the big fish was on!!! When you fly fish you need to have your rod lifted high to set the hook and with the trees and big bend in the stream I just couldn’t do it. I got him to come close enough to see his big, white belly and the length of him, beautiful! What an exciting few minutes!
I was at first disappointed at not having landed him, but when I rethought the whole thing I’m glad all turned out like it did. I was so high off of the water getting him landed would have meant hurting him, and he was much too beautiful to do that to. We were catch and releasing, so he just got released a little bit early!
The country we drove through to get creek access was beautiful and desolate, dotted with the occasional ranch, stock pens and tons of hay baled for the winter feeding. It is so isolated, reached only by a twisting gravel road. We’ve all agreed that it would not be the life for us.
Tomorrow we head south for some dry camping for a few days on the Salmon River. More fishing is in store and hopefully some hiking too. Then we are off to Craters of the Moon before our trip ends at the Grand Teton National Park in early September.
I'm on medication so I'm a little off kilter. Did you skip Stanley and that area--Redfish, etc? I feel terrible--you don't like Idaho and I was the one who raved that you had to go! We had to be in different places! Glad you caught some fish! You'll catch them down by the Tetons, too.
ReplyDeleteI think your meds have you addled, we love Idaho, it's beautiful and we haven't gotten to Stanley/Redfish yet. We're planning on staying at the Salmon River Forest Service campground, leaving this morning.
ReplyDeleteHope you are feeling better!