rcguy Posted January 21, 2008 Posted January 21, 2008 Went to Bennett this morning at 7 AM. Temp on yahoo said Lebanon was 1 degree. Repeat...1 degree! I thinking "I'm a moron" as I pull out of the drive. 3 hours later I was meeting up with Tinner up in zone 1 just down from the spring. I decided to just put on my smowmobile suit and fish from the bank for awhile since we were pretty much the only fools, I mean true fisherman, out there. After 20 minutes I lost all the feeling in my left hand despite the fact I had gloves on...the ones that let your fingertips freeze. I caught a fish on a chartuse egg and lost another one shortly after. About 3o or 40 minutes later the sun was higher and my hands started feeling good and I was glad I made the trip!. The water is up a little and very dingy. I guess we saw maybe 15 guys all day. Tinner caught 3 or 4 on something that looked like a olive woolly bugger before noon and several close to the spring on top. We fished between the spring to the rock dam all day and picked up a few fish. Tinner did better than I did. I only landed 5 fish in 5 hours but I tried. I normally switch flys more often to try to find something better but it was not great weather to be tieing size 20 flys on with barely "working" hands. I caught 2 on chartruse egg, 2 on #18 red brassie and 1 on a yellow soft hackle and missed several. Tinner did better and is my hero because he's staying the night and going for another day of punishment. What a man! About 2 o'clock I was getting a little depressed because I could not seem to coax a strike when I noticed a guy down stream SWIMMING for shore!. He got out and quickly made it to his truck. I thought his day officially sucks more than mine! Also, I almost forgot, about 1:30 2 guys don scuba gear and go diving in the spring next to where Tinner and I are fishing. Polor bear club??? It was nuts but somehow made me feel warmer watching those guys flailing around in their wet (or Dry) suits. They made a few comments about being cold and I thought, DUH, ya think? It was pretty wierd. At 3:00 the sun started down and the ice started really building up on the eyelets. I had to dip the first 3 in the water all day to thaw them out so I could cast but it really got bad when the sun started down. I walked back to the car and had to knock the ice out of the eyelets so I could wind my line in and put my rod up. Tinner had a net hanging from his back and when he took it off it stayed out straight..frozen solid! Luckily the sun was out all day and the wind was only up a little occsionally so it was not that bad. No way it got to 38 but we lived thru it. Are your finger tips suppose to turn black after a day of fishing??? It was good to get out of town for a day and I'm now looking forward to August. Jerry
jjtroutbum Posted January 21, 2008 Posted January 21, 2008 I don't care how cold it is, was, or might be. I'm green with envy. The shack nasties have taken there toll with me and the vise/tying is not going to cut it. Did you happen to notice how much warmer the water is than the dry land. think its close to 50 degrees year round there. Usually I get cold after leaving the water during the winter. I need to go take a soak someplace very soon. Thanks for the report. Jon Joy ___________ "A jerk at one end of the line is enough." unknown author The Second Amendment was written for hunting tyrants not ducks. "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote." Benjamin Franklin, 1759
NoLuck Posted January 21, 2008 Posted January 21, 2008 Jerry, Most of the time if someone goes fishing while I'm sitting at home I'm jealous. Well this time I'd have to gladly say I'm not at all. I knew what it was going to be like. I don't mind cold weather but, that ain't cold. Thats insane. I will be more than happy to go fishing as soon as it gets up above freezing temps. I've been sitting around here learning how to tie flys and I'm just itchin to get out and try them out. Money has been a little tight lately to boot. Maybe Jon and I can split the gas some day and meet you down there and do some fishing before winter fishing is over. Maybe HFD and some others will come along too. I have a ton of warm clothes for hunting that make it bearable but, when I get cold hands I'm done. We don't have too much time left before the parks are filled to the brim again. It seems like every year there are more and more people taking up trout fishing. Thats fine if you like fishing in a crowd but, I don't really care for dodging people and them crowding my drifts. I was at the fly shops here Saturday afternoon and they were really crowded with people just waiting to get out on the water. If you do get down there again fish on the bottom of the big dam. I fished there on the 31st and the fish were really stacked in there. I caught quite a few fish on midges in about 45 mins. The only problem is landing them when there is a step up to you of about 16-18" above the water level. I hate using a net during C&R but I had to there. Let me know ahead of time if you are going again, Rich
Paola Cat Posted January 21, 2008 Posted January 21, 2008 Jerry ... All I can say is wow! Too cold for me .. I am jealous. I hope that guy that took the dunk is OK. I had a major case of the BSSP C&R withdrawls this weekend. Looking at the long range forecast, next Saturday looks good. I'll be there ... whipping the water into a froth in Zone 2. PC (Mike) Cheers. PC
rcguy Posted January 21, 2008 Author Posted January 21, 2008 No Luck, you mean where the water is coming over the dam below it? We should have tried other spots, I suppose, but just didn't. It was good to get out anyway and it was nice to have someone to chat with..glad Tinner made it. Really the worst part was the eyelets freezing up. Impossible to shoot any line unless you dunked the first 4 eyelets in almost every cast. And then when your stripping line in it was ice covered a little. The best part is NO crowds. I guess CandR is over Feb 11th according to Weavers site? Probably won't make it down until late March or early April myself now unless i get a wild hair. We all need to meet down there sometime. During the week would be best for less of a crowd. PC, Good luck next sat.! I'm gonna be home playing with the grandbaby. Jerry
NoLuck Posted January 23, 2008 Posted January 23, 2008 Hey Jerry, Yes I actually stand on the bottom of the big dam. From what I heard though you would not have been able to see the fish. But, I can assure you they were still there. Sometimes in the heat of the summer that is one of the best places to fish in the evening. If we ever get down there again on the same day I'll show you how I fish it. Take care, Rich
Snow Fly Posted January 23, 2008 Posted January 23, 2008 Hey No Luck! Just don't slip and end up with the fish Then in the summer time you have to worry about someone falling off the top of the dam and taking you with them for a little refreshing swim Oh! One other obstacle if the guy/gal on top of the dam lets their fly line drop down on the backcast watch out for your hat to take off. About two years ago I saw a guy fall off the dam and go down the bridge side of it. About 10 minutes later I see this guy going back out on the top ledge of the dam to fish and he was soaking wet. When you fish toward the dam up stream you can hear everything thing people are saying and I heard him tell the guy next to him "that was the 3rd time this year I have fell off the dam" The guy he told this to decided to move four steps to his left "God gave fishermen expectancy, so they would never tire of throwing out a line"
Paola Cat Posted January 23, 2008 Posted January 23, 2008 Noluck ... that's a good spot. I've caught several giants there over the years. Deep drift/strip a zonker, bugger, or even a heavily weighted egg. I've had fish come out of the deeper water and bust a renegade on top. Fish big enough to make your knees weak. Had one rise on a white humpy 2 weeks ago in all the current and high water that was huge. That area is second only to the riffles below the bridge for quality fish for me. PC Cheers. PC
Members tinner Posted January 23, 2008 Members Posted January 23, 2008 Hey RC I hope you made it back ok. It sure was nice to meet you and have somebody to fish with. My hands are just now beginning to get the feeling back in them, but I'd do all again in a heartbeat. I had a blast. I can still hear that guy that fell in when he got out of the water....whoooaa whooaa. I stayed overnight and fished Monday from about 9:15 to 12:30. I would of been on the water a little earlier but my waders were frozen shut I couldn't get my legs through the foot part, the neoprene booties and gravel guards were frozen in a ball. Then I tried to get my boots on.... uh laces were frozen to the bottom of my boots and stiff a board. When I finally got everything thawed and got to do some fishing I did ok I guess caught 5. One was on a green copper john and 4 on some craclebacks. Thanks for the flies a darn tree trout got my last crackleback, so I tied on one of the ones that you gave me and caught a sucker or a chub looking fish that was rising ont the far side of Suzy's hole. Overall the weather was a little bit better on Monday 20's in the morning but more wind. Then around 11:00 the freezing ice pellets started and they were off and on until I had to leave for home. I hated to have to end the trip but You know the saying... all good things must come to an end.
jjtroutbum Posted January 23, 2008 Posted January 23, 2008 Jerry's famous chub catching crackleback. Shh its a secreat pattern perfected after years and years of baitfishin........... Jon Joy ___________ "A jerk at one end of the line is enough." unknown author The Second Amendment was written for hunting tyrants not ducks. "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote." Benjamin Franklin, 1759
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