High on BC

                                             

Not all falls work out as planned and when Henry couldn't make our September trip to Salmon River he started looking for other opportunities to get on the water.  Opportunity knocked on a recent trip to Vancouver and Henry found himself with the balance of half a day to find some water.  I've never fished this far West but Fritz says its amazing (Henry agrees).

                            

A good recommendation and a google search later Henry linked up with Valley Fishing Guides and its owner Clint Goyette.  Clint took great care of Henry and if you ever get a chance Henry recommends that you call Clint and his team. 

Coho Catch

Clint and Hen arrived at some guide-favorite waters southwest of Whistler on the Squamish River and Saged-up Henry with a heavier rod for Coho's and a 10' 4wt rod for Bull Trout.

The mountain clear water was flowing cold a clear from the snowy peaks at 45 degrees and when the full sun rose over the mountains the day warmed up to a lovely 68. 

Bull Trout smile for Henry

Clint guided Henry to multiple hook-ups and 4 Coho's brought to hand with a guide-fly called a Gremlin and converted Henry to High-stick Czech Nymphing egg patterns for bull trout.  (He offered to give all his indicators to me...he's a Czech convert!) 

A Czech nymphing convert

There's Henry mid-stream 4/5th of the way on the right

Gorgeous Bull Trout

                                                         

Fish on!

                                             

Gotta plan a trip out here!

Sometimes the pleasure is just getting out

Take me home ...country road

With my hopes of heading to Salmon River on hold for this weekend, I was joined by James to adventure to a remote Mountain Blue line I hadn't visited in years.  This stream isn't a place in the travel guides, but I know it holds small brook trout as it falls through the George Washington National Forest. 

We motored west on 66 through rain and clouds until we found a muddy and familiar looking pull-off deep in the woods and high along the VA/West Va border.  Bear hunters were our only company, that's right, pickups loaded hounds kicking along the back roads waiting for the lead dog (tethered high on the kennel in the back) to pick up bear scent and start baying!  Yep, no-kidding that's how they do it.   When the lead dog picks up the scent the other hounds are released and GPS tracked until they tree the bear. Bang. 

So...extra attuned to bears, we bushwhacked East for 200m until we found the lovely and happily lonely water.  With the water at 64 and the air at 52, after a weather front blew through, we couldn't entice any brookies, but I know they are here and I'll be back.  After climbing back in the truck we motored 15 minutes to catch a few trout at a better known stream so we could end the day on a high note and James could notch another stream to his belt.  We found this second stream unexpectedly slow and but that just made each catch more exciting, food tastes better when your famished, and when we were finished we found that unbeknownst to us we had been fishing probably 15 minutes behind another pair who'ed just walked through our water -- drat!

Note the small minnow at 7-O'clock to the trout!

Little Stony

With two dogs company I set out w a fish pole and no destinatyion last weekend.  It was blissful.   Jamie guided me to a lonesome forest road in the George Washington National Forest where I chased brookies for 2 hours as I cleansed myself of I-95 worries and thoughts.