23
Jul 13

A trip home

Grandparent Camp was ending and I needed to go collect my girl. Of course, there was time on the water.

First, there was time on the water with my girl… which is always time well spent. We tried to get out of the heat by heading up a few thousand feet. We probably bought 10 degrees with 3,500 feet, but it was still 91.

The creek was small and as clear as liquid air, but the fish were clearly visible, even without polarized lenses. I brought the girl down (on my back) and we went up river finding fish, playing a bit, looking for bugs and just generally exploring. My dad came with us and managed to get a couple photos too.

Stalking some trout, together.

Stalking some trout, together.

Gumboot Lake, at about 6,000 feet. Pretty.

Gumboot Lake, at about 6,000 feet. Pretty.

We made our way up to Gumboot Lake and played around a little. It had been about 10 years since I had been up that way and my dad didn’t think he had ever been there. It was a nice little lake. Wish I was going back this weekend too.

Exploring the lake.

Exploring the lake.

It was a fun little trip up into the higher elevations.

The next day my folks took my girl to church so they could show her off to their friends. I can understand that desire and so I was happy for them to take her along. I used that time to visit my own holy ground, my home water. I wet waded and found the water a bit colder than I expected for mid-July. It wasn’t too bad though and I was just happy to be picking my way up my favorite bit of pocket water on the planet.

Sooooo pretty.

Sooooo pretty.

 

More pretty

More pretty

Yeah… I like this place.

upper sac trout july

I like it.

They say you can’t go back home again… but you can.


25
Jul 11

Project GTFO, Day 3 – Return Trip

I had my last day on the water, a short session, just a couple of hours.  Landed some fish, including a couple out of a little pocket up against the bank that has been producing for me for YEARS.  Love that little slot.  Made me happy to pull a couple fish out of there.

I fished my favorite spot again today – Prospect Ave. on the Upper Sacramento River.  It is a special place.  I have a long, long history with Prospect.  I remember when there was a bridge at Prospect that got washed away one winter.  I’ll bet not even the Trout Underground can claim they remember it when there was a bridge at Prospect, but there was.

The river is undergoing reverse development.  There are old, abandoned homes along the river and places where bridges have been wiped out, but there aren’t any new homes being build, nor foundations for future bridges.  It does turn the clock back a bit.

I’ve seen this river in high water and low water and in the morning light and in the dark of night.  I’ve had good days and bad days at Prospect, but many, many more good days than bad ones.

I learned to fly fish here.  It is my home water.

If I’m good and the startup I’m at does really well, I might just get to know some bit of tropical flat in the same way that I know this place.  That would be something worth doing.

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