Streamwatch Cutty Trip

[loeber]

 

With little planning and lots of anticipation I had one of the best fishing weekends on September 15-18. I had spent the prior 3 months anxiously waiting for the 15th to arrive and Rick to pick Wes and I up for the trip to Panorama and some Cutthroat fishing, When I got the news that Rick had to bowl that night so we couldn’t leave until 9:30 I knew I would chew my arm off waiting so the decision was made to meet him out there. And we left Calgary at 8:00

 

Driving up to Panorama in the dark, we checked in and got the keys, found the condo and sat down to have a drink and await our host. Rick must drive faster than Wes does because he rolled in only 30 minutes behind us. The condo is great, 2 bedroom 2 bath with a mountain view to kill for. Our only complaint was that there is only one ice tray so the last scotch had to be neat.

 

We got up the next morning at the stroke of 6:00, got our licenses squared away and hit the road for the high country after stopping for coffee and sandwiches. An hour and a half and 60+km of logging roads later we geared up and hit the river. The morning started off slow, lots of fish in the deep pools but they weren’t moving for anything we threw at them. A couple of hours later and several pools upstream we got them figured out and we all had fish to hand. The afternoon continued on with the fishing getting better the further upstream we worked with a few 16”+ fish landed.

 

 

One pool held 5-6 big cutts and a Bull, they had absolutely no fear of us, even when I shoved a camera underwater 3’ from them for a couple of minutes. They kept right on feeding. Wes and Rick both cast to them for far too long before Rick sold one on taking his offering. This set the other s off chasing him all over the pool even during the landing.

The Bull trout had “other” things on its mind and kept on its upstream way. After Rick moved on Wes picked off the biggest fish of the trip, It looks smaller in his catcher mitts…

 

After a long day fishing the ride back to Panorama was a little on the quiet side. I think we were all thankful for Ben’s Birthday Cds for his dad. Dinner and bed followed in short order after getting back to the condo.

 

Day 2 saw us one valley over but just as far back for the morning, in water that none of us had ever been to before. Parked and geared up in overcast skies. This water was a little more like home not so much freestone pebbles as the day before. More fish but a little smaller. We had all had our fill of 10”-14” fish by 1:00 so back over to the main stream for the afternoon.

 

We started at the spot we stopped at the day before and fished up about a kilometer or so until the river was too choked off to get a cast off and the Bull trout redds got a little too frequent for us to be comfortable fishing around and called it a day but not before a few more good fish came to hand.

 

After 2 days of hard fishing and a 1 ½ hour drive each way to the water for a half days fishing we decided to drive back to Calgary and hit the Bow for a few hours as Wes and I have had little to no experience on our home waters. Rick took us to one of his spots (I can’t remember where exactly ). I washed several hooks while Rick landed a couple of fish, he said it was slow but that is better than I have done ever. By 3:00 Wes and I decided that our wives would probably like to see us at some point during the weekend so we called it and left Rick to his run.

 

This trip far exceeded my hopes, I got to see some beautiful new water and catch some gorgeous fish

(The pictures do NOT do justice to the area or fish we saw). Our learning curve shallowed out a lot and the company was second to none. We are already looking forward to next years auction, I hope whoever else wants this item has deep pockets because I will be bidding against them!

 

Thanks Rick for all of the work you did this year for streamwatch and babysitting a couple of noobs.

Dan and Wes.

(We really do need to take a better photographer with us next time)

[reevesr1]

So that last picture does NOT do that fish justice. A little background: Dan and Wes are met through there participation in the Highland Games throwing big logs and rocks and *hit. None of us had met before I arrived at the condo. When I walked in I thought "good lord, better not piss these guys off. They'll rip off my arm and use it as a toothpick." These are large men. Glad they were happy drunks!

 

So on to the fish story: Downstream of where Wes is standing is a tree that goes across the river. Dan had seen a fish rising (and in this river, if they are not rising, good luck catching one. Bitchiest cutts I've ever seen). He worked him for a bit and when he was changing flies he gave me a shot. I was fortunate enough to give him something he wanted and he very slowly, very majestically, came up and ate my fly. I waited what seemed like 30 seconds for him to turn back down and set the hook on a solid 16-17" fish. Then a little bull started chasing him all over the pool, which was very cool. Upon closer inspection, the "little bull" was a much, much bigger cutt. We land my fish, and watch the big fish position himself in the middle of the pool. Then the casting starts. I actually did not think we would get him, but a few minutes into the attempts, he comes up and takes a natural. Things are looking up! After who knows how many fly changes, Wes casts and starts the slow drift. Then he sees another cut rise upstream. While distracted, big boy comes up and take his fly. A couple of minutes later, the smiling picture above is the result. Gripped in hands bigger than you think they are!

 

My favorite fish of the trip is this guy:

 

We got him at the end of the first day. I caught this fish last year (at least I think it is the same fish) on the Panorama trip. Both times it took multiple fly changes and both times in the end he took something little and yellow. Tough run to fish late afternoon as you are looking back into the sun and visibility is terrible. He's the fish of 100 casts. Ok, maybe 20.

 

Thanks to Wes and Dan for the trip. I had one hell of a good time, even if I couldn't hook a fish to save my life on day 2. It is fun to fish rivers with not as many fish, but you know every one may hold the fish of a lifetime. I also may go earlier next year. There were a lot of bullies doing there thing. Would be fun to get there before they start.

 

 

 

[bigbowtrout]

Awesome posts and pics!!!!!!!!! Now I want to go back. Rick how did my favorite log jam fish?

[reevesr1]

Awesome posts and pics!!!!!!!!! Now I want to go back. Rick how did my favorite log jam fish?

 

Not as good. There was only 1 I saw rising in the pool Uber and I was fishing. There were a few fish on the jam (we probably caught 6 or 8 there), but nothing like last year. But the avg size was way up. Wes took a look from where I took the video last year and did not see a fish in all the deadfall. There were at least 20 hanging out there last year. Strange. Wonder if all the bulls in the area run out the little fish?

[darrinhurst]

Awesome story guys!

 

I do hope that one day I won't be outbid on this trip....lol

[cabercrooner]

Thanks again the Rick for babysitting us and for Dan who graciously asked me to come along. Rick's patience with over 600# of flyfishing noob is something to be commended.

 

I lay awake at night thinking of that little log riffle where those cutty's were voracious and were taking something that we couldn't see. Rick, remember you were guessing terrestrials or emergings?

 

Whatever it was, it was translucent. And I was thinking.....what was in the river, was small and translucent???.....and coming down naturally in the current from upstream?....

 

 

maybe wayward bull trout eggs??? I want to go back and throw a clear egg pattern at em!!!!!!

 

Thanks again guys!!! Count on one more bidder for next year's trip!!!!

[reevesr1]

What was the coolest part about those fish, other than the fact you could have stepped on them and they would have just moved out of the way and still kept right on feeding, is how they would take a natural (whatever the hell they were) like 2" away from your fly. You'd see them coming, get ready for the take, and then just shake your head when he rises right next to your poor offering. It was like the presented fly was dragging down whatever it was they were really eating. Freaky.

 

If Dan has that video, he should upload it to Youtube then link here. Very cool.