What a learning experience this trip was!
This is a long report
I have never felt like such a newbie in my life...
In this trip I have learned so much- but there is so much more to Fly Fishing than I can even understand right now.
It is a freaking amazing process on how this style of fishing is done...
Not just the casting...
On to the report...
Bruce & I decided last minute to head to Crowley Lake when he got home from his seminar in Nor-Cal Friday morning- I just happened to be home sick from work
(more info to come on the sick part)
So we head north up the 15 to the 395 for about 6 hours and get to Bishop.
We stay at a nice little hotel - El Rancho Motel 760-872-9251 - (reasonable rates and you can walk to the Mexican restaurant & the BBQ Restaurant on the main street for good grub)
The next morning we head to the lake- about a 30 minute drive north,
We get there before the gates open at 6 am.
DAY 1 ON THE WATER
This is shot is from the lake entrance facing the mountain -So beautiful!!!
We head in to the nice tackle shop and get our boat for the day- flat bottom 16'
With a 30hp motor on it.
Very nice people in the shop- and the coffee is good
While we were there I met one of Bruce's friends who is also a Bloodydecks member- hookup66 - Jeff McBride- Jeff, his brother Dave and Dave's son Justin were there to put the wood to these fish and they did... I swear these guys were always on - it was a blast to watch
Bruce also knows the guides that guide on this lake- I met one of them, Mickey -
He had given Bruce some bitchen indicators that work great- Thank you Mickey
My hot pink one was perfect and lasted most of the trip!
These shots are as we are leaving the marina and headed out to find the fish-
Here is a shot of the launch ramp there-
Then we head to "McGee"
This is where Bruce figures out that I really have no ideal how this fly fishing thing works...
Here is a shot of some of the flys we used on this trip...
They are barbless and real small and get even smaller than this.
I wanted you to get a feel of how small they are so I put them next to my Owner Ringed Flyliner 2/0 hook.
He gives me a quick casting lesson in front of all these boats that are way close enough to see and hear everything that is going on with everyone who is on the water
I get bit... The freaking fish is jumping out of the water - Bruce is telling me to wind him in... This only works if you are holding the fly rod the proper-correct way...
The Salt Water side of my fishing brain came out as instinct and took over... Yes I had the reel upside down and winding the wrong way...
This was entertaining to the other guys on the water too... Everyone got a big laugh out of this
SO NOW
I get a lesson on how to use the fly rod and STRIP the line in...Key words here...
The ideal is as soon as you are bit you set the hook and start STRIPPING the line in, until you get the right tension on the fish then you wind the excess line that is on the deck around your feet into the reel while doing this- the fish is running to places like towards your anchor line, your buddies anchor line, under your boat, into weeds, etc., basically anything he can tool you on to break free.
It is important to let him take line, but not too much because he will escape, if there is too much tension he will also escape... SO you STRIP and wind as needed
They also love to jump.
It has to be a perfect balance of it all to land one of these beautiful trout.
I am still amazed that I did it
more than once-
Meanwhile Bruce is hooking up all over the place- This guy is one of the best fishermen I have ever met. He is also the most patient instructor that I have ever had.
Now I get my chance to do something right...
I get bit - I am stripping line - winding - stripping - winding - walking around the little boat to follow my prized fish at the end of the line...
Bruce talked me thru the process and I did it
I got my First Crowley Trout 19"
I am not smiling here because I was concentrating on holding him without hurting
or dropping him...It is not like tuna where we throw them on the deck and enjoy the sound of the tail slap. These fish are beautiful and released back into the lake
The McBrides leave McGee and head to Hilton - They never came back...
So we head over to Hilton and it was fullspeed over there!
Bruce puts us into a nice spot and he was instantly on.
As the day goes on I slowly understand how this is supposed to work...
I got owned by several fish and I got frustrated and just had to smoke.
(I have not smoked in about a month and that is why I am sick now and on these stupid antibiotics that make you burn real easy in the sun...)
I bum one from Bruce and relax rethink this whole fly fishing thing...
One key thing to remember is that Bruce has been fly fishing for over 20 years
and I have no ideal how long the McBrides have been fishing...
This is my first day and this is one of the reasons I can not keep up with them. I am not used to being the rookie.
I finished my smoke (that put the hurt on me- I think that was honestly my last smoke ever... It is not worth the pain)
The day is winding down and almost to the end
I drop my line back into the water and I get one on
I handle the fish good and bring him in like I am supposed to
My last fish of the day was another 19" I felt so much better about myself and the reason I was out there learning this new way of life
FINAL COUNT FOR THE DAY:
BRUCE:
Over 22 fish - 10 of them were legal 18" to 20"
ME:
11 fish for the day - 2 legal 19" each First fish of the day and last fish of the day
DAY 2 FISH COUNT
BRUCE:
31 Fish - at least 6 were legal 19" to 20"
ME:
9 Fish 2 legal 19"
and a real bad sunburn starting
DAY 3 FISH COUNT
BRUCE: Over 20 fish with 4 over 18"
ME: 9 Fish no legal
my hands are so sun burnt that I had to take a break from fishing
Like Bruce says " The numbers don't reflect the action we had"
Here is a pic of the McBrides- Jeff, Justin and Dave
This is one of Bruce's friends, Bob
Bob is hysterical - He is hooked up here
More pic's:
This is Tom Loe, He owns the guide service up here:
For more info on Crowley Lake click this link:
CROWLEY LAKE FISH CAMP
Thank you Bruce for a great Fishing experience - I am grateful!
I met some very nice people this weekend
Thank you for everything
Make sure you guys see Bruce's report - his will have more pic's and better fishing info
Here is the link to his post- very informative:
http://www.bloodydecks.com/forums/sh...t229470&conly=
There is so much more that I did not put in - like how to set the indicator or how the flys that you are using at that moment are decided
Go Fly Fishing and See How it is done yourself
Then you can do it!
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