High Mountain Streams and My New 1 Weight

[chemdoc]

I have gotten out several times this past month to fish small higher elevation streams on dries, and finally realized that a shorter and lighter rod would be a great benefit in trying to cast in small streams between bushes and grassy banks. I took Bill's advice and ended up buying a TFO 6'9" 1 wt rod a couple of weeks ago and finally got to try it out last weekend. I was very impressed at how well it cast, both up close and at longer distances of 40 ft or so. It is very light and casts effortlessly. I caught several dozen rainbows and cutthroats, mostly in the 6-8 inch range, but with several around 9-10 inches. That's enough to put a bend in a 1 wt.

I haven't posted in quite a while and thought I would share some pictures from the past month's trips. Even though school is back in session, I plan to sneak up again a couple of times before the snow begins and I have to go back to nymphing in the valley.

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A beautiful day for a hike

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My friend and frequent fishing buddy Andan

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Stalking a wary trout

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My first fish on the new rod, a 9 inch cutthroat

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The biggest cutthroat I managed in August, a 12 incher caught in the pool below

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I had never caught a brookie before, so I tried some other areas and finally managed to catch one under some aspens. Looks like a nice spot for fall colors later on.

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After I fished all day Friday, my wife and younger son joined me for the weekend where we stayed in the Silver Fork area. As Scott V has been posting, the fishing there has been good for small rainbows. I didn't get out too much there, but found a little time in morning and evening and even got my son out a couple of times. We caught a lot of the 6-8 inch variety and my son got the this one on my new rod.

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Contrary to reports from the forest service, the water in the Silver Fork is not extremely high or cold from the Caples flows. It was similar to flows in late May and the water temp was 62 degrees. Just right for dry flies.

[Ed Wahl]

Nice shots, love those small stream fish. Looks like you were there a little earlier than me, when I was up there the Lupine was starting to fade.

I tried the ziplock bag trick last year but what I got were pictures that looked like we were getting ready to microwave a trout. Ed

[chemdoc]

It does look a bit odd to have the fish in a bag, but I find that it is pretty low stress for them when I need a picture. I used this approach when doing the heritage trout challenge, an idea I got from Bob and Chris Laskodi. I think those flowers were blooming when we went up at the end of July. By last weekend they were mostly gone.

[Scott V]

Nice pics, I really like the area you hiked up to, it looks like you get away from the crowds and also you had some very nice views, plus the trail looks somewhat easy compared to the mountain goating Ed takes me to.

As for Silverfork, yeah the flows aren't bad below Caples Creek section, but once you get above that intersection of the 2 streams Caples is flowing high and hard. I fished above the intersection and was only able to find a few very small fish.

[paulegan81]

Scott
isn't that what you mostly find..... :lol: :lol: :lol:

just kid'n you'll find one of those big stripes soon

Paul
tight lines to all
and to all a good fight...!

[Scott V]

Scott
isn't that what you mostly find..... :lol: :lol: :lol:

just kid'n you'll find one of those big stripes soon

Paul
tight lines to all
and to all a good fight...!


They may be small, but I always find them. If I still had my boat I could spend more time targeting stripers, maybe you will have to take meet out some evening and school me on stripers. :D

[Ed Wahl]

No worries Scott, I know a hard way into that meadow. Ed

[Hairstacker]

No worries Scott, I know a hard way into that meadow. Ed
:lol: :lol: :lol:

[Scott V]

No worries Scott, I know a hard way into that meadow. Ed

I knew I could could count on you, thanks Ed.

[mems]

Aloha, glad you like the TFO rod. Is that the finesse 1 wt rod? What reel and line did you match up with that? Smallstreams are a blast, it is like being back in kindergarten. Mems.

[chemdoc]

Those streams are fantastic. Some folks don't like to catch smaller fish, but hiking through beautiful mountain scenery in solitude and watching those fish rise to a dry fly is unbeatable.

As to the rod, it is indeed the Lefty Kreh Finesse. I wanted the lightest reel possible, so I went with an Orvis Battenkill Bar Stock size 1, which only weighs 3 ounces. The line I choose is a Sage performance taper WF 2 wt. It casts beautifully on this rod. I was quite pleased that Bill had all of these items in stock so I didn't even have to wait once I got the bug.