A long weekend -

[David Lee]

Took a few days off of working on the house (haven't fished in nearly a month) ....

Lee S. blew into town Friday afternoon - out of all the available options , we chose the FUN one - Stripers/Canoe/nighttime . Wandered out to the North Delta and fished 'till after midnight for several LMB , diaper-Stripers , and a lone Crappie . Failed to sink the Canoe in the wind despite Lee's laughing/farting (sucks to be downwind , sometimes).....

Down @ 3:00 AM , up @ 7:45 AM - can hardly walk thanks to the Canoe 'seat' (my arse feels like I've been cane'd) . Next stop .... Creek Bass . Fish populations in my local stream are WAAAAAY down . We work hard and take-down perhaps 50?? between the two of us . A few Green Sunfish and Squawfish in the mix , had Spotties and Smallies to 13 inches willing to eat off the top . Good stuff w/ no others around !

Down @ 2:00 AM , up @ 8:00 AM - I drag more than a little Sunday morning . Hairstacker Mike shows-up - Lee and Mike hold court for an hour before Lee has to go back home . Take 'Stacker out to a small valley River .....

Water is in the high-60's , two feet higher than normal for this time of year (where's the drought ???) , and bell-clear . Things go slow until be march downriver into the unknown ..... finish w/ several Greens , a Squaw or two , and mostly small Spots/LMB/SMB's - Mike takes the fish-of-the-day , a Spotty of 14-15 inches , we have several shots at a 8-10 Lb. Channel Catfish , and I drop two suprise Steelhead (16-21 inches) . River is void of traffic , other than two pretty girls and a Dog . No Snakes . Hit a strip pit on the way home w/ failing light (good thing I left my glasses at home - take off the perscription sunnies off and EVERYTHING looks like a Reptile) . Take a few 'Gills and hybrid Sunnies + one dink LMB and scamper off home . Not a bad three days , AT ALL !!

A huge THANK YOU to Lee S. and Hairstacker for diversion from domestic slave work !! While we caught lots of fishes ..... sometimes , fishin' ain't about fishin' - great company w/ VERY special people makes life worth living .

David

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Getting out fishing is good for everyone.

David - you are remodeling the house? Good for you.....

[Jgoding]

Sounds like a fun weekend! I have to post some pics from the McCloud. I have a nice pic of a rattlesnake that almost got me if I wasn't watching out for him.

[David Lee]

Bill -

Between the house and doing the Garden ...... I haven't gotten out for a month . Very un-natural , not fishing three times a week . Lee and Mike are really , REALLY great guys to wander the waters with !!

Jeff -

Glad you had a nice trip !! When Kev-bro gets better .... I'll take you fellas out where other folks NEVER go - long walking , big ## of fish , NO people .

D. -

[Hairstacker]

David, same back at ya! :D

I had a FANTASTIC time as always when I'm able to get up to David and Candida's. Started off great right away after I was warmly greeted and found none other than Lee Soares sitting right there in his family room. I've been following Lee's posts and adventures for years and it was a real honor and an absolute pleasure to finally meet the man. Lee is one of those great fellas you feel completely at ease with and like immediately, and after you spend 10 minutes with the guy, you just know he was born to be a fisherman. :D

Very unfortunately, Lee had another engagement so he wasn't able to join us for wet-wading this warm water stream I had never been to. And a real honey of a stream it was:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v484/Sachlil/DSCF0619.jpg

Sure wish I would have taken more stream shots, as this photo doesn't do any justice to the many nice runs and slower sections it held. Almost all of the water was 1 -3' deep, which was just perfect for wet-wading and the place was absolutely infested, I tell you, with spots and smallies like this with some smaller and some bigger ones that will make you sit up and take notice:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v484/Sachlil/DSCF0623.jpg

Great, great fun on the 2 wt. rod I brought and even managed to coax some off the surface with a little red/white deer hair Tap's Bug, as did David on one of his foam patterns.

Despite constantly insisting on giving me 1st and/or sole shot at the best holes, I think David still out-fished me. As it was, I know I counted over 30 bass brought to my hand, and I'm sure David got more. Heck, if I'm not mistaken, he pulled 17 out of one section alone.

Also got a green sunfish and a squawfish. Was surprised we didn't pick up more green sunfish, as the water in many places looked perfect for them, but as David noted, it was perhaps just a matter of the water warming up a few more degrees.

It was really something to see that huge catfish circling over and over around a huge old Caterpillar-sized truck tire in plain view. We both tossed at it without any success, although it would have trashed me on a 2 wt. Here's a picture of it -- just look in the center of the tire and you can make it out, although this photo doesn't do justice to how big he really was:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v484/Sachlil/DSCF0622.jpg

Again, a fantastic day! Thank you so much David for having me up and showing me around that stream! Be forewarned, though, if you ever make it down this way to sample some of my waters, I too will similarly insist you take the best shots. :D

[David Lee]

The Catfish ........

We had stopped to take a break mid-way thru a big deep pool - seemed like a nice spot , lots of shade , cobble where Reptiles couldn't hide , etc. .... light a smoke , dig in the pack for the water bottle ...... but you never really break from lookin' at the water , right ?

I hadn't seen any Carp anywhere , which I thought was a little strange , since there are quite a few in the stream . I peeked downcurrent where the pool went shallow into the next run and thought 'Cool ! Big Carp' - something didn't look right . After a few seconds I knew it was the biggest damn Catty I'd EVER seen in moving water !! We watched that thing for probablly 5 minutes before getting into position (don't want to be stupid and blow the fish) . It kept running a circle 'round the tire ..... I think it had a nest in/near it ??

The Cat was well over 8 - perhaps as high as 10 or 11 Lbs. . fully the length of my outstretched arm . I ask Mike 'didja check your knots ? '- He doesn't even take his eyes off the Cat -'Yeah .... everything's fine' ..... and off he goes !

It would have been a fine catch . Consider that tire in the photo is 6-feet across , that will give you the scale .

Anytime you want to come back , Mike ...... we know where he lives now !

David

[PaulC]

Glad some folks dragged ya out there David:)
As always, I dig your enthusiasm and love for the fun of fishing despite lack of sleep.
Fish wait for no one.
-Paul

[David Lee]

Glad some folks dragged ya out there David:)
As always, I dig your enthusiasm and love for the fun of fishing despite lack of sleep.
Fish wait for no one.
-Paul


Something BOTH of us know a little about , eh Paul ??

I remember my 'happy-Train-ride' quite fondly !! Hope to see you this August -

David

[lee s.]

Hey David, Mike,
Mike, GREAT seeing ya and am now waiting for a "possie" attack on some "local" waters useing one of our places for a headquarters. ;-)
David, as always, thanks for a FANTASTIC weekend. Little poles, little fishes, and BIG smiles is what it's ALL about. Sorry about the "aroma factory" Friday PM......kinda. :-) Since I was up since 1AM my eyes were half shut.....so I really couldn't see'em....unless somebody painted'em pink. And since I took out my hearing aids, I really didn't have'ta listen to'em. And since the wind always positioned the canoe with YOU down-wind, the pleasure of'em was absolutely ALL yours. LMAO ;-)
Well, gotta go. Got 30-some new ponds last week for checking out yet this season.....HELP!
Thanks again David for a GRAND w/e and it sure was a hoot to talk with you Mike and see your GREAT smile.....
.....lee s.