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View Full Version : Hope Valley and Markleeville area



Ben-doc
08-12-2006, 12:13 AM
Spent the past week up there fly fishing with my wife to celebrate our one-year anniversery. On Monday we fished the West Fork of the Carson. Fish were rising from 5 pm on, but weren't interested in anything we threw at them.
Tuesday morning I went back and got a nice 11" bow on a generic looking dry I tied. In the afternoon we fished Willow creek, a tiny tributary of the WF for brookies. One of decent size, maybe 9" to hand. In the evening we went back to the WF Carson and she caught a beautiful 11" rainbow on an EH Caddis in the evening.

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WF Carson

Wednesday we hiked in to Scott's lake and Big Meadow creek. Scott's lake is supposed to hold large rainbows and cutthroat, but an hour in the early afternoon from the bank didn't produce. Big Meadow Creek was full of thousands of 4-6" brookies and we didn't feel it necessary to disturb them.
Thursday we fished Wolf Creek meadows in the morning, Silver Creek in the early afternoon, and the WF of the Carson again in the evening. Wolf and Silver were slow, but not total losses--I think I'd stick to the East Fork Carson if you make it out that way. We stayed at the West Fork until it was DARK and COLD, about 9 pm. An amazing caddis hatch with lots and lots of fish jumping all over the place starting at about 8:30. They were gulping emergers and I managed a couple bows, my wife a small wild brown. The biggest fish spit the fly about two seconds from being in my hands - maybe 13", who knows. If you bring warm clothes and a light, I would recommend trying to fish this soon. Be careful though, because after falling in and getting soaked, I felt like hypothermia was closer than it ever has been for me.
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Poor picture of a tiny WF rainbow

On the drive home today we hit the Silver fork of the American at Silver Fork campground. Caught several rainbows from 9-11" and a couple smaller in an hour and half on PTs and Prince nymphs. Many runs it was first-cast: fish. Lots of spin-folk but they couldn't seem to catch anything bigger than 6", so that felt good. :)

Sorry for so few pics--most of the photos are on still on the waterproof disposable camera...I'm too clumsy to risk digitals on the water, and too poor to afford a decent waterproof digital.