Chalk Creek

Chalk Creek…or should I say No Creek

Once again The Oracle is right—but then again you don’t get a name like “The Oracle,” for nuttin. Chalk Creek should be changed to “You Can’t Fish Here Creek.” I have to add here that The Oracle is not the only person to say that Chalk Creek is pretty much locked up by private land owners, and there is virtually no fisherman’s access. Colby has suggested that maybe we try fishing it all the way up in Wyoming—that may be the answer.

I took a few pics of some areas that I didn’t think a farmer, or worse one of the mini-mansion owners would come out with a shot gun ready to blow my head off--just for being close to their land. Chalk Creek has more mansions along its banks than it has farms. Usually when you see rivers that are all locked up by private land owners, they’re usually farmers. Maybe it’s just me, but somehow I have more respect for them, guarding their land from encroachers, then the yahoo who builds a mill-&-a-half home on 20 acres next to the river.

I get why the land owner becomes a little jacked up about idiots tromping across their property; especially when you get people cutting fences, and littering. I want to say that behavior like that doesn’t happen, but I have seen a lot of it for myself first hand. When David, Hammer and I met on Mammoth Creek we camped in the exact spot I camped in a few months before. The whole areas was littered with whiskey bottles, cans, just trash—tons of it. So I have seen firsthand what people can do. But, and here comes the big but—is it really fair that you lock up and entire river? Can’t we look to Idaho or Montana and find the simple agreement in the middle where land owners have rights, but fishermen can still just fish.

Maybe it is worth the time to drive all the way up Chalk Creek Rd into Wyoming, and maybe we can have access to what looks like a fantastic river. My daughter, Beezer and I hit the Weber on the way home, which is always nice. We didn’t catch any fish, but she did make friends with a few cows.

South Fork Ogden River

Okay…why I haven't fished the Ogden long ago is beyond me? I love this bad boy! I have actually fished the south fork maybe 15 years ago but I really don't remember it. If I recall when I fished it last, it was a really dry winter and I fished it in the spring; the water was supper low.

We didn't catch a lot of fish today, but the fish we did catch we're beautiful Browns. I imagine that during prime fishing months a ton of fishermen swarm these banks; it just makes sense-- it's close, and it has so many impressive features. To begin with I love the size of this river--it reminds me of the Provo but a little smaller. The river bottom is rock covered which is great on a lot of levels; it creates an environment for bugs to live and prosper, and it's nice to step in--it doesn't kick up a ton of mud. The water is clean and clear with a very fishable flow. My favorite aspect of the river though is the way it fishes, or the holes. I can’t wait to fish it with hoppers in the summer months, it has long runs, with extensive amazing riffles.

As we both expected, it was all about little midge. We nymphed most of the day with little black nymphs (zebra, disco midge) and a number of common patterns as well. But oddly enough the winning fly for both of us was a little cream midge Colby ties up himself; it’s a simple cream body with a black head.  The method was strike indicator with nymphs at various depths. This time of the year, and the way the river laid out, it was really the only technique to use. At the end of the day we saw a number of fish slurping off the top, and we tried swinging soft hackle to them, but no luck.

We wanted to connect with our chum Tommy Bitchin, but he didn’t call until later in the day, when we were already on the river. From the way I see it; I think he’s hooked on fly fishing. I don’t know how much he really likes fishing; I think it’s more about getting out. But for me those guys make the best buddies on the river anyhow.

Thistle Nebo & Bennie

I don't think you can mention Thistle Creek without bringing up the big slide of 83; which wiped out the little town, washing it into Spanish Fork River. You can still easily see the results on the side of the hill from highway 6. The remains of a few houses are still standing, creepy but somehow cool to look at. Its amazing how long an abandoned house will remain standing. Regardless of the disaster the residents of Utah's small towns hunker into the hills, then they put up fences, a lot of fences, and they do their damnedest to keep everyone off their land.

Beezer joined Colby and I on today's adventure, first I consulted the "river oracle"
Mike Matheson aka "Math" on where to go specifically on the river. His suggestion was to go check out Bennie Creek. If you look at the pic with turkey's crossing the road it leads up Bennie Creek. However once you get a mile or two up the road, you will become a communist if you keep going. Let me explain; the owner of the bulls has posted a huge sign warning drivers that they are on his land, and that the government has violated his ownership rights by allowing vehicles to pass on his land. Well, the three of us have a decision to make; we pause and discuss--none of us really care if driving on his land will made us a communist. However we don't have 4-wheel-drive and the road has a lot of snow on it; plus those guys always have a lot of guns & ammo...

After exploring from Thistle to Nebo Creek we parked at the bottom of Thistle, and fished up stream. It's the warmest day in a longtime and I'm guessing it's around 35 to 40 degrees. On the top of the water I see a bunch of really small midge but no fish rising to eat them. We nymph for few hours with no luck at all. In fact we don't see a single fish. We get to a spot on the river that is slow moving and deep, resulting from a beaver dam. I see a rise, then another. We keep nymph, but this water requires a strike indicator.

I have been trying to teach Beezer to nymph without an indicator, so she can start out learning to feel the bottom, and sort of "Yoda master" it, as we call it. A strike indicator and little black nymphs does the trick; which is no real suprize in my mind. On the top of the water, we see little midge,and it's January, it just fits. Also not shocking they were feeding about noon to about 3:00 because that's the point in the day that is the warmest; and the heat makes the bugs get moving. We all know what happens when the bugs get moving: fish eat them!

I had a great day, and I think the kid is really warming to the world of fly fishing. I think more than she likes actually fishing, she likes just being outside. At one point in the day she said, "wow the river is so beautiful in the winter." She will get no argument from me. I have not fished Thistle since I was a teenager. It rates high with me; my only real complaint is the busy road that hugs it's banks.

W

Ice fishing with George, Phil & Tommy Bitchin

There's a first time for everything, and today it was about ice fishing; sponsored by Phil & George. When I say sponsored, I mean holy-moly I have never been so taken care of. Aside from fishing with Colby, I am usually responsible for everything from driving, fuel, packing extra rods, gear, and taking care of lunch. Often times I take out people who expect me to do everything from tie on their flies, to wiping their ass. No so today, it was my turn to have my bum wiped and powdered. I hope it never happens again, because I could get used to this!

But let’s get down to the basic info of the day’s events. George, a friend from work asked Colby & I to join him and former teacher Phil for a day on Pine View Reservoir in Ogden. At the last minute I asked Tom if he wanted to join. The day was beautiful, sunny and actually quite warm. Phil comes very well prepared, and if there is a zombie apocalypse I want him on my team. The dude is methodically organized and thought of everything.  I think it’s safe to say ice fishing requires more gear than fly fishing--ummmm yeah a lot more. Each one of us had a sled loaded with gear.

We get out on the ice, and tents need to be set up, auger’s need to auger holes in the ice, and all they want me to do is sit there and look pretty. I used to be good at sitting there and looking pretty. But as time went by I started getting uglier, so I started getting more useful, thinking “hell looks don’t last forever!” But I did my best to just sit there and watch them do everything. Phil showed me how to bait my hook, but I did that myself.

After hours of fishing with no luck we moved to a new spot, and re-auguring holes into the ice. This is the part that is like every other type of fishing; you keep working at it to see what small corrections will do the trick. Finally through adjusting our bait (box worms) at the right level, we start hooking up. I should say Phil caught one. George goes on about how well perch eyes work, and he even has an eye-ball extracting tool to get the job done. As it turns out he was right, he starts catching. So I think that poor bastard has one eye left, I figure what can a one eyed fish do in this world anyhow—I take the other one. It paid off, I started hooking up.

All in all, I had a great time. Phil & George are the best, and I would love to go again. I can’t say I’m ready to go buy an auger & a tent, but it was fun—thanks again guys!

Russian River

The Russian River, beautifully winding its way through wine country, really adds to the splendor & allure to the valley, but rolls by my car window quickly. I yell, “stop! at least let me get out and take a few pics,” to my brother-in-law Lee aka Calvin. He has a completely different agenda than looking at, let alone fishing the Russian River. There is wine to be tasted, shopping to be done, and above all hugging & chatting with all his dear friends at each of his favorite vineyards.

Now don’t get me wrong, aside from the shopping aspect those are wonderful ways to spend a lazy afternoon, especially when you are on a little vacation with the family—why not. Additionally I would never bore him with making him fish with me—I learned long ago to never take the unwilling or uninterested into the magnificent world of fly fishing if they are not completely committed. Besides from all I have read about the Russian River, it does not hold any trout in it. But that doesn’t mean I couldn’t fish it in the future for the species it does have?

Sorry my angling faithful as you can see I have once again baited you into my tale of tales, to find no fins at all but a pack of fishing lies to get you to hear about my Christmas vacation with the family in our favorite home away from home—Northern California’s Bay area.

It has been over a year since we have visited Lee and Geno, who live in Marin wood, about 30 minutes north of San Francisco. I had intentions of taking a rod and breaking away from the pack for one day to visit a new little hidden Nor-Cal river. But it was just not in the cards. From all the research I have done, it looks like most of the really juicy rivers of northern California are a little higher up, in the Redding area. That really poses a problem when we go to see Lee & Geno because it’s just too far for a day trip; I’m not really sure what the answer is… 

But you don’t have to be standing in a river wetting your line to have a good time; especially with the family. We decided on this trip to do those touristy things that we haven’t done in a long time. We re-visited Muir Woods, went to the Pier, walked over to China Town, hit a couple beaches and went to a museum. Oh I can’t forget what I think was the highlight of the trip for me—my first message. On New Year’s Day, we all went to Petaluma to get a full body message. I have always been reluctant to get a message, just because I don’t know if I can relax and let a complete stranger rub my body. Dear God was I wrong, as it turns out having a stranger rub you down is better, because you don’t have to whine and beg to get them to keep going. I think I have found a new tradition for New Year’s Day.

My apologies my fishing faithful for not fishing the Russian, I promise next time I am in wine country, I will “Get R’ Done!”