Back to the Creek Again

I don't know exactly what it is about small streams and the trout that inhabit them, but once you catch the bug it is hard not to keep coming back for more. Sure there is always a bigger more famous river or stream down the road and sure the trout are likely to be larger as well, but when I have a day free I find myself heading for the smaller waters. Part of the appeal of these waters is simply the fact that they aren't famous, meaning that once on the water you are unlikely to see another angler. Then there is also the fact that many of these waters flow through some of the most stunning country around. The trout, while generally small, tend to be willing, wild, often times native and almost always about as beautiful as their surroundings. Simply put things on these smaller waters tend to be just as they are supposed to be and I think it is this that keeps me coming back.

All of the reasons listed above are what led me back to my favorite little mountain creek a few days ago. This time my buddy Gus joined me and with a little more summer-like weather flows had dropped considerably, putting the creek in prime condition.

Gotta love the smaller things in life...

Within about fifty feet of where we started I had landed six fish and risen several others, within a hundred feet I had just flat out lost track already, making for a good start to what would be a very good day.

Native and eager to rise... What more can you ask for?

Just about all of the likely looking pools and pockets produced a few fish, all beautiful native Westslope Cutthroat. In the standard Cutthroat fashion, the fish in the creek had eyes for the sky and a sweet tooth for bigger attractor dries and flying ant patterns.

Gus admiring a beautiful little Cutthroat

As is typical with these types of streams, as we worked high up into the drainage and further from the "easy" to access spots, the size of the fish began to increase. In the very last section of the creek that we hit, I got my fish of the day a beautiful 12" Cutthroat, which put my 2wt to work before finally coming to the net.

A great fish to end the day with

With that fish and our flies tattered from the relentless attacks of rising Cutthroat there was really no reason to continue fishing, so we made our way back down stream already thinking of the next outing.