Skinny water Rainbows

This summer more than just about any other I can remember was all about the small water for me. A number of factors have influenced this ranging from a love of  my new 6' 1wt Scott fiberglass rod to an ever shrinking Washington stream season and just an overall drive to be in the outdoors and explore some new water. A few days back, I returned to one of my favorite south Cascades streams to see what was happening since I had last been there a few years ago. The weather for the day couldn't have been better and the flows although a bit low overall were perfect for wet wading.

 

Low flows on the creek

This creek has always had a special appeal for me, the combination of feisty native Coastal Rainbows and a nearly pristine stretch of old growth forest, just make it hard not to like. I started out by first putting in a bit of leg work and hiked into a canyon that has always held the best water on the stream and what would you know within a few casts I was into fish. Like usual the fish were very excepting of dry flies and once hooked would absolutely go nuts. On more that one occasion I was dealing with 8" to 12" Rainbows tail-walking across the entire creek and putting my little 1wt to the test. An occurrence that continued to remind me what makes out of the way places like this so special.

A beautiful little native Coastal Rainbow Trout

As evening came on caddis started to come off and the fish got even more aggressive, but the sun goes down quickly in old growth canyon like this one and the fading light was my warning that it was time to hang up the rod for the day and make for home again.

The half light of the canyon