Return to Beaver Creek Reservoir
Yesterday, I went back to Big Meadows Reservoir after the dissappointing results of the day before at Regan Lake. I hoped to restore my faith in the Panther Martin lures (or something) by catching some fish from the clear waters off the boulders on the south side of the reservoir. I went through four different Panther Martins before finally getting a strike -- and a small fish. My confidence in the Panther Marin lures returned after catching 7 trout (including one figerling Brown that must have been only 3 or 4 times the length of my lure). I released all but two of the Rainbows and would have released the smaller one if he had survived the catch. I also lost a couple nice ones in the boulders as they unhooked themselves and disappeared back in the lake.
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This morning, I returned to Beaver Creek Reservoir and in memory of Mike, Kim, Aden and Kristen, I decided to wade through the creek feeding the extremely low lake to fish the side opposite the boat ramp (where Mike had caught his 18-1/2 inch Rainbow). After my first cast resulted in a tangled mess from kinky line (new 8 pound line I had put on for the trip to Regan Lake), I worked some 5 or 10 minutes getting the mess cleared and retrieved the lure from the shallows just in front of me (with moss still on the lure). I decided to just cast the lure out as far as I could (with the moss still on the treble hook) and just after the lure started to sink, I hooked the nicest Brown I've caught at this lake and managed to get him in after a little tussle -- thankful I had the new line on and it didn't break and the improved clinch knot held fast as well. Not bad for the second cast of the day.
I worked my way along the shoreline toward the area opposite the picnic area and before long I had another beauty of some 17 inches. I missed a couple more as I neared the point opposite the cliffs I had so often fished before -- since I was already on that side, I decided I should fish all the areas I had longingly looked at from the road side of the lake. When I reached the point, I could see an angler leaving the cliff area and stopping to watch me with interest. Then, I hooked into another really big Brown and could tell it had to be over 18 inches and he rolled and fought until he spit out the lure. The angler said he had tried everything including a fly and didn't have a single strike so, I told him of the Panther Martin (yellow body with red spots) and he headed to the picnic area to fish with his buddy there. A little later, I crossed back past the picnic area and he had switched to a silver and red spinner and he started to catch a couple fish.
About that time, I caught another Brown of about 14 inches which spit the lure as I got him beached but, I managed to scramble after him and got my hands on him before he hit the water again. Luckily, I had gotten him up the bank some 4 or 5 feet before he spit the lure. Since my stringer with the first two Browns was a ways back upstream, I had to keep the 14 incher in my hand net with its handle under one foot as I worked my way back toward the stringer. I lost a couple more on my way back to the stringer and was in need of a good drink of water too. I also had found a telescoping fishing net embedded on the shoreline too and had to manage getting it back upstream as well -- it's about a $75 net so, another good catch.
After getting that 14-incher on the stringer and getting that much needed drink of water, I decided to head farther in the direction from where I started and moved everything with me as I did so. Then, I hooked the biggest and fourth fish of the day (my limit) -- another Brown of some 17-1/2 inches. Talk about being thankful. By the time I lugged the stringer full of beauties, two fishing poles, my hand net and the found net to the car, it was just before one o'clock and it sure seemed like a great day -- and was. Too bad Mike, Kim and Aden weren't here to see the catch. I'm sure Aden would have been at the fish cleaning station with me to see the heads come off and he probably would have wanted to hold each one of them (or at least the biggest one).
.JPG)
I worked my way along the shoreline toward the area opposite the picnic area and before long I had another beauty of some 17 inches. I missed a couple more as I neared the point opposite the cliffs I had so often fished before -- since I was already on that side, I decided I should fish all the areas I had longingly looked at from the road side of the lake. When I reached the point, I could see an angler leaving the cliff area and stopping to watch me with interest. Then, I hooked into another really big Brown and could tell it had to be over 18 inches and he rolled and fought until he spit out the lure. The angler said he had tried everything including a fly and didn't have a single strike so, I told him of the Panther Martin (yellow body with red spots) and he headed to the picnic area to fish with his buddy there. A little later, I crossed back past the picnic area and he had switched to a silver and red spinner and he started to catch a couple fish.
About that time, I caught another Brown of about 14 inches which spit the lure as I got him beached but, I managed to scramble after him and got my hands on him before he hit the water again. Luckily, I had gotten him up the bank some 4 or 5 feet before he spit the lure. Since my stringer with the first two Browns was a ways back upstream, I had to keep the 14 incher in my hand net with its handle under one foot as I worked my way back toward the stringer. I lost a couple more on my way back to the stringer and was in need of a good drink of water too. I also had found a telescoping fishing net embedded on the shoreline too and had to manage getting it back upstream as well -- it's about a $75 net so, another good catch.
After getting that 14-incher on the stringer and getting that much needed drink of water, I decided to head farther in the direction from where I started and moved everything with me as I did so. Then, I hooked the biggest and fourth fish of the day (my limit) -- another Brown of some 17-1/2 inches. Talk about being thankful. By the time I lugged the stringer full of beauties, two fishing poles, my hand net and the found net to the car, it was just before one o'clock and it sure seemed like a great day -- and was. Too bad Mike, Kim and Aden weren't here to see the catch. I'm sure Aden would have been at the fish cleaning station with me to see the heads come off and he probably would have wanted to hold each one of them (or at least the biggest one).
posted by Ray at
5:48 PM
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