Last Day of Trout Fishing Season

At least for me!  I fished this morning at Beaver Creek Reservoir to conclude my trout fishing season -- the license is only good until March of next year and I need to pack the RV for the trip back east.  Had some neighbors who said last night that they would be willing to take some trout if I caught them today so, I headed back up Beaver Creek Canyon for that beautiful ride -- thinking I could put some nice trout on my stringer and on a platter for those neighbors.

I got there around 8:30 and hoped to be leaving by noon with my limit of nice fish for those folks -- after releasing so many the past two days, it seemed to be a cinch.  Hoped too to have half a day to start the packing/cleaning process for my exit from South Fork on Tuesday morning.  All good things have to come to an end.  Right?

Well, I took the Shimano pole and reel as a backup (the one I found in the muddy silt at water's edge of the Beaver Creek Reservoir) but, didn't really need it -- just had to rinse my usual mini-spin caster rig a couple times.  After a half dozen casts into the same headwaters where I lost the big Brown, I had a nice 14 inch Brown on the stringer and moved farther along the far banks of the reservoir to an area across from the mud island that has appeared near the headwaters of the reservoir.  Shortly, I had another nice keeper of the 14 inch variety and released a couple small ones (12 inches or less).

I went farther along the far banks than I originally intended and stopped a little short of the picnic area and the three points upstream from it.  The point across from the mud island had me mentally focused on it as I sensed the fish were definitely there and ready for action as the current from the creek was flowing to this side of the island.  Also, the winds blew from the WNW, resisting any casts in the downstream direction (toward the picnic area) so, I worked my way back to the point (and where the stringer already had two nice fish on).

Last Day's Catch

Before too long, I had a really big strike and had a big fish on that had me thinking it might be a Salmon (because of its black colored back).  It had my pole doubled over and it had me running up and down the shoreline during the chase and when I landed this beautiful Rainbow, it took two hands to hold it down.  OMG!  It measured 16 inches and was the biggest Rainbow I had caught at Beaver Creek Reservoir this year.  I would have been content (and very thankful) to leave anytime after that catch but, I managed to catch another 14 inch Brown after another dozen casts -- had my limit of four and left before 11:00 a.m.  What a nice way to end the season.