Fishing Salmon Creek
Got a chance to fish Salmon Creek twice this past Labor Day weekend.
What a great place to take youngsters to learn to fly fish! Yes, the fish are small. Yes, the creek is a bit brushy. Yes, the occasional rattlesnake will buzz. But, oh is Salmon a fun creek to fish!
Friday, August 29th the old guys fished private waters and probably walked a hundred yard section in a couple hours. Why only 100 yards? Well, when you're hooking a scrappy Rainbow every other drift, you tend to slow down and enjoy yourself! Mid morning the hoppers were like kicking up gravel when you walked and almost any terrestrial fly might have worked. With all the fish sliming up my MFC "More-or-Less" tan #12 hopper, I was happy to have a totally foam, high floating pattern.
As morning progressed, cloudcover edged in and the wind picked up blowing many naturals in the Creek. However, we didn't see any other bug activity in that section. Thinking there MUST be a lunker lurking in some particularly fishy water, I switched to a short flourocarbon sinking leader, with a piece of tin shot 20" up. Tipped with a #8 grey Rickards Chub Minnow, I started paying out some floating line downstream. Once the lil's streamer was holding above the juicy slot, I used a 'hang-down' and finally got a Mrs. Big (a 15" Redband) to make an appearance. Wow, those fish fight well! This fish shot up the opposite the bank in the grass the second she knew she was hooked. After bouncing back in the water she headed back for her hold and I thought she wrapped me on a rock for a moment. Soon I slipped a knotless net under her and snapped a quick photo. She swam off quickly no worse for the wear. These trout are definitely worth the trouble of getting permission and thanking the landowner with a special gift.
On Sunday the 31st, 
the kids got a shot at a different section of Salmon Creek a few miles down the valley. Both young anglers rigged up light rods including an Echo "Gecko" 4/5 (the perfect lil' kid creek rod as far as I'm concerned). After shortening up their leaders a bit to handle such close quarters, each chose a hole to fling their hopper in. Boom, Clap: the sound of fish on and kids laughing. What a hoot! Our competition for "High Fish" was won by an 10" fin-clipped Rainbow headed for the frypan. Each kid must have hooked and lost at least 10 trout plus a few more they actually got to hand. Barbless hooks (required on Salmon Creek) seem to ease the constant hook removal of a creek outing with youngsters I highly recommend them! We're looking forward to fishing Salmon Creek through the end of its season on October 31st.