As I crept down that dusty road to Cow Creek inching my way to Lake Davis my hopes were high just rolling through the woods and taking it all in. The lake came into view and so did the memories of last year at this time, I knew the tears were coming. Not so bad this time around but enough to have a few roll down my cheeks and rest in the corner of my mouth. The taste of those tears were sweet this time, and with that taste came a feeling of true happiness that I was lucky enough to fish with such a loyal partner. Everything was the same as last year, the weather, the hatches, the fish rising right off the bank, and the low angle of the autumn sun giving the landscape a different perspective of nature's special effects. Everything except Madison being there at my side.
Tucked away in my little pullout off the road I rigged the rod and took my time getting dressed. It was so quite out, not a puff of wind or any other sounds to be had. Sightings of any two legged creatures casting in the distance could not be seen as well. There was nothing, just the sun beating down on me providing a blanket of warmth and security. The trek to the buckets is not that far but I took my time to observe some strange bird behavior I solved the mystery to a few years ago at Eagle Lake that baffled a top ornithologist. There were dozens of red shafted northern flickers in the meadows far away from any pine trees or normal habitat. They were rooting deep in the grass completely oblivious to my oncoming presence and the loud noise of dry grass crunching under my boots. The flickers were eating grasshoppers at the right time in the morning; just enough warmth to get those hoppers active, yet not enough sun for them to be able to hop away and fly. The birds were gorging themselves. I love it when the creatures of the great creator think outside the box and prove the experts wrong.
Surface water temps ran 62-65 degrees, and though not the best they are coming down. Hatches included sparse calibaetis, little chartreuse midge, and blood midges in a size 12. They were really keyed in on the blood midge emergers that were popping up from underneath the surface. The trout are already in the skinny water searching for high volumes of food before winter comes on, how skinny? 2-4 feet! For the next 2.5 hours I hooked into 8 rainbows that were so beautiful and clean of any parasites; all on the dry fly. These shallow water trout were stalked and sight fished to. Does it get any better than that? Not a chance, and with my eighth fish released I sat in the shade of a lone pine tree and just watched the fish rise away. Later that day I ran into Gene and the rest of the Granite Bay Fly Fishing club members and we compared notes. They were doing well with calibaetis nymphs and casting to rising fish. They also said the fish they caught and released were very clean as well. Good news!
The fish are in the skinny water and it's getting to be that time of year when the bite really turns on. I saw my first fall colors in Truckee on Thursday and like a passenger train, autumn is on its way. Get your boarding pass now and hop aboard!
