A Flies Adventure Through Northern California part #2

After leaving the little truckee we began to head south in search of a campground somewhere near the Carson river in what should have been a short hour trip. But the ideas of a short trip got swept away when it was decided by a wrong turn that we would do a 360 degree navigation of lake tahoe. Now don't get me wrong i'd have been stoked to see the lake for I've never been, but you can't see the blueness of the waters of great lake tahoe when all you can see is the black of night. After an hour long de-tour we now had to find a campsite, and here is yet another thing made more difficult while not having the advantage of daylight.... finding a campsite. In fact what happens is you aimlessly travel from campsite to campsite professing this one is no good even though even though one you can not see. Only to settle on the campsite mistakably right next to the highway where jake braking trucks would be the counting sheep tonight. Woke up or more appropriately got up real early and headed for hope valley campground, it's not on the hwy. settled camp and decided on hiking the pacific crest trail fromm carson pass into meiss meadows for a shot at a heritage fish. It was a good hike up and onto the top of carson pass and it rewarded excellent views of the surrounding sierra's as well as an eagles view of lake tahoe well below us. Then back down the other side into a fairly large meadow with a spattering of large pines and a very small creek that trickles through providing the sponge like meadows the water to provide a wonderful display of wildflowers in the spring. But this was August and the flowers were mostly gone and so was most of the creek though the meadow was soiled. So first we headed downstream but found that it became almost intermittent and though we saw fish these ones needed to be left alone. Thinking we would not get a chance at a lahontan cutthroat we were packing up and getting ready for the hike out when I decided to hike upstream for a look. Here I would find nice cold flowing water and a nice stretch of small riffles and a few pools and no sooner than I had arrived there was a rise in the biggest pool but before I could see another one i was running back hollering at my dad "grab your rod and get over here quick". Shortly after Hares ear had caught his cutty for his second heritage trout. I thought i'd get mine quickly after the old mans fish however it would be another hour before i would get mine. Mission accomplished both our heritage fish and a hike up and over the pass what a day. Now our focus would be on the Carson river where we would meet Red humpy, Copper john, and Klinkhammer for a weekend trip on the East Carson in just a few days. Hot days left just the mornings and evenings for fishing meanwhile the heat of the day was spent under the shade of ez-up lounging about or tying flies. but those mornings and evenings were great with nice hatches of midges and pmd's at first light and ped's and caddis near sunset. Rainbows, cuttys, and even a brown were caught on the section below hangmans bridge while bows and cutts made up all the catch above. And though this place is really known for it's excessive angling pressure we were still able to find holes and fish without over crowding while on both sides of hangmans.

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