09-29-2008, 07:33 PM
Early in the week last week I received a kind invitation to fish with a fellow BFTer on this past Saturday. Initially I did not believe I would be free, so I declined. By midweek, however, I realized my schedule would allow for a few hours of Saturday fishing.
I have not fished Strawberry Reservoir in at least a year. I love Utah's most popular fishery, despite the crowds on occasion, so it was the first consideration on the list of possible venues. At the close of a busy week, I spent Friday night gathering all my fishing gear and packing it in the car. Due to a few distractions Saturday morning, I did not make the attempt to begin my fishing trip until well into the morning. It was then that I thought, "It is far too late in the day to catch even the tail end of the morning bite, and it is rarely productive to fish during the heat of the afternoon, so I should probably just stay home." But the thought of leaving the nearly-90 degree temps of Provo behind and spending the rest of the day floating in cool Strawberry waters, surrounded by the alpine setting of pines and aspens standing in green meadows, caused me to embark anyhow. I am glad I did.
For no apparent reasons other than its proximity to the highway and its sheltered position against relatively steep hillsides, I chose to drive past miles of Strawberry shoreline until I reached a certain little bay by the Soldier Creek turnoff. Once I parked, I made quick work of getting my tube ready. I aired her up, stowed my fins, net, basket, and rods wherever they would make the journey securely and began my 100-yard trek down to the water's edge. Here's a (inexcusably poor cell phone) photo of the bay:
[inline KrocBay.JPG]
I was in the water in no time and began fishing by dragging a whole red sided shiner behind a shotgun-pellet weighted plastic bubble on one rod, while I tossed a blue-and-white-minnow-imitating Rapala on the other. I stayed with these two approaches for at least two hours, changing the colors and diving depths of my Rapalas and checking my drifting minnows with regularity, with not a solitary bite on either.
It was at this point I thought to myself, "Yeah, I should have made every attempt to get here before sunup to catch those early birds so willing to get the worm," so to speak. Regardless of my poor fishing skills and/or the decision of every fish in my immediate vicinity to shun whatever I offered them, I was completely enjoying myself. This was only my fourth outing in my new tube, and adding to my newly found fascination with float tubing, there's just something special about Strawberry. My yellow fins have never appeared so bright in Strawberry's clear, clean water. The nearby hillsides unabashedly blazed with deep autumn hues. The air temperature was cool and brisk, and the water was serene and placid. While caught up in such reflections, I snapped this (doesn't do the scene justice) cell phone pic:
[inline SereneStrawberry.JPG]
You know that idiom: If you don't like Utah's weather, wait 10 minutes. Well, I would add here, if you are enjoying Strawberry's weather, enjoy it for the blissfully few seconds you can, 'cause it's likely to change. It was not long after the above picture was taken that the weather got ugly--a former first-lady-who-is-now-a-N.Y. Senator ugly, if I may say so.
With a vengeance, a stern wind hit the water in a matter of seconds and began to toss me about like a cork. As I had not caught a single fish (or a married one either) for hours, and as I first thought I could do little to hold my position in the blast, I expended no effort to change my blown and tossed course, which, as fortune would have it, was carrying me directly back to my awaiting car near the shoreline.
By a turn of luck as I was sailing past a bank tangler as he was gathering up his wind swept gear, I heard him mention to a fellow shore fisher it was too bad the severe weather was driving him from the water, because he was just beginning to catch a rainbow or two off worms. Knowing that I still had several minutes before the wind would run me ashore, I quickly reeled in the bottom-drifting minnow and threaded a full nightcrawler on the hook. I thought, "What the heck. My day's about over anyway." Plus, I had the sinking suspicion the worms were feeling neglected.
After pinning Mr. Wiggly to the wire, sinking him to the bottom, and drifting along under wind power for several seconds, I had a small 13" rainbow taker just that fast. He put up a pretty decent fight, which got my blood pumping. As if to challenge Mother Nature herself, I spun myself about and began to kick against the assault. As waves crashed against the bow of my tube and sent showers upon my back and exposed neck, I thought to myself, "What do I have in my arsenal that I could get down to the bottom quickly and possibly pick up more of those willing rainbows." I instantly grabbed for a heavy Krocodile spoon, with painted chub-like scales on one side and a bright gold sheen on the other.
I let sail the heavy piece of iron in the wind and momentarily thought my reel might unspool before the gale-force draft let the lure plunge beneath the surface of the water, a far distance from my tube. That first retrieve was met by a fierce strike. I didn't net the feisty taker as he long-line released himself, but I felt my fishing forecast (regardless of the weather) was about to change. For the next 90-plus minutes, I kicked against the wind and netted rainbow after rainbow.
Here is a pic of one the many carbon-copy 'bows that graced my tube. Most of these fish came in at about a foot in length, give or take an inch or two. Not big, but spirited and fun:
[inline TubedStrawberryBow.jpg]
This picture clearly shows the pattern on the Krocodile. This fish ended up being one of my largest, about 14":
[inline StrawBowOnKroc.jpg]
I normally wear a cowboy hat for sun protection when I fish. Let me just comment here that I'm glad I had the forsight to purchase "stampede strings" from the manufacturer. These hanging leather straps tucked either beneath my chin or behind my head (depending on the direction of the wind) saved me from losing my hat three times while on the water. The wind was that strong. I had to laugh several times as I looked around and determined I was the only one crazy enough to be out on the white-capping water. Good thing I felt secure in the very seaworthy Fat Cat, or I'm sure I would have chickened out.
After nearly two hours of pumping my legs with great effort against the wind to hold my course in what I will call the "Rainbow Zone," my leg muscles felt as if they would either burst through my neoprenes with Arnold Swartzenegger-like intensity or self combust. Feeling tired, I decided to use my last remaining energy to kick back to shore. Wouldn't you know it, as soon as my fins touched bottom, the wind stopped. As I readied myself to make the trek back to the car, the evening turned serenely calm.
Here is a pick of the tube at take out:
[inline TakeOutAtStrawberry.jpg]
My final tally was two 'bows taken on the bottom-drug worms, with nine brought to the net on the Krocodile. I know at least as many 'bows as I netted managed to long-line release themselves before being reeled to the tube. Thus, I know I fought close to 20 fish off that one lure. There was nothing caught on Saturday of noteworthy size, but the fact that I caught anything at all made the scenery all the more delightful.
Time spent on the water was from 1 to 6 p.m. or thereabouts. I didn't have the means to take water temperature.
[signature]
I have not fished Strawberry Reservoir in at least a year. I love Utah's most popular fishery, despite the crowds on occasion, so it was the first consideration on the list of possible venues. At the close of a busy week, I spent Friday night gathering all my fishing gear and packing it in the car. Due to a few distractions Saturday morning, I did not make the attempt to begin my fishing trip until well into the morning. It was then that I thought, "It is far too late in the day to catch even the tail end of the morning bite, and it is rarely productive to fish during the heat of the afternoon, so I should probably just stay home." But the thought of leaving the nearly-90 degree temps of Provo behind and spending the rest of the day floating in cool Strawberry waters, surrounded by the alpine setting of pines and aspens standing in green meadows, caused me to embark anyhow. I am glad I did.
For no apparent reasons other than its proximity to the highway and its sheltered position against relatively steep hillsides, I chose to drive past miles of Strawberry shoreline until I reached a certain little bay by the Soldier Creek turnoff. Once I parked, I made quick work of getting my tube ready. I aired her up, stowed my fins, net, basket, and rods wherever they would make the journey securely and began my 100-yard trek down to the water's edge. Here's a (inexcusably poor cell phone) photo of the bay:
[inline KrocBay.JPG]
I was in the water in no time and began fishing by dragging a whole red sided shiner behind a shotgun-pellet weighted plastic bubble on one rod, while I tossed a blue-and-white-minnow-imitating Rapala on the other. I stayed with these two approaches for at least two hours, changing the colors and diving depths of my Rapalas and checking my drifting minnows with regularity, with not a solitary bite on either.
It was at this point I thought to myself, "Yeah, I should have made every attempt to get here before sunup to catch those early birds so willing to get the worm," so to speak. Regardless of my poor fishing skills and/or the decision of every fish in my immediate vicinity to shun whatever I offered them, I was completely enjoying myself. This was only my fourth outing in my new tube, and adding to my newly found fascination with float tubing, there's just something special about Strawberry. My yellow fins have never appeared so bright in Strawberry's clear, clean water. The nearby hillsides unabashedly blazed with deep autumn hues. The air temperature was cool and brisk, and the water was serene and placid. While caught up in such reflections, I snapped this (doesn't do the scene justice) cell phone pic:
[inline SereneStrawberry.JPG]
You know that idiom: If you don't like Utah's weather, wait 10 minutes. Well, I would add here, if you are enjoying Strawberry's weather, enjoy it for the blissfully few seconds you can, 'cause it's likely to change. It was not long after the above picture was taken that the weather got ugly--a former first-lady-who-is-now-a-N.Y. Senator ugly, if I may say so.
With a vengeance, a stern wind hit the water in a matter of seconds and began to toss me about like a cork. As I had not caught a single fish (or a married one either) for hours, and as I first thought I could do little to hold my position in the blast, I expended no effort to change my blown and tossed course, which, as fortune would have it, was carrying me directly back to my awaiting car near the shoreline.
By a turn of luck as I was sailing past a bank tangler as he was gathering up his wind swept gear, I heard him mention to a fellow shore fisher it was too bad the severe weather was driving him from the water, because he was just beginning to catch a rainbow or two off worms. Knowing that I still had several minutes before the wind would run me ashore, I quickly reeled in the bottom-drifting minnow and threaded a full nightcrawler on the hook. I thought, "What the heck. My day's about over anyway." Plus, I had the sinking suspicion the worms were feeling neglected.
After pinning Mr. Wiggly to the wire, sinking him to the bottom, and drifting along under wind power for several seconds, I had a small 13" rainbow taker just that fast. He put up a pretty decent fight, which got my blood pumping. As if to challenge Mother Nature herself, I spun myself about and began to kick against the assault. As waves crashed against the bow of my tube and sent showers upon my back and exposed neck, I thought to myself, "What do I have in my arsenal that I could get down to the bottom quickly and possibly pick up more of those willing rainbows." I instantly grabbed for a heavy Krocodile spoon, with painted chub-like scales on one side and a bright gold sheen on the other.
I let sail the heavy piece of iron in the wind and momentarily thought my reel might unspool before the gale-force draft let the lure plunge beneath the surface of the water, a far distance from my tube. That first retrieve was met by a fierce strike. I didn't net the feisty taker as he long-line released himself, but I felt my fishing forecast (regardless of the weather) was about to change. For the next 90-plus minutes, I kicked against the wind and netted rainbow after rainbow.
Here is a pic of one the many carbon-copy 'bows that graced my tube. Most of these fish came in at about a foot in length, give or take an inch or two. Not big, but spirited and fun:
[inline TubedStrawberryBow.jpg]
This picture clearly shows the pattern on the Krocodile. This fish ended up being one of my largest, about 14":
[inline StrawBowOnKroc.jpg]
I normally wear a cowboy hat for sun protection when I fish. Let me just comment here that I'm glad I had the forsight to purchase "stampede strings" from the manufacturer. These hanging leather straps tucked either beneath my chin or behind my head (depending on the direction of the wind) saved me from losing my hat three times while on the water. The wind was that strong. I had to laugh several times as I looked around and determined I was the only one crazy enough to be out on the white-capping water. Good thing I felt secure in the very seaworthy Fat Cat, or I'm sure I would have chickened out.
After nearly two hours of pumping my legs with great effort against the wind to hold my course in what I will call the "Rainbow Zone," my leg muscles felt as if they would either burst through my neoprenes with Arnold Swartzenegger-like intensity or self combust. Feeling tired, I decided to use my last remaining energy to kick back to shore. Wouldn't you know it, as soon as my fins touched bottom, the wind stopped. As I readied myself to make the trek back to the car, the evening turned serenely calm.
Here is a pick of the tube at take out:
[inline TakeOutAtStrawberry.jpg]
My final tally was two 'bows taken on the bottom-drug worms, with nine brought to the net on the Krocodile. I know at least as many 'bows as I netted managed to long-line release themselves before being reeled to the tube. Thus, I know I fought close to 20 fish off that one lure. There was nothing caught on Saturday of noteworthy size, but the fact that I caught anything at all made the scenery all the more delightful.
Time spent on the water was from 1 to 6 p.m. or thereabouts. I didn't have the means to take water temperature.
[signature]
, so I thought I'd borrow it. Hope you don't mind.
]