Heaven Below - Fall 2014

A terribly long overdue post here and a return to the world of "Black Diamond Trout Fishing" adventures! Lots of fishing has been going on but I have been terrible at posting ... Here's a fun one to make up for it all. Earlier this month (Nov. 2014), I was fortunate enough to rally the esteemed company of Jimmer and Phil to visit a deep and mysterious Sierra canyon that I have a soft spot for. Another friend John recently hit this area with great success. Our trip was less filled with bragging right sized trout but still amazing fun and a great visit to this magical place. A trip earlier this season with Oliver, Don and Rebecca coughed up larger fish. This second trip, later in the season of this drought year made it unusually easy to wade and wander about. That alone added to the novelty (tragic as it is) to this trek.

Access to this canyon was made over a moderate pass.

There was even snow!

Compare this photo from 2014 with the colors of 2012 (below).

This spot is usually difficult to cross even in fall.

The beauty persists.

The risks persist!

Usually it's rattlesnakes, poison oak and ticks.

This fly had just popped out of a fish's mouth...

and into my hand. Nice fish too.

The trout persist. *Jimmer's fish
One of many fish and perhaps one of the finer specimens.

The buddies persist!

Myself, Jimmer and Phil.

Visit their sites and blogs.

 http://www.highcountryflyfisher.com

http://fishhunterphil.blogspot.com

and be inspired!

Heaven Below

Sometimes paradise is down low. Take a few bruises and close encounters with rattlesnakes and the 13 year old nature freak inside screams for joy. Wait, let's throw the rattlers back in! Black Diamond Session with Jay Dunkley. Note in image #2 how far back Jay sits while probing the foam patch for big browns? THAT is the secret! Click on each image for an exploded view.

The Price of a Brown

This blog entry is an homage to one of the most bizarre and remote So. Cal. waters I know of. I have been there very few times and timing can be key to avoid overgrown jungle-like bushwhacking, bugs, snakes and summer heat. It's also one of the most obscene workouts I know and my buddy and I pondered whether or not we'd ever return. Recent training for a run (race) had me a bit better off fitness-wise than I feared but it was still a brutal trek of off-trail terrain and elevation issues. Let this serve as an indicator that 2010 is going to be an amazing year for So. Cal. trout fanatics.
Take a close look at this shot. Click to enlarge. This adorable trout stream has a line of PVC in it. Middle of nowhere. Not cool.

The "Black Diamond Trout Society" tradition lives on as we scrambled down impossible banks to find fat butter-bellied browns.

Be careful and go get 'em!

The Hills Are Dead and Alive

A recent trek had not only trout make an appearance but also a number of random characters such as a dead fox, a cougar slaughtered deer(?), a VERY alive rattler and the telltale signs of Smokey himself! Hmmm am I forgeting anything? It was life and death in a nutshell. Pretty intense.





The gloves, for you black diamond trout folk, help reduce sun damage but really shine in giving you less fear when grabbing branches, bushwhacking, leaning on boulders and clearing plants that could be toxic. The gloves are certainly not ideal fish handling items but these were soaking wet and the fish was gently handled and quickly released.