FisherDad – Outdoor adventures, particularly trout angling

An Antelope-Fish Story

We were surprised, and blessed, to witness these two Pronghorn antelope crossing the dirt road as we turned off NV-318 into the Kirch WMA. The one on the left was a young buck, likely less than two years old. It was a mere premonition of what was to come.

In the last 18 years, I have fished the Wayne Kirch Wildlife Management Area (Kirch WMA) at least 40 times. The Kirch WMA resides in the extreme eastern portion of Nye County, NV, about 60 miles south of Ely, NV. I have encountered Pronghorn antelope on two of those previous trips. My good friend, Luis, accompanied me on this trip. As I turned off NV Highway 318 onto the Kirch dirt access road, I mentioned to him there was a possibility we would see a Pronghorn or two. As if by some magic of the natural world, I immediately noticed a Pronghorn walking towards us on the Kirch access road. We were almost in disbelief as another joined it, and the two bucks sauntered off together in a southwesterly fashion.

December Trout at Cold Creek

Luis rigging up his fly rod on the Fish Taco tailgate. Although not visible in this photo, there were patches of snow from a mid-November snow storm on the north-facing crags over 9,000 feet.

We’ve had some unseasonably warm weather this first week of December, so my friend Luis and I decided to take a morning trip to Cold Creek pond to see what was left of the 987 trout planted in the pond about one month ago, probably during the cold snap we had in November so that the trout would survive the tanker delivery truck journey from the hatchery.

Kolob Reservoir During the Dog Days of Summer

Some of the white sandstone cliffs of Zion National Park. Note the ones just above the red sandstone in the extreme right of this photo.

My first visit to Kolob Reservoir was late June 2005. I cajoled three of my sons to come with me (Douglas, Thomas, and Brian). They made the trip fun with all sorts of comedy antics and teenage bantering. Although Kolob gave up just one five-inch trout between the four of us, it remains one of my most memorable adventures (see Kolob & Little Reservoirs).

Cold Springs in the Kirch WMA

Luis bringing in a Rainbow trout from Cold Springs Reservoir.

The Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) manages the State’s thirteen Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) for the purpose of “conservation and protection of wetlands and waterfowl, including the use of WMAs for recreational fishing and hunting.” They also publish brochures such as the one for the Wayne Kirch WMA (which currently includes a photo of FisherDad lifted from this blog).

A Cold Creek Photo Shoot

A well framed photo of FisherDad seeking to catch “just one trout” from atop the dam that holds back the Cold Creek trout pond. The snow on Willow Peak in the background provided an interesting contrast (Willow is just under 10,000 feet tall). The burn area on its northeast face enhances the snow’s visibility. *(Photo by Yvette Robichaud.)*

One of the hobbies my sister-in-law Yvette enjoys is photography. She is quite skilled at it and is regularly active in a camera club. It seems to me that her interest in outdoor photography has expanded in her retirement years. She has participated in several camera trips to some of North America’s most remarkable national parks like Everglades, Acadia, Yosemite, Yellowstone, and Banff (Canada).

Grandkids

About nine months ago I posted a story about taking my grandson Atlas to fish the Cold Creek pond. My son and his family will be relocating out of state, and Atlas and his sister Rhyan were asking to go fishing with “Pops” again before they move. This would be Rhyan’s first fishing adventure.

A Christmas Message

The east slope of the Sierra Nevada mountains from Bridgeport, CA, in June 2010. From this ranch on US-395, Yosemite National Park would be about 45 miles, directly as the crow flies over the Twin Peaks and Tuolumne Meadows and on to Half Dome, on the western side of the Sierras.

Another Christmas Season is upon us. They come so quickly for us sexagenarians, septuagenarians, and a couple octogenarians I know. For young families with children, the anticipation creates high energy and expectations. Older families look forward to reconnecting, especially with those members away at college or who have relocated from their home town. Despite its over-commercialization, it remains a time of celebration with family and friends, a time of generosity, kindness, and charity towards everyone. It can be a time of reconciliation for those whose relationships are strained for one reason or another. For some, it is a time to reflect upon the events of the past year and look forward to a “clean slate” offered by the new year. But underneath it all, the core of Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus. It is true that our nation appears to be moving away from its Christian roots, which has caused the holiday to feel more secular as its focus shifted to the giving and getting of gifts. But the underlying truth remains, Christmas is about the most amazing event ever recorded in history: the birth of Jesus the Christ.

Comins Lake in November

On the eastern edge of the lower Comins Lake, sort of across from the new boat launch area, is where I hooked and landed my one and only strike of the day. In the distant center of the photo is the western edge of the Schell Creek Range. Camp Success is hidden away on the other side of that ridge.

As autumn strengthened its grip, I perceived there was time for one more angling trip before I laid up the fly gear and prepared for the winter. Yes, even Las Vegas has a winter season, albeit nothing like the northern half of the United States. Regardless of the Vegas winters, for southern Nevada trout anglers the better fishing is farther north at elevations of 6,000 feet and higher. Comins Lake, for example, sits at 6,545 feet just seven miles east of Ely, Nevada. At those elevations farther north the lakes and reservoirs freeze over in the winter, and it does snow in that part of Nevada. By geographical measures, Ely, Nevada is 1,190 feet higher in elevation and just 0° 20´ in lower latitude as compared to Denver, Colorado, so Ely and Denver are comparable geographically but for the massive Rocky Mountains to the west of Denver.

Yankee Meadow Reservoir

I may be incorrect, but I believe the volcanic ridge to the east of Yankee Meadow (seen here) is on the edge of southern Utah’s Markagunt Plateau, a prominent volcanic field with a high point of over 11,000 feet. These meadows were beautiful on this sunny September day, but I bet they are even more awesome in the spring.

I have known of Yankee Reservoir for many decades. It was my brother Neal who told me about it, but I do not recall ever fishing it with him or anyone else. Yankee Meadow offered Brook trout back then (probably Rainbow trout as well). I suspect our New England roots fostered Neal’s sentimentalism for the Salvelinus fontinalis (the genus Salvelinus is sometimes referred to as a Char because their dark bodies are overlaid with unique light-cream, blue, pink, or red spots as contrasted by darker spots on the lighter body of the other trout genera).

The First Fish

FisherDad (aka “Pops”) with his eldest grandson at the Cold Creek pond. My seven-year old grandson caught his “First Fish” on this day. Coincidentally, I caught my first trout on a dry fly in 1977 from the Cold Creek headwaters that are now partially diverted to create this pond. My first “dry fly” trout, hooked on a ratty-looking dry fly that I tied on my vise, was caught on a 7 weight, 8¹/₂ foot rod… which is a whole other ridiculous story.

The process of transferring your hobby or interest to another can be a tricky endeavor. It becomes more challenging when the other person is a family member. Some parents hope their children follow in their footsteps. Sometimes those footsteps involve career choices. Other times it could be hobbies and recreational interests. The closeness of family often results in members opting to participate in the hobby of another simply to experience the togetherness rather than any real interest in the activity. I don’t view that as a bad thing, choosing to participate just so you can be with your loved one. I sometimes hear stories of parents and children sharing deep affection for hobbies, and even career interests. My experience indicates those shared interests are rarer than most might think. Nonetheless, I believe family members who compromise on these joint activities tend to develop tighter bonds.