Author: FisherDad

I am a Christian who has been married to my wife for over four decades, with six children and four grandchildren so far. I have retired from a string of successful occupations as a certified public accountant, a chief financial officer, and a registered municipal advisor. I have been a fly angler for almost five decades. My one and only article submission was published by Southwest Fly Fishing magazine (now American Fly Fishing). You can learn more about me by clicking on “About” on the top of my blog page.

When Two or Three are Gathered at Wayne Kirch

David casting with Hot Creek Butte and snow capped Grant Range in the background.

For about two decades I’ve been very fortunate to be a part of a Christian Men’s Group. My experience has been that men need the fellowship and counsel of other men, men who can hold us accountable to keep our promises to our God, wives, children, neighbors and work associates. Men tend to use the Lone Ranger approach when dealing with hurts, wounds, and sins. We don’t exhibit emotions like our female counterparts, and we believe it’s less manly to seek the help of other like-minded men. Instead we prefer to work it out by ourselves. As if we could abstain from looking at our situation objectively without the bias of our own selfishness and pride. That’s why the Bible tells us to seek the council of other followers in 2 Thessalonians 3:14-15.

Dacey Reservoir: A Return to the Scene of the “Incident”

On Dacey Reservoir, looking back toward primitive boat launch with the Trout Truck, Hot Creek Butte, and snow-capped Grant Range in the background. The Water Master Grizzly scooted nicely over the 40-yard long mass of dead bulrush that blocked access to the open water.

On October 22, 2015, I suffered a heart attack while fishing Dacey Reservoir. Although I’ve made a few trips to Cold Creek since my heart attack (about 40 miles northwest of my home), this trip to Wayne Kirch Wildlife Management Area (Kirch WMA) was my first substantial fishing trip, a 360 mile round trip consisting of six hours of driving. Truthfully, I was glad to make the trip and I felt no anxiety about returning to the scene of the incident. Putting aside the three stents that opened my blocked heart arteries, I really believe my conversion to a full vegan diet has made a significant improvement in my health, and I’m confident I’m getting a handle on preventing any future incidents.

Six Foot Rod for Twelve Inch Trout

A crisp Cold Creek morning, despite all the sunshine. The pond was somewhat murky.

Okay, I admit to having had such a good time fishing my 7.5 foot, 4 weight rod at Cold Creek last week that I decided to return with my little 6-footer today. I’ve written before that I’ve built two 6-foot fly rods in my life primarily because of Cold Creek. Catching wild 7-inch Rainbow and Brook trout in thin water (or the more obscure trout like Golden, Bonneville, or even Redband wherever they are found) is not much fun on an 8-foot rod, but can be blast on a 6-foot rod. In the early 1980s I built my first small-creek fly rod from fiberglass specifically for tiny water like Cold Creek and Beaver Dam Creek, and replaced it with a graphite version in 2009. I’ve used the new graphite rod to land 16-inch trout and 12-inch bass on Haymeadow Reservoir in the Wayne Kirch Wildlife Management Area (it has more backbone than the fiberglass). I was very, very pleased and impressed by the performance of that rod, although as a 3 weight it can’t cast well the larger flies that I prefer on the big waters of Kirch… even the 7.5 foot, 4 weight has difficulty with larger weighted nymphs.

Valentine Trout at Cold Creek Pond

Looking to the east from Cold Creek Pond

I am one of those outdoorsmen who has always enjoyed the solitude of the experience. Whether fishing, hunting, hiking or whatever, going solo with nature creates a certain tranquility that is healing. It creates a “white space” to clear thoughts, communicate with the Lord, or to simply regain the peace within you.

The Cold Creek Salve

Austin and his grandfather Ron, stalking the trout of Cold Creek Pond

In Robert Redford’s 1992 movie, A River Runs Through It, Norman Maclean is beguiled by his fiancé and family into agreeing to take her prodigal brother Neal fishing. The family’s transparent hope is that Norman, a preacher’s son, might be able to set Neal on the right path. Norman in turn solicits his brother Paul to come with them, likely because he realized the enormity of the task his fiancé’s family laid at his feet. Not only isn’t Neal much of an outdoorsman, he’s falling behind in the fight against his own set of demons. Neal shows up at the river with the town prostitute, inebriated. Norm and Paul leave Neal with his new-found “diversion” to fish the river on their own, only to return at the end of the day to two naked, sunburnt slabs of flesh. Insult to injury was they only caught one fish between the two of them (fly anglers always have their priorities in order). When Norman and Paul got Neal home to his family after dropping off the working gal at the town outskirts, there was some real emotive, verbal and non-verbal, communication going on since the influence of preacher’s son didn’t produce the anticipated effect. It’s at this point that Paul looks at his brother Norm and says, “Why don’t we go fishing again tomorrow and wipe this day off the books.”

Maiden Voyage of Water Master Grizzly Interrupted by Heart Attack

Here’s a Dacey Reservoir rainbow trout that I was trying to bring to net on a previous trip in April 2014.

If you’re a regular reader of my blog you know that I’ve been ignored by NFO Scadden regarding a warranty repair to my Outlaw Escape. After conducting a little research I contacted Richard Stuber at Big Sky Inflatables to discuss their Water Master Grizzly, and how it compared to what I saw as deficiencies in the NFO Escape. I first became aware of the Water Master in 2005 or 2006 while watching the Trout Bum Diaries vol.1 that featured these fishing rafts. Richard said the Water Master would not only provide me with a more reliable boat that will last the next 20-plus years, but that it would hold and row much better in the wind than the Outlaw Escape. The larger tubes and their 360 degree contact with the water cause the boat to sit much higher on the water while maintaining a large footprint. Big Sky offered a “real” lifetime warranty on the raft. I couldn’t resist; I always wanted to be a Trout Bum anyway.

North Fork Outdoors: Finally Responds to Warranty Claims

UPDATE #2: Finally had a desire to take two frameless water crafts on an upcoming trip (Water Master Grizzly replaced the Escape as my fishing craft of choice), so I inflated the Escape to test repair effort no. 2… leaks were present in all the same spots. Utterly disappointed.

Elko County Waters: Ruby Marshes, South Fork Reservoir, and Wild Horse Reservoir

Viewing the Ruby Mountains from Jiggs, NV. The small, white speck on the slopes in the middle of the picture is the RCR cabin.

It had been over 11 years since I fished with my good friend and fellow pescador, Bill Bergan. In November 2003 I flew to Sacramento where Bill picked me up and whisked me off to fish the lakes at Henderson Springs in Northern California. Since then we have been scheming up new fishing adventures, but we could never connect. I was pushing the waters around the Ruby Mountains south of Elko, Nevada. It turns out the driving time to Elko from Sacramento and Las Vegas was about equal. Bill knew how beautiful the Rubies were from our 1979 backpack trip to Favre Lake on the Ruby Mountain’s Lamoille Canyon trail. We eventually settled on the Ruby Mountain area where Bill was able to meet me, ironically, driving directly from another group fishing trip at Henderson Springs.

2014: No Shortage of Good Days Here

The north-western ridge of the Spring Mountains and its mirror image on the pond.

I am a John Gierach fan, have been ever since I discovered his “Sporting Life” column inside the back cover of “Fly Rod & Reel” magazine. I started reading him about the time that Nick Lyons stopped his “Seasonable Angler” column in the identical location inside “Fly Fisherman” magazine (at least that’s my recollection of the timing). I now own about five of his books, which are really compilations of essays on angling for trout and a bunch of other things to do outdoors. I will own all his books someday, but for now I have enough to re-read them every year or so.

Veterans Day Salute to Cold Creek

Cold Creek pond at sunset… looking northeast at the Sheep Mountain Range. (Note older fishermen, leaning on truck bed, discussing important things.)

For those of you who read FisherDad for notice about the fall and spring trout plants in Cold Creek pond, you will be pleased to know that it was recently stocked as evidenced by my trip on the eve of Veterans Day. Speaking of which, I pray the Lord bless all of you who have, and continue to, protect our liberties by serving in the military.