Different Streams for Different Folks

My favorite trout stream has a polarizing effect. Most people I take there have one of two reactions. Either they too add it to a short list of absolute favorite places or they vow to never go there again and maybe even to never commit to any stream trip where I'm the person making the plans.

A little of that has to do with the fish because the West Fork's trout are very fickle. Some days it seems like there are virtually no trout in the river; Other days you can't do anything wrong. We caught a few trout on yesterday's West Fork adventure (10 collectively, I believe), but it was a pretty slow bite.

More has to do with the length and ruggedness of the trip. It's 1 1/2 miles by trail and 2 1/2 miles by river, with a lot of wading thigh-deep in swift current atop slick and uneven rocks and some need to climb boulders and steep banks. You have to cross the river a bunch of times, and a few spots are pretty tough to get through at all. Also, once you descend 350 vertical feet into the river gorge and start down the river, the only reasonable way out is to wade the whole thing.

The water level and temperature also impact perspectives. When it is very low, it's far easier to navigate. There was a surprising amount of water in the river yesterday given the season and the lack of any big recent rains.

Interestingly, the West Fork's greatest virtues and banes are largely one in the same. Folks who like the river best typically don't even care if the fish don't bite because they love the game of negotiating the gorge and think that climbing rocks and wading through rapids is fun. I'm in that camp, but I certainly understand the opposite perspective.

Something no one ever argues is that the scenery is spectacular, and with fall colors in full splendor, the river gorge is about as pretty as it will every be right now.

My legs and back are both a little sore this morning, but I'd be back in the West Fork gorge tomorrow if time would allow!

Prized or Despised?

The West Fork is the sort of destination that a person will either prize or despise. The same bluffs, boulders, craggy ledges and currents that make it beautiful also make it seriously demanding, and the hike into and down through the river gorge is exhausting. The fish can also be seriously fussy, especially during mid-summer.
Nathaniel's inaugural West Fork adventure included some misadventure, including my friend and I losing the only semi-beaten path at one point and the three of us having to descend a steep ridge a few hundred feet through thick rhododendron. We walked and waded about four miles by day's end, each fell down more than a few times and all left the river totally spaghetti legged. And we didn't actually catch many trout. All that said, Nathaniel now stands firmly in the camp of prizing my favorite river, and I believe he'll be happy to join me again as often as I want to go.

FLW, Favorite Waters & Walleye World

The Forrest Wood Cup begins this morning on Arkansas' Lake Ouachita. It's the FLW Tour's championship event, and the winner takes home both the title of champion and a half a million dollars. A beautiful mountain-bounded lake, Ouachita reportedly has been stingy during practice. Someone will figure them out, though, and it will be fun to see what patterns and which anglers will emerge during the course of the next few days.

Closer to home, Nathaniel and I will meet a friend at my favorite trout stream tomorrow. Nathaniel title a recent blog "Anticipation," and I agree with him. He's looking forward to exploring the West Fork for the first time, and I'm looking forward to sharing it with him. A trip down this river is a rugged full-day adventure that starts with a mile-long hike and then a creek and ridge crossing and includes a couple of miles of wading down a sometimes-steep mountain river. The scenery is the some of the most spectacular I've seen in Georgia, though, and we seldom see anywhere else.

Next week I head north -- way north -- to Lake of the Woods on the Minnesota/Canada border to spend a few days walleye fishing and taking photos. Mid-60s in Mid-August sure will be nice, and of course I'm looking forward to eating some fresh walleye!