South Fork Eel - 2/22 AND BACK FOR A LITTLE BANK FISHING ON 2/23

When the rain didn't blow it out as expected yesterday I decided I had to get down to the river for a session - I needed it bad.  The emerald green of the South Fork right now is like a magic spell.  I opened the gate and drove down to Lansdale Bar - easy access with a 4-wheel drive.  I would've loved to drift down to Gould Bar or so, but didn't have any means of shuttling, so I put in, fished the Lansdale hole and riffle for a bit, then paddled upstream for an hour or so.  I made it about a mile before I had to get out and walk it up through a riffle, and ended up turning around at 1.75 miles.  Drifting back down took 1 hour, so that gives an idea of how long we'll need for a drift on 3/14.  I fished along the way and saw one little smolt jump, but no steelie love happening around me.  On the way back down I had some good casting opportunities, but blind fishing where there's acres and acres of beautiful water is pretty tough...  If we catch the river like this for our March trip we'll be very fortunate.  I'll look forward to the time on the water with NCKA, taking pics and enjoying the old growth, and the outside chance of hooking a steelie.



PS:  I threw in a disc golf shot from Tahoe for PK!   

Nice report.  If anybody is due for some steel love, its got to be you.  Absolutely beautiful pictures.    Makes me jealous.

And now I know what those yellow contraptions are in the last picture.  I've seen them in parks, but never knew.  Now I have a better idea how to play disc golf.

Michael

Cool as always...you NEED a steelie!

Great pics Eric.
Were you wearing shorts and walking barefoot at the disc golf course at Tahoe???

Not quite, Mike, but it was less-than-a-jacket weather! 

Look closely at my face - that's not concentration on the golf shot, that's full-on, geeksquad concentration on the timer shot!   

Thanks as always for the reports, Eric.  Mesmerizing water indeed, and gotta love the picture of the famous dreaded "Landsdale Frog" on your thumb. 

See you in March I hope, but I'm going to wimp-out if it rains, as it just takes the fun out of camping.

Making the drift, as much as I want to, is a logistical/scheduling problem for me, so I'm going straight to Shelter Cove that Friday. But if it rains, it's high on my list to kayak with you sometime, somewhere...

Oh, and BTW, thanks for sending the storm down our way.    -Matt

Nice report Eric. It's nice to see all of those wild river photo's. Makes me wish I wasn't working on my day off!

CHEERS!

That water is steelhead green. Bummer you didn't hookup but it looks like a fun time regardless.

Discgolf in the snow!?? I've never seen baskets like that before. Pretty cool though.
PK

Eric -

Nice report and pics. Bummer no steelie love. Guess I will bring my ski clothes to shelter cove. 

scott

I didn't muster the energy or sacrifice the WAF I've been building to go do another river trip today.  Had an indoor soccer game for my girl and then she and I headed down to just below Bull Creek for some lure tossing from the bank.  The water was so nice, but, again, no steelies around for us.  What could beat getting out into the old growth with my number one girl though?   

Ski clothes?  Good thing to have with you any time!