West '05 Trip - Day 18

Posted: 2006-04-07
By: Randy Cochran

Camping was free at a group of semi-rough disbursed sites just North of the dam. Very bright, near full-moonlit night kept me awake for a spell, thinking of those big cutts and the elusive grayling.

I swear I could hear a werewolf ready to pounce from the dark shadows and end any hope of tying into grayling this trip, but as luck would have it I made it to morning alive after the most comfortable night in the tent yet.

Breakfast consisted of a quick bowl of cereal and a bearclaw. Delicious.

I fished the same areas as the day before, with some similar luck. The trout were smaller today, but still wildly beautiful and with much gumption.

As for grayling, I almost had one hit. I clearly saw it's huge dorsal fin in turquoise cast, fully extended and catching a current of hunger on over to my fly. Alas, something was amiss, and my shining moment grew dim as he snubbed me with an indifferent refusal. Soon afterwards the sun beat down directly while the shadows retreated into the stillwater's depths, and along with them went the grayling.

A bit later I ended up fouling a large cutthroat of near 22" or more in the tail. Because of this he nearly took me into my backing. It is the closest I have been to this other than with a certain 'noble' carp from 'pristine' Chicago-area urban sludge. I suppose you have to take it where you can get it, eh? If it's a big turd with head shakes or blistering runs aplenty and a bad attitude, perhaps that's not so bad.

I lost 2 or 3 more big ones due to faulty hooksets before calling it a day at 1:30. It was Saturday, which meant HOTEL NIGHT. A choir of angels sang sweetly as I descended down the canyon to get a room in the Livingston area.

Taco John got my dinner business again, and if I ever meet him I will shake his hand as the dog's tail does shake, and thank him for his tasty warez.

With the hotel room came vegging out in front of the idiot box. I watched an extremely entertaining college football game between Conference USA foes Houston and UTEP, riddled with turnovers, points and penalties. UTEP prevailed, 44-41 in double overtime. And with that, I hit the hay after enjoying the hotel's free wireless connection.