Call me crazy! (but in a good way) - LRR

You're crazy...that's the best way to describe the looks I get when I tell people I'm fish'n in December, from a kayak, and I'm getting up at 3:30 am to do it.  I had an area in mind that I thought would hold fish, but it was about 2 miles from the launch.  I knew it would get busy so I figured the only thing to do was leave an hour before sun up and paddle in the darkness...no worries...I do it all the time. 

Getting started-Camera phone doesn't like to work before 6am

Get to the river, unload, get started.  A peaceful start to the morning that was briefly interrupted, not by crazy boat people, or powerbait chucking dock people...nope!!  Picture paddling in complete silence, Christmas decorations beaming from houses...suddenly someone does a cannonball into the water about 20 ft from my yak...talk about a cardiac moment, fun times!!    I guess the beaver was stealing xmas ornaments/gifts, b/c he raced me to his hut...every 100yds I'd hear a tail splash, this went on for about 1/2 a mile.

Hand tied flies a buddy gave me to try on this trip - everything I tried caught fish!

Only thing more annoying was arriving to my spot and finding 100 people, each throwing 2 fly rods.  Not really, it was only 6 guys and each had only 1 fly rod...but they left me little room.  Poor planning on my part...from now on I'll start earlier...call me crazy!  So I moved on, dragging my cuda over dry land so not to disturb any redds.

Located another spot and beached the yak for some shallow wading.  It was a good spot and I caught several.  A guy in a boat eases down and politely passes w/o messing up the water.  He later returns on foot.  As we're talking he gives me some good info about another spot...but also informs me that my prime location was money.  That group was from TX and rents the same house every Dec.  IN FACT, a guy in that group had landed a 26" brown earlier that morning....that's GREAT news, just what I wanted to hear...nothing like finding out you could have had an opportunity at a pig, OUTSTANDING!!!  I should have been there earlier, call me crazy!

Decided to check out the other spot so I load up and paddle ahead.  Found some more fish and 1 large brown that wasn't doing so good.  Hard to judge size from the picture, it's about 6' deep, and I'm standing...so the camera is about 12' away.  Going back to my quantum physics days, using the average height of a known.......just kidding....I'm more of a "Quantum Leap" guy.  My guess was about 25 inches.

I've gone as far as I care for the day, about 4.5 miles.  The beginning of Cow shoals is where I break for lunch.  I don't fish cow...combat fishing isn't for me.

Blondes make good fish'n partners.  Little white dot, way up there, in the pic is the sign marking Cow Shoals

Made the turn around and fished my way back.  Lots of bows and a few browns.  None of any real size but all beautifully colored and full of fight. Really great day of fish'n.

Passed "that" spot again and the same guys were still hitting it hard.  Talk about a pounding...all day on 1 shoal.  I floated right through them this time, browns scattering like crazy.  Call me crazy, but give'em a rest!!

A full day of fish'n and some catch'n.  Covered about 9 miles of river.  Paddled back in the same conditions I paddled up in...darkness.  Call me crazy!