Route Hiked from Parking Lot to River and BackWith Christmas and New Year's over and cabin fever setting in Austin and I headed up to the 
Bluestone in pursuit of trout again, because there isn't much else to do this time of year. As was the case this time last year we were again hit with a severe cold snap, and like last year much of the river was frozen over. This time however, we were presented with different challenges. Less of the river was frozen over than it was last year, with the exception of a few spots, and you could still walk out onto the ice a good way but you couldn't get as close to the edge as you could the p
revious year. This made releasing fish and working lures c
hallenging at times. It was anything but unproductive though. One of the first things we saw at the river bank was a bald eagle surveying the scene from the air, perhaps doing some fishing of his own. There was also plenty of animal sign from coyote, raccoon, deer and turkey tracks, as well as, an ominous scene of blood and hair covered snow no doubt where a pack of coyotes cornered a deer. The fishing was pretty good considering the circumstances. It rain
ed off a
nd on all day and there was a cold dampness in the air that you could feel in your bones. In-line spinners were the weapon of choice (surprise, surprise) as the fish weren't interested in jigs. All together I caught 11 rainbows and Austin caught 8 with several other bites that got away. The most interesting fish of note was one around 20 inches in length and in the 4 pound category that I caught. I had been fishing the edge of an ice shelf and had several trout follow my lure up the the edge of the ice then turn away. I cast it out again and worked it back slowly letting it sink a
s m
uch as possible. I noticed a couple of smaller trout chase after the lure then dart away as a lunker, that had been hiding under the ice, came straight up from the depths in a mad dash for my little spinner. It reminded me of shark week where Great Whites rocket up from the depths and ambush their unsuspecting prey. This fish swam straight for the lure and then at the last second turned to the side. I thought I missed my chance, and would probably hook a smaller opportunistic fish waiting for its chance when the brute double backed and attacked the lure. A minute or two later I had it flopped up on the ice and was posing for a picture. It was a very good day, one I hope to repeat in the near future. Another interesting point of note was that I brought my smartphone with me that has an app that tracks your GPS location, distance traveled, elevation change and time. It was very interesting. I had no idea that this trip we have made many times over the years is nearly 7 miles (6.91 on this particular trip) with an elevation change of 1,269 feet! It was pretty interesting to see the numbers and a pretty good way to ring in a new year. Here's to catching many more fish in 2011!
Bluestone in pursuit of trout again, because there isn't much else to do this time of year. As was the case this time last year we were again hit with a severe cold snap, and like last year much of the river was frozen over. This time however, we were presented with different challenges. Less of the river was frozen over than it was last year, with the exception of a few spots, and you could still walk out onto the ice a good way but you couldn't get as close to the edge as you could the p
revious year. This made releasing fish and working lures c
hallenging at times. It was anything but unproductive though. One of the first things we saw at the river bank was a bald eagle surveying the scene from the air, perhaps doing some fishing of his own. There was also plenty of animal sign from coyote, raccoon, deer and turkey tracks, as well as, an ominous scene of blood and hair covered snow no doubt where a pack of coyotes cornered a deer. The fishing was pretty good considering the circumstances. It rain
ed off a
nd on all day and there was a cold dampness in the air that you could feel in your bones. In-line spinners were the weapon of choice (surprise, surprise) as the fish weren't interested in jigs. All together I caught 11 rainbows and Austin caught 8 with several other bites that got away. The most interesting fish of note was one around 20 inches in length and in the 4 pound category that I caught. I had been fishing the edge of an ice shelf and had several trout follow my lure up the the edge of the ice then turn away. I cast it out again and worked it back slowly letting it sink a
s m
uch as possible. I noticed a couple of smaller trout chase after the lure then dart away as a lunker, that had been hiding under the ice, came straight up from the depths in a mad dash for my little spinner. It reminded me of shark week where Great Whites rocket up from the depths and ambush their unsuspecting prey. This fish swam straight for the lure and then at the last second turned to the side. I thought I missed my chance, and would probably hook a smaller opportunistic fish waiting for its chance when the brute double backed and attacked the lure. A minute or two later I had it flopped up on the ice and was posing for a picture. It was a very good day, one I hope to repeat in the near future. Another interesting point of note was that I brought my smartphone with me that has an app that tracks your GPS location, distance traveled, elevation change and time. It was very interesting. I had no idea that this trip we have made many times over the years is nearly 7 miles (6.91 on this particular trip) with an elevation change of 1,269 feet! It was pretty interesting to see the numbers and a pretty good way to ring in a new year. Here's to catching many more fish in 2011!
