Another Look

Clear Creek again. Taking another look. This time I hike up the road to the bridge, look down where I usually fish.

This time I'm going to push upstream some more to a stretch I explored earlier in the season. I break trail through the woods.

I cross the high water mark from the recent spate.

This is what I've been anticipating: a deep run along a log jam. I work it as well as I can. Nothing seems to be in there today.

There is still a long run along the opposite bank to be explored.

I wade up to where the stream widens out into a broad slick.

I turn and begin to fish the run back.

Nothing happening along that beautiful run. I get back to the logjam and work it over again.

Looking downstream from a sandbar the deep pool stretches almost to the bridge. I cast way down from the bar and strip different flies high and low. It's good exercise for November but it doesn't raise any fish.

I climb the bank and find the fisherman's trail. It overlooks the deep pool. I look for fish but don't see any. There must be other times of the year when they would be hanging in these murky depths.

I walk on through the woods taking pleasure in the accents of bright colors still to be seen.

I go down to the stream again and fish a nice run.

There are some nice holes in here. The last time I was here a tree formed a dam along these rocks. Now it's gone.

I think it's the same tree that now lies in the rapids downstream. It would have had to thread its way under the bridge, and I think it did.

I pass under the bridge, too, and fish my way down almost to the old abutments. Still nothing. The sun goes down and I climb up to the road and the waiting truck.