Rainbow Falls

Love the fact that I can catch myself thinking about fishing at work, shoot a quick text to Ben, get picked up in a fishpimped out Tacoma (to include custom rod holder that holds 8) at 4 , and be casting at 4:40. My Rainbow Falls card is the most valuable plastic I've ever had.

24 was closed but the rain had passed and nothing but clear skies up the hill so Ben and I hit the road. No traffic, 24 wide open, quick 35 minutes to the gate. Catching fish like this 10 minutes after that.

The weeknight trip up the pass is a great way to pause everything and recharge. The fishing is fishing. Best way I've heard it put is that it's a "target rich environment". It is. And 20" fish are common. Catching a 20" trout every week is good medicine. And I'm a better fisher for my troubles. Rainbow Falls is streamer school. If you want to learn to fish streamers, get a membership and you will learn just about every possible way a trout can take a streamer.

You'll also become a better fly tier. I've come up with several patterns trying to match the caddis and have had real success on some pattern variations. Some are prettier than others. One I named "The Purist". Not something you teach the kids and surely not a caddis but the trout gobble it up...

Creek and lakes were both on. Good grabs on slow slump buster retrieves in the lakes, and fish every other cast on caddis in the creek. This gal took a natural rabbit slump buster with a silver cone. I cast out and let my fly sink and wait. Sometimes it takes a good 10 seconds and all you'll get is a "tic". That tic equals fatties like this if you strip set.

We decided to call it on a good note after Ben landed this nice one just above Cougar Lake. This was after Ben and I landed half a dozen each in half hour. We didn't even make it to Cougar. The fishing was too good in the Creek.
Gonna have one hell of a Rainbow Falls picture album this winter :-)