Creek-fishing, or as some may call it stream-fishing, is a totally foreign concept to me. South Africans don’t fish mountain streams. Rivers, lakes, and ponds for sure, but not creeks. I don’t know if it is a cultural thing, or if our creeks are just devoid of fish species. Different fish, like the Smallmouth Yellowfish, have adapted to fill the niche that trout fill here in the States. Yet, these fish are found in rivers and not small streams. Even the ever-present Tilapia seemingly stay clear of our creeks.
I have been watching YouTubers fishing creeks for many
years. From small waterways with only a few inches of water to creeks with
boulders and holes. Catches ranging from Brook Trout on flies to Smallmouth
Bass on jigs. I love the idea of stalking the fish by walking up and down the
streams to try and place the desired lure right in front of their faces. With
the added challenge of staying out of sight as these clear waters provide limited
possibilities to stay hidden.
It is in the Spring Mountains near Las Vegas where I got my
first real chance at some creek stalking. A small dirt road into a canyon,
preferably traveled by four-wheel drive, changed the desert landscape into pine
trees and snow. I have seen photos of fish being caught here, but a lot of
confusion on what fish species it is. This stream has no native fish but was
the ideal location for stocking fish. Thus, in the ‘70s Lahontan Cutthroat
Trout was introduced.
As the state fish of Nevada, some one-meter (three feet)
specimens are regularly caught in the northern mountainous parts of the state. In
this particular creek, they stay considerably smaller. Using small barb-less
flies drifting in the current produced some nice small catches. As they were
introduced, these fish are not native to this creek but are naturalized. Quick
releases are vital for the survival of these fish and thus few photos were taken.
It is clear from the photo that it is not a Rainbow, but the colors do match
with both Brook and Brown Trout. But the dead giveaway is the bright red or
orange cut under the jaw. Not visible in the photo, but a clear sign of a
Cutthroat
Comments
Post a Comment