A Tale of Two Creeks Part 3: Willowy Creek

View down the canyon from the trail head parking lot

No "Willowy Creek" is not the actual name of the creek so if you run out to Willow Creek (another local creek) you may be disappointed. Names have been changed to protect the innocent ie to keep undue pressure off of some great creeks.

I initially was going to fish "No Tellum" Creek on this afternoon in Mid September but as I left the house later than I really wanted to, I realized that the drive and hike associated with "No Tellum" Creek would leave me with very little actual time on the water. So I decided to hit another creek that I knew about in the area that would be a 1/2 hour shorter drive, giving me an additional hour on the water. This was in some ways a scouting trip on a water that I have had on my radar for the last couple of years.

Arriving at the trail head I found no other vehicles. I hopped the fence and headed over to the creek. The creek is smaller in volume than "No Tellum" creek, runs a bit colder, and has numerous very large beaver dams which hold some decent fish. The creek is braided and locked in on both sides with thick willows. As the creek is very sinuous, there is realy no way to stand in the middle and cast up the creek as I can in some of the other local creeks. Just no room for back casts. The only place to get a longer cast is across some of the 180 degree bends of the creek. Standing in one side of the bend and casting across the banks into the far side.

After pushing through the willows and arriving up the creek I hiked up a few yards and found a beautiful drop hole where two braids of the creek came together. I must of had 10 different fish hit my flies in this first hole and I managed to land two nice cutts. This was the easiest hole of the day with an unobstructed roll cast and no snarls.

first hole I hit

After playing out the first pool I snuck up the larger of the channels casting into each deep hole. The casts were tricky and most likely spots had branches or root balls blocking the cast. I picked up the pig of the day, a 16-17 inch cutthroat out of a hole no bigger than 2x3 feet across and probably 2 feet deep.

The fishing continued to be productive as I worked my way up the creek. The fish tended to be larger than the fish from my previous outing on "No Tellum" creek, with the average fish in the 14-15 inch range and fewer twinkies.



The hot flies for the day were again the Stone Flopper as a hopper with the unsinkabeetle tied off the bend of the hopper's hook.




After working the creek up to the first major trail crossing, I hiked down to my car and drove down about 1/2 mile to a primitive camping area. The fishing was slower in this lower stretch but I still managed to catch a few. The elevation for this creek is lower than "No Tellum" and the vegetation has a more desert feel. More junipers and sage in the immediate vicinity with lots of pine and fir higher up on the North facing slopes.

There is a cutthroat hidden in this picture. Can you see it? ;)