Elephant Rock Lake is a magical destination for any fisherman. Hidden back in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, the small lake safely guarded by a rock shaped like an elephant (use your imagination) is home to beautiful native brook trout sporting vivid colors only found in the wild. At dusk, you wade out almost a third of the way across the lake on a shallow ledge with water no higher than your thighs and then the magic begins. As the sunlight diminishes, the brook trout begin to surface in search of a favorite dinner mosquito. All around you – sometimes mere feet away – rings appear in the water as trout rise to feed. In the quiet air, the only sound you hear is an occasional slap on water or a slight burble as the dance continues. And then, once the sun is down, like a switch being turned off it all stops. But for those moments, you were part of that magic that is the soul of fisherman the world over – a peaceful, beautiful fishing spot with magnificent and abundant native fish hungrily awaiting your next cast.
Fishing is truly a passion. As a boy, my dad took me out on the San Joaquin Delta pretty much every weekend that it was not raining. We got up early and joined our fishing buddy Mac in his 15 foot fishing boat where we wandered the backwaters of the circuitous river way in search of striped bass. And we generally knocked them dead with 20 pound beasts not uncommon and even an occasional monster weighing in at 30 pounds. And man did they taste good when my mom cooked them up!
The beauty of the still morning as the rest of the world sleeps, clean, clear water whether river, lake or stream, and the jolt of excitement when the fish hits your lure – there is nothing much better out there.
And it is never too late to start! With that in mind, let’s take a look at Senior Activities to Keep Busy #5 Fishing.
Why fish? I hope my description above answers this question a bit. It is not just about catching fish but also about where you are when you are fishing. You generally head away from mass humanity to find a quiet spot in nature to begin. Once there, things slow down and you begin to appreciate your surroundings. Fresh air, clean water, wildlife in the trees, and cooking outdoors all add to the experience. Even if you return home with no fish – known as “being skunked” in fishermanese – no one can take away the experience of being out there in nature. If you need a little more encouragement, see if you can track down a copy of Anatomy of a Fisherman as good today as it was when it was written back in 1978.
When to fish? Fishermen get going at the crack of dawn to be on the water when the fish are hungry (hopefully). Rising in the dark is part of the routine as generally the fish are hitting as the sun rises. And likely the activity will continue for an hour or two before things slow down during the later morning and rest of the day. The next time to gear up is as dusk approaches when the night bugs are out tantalizing our scaly friends.
Of course, it is not uncommon to see fishermen at it throughout the day. “You can’t catch a fish unless you have a line in the water”. And with their secret inner peace the experience is ever enjoyable – it’s not just about catching fish but about where you are when you are fishing.
How to fish? There are many different ways to fish as there are many different fish. When fishing for trout, one amazing technique is float fishing. Basically you have an inner tube that you float in while kicking yourself around a lake and fly fishing as you go. I am not talking about your standard tire inner tube – these babies come in all shapes and sizes. If you have never seen one, just go to Google and type in “float fishing tubes”. With this method you can really get out where the fish are not limited by the distance of your cast from shore. As you reel in your catch, you can typically see it swimming in the clear waters many feet away from you as you maneuver it to your net.
For shore fishing, my favorite technique involves a plastic bubble filled with water. The weight of the water helps to cast your fly much further out – where the big ones are! Here is the standard set up: fill the bubble with water and secure to your line with a swivel. Attach about three feet of 1-2 lb leader to the swivel. Add the fly of your choice to the end of the leader and you are good to fish. As you reel in your line, slow is important so you do not create a wake behind the bubble. And pay attention as you never know when you will get a hit.
Different varieties of fish need to be pursued with different methods. Visit your local library or search online for your optimal combination. And always ask the owners of the local bait shop about what is working, how deep to fish, where the hot spots are, etc. They may even tell you the truth but remember fishermen are a secretive bunch and sharing productive fishing holes is the exception rather than the rule.
Where to fish? Where there is water there are fish – generally. Some of the most beautiful streams and rivers and lakes are home to fish populations of all varieties. You can travel the world over to try your hand at famous fishing spots – the Rogue River in Oregon, New Zealand, streams and rivers in Montana, lakes in the Sierra Nevada, even Europe has fish! No matter where you end up, it will be the right place! There is no bad place to be when you are fishing. I have fished in ponds for catfish, the delta for stripers, lakes, rivers and streams for trout, the ocean for salmon, and which is my favorite? All of them!
Fishing allows us to get to know nature more intimately, to discover our own beautiful secluded spots, to slow down and experience life at a more reasonable pace, and even to catch a fish every now and then. But the true magic is that you are forever in search of the next fishing spot. You never know what is around the next bend or what is waiting in that lake/river/stream in front of you. The big one could be just one cast away. Or not. But no matter, true fishermen know that fishing is not about the results – it is about the experience.
Tight lines.
