The question ... cut the lawn or go fishing?
Right....
So Mary and I headed out to Lyman Run State Park, about 45 minutes from the WBT. The park is about 600 acres, with Lyman Run flowing through the length of the park. Interestingly, the stream flows into the 45 acre man-made Lyman Lake, and then over the spillway to begin again as a small freestone stream.
According to a map that I purchased at the Kettle Creek Tackle Shop, there was a fly-fishing only section of Lyman Run. But when we got to the park, and asked the rangers (who didn't really seem to know much about fishing in the park), they informed us that the FFO designation has been removed years ago. But they also told us that the lake had recently been stocked. So we decided to head to the lake first and check it out.
There is a small beach area that was closed for swimming, but no signs that said you couldn't wade and fish. As we got down to the water, we noticed trout swimming all around, obviously unaccustomed to the change in their surroundings from the hatchery run to a 45 acre lake. So we quickly geared up and waded in.
The sandy bottom extended out quite a ways, with the trout swimming around in pods well within casting difference. It was almost like bonefishing; you looked around for fish, and then chuked your fly out to them, and waited for the take. Rainbow Warriors dropped about a foot off a strike indicator or hopper was all it took, as we netted a good number of 10-12 inch Rainbows.
It was a fun couple of hours, but we were there to fish the stream. So after a quick lunch we drove through the park looking for fishable water. We began our search upstream of the lake, but the stream looked kind of thin with not much holding water. So we ziggied back down below the dam, figuring the stream would be in better shape with runoff from the spillway. Turned out to be the good choice. The stream was in great condition, with those great holding spots that you'd expect to see in a mountain freestone stream.
The stream is stocked, but a gent I was speaking to earlier said that he had caught some wild fish in the lower section. And we were not disappointed. Although we only fished about an hour and a half, we managed several Brookies on October and Orange-bodied Caddis, topped off by a 14 inch pre-spawn Brownie.
On a somewhat philosophical note, there's a notion out in the angling world (and with people who don't fish) that fly fishing is an elitist sport. Some of that stereotype is deserved. But then again, I'd argue that mountain streams are about as blue collar as you can get in fly fishing. Leave your copy of A River Runs Through It at home. There's no 60 foot casts with size 20 dries on 7X. And you can forget the "shadow casting." In fact, there's no one casting technique that will cover all the situations you'll find on these streams. These creeks are tight, with all kind of flora to catch your fly. And to get to the fishy spots requires casting that would probably make a purist puke.
Your Cabelas rod and reel combo will get a fly to these spots as easily as a $2000 outfit, because your only casting about 20 feet. And when I say casting, that's generous; your rolling, dapping, casting across your body, whatever it takes to get the fly to the right spot.
Finally, mountain stream fish are not dandies. More often than not if you put the fly, pretty much any fly that is bushy and floats, where the fish ought to be, and if the fish is there, it's going to eat. Because that's what its programmed to do. And if you're fishing is all about size, spend $10K and head to Alaska. But consider when you get your Visa bill that it's really all about perspective; a 6 inch Brook Trout is king in these waters. And just as much fun to catch.
And it beats the hell out of cutting the lawn.
Tight lines,
Mikey D Fishing
