And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
Monday, July 13, 2026
I've caught and released plenty of these little guys
When I was a kid back in the Stone Age, my family would spend three-four weeks each summer camping near Hat Creek, north of Lassen National Park. It was a wonderful time to be a child because you could disappear for most of the day without adults being angry when you finally materialized, dirty and hungry, around dinner time. They never knew that I might be swimming in the rapids of Hat Creek just for the thrill of it, or exploring the lava tubes about 5 miles further down the road. Hat Creek, as you probably know, CW, is a wonderful place to fish for trout. Back in the day you could catch rainbow trout in the 12 - 16 inch category all day long, especially if you took the time to find the Hat Creek away from the nearest road. Even back then most people didn't want to walk more than a few steps from their car. One day I set out to explore the woods on the other side of the campground. I took my eagle claw pack rod with me just in case. It was my pride and joy, a convertible spinning/fly rod that disassembled and packed into an 18 inch long aluminum tube that was easy to carry in a knapsack. Much to my delight, after a fairly short distance - maybe half a mile into thewilderness, I found a flat meandering brook that was so calm the surface looked like glass, with fish suspended in the middle and every pebble and stick on the bottom as clear and visible as if there was nothing but air between them and my eyeball. It was only about 8 feet across and maybe two feet wide, and it was full of 4 to 8 inch brook trout. They were too small to keep, but they were very fun to catch by dapping a #20 fly on the surface of the water. It was when I learned that trout can see you on the bank, so you must approach very quietly and stealthily if you don't want to scare them into hiding.
Northern California is a beautiful and enchanting place, far removed from the culture and the politics of the cities of Central and Southern California. Your daily posts about it bring back fond memories from my childhood.
couple brooks i fish must be breeder brooks cause you can catch dozens around that size, in minutes in certain pools or deep runs, they are quite tasty, tail bones and all, my grandma loved the little kipper size, if i brought over a creel full we would fry up some bacon and fry those little babies have ourselves a feast.
When I was a kid back in the Stone Age, my family would spend three-four weeks each summer camping near Hat Creek, north of Lassen National Park. It was a wonderful time to be a child because you could disappear for most of the day without adults being angry when you finally materialized, dirty and hungry, around dinner time. They never knew that I might be swimming in the rapids of Hat Creek just for the thrill of it, or exploring the lava tubes about 5 miles further down the road. Hat Creek, as you probably know, CW, is a wonderful place to fish for trout. Back in the day you could catch rainbow trout in the 12 - 16 inch category all day long, especially if you took the time to find the Hat Creek away from the nearest road. Even back then most people didn't want to walk more than a few steps from their car. One day I set out to explore the woods on the other side of the campground. I took my eagle claw pack rod with me just in case. It was my pride and joy, a convertible spinning/fly rod that disassembled and packed into an 18 inch long aluminum tube that was easy to carry in a knapsack. Much to my delight, after a fairly short distance - maybe half a mile into thewilderness, I found a flat meandering brook that was so calm the surface looked like glass, with fish suspended in the middle and every pebble and stick on the bottom as clear and visible as if there was nothing but air between them and my eyeball. It was only about 8 feet across and maybe two feet wide, and it was full of 4 to 8 inch brook trout. They were too small to keep, but they were very fun to catch by dapping a #20 fly on the surface of the water. It was when I learned that trout can see you on the bank, so you must approach very quietly and stealthily if you don't want to scare them into hiding.
ReplyDeleteNorthern California is a beautiful and enchanting place, far removed from the culture and the politics of the cities of Central and Southern California. Your daily posts about it bring back fond memories from my childhood.
couple brooks i fish must be breeder brooks cause you can catch dozens around that size, in minutes in certain pools or deep runs, they are quite tasty, tail bones and all, my grandma loved the little kipper size, if i brought over a creel full we would fry up some bacon and fry those little babies have ourselves a feast.
ReplyDeletejus,' don't get it. we can catch gills,bass and crappie like this and complain about the lil guys jus getting in the way.
ReplyDelete