Smallies and 'Bows up on the Black

[BoyNhisDog]

This is what I found this Memorial Day weekend. It is an upper area on the Black River in the Apache Sitgreaves National Forest that was still open.

After a six hour drive from Tucson and a three mile bushwack through dense forest and steep terrain with a good map and compass, we arrived at this little piece of heaven.



Both Rainbow Trout and Smallmouth Bass were very active. Panther Martin spinners, Rebel teeny crawfish lures and red & gold Thomas Bouyant spoons were getting hit hard. My second cast swam a spinner through a small pocket water and Wham! I love it when the line goes tight!



Action was good in the riffles, pools and pocket water. Smallies and ‘Bows were both extremely active, hitting some of the lures just as they hit the water. Stalking was important though as the water was crystal and the fish easily spooked.

The steep bluffs made it necessary to wade the stream several times. There were small feeder streams that joined the Black every now and then. These proved good places to throw a lure.




All in all these were two great nights under the stars. The evening entertainment was watching the bats cruise in for insects. Ducks were flying through and landing in the pools. Elk were barking their sounds and the call of the wild was all around.

I wish this trip had been about a week longer.

[Mike]

Panther Martin spinners

Thanks for posting these pics, looks like you found an awesome spot (as usual!) My dad & I used to trout fish in the mountains of northwestern South Carolina. I haven't been trout fishing out here yet, but now at least I know a good spot!

[BoyNhisDog]

It is a beautiful area Mike. It just takes a bit of work to get there. What surprised me was the fact that both the Smallies and the Rainbows were active at the same time.

Stream fishing on foot has always been my favorite. If you have done it then you know what I mean. There is just nothing that comes close. It usually involves a lot of hiking as you spook the remaining fish in a pool and need to move on. I release almost all I catch. Sometimes I will keep a couple but for the most part I enjoy the stalk and thrill of the hookup and just being out there.

Soon I'll try and post a description of my pack rod and tackle setup. It is good to have a variety of tricks in your bag. Using bait is messy and kills fish from the often deep hookset but lures are a clean and exciting methode that is safer on the fish.

[Mike]

Stream fishing on foot has always been my favorite. If you have done it then you know what I mean. There is just nothing that comes close.

I know exactly what you mean, and agree wholeheartedy!! Nothing's better than getting right in the stream with the fish!

[Pellegrino]

Ok, I got permission from my other half to show you all this picture as long as I left his favorite fishing hole a secret. (if the pic's not here yet, come back cuz I asked Joe to put it in here as I don't know how you all add pics to posts).

I will tell you that its very close to Glen's location. Mike mentioned

[Nothing's better than getting right in the stream with the fish!

and it made us chuckle because Walt literally jumped in the stream (ok, river) and tackled the biggest fish and fought him all the way in to shore after his line broke. He wasn't expecting to find another large fish in the same hole and had just wandered over there without his net. Needless to say none of his fishing buddies would talk to him the rest of the trip.

FYI-This was last year. This years annual fishing trip did not produce the same results whatsoever!

[joebartels]

Spin, lightning bolt, shazam...

One Walt Pic w/ Fish
http://hikearizona.com/t2002/dated/052902/wfish.jpg

I'm not a big fish fan myself. My second job, at age 15, was at a "mom & pop" bait and tackle/gas stop. My official title was "minow dipper". The job bit at $3.35 an hour but the company was first class! no kidding!

Anyhow everytime somebody would bring in a 90+ lbs catfish they got a free polaroid and we put one on the front counter too. Like it made a difference... there must have been a thousand polaroids taken by yours truely plastered everywhere. Not to mention nobody in their right mind would ever eat one of those suckers. Have ya ever seen Oklahoma lakes! The red CLAY makes Sedona look pale in comparison. You'd be better off chawin' on an old rubber shoe then one of them there slimmers.

that's what we called a "mud duck"

[BoyNhisDog]

Nice catch Azscrapper! What did you catch them on?

I'm with you Joe. I do not like fishing for catfish. If I want big fish I go to the ocean and fish in the surf. Last year about this time I was in Florida up to my thighs in saltwater hooking 25" Spanish (mackeral). That is good eating. Those bad boys tore so much line off my reel, I thought I would be spooled on several occations. I tend more toward light tackle.

For me the absolute is just being out there. I found a couple of places that I want to explore in great depth while I was out there last weekend. Next time, I will always go back to the areas around Alpine and the Williams Valley.

[Pellegrino]

He caught 'em with worms. Do you have a worm threader? A gross little device that works really well. We had seen one other person catch a large trout out of that area of the river the year prior so knew it might happen. We call last year the "Year of the Fish" because after this catch he caught a 50# King Salmon in Alaska so guess whose going back to Alaska this year to try again. You got it!

I also am not a big fish fan for similar reasons to Joe. After working summers in the canneries in Alaska standing knee deep in fish guts it kinda turned me off for a lifetime. I made better money then Joe tho ~ $5/hr with 16 hr shifts. Just what every teenager should be doing all summer long.

I do like seeing how excited Walt gets though when he catches the big one!

Ok, enough about fish on the hiking website. Geeeezzzz its gonna be a long hot summer.

[evenstarx3]

Sounds like somebody told both Kelly and Teva Joe to "fish or cut bait" and they both made the wrong choice :P :P

[nealz]

For me the absolute is just being out there. I found a couple of places that I want to explore in great depth while I was out there last weekend. Next time, I will always go back to the areas around Alpine and the Williams Valley.

Boy...

Ain't that the truth. I was up near Alpine two weeks ago on the Black, Little Colorado and on the Apache rez with a permit. Fishing was OK but the real catch was just being there. There are some sweet little spots for 'bows, browns and Apache Goldens. Most of my fishing these days is catch-and-release, in fact, for goldens, that's all you can do. Tight lines.

-Nealz

[BoyNhisDog]

He caught 'em with worms. Do you have a worm threader? A gross little device that works really well.

No, I can't say that I have one of those devices. I have all sorts of artificials and generally do the run and gun technique with lots of hiking.

Neals, it sounds as if you had a beautiful trip! You really made the rounds. I have another in the works but it will be a little while before it happens.