Some of the crew were pretty worn out after the activities of the last few days, so instead of the hike into Calf Creek Falls, we decided a scenic drive up the Hell's Backbone road between Escalante and Boulder with a picnic up high on Boulder Mountain and a couple fishing stops would be a nice change of pace. The first fishing stop was great (Pine Creek at the lower entrance to The Box). A beautiful little stream full of nice sized little brown trout eager to take a fly. In some places the stream runs along red slickrock faces - pretty cool.
One of many Pine Creek browns
First cast in Pine Creek
We continued up the road where I was hopeful of stopping alongside this creek a few miles further up the mountain for a picnic and a bit more fishing. The car decided otherwise, as we started to overheat and boil over pretty badly when we were just short of the top. After a wait for the engine to cool a little, I turned around and we headed back to Escalante. The only shop in town did a quick check and found the radiator cap didn't hold pressure, but nothing else wrong. Only cost the cost of the new cap. Thanks guys! But I lost a little faith in the old minivan and was a little unsure of going way off the beaten path, so we stuck to the main highway on our way to Capitol Reef. Still an amazingly beautiful drive (I should have stopped to fish Calf Creek though! Another reason to go back some time)
We stayed the night in Bicknell a little ways from Capitol Reef because there was a hotel there with a good deal on a family room (Aquarius Inn, two rooms, kitchen, hide-a-bed for $79/night). I had a fishing license which could do with a little more use and a couple hours of free time, so I found another Pine Creek which appeared to be not too far from Bicknell and took off with Jessica, who was excited to accompany me. With evening time running short, gravel roads became 60 mph highways as I rushed to try and find the creek. It appeared I guessed correctly at all the road forks, as we looked ahead and saw the road approaching what appeared to be a creek in the valley bottom. Or did I find the right stream? It looked more like a small ditch with a little water running beside the road! Well, as I always tell the kids, there is only one way to find out if are fish in a stream - and there were. Jess and I caught about 30 in 45 minutes, all small cutthroats. I could fish streams like this all day! Not a place for those looking for fish with size, but if I'm back in the area, I think I'd try and find out what was just around that bend where the creek turns away from the road.....
We stayed the night in Bicknell a little ways from Capitol Reef because there was a hotel there with a good deal on a family room (Aquarius Inn, two rooms, kitchen, hide-a-bed for $79/night). I had a fishing license which could do with a little more use and a couple hours of free time, so I found another Pine Creek which appeared to be not too far from Bicknell and took off with Jessica, who was excited to accompany me. With evening time running short, gravel roads became 60 mph highways as I rushed to try and find the creek. It appeared I guessed correctly at all the road forks, as we looked ahead and saw the road approaching what appeared to be a creek in the valley bottom. Or did I find the right stream? It looked more like a small ditch with a little water running beside the road! Well, as I always tell the kids, there is only one way to find out if are fish in a stream - and there were. Jess and I caught about 30 in 45 minutes, all small cutthroats. I could fish streams like this all day! Not a place for those looking for fish with size, but if I'm back in the area, I think I'd try and find out what was just around that bend where the creek turns away from the road.....
Small Pine Creek Cutthroat
Jess still knows how to use a fly rod
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