Pocket Mini and Mountain Bike

by Doug
(Oregon)

We have a local small stream which is perfect Tenkara water. It is full of small redband rainbows and a few brookies. The state wants to eliminate the non-native brook trout, but I like them here. They grow a bit bigger than the redband, and they are often in faster water.

I had heard that way up in the headwaters, above several massive waterfalls, the creek holds 100% brook trout. Apparently, someone stocked it by horse and milk can long ago, and they hang on in a tough high altitude spot.

The headwaters can be reached by a long steep trail, which is (just) mountain-bikeable. I put the marvelously compact Nissin Pocket Mini in my bike bag and strapped some river shoes on the back. This super minimal outfit let me confirm, yep, there is a gorgeous dry fly gulping brookie in every decent pool up there.

“The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten” - Benjamin Franklin

"Be sure in casting, that your fly fall first into the water, for if the line fall first, it scares or frightens the fish..." -
Col. Robert Venables 1662

As age slows my pace, I will become more like the heron.

We've all had situations where seriously chewed up flies kept catching fish after fish after fish. It is no sin to tie flies that come off the vise looking seriously chewed up.