DocSpotty
09-10-2016, 09:23 PM
My last report was just the first 2 of 5 days I spent fishing Quartz Creek…..now for the rest of the details. So my first of 4 straight days fishing began 1 week after my last report. It was another off-and-on rainy day, with low clouds, misty weather and epic fishing:
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/1_zpss6urwoyf.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/1_zpss6urwoyf.jpg.html)
For some reason I can’t ever find anyone to go with me…..not sure why, I generally bath almost everyday. This day was the absolutely peak, perfect day for dolly fishing on Quartz. The reds were laying eggs everywhere and the dollies were plentiful and getting fat. Surprisingly my first fish of the morning was a rainbow:
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/2_zpsdddahnkg.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/2_zpsdddahnkg.jpg.html)
Due to the rain….you can see many pics with water on the lens….there wasn’t much taking of scenery shots just hardcore frothing the water. The dollies took over after that rainbow and just kept coming:
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/3_zpsgt7cif2z.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/3_zpsgt7cif2z.jpg.html)
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/4_zpsuao6gx5p.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/4_zpsuao6gx5p.jpg.html)
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/5_zpsekqsnhwl.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/5_zpsekqsnhwl.jpg.html)
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/6_zpsahupba2j.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/6_zpsahupba2j.jpg.html)
Sorry there isn’t much variation in pictures but I was just enjoying myself way to darn much. Here’s some more pics as I kept moving along:
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/7_zpsnrykaebq.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/7_zpsnrykaebq.jpg.html)
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/8_zpsuqphqrpy.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/8_zpsuqphqrpy.jpg.html)
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/9_zpsi2aiz3vb.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/9_zpsi2aiz3vb.jpg.html)
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/10_zpspxfkz0wq.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/10_zpspxfkz0wq.jpg.html)
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/11_zpstpfioych.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/11_zpstpfioych.jpg.html)
Finally I managed to find 4 or 5 rainbows in one small area with the dollies:
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/12_zpstnsnty0s.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/12_zpstnsnty0s.jpg.html)
The biggest bow I hooked was in the 21-22 inch range……battled him up and down and across the river for several minutes and was working him towards shallow water for a pic and release and he bolted one more time lodging himself in a bunch of sunken branches near shore. Soon thereafter he proceeded to separate my hook from the leader and leave me admiring his resourcefulness….the twerp. But there really wasn’t much time to cry over smart rainbows and I continued to molest the myriad of dollies present:
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/13_zps2ilddrbg.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/13_zps2ilddrbg.jpg.html)
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/14_zpsnad0dt6s.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/14_zpsnad0dt6s.jpg.html)
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/15_zps0o5w7vnc.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/15_zps0o5w7vnc.jpg.html)
It was a trying day as my shoulder was getting sore ( I know…you guys are surely crying me a river right now). After fishing 2 circuits of this area I took an hour and half off to eat, relieve myself and listen to some Boston (yes….I am old). Decided to make one more quicker pass as it moved towards nightfall and was rewarded with a few more fish and some a bit bigger:
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/16_zpsk4uabvp5.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/16_zpsk4uabvp5.jpg.html)
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/17_zpsx5cx5ots.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/17_zpsx5cx5ots.jpg.html)
This last time down I ran into the only fisherman on the same stretch and he was a ways in front of me. As would be appropriate to any day of fishing I was coming down the last stretch before hitting my car again and hooked into the monster of the trip underneath a large, hanging spruce. I thought maybe a early coho as the fish ripped right through my flyline and into the backing but at this point she jumped and I saw it was one of the largest dollies I’d ever had on at Quartz. She gave me about a 10 minute tussle on the 4 wt and I had a difficult time finding someplace I could guide her into the shore. What a way to end the day…the only time I pulled out my tape measure as she just hit 24 inches. Snapped a quick pic and watched her swim strongly away back under her tree.
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/19_zps6i3lteqz.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/19_zps6i3lteqz.jpg.html)
Couldn’t possible beat that so I just moved back down to the car and spent the night down at a friend’s cabin on the Ninilchik River. By the numbers it was the best day I’ve ever had on Quartz with 86 fish……
DAY 2
The next morning I drove down to Homer and met some friends to go out halibut fishing for the morning. It was raining all morning and I only took one picture in the harbor before we set out:
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/20_zpsl5ccn5kc.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/20_zpsl5ccn5kc.jpg.html)
Should have taken some pictures as there were sea otters just everywhere. The fishing was pretty darn slow but we managed to catch several small halibut…..the biggest was only 15 lbs. But everyone donated their catch to me so I was able to bring home about 25 lbs. of halibut fillets. Just drove back to Ninilchik took a hot shower and got some sleep deciding I was headed back to Quartz the next two days.
DAY 3 and 4
Usually I avoid the weekends when fishing easily accessible water on the weekends as many more “friends” are present then. But it had been fishing so well I just couldn’t resist. Day 3 was cloudy, a touch of rain, but actually some sun later in the afternoon. The first pass through my favorite section the fishing was still pretty good as most people just don’t get up early. The fish were still active and I immediately caught a few where I waded in:
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/1_zpszlibbz30.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/1_zpszlibbz30.jpg.html)
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/2_zpsmadikb07.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/2_zpsmadikb07.jpg.html)
The water was getting lower and very clear so spotting specific dollies and casting to them was something I couldn’t resist. There was a really nice buck dolly working a cutoff right below some spawning reds and he was just beautifully colored. I wasted nearly an hour trying to catch that sucker but the few times he actually picked up my bead he spit it out before I could react……at times I just wanted to harpoon him but you can’t blame him for outwitting the angler. Decided I should keep fishing down as human voices could be heard wandering through the forest. Kept catching fish but they were much more wary now:
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/3_zpsps2ypwt9.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/3_zpsps2ypwt9.jpg.html)
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/4_zpsmkyrhkwj.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/4_zpsmkyrhkwj.jpg.html)
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/5_zpskmvmbarl.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/5_zpskmvmbarl.jpg.html)
For the rest of this Saturday there were plenty of other fisherman around so I got to do some visiting and fish got to do a lot more hiding. Went to sleep in the car with a modest 44 fish for the day….given the traffic on the creek, it wasn’t too bad.
Sunday morning it was cool, dreary and misty on Quartz:
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/6_zps2dpwwuuo.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/6_zps2dpwwuuo.jpg.html)
I managed to beat everyone else onto the water in the morning but then I spent over and hour still trying to catch that same stupid (well, obviously, he was not so stupid) dolly I tried to catch the morning before…..he merely “gave me the fin” for the whole time. I started moving downstream as the unwashed masses started flopping into the creek. First pass through caught a far number of dollies:
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/7_zpsxtfpqaxp.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/7_zpsxtfpqaxp.jpg.html)
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/8_zpsjsxjj4na.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/8_zpsjsxjj4na.jpg.html)
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/9_zpsjr0xwt4j.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/9_zpsjr0xwt4j.jpg.html)
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/11_zpslsgdd5yl.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/11_zpslsgdd5yl.jpg.html)
And in keeping with my trigger finger on setting the hook I managed another nice rock:
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/12_zpsb5asskvn.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/12_zpsb5asskvn.jpg.html)
Second pass through this stretch I hiked upstream with a couple of other fishermen who hit the river just about where I did. Interesting that on Saturday I only caught 1 rainbow and this day I caught none. The bows seem to be a bit more sensitive to the amount of traffic in the water and button up. As I came to a big turn in the creek there was a giant “party” going on around the bend. There were at least a dozen people camped on this corner literally thrashing the heck out of the fish…..never seen that many people in one spot on Quartz in 20 years….thought it was maybe some group I spilled my secrets to on some online fishing forum (hahahaha). These people weren’t moving downstream so I just bypassed them and kept on fishing waters that were getting hammered pretty hard. After catching one more nice fish I noticed blood on the rod handle and fishing line. Unknown to me, due to all the hook setting and fast line stripping, I had burned a line hole into my index finger….a first for me:
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/13_zpshdjg0e9v.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/13_zpshdjg0e9v.jpg.html)
It was early afternoon and I decided there would be little gained by fishing anymore due to the high stress on the stream. I was back at my car getting ready to go when a group of middle aged gentlemen pulled up and started gearing up to go hit the river. I could tell, for the most part, they were a bit unfamiliar with their fly gear (which turned out to be rented) and the beads they had on were monstrous and very pretty pink…..not generally effective on this stream. So I asked them where they were from….Michigan businessmen….and first time to Alaska. Only one had a clue about fly fishing. Despite the raging pain from my nearly severed finger (cough, cough) I took the time to give them some pertinent information and provided them with a couple dozen of the “right” beads to fish with. They were still looking clueless and had no idea where to go, so I grabbed my rod and took them up the trail to show them the river and the techniques required to actually catch fish. You should expect this as I was a Boy Scout many decades ago when we actually did “a good turn daily”. Got the guys in the creek without anyone drowning and showed them the basic way to fish the bead and to look for dollies behind the spawning reds. I took another 30 minutes to fish for that same infuriating dolly that was still in the same place…to no avail. After about an hour the guy who actually knew how to flyfish had tagged a few dollies but the other 3 kept snagging reds and chasing them up and down the river….it was very amusing. They seemed to be enjoying themselves so I bid them adieu and headed back downstream. Managed to catch of few more dollies as I moved fairly quickly:
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/15_zps9la1xier.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/15_zps9la1xier.jpg.html)
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/17_zpsrhzvukim.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/17_zpsrhzvukim.jpg.html)
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/18_zpskhf1mzuq.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/18_zpskhf1mzuq.jpg.html)
That last one has a gigantic tail on it…..just in case you didn’t notice. As I was coming down the last straightaway, heading for the car and I passed this monstrous beauty on the other side:
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/10_zpsjhqb9ybm.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/10_zpsjhqb9ybm.jpg.html)
It kept whispering……”come eat me and I’ll take all your pain away”…….uh huh. It was one Alaskan sized toadstool. Managed 40 fish this Sunday……so I fished Quartz for 5 days and a total of 268 fish….not a bad average and I was ready to go all the way home to Boise. It was an extremely pleasant ride home.
Smile……Brian
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/1_zpss6urwoyf.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/1_zpss6urwoyf.jpg.html)
For some reason I can’t ever find anyone to go with me…..not sure why, I generally bath almost everyday. This day was the absolutely peak, perfect day for dolly fishing on Quartz. The reds were laying eggs everywhere and the dollies were plentiful and getting fat. Surprisingly my first fish of the morning was a rainbow:
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/2_zpsdddahnkg.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/2_zpsdddahnkg.jpg.html)
Due to the rain….you can see many pics with water on the lens….there wasn’t much taking of scenery shots just hardcore frothing the water. The dollies took over after that rainbow and just kept coming:
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/3_zpsgt7cif2z.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/3_zpsgt7cif2z.jpg.html)
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/4_zpsuao6gx5p.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/4_zpsuao6gx5p.jpg.html)
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/5_zpsekqsnhwl.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/5_zpsekqsnhwl.jpg.html)
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/6_zpsahupba2j.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/6_zpsahupba2j.jpg.html)
Sorry there isn’t much variation in pictures but I was just enjoying myself way to darn much. Here’s some more pics as I kept moving along:
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/7_zpsnrykaebq.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/7_zpsnrykaebq.jpg.html)
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/8_zpsuqphqrpy.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/8_zpsuqphqrpy.jpg.html)
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/9_zpsi2aiz3vb.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/9_zpsi2aiz3vb.jpg.html)
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/10_zpspxfkz0wq.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/10_zpspxfkz0wq.jpg.html)
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/11_zpstpfioych.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/11_zpstpfioych.jpg.html)
Finally I managed to find 4 or 5 rainbows in one small area with the dollies:
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/12_zpstnsnty0s.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/12_zpstnsnty0s.jpg.html)
The biggest bow I hooked was in the 21-22 inch range……battled him up and down and across the river for several minutes and was working him towards shallow water for a pic and release and he bolted one more time lodging himself in a bunch of sunken branches near shore. Soon thereafter he proceeded to separate my hook from the leader and leave me admiring his resourcefulness….the twerp. But there really wasn’t much time to cry over smart rainbows and I continued to molest the myriad of dollies present:
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/13_zps2ilddrbg.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/13_zps2ilddrbg.jpg.html)
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/14_zpsnad0dt6s.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/14_zpsnad0dt6s.jpg.html)
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/15_zps0o5w7vnc.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/15_zps0o5w7vnc.jpg.html)
It was a trying day as my shoulder was getting sore ( I know…you guys are surely crying me a river right now). After fishing 2 circuits of this area I took an hour and half off to eat, relieve myself and listen to some Boston (yes….I am old). Decided to make one more quicker pass as it moved towards nightfall and was rewarded with a few more fish and some a bit bigger:
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/16_zpsk4uabvp5.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/16_zpsk4uabvp5.jpg.html)
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/17_zpsx5cx5ots.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/17_zpsx5cx5ots.jpg.html)
This last time down I ran into the only fisherman on the same stretch and he was a ways in front of me. As would be appropriate to any day of fishing I was coming down the last stretch before hitting my car again and hooked into the monster of the trip underneath a large, hanging spruce. I thought maybe a early coho as the fish ripped right through my flyline and into the backing but at this point she jumped and I saw it was one of the largest dollies I’d ever had on at Quartz. She gave me about a 10 minute tussle on the 4 wt and I had a difficult time finding someplace I could guide her into the shore. What a way to end the day…the only time I pulled out my tape measure as she just hit 24 inches. Snapped a quick pic and watched her swim strongly away back under her tree.
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/19_zps6i3lteqz.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/19_zps6i3lteqz.jpg.html)
Couldn’t possible beat that so I just moved back down to the car and spent the night down at a friend’s cabin on the Ninilchik River. By the numbers it was the best day I’ve ever had on Quartz with 86 fish……
DAY 2
The next morning I drove down to Homer and met some friends to go out halibut fishing for the morning. It was raining all morning and I only took one picture in the harbor before we set out:
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/20_zpsl5ccn5kc.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%20804/20_zpsl5ccn5kc.jpg.html)
Should have taken some pictures as there were sea otters just everywhere. The fishing was pretty darn slow but we managed to catch several small halibut…..the biggest was only 15 lbs. But everyone donated their catch to me so I was able to bring home about 25 lbs. of halibut fillets. Just drove back to Ninilchik took a hot shower and got some sleep deciding I was headed back to Quartz the next two days.
DAY 3 and 4
Usually I avoid the weekends when fishing easily accessible water on the weekends as many more “friends” are present then. But it had been fishing so well I just couldn’t resist. Day 3 was cloudy, a touch of rain, but actually some sun later in the afternoon. The first pass through my favorite section the fishing was still pretty good as most people just don’t get up early. The fish were still active and I immediately caught a few where I waded in:
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/1_zpszlibbz30.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/1_zpszlibbz30.jpg.html)
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/2_zpsmadikb07.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/2_zpsmadikb07.jpg.html)
The water was getting lower and very clear so spotting specific dollies and casting to them was something I couldn’t resist. There was a really nice buck dolly working a cutoff right below some spawning reds and he was just beautifully colored. I wasted nearly an hour trying to catch that sucker but the few times he actually picked up my bead he spit it out before I could react……at times I just wanted to harpoon him but you can’t blame him for outwitting the angler. Decided I should keep fishing down as human voices could be heard wandering through the forest. Kept catching fish but they were much more wary now:
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/3_zpsps2ypwt9.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/3_zpsps2ypwt9.jpg.html)
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/4_zpsmkyrhkwj.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/4_zpsmkyrhkwj.jpg.html)
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/5_zpskmvmbarl.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/5_zpskmvmbarl.jpg.html)
For the rest of this Saturday there were plenty of other fisherman around so I got to do some visiting and fish got to do a lot more hiding. Went to sleep in the car with a modest 44 fish for the day….given the traffic on the creek, it wasn’t too bad.
Sunday morning it was cool, dreary and misty on Quartz:
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/6_zps2dpwwuuo.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/6_zps2dpwwuuo.jpg.html)
I managed to beat everyone else onto the water in the morning but then I spent over and hour still trying to catch that same stupid (well, obviously, he was not so stupid) dolly I tried to catch the morning before…..he merely “gave me the fin” for the whole time. I started moving downstream as the unwashed masses started flopping into the creek. First pass through caught a far number of dollies:
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/7_zpsxtfpqaxp.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/7_zpsxtfpqaxp.jpg.html)
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/8_zpsjsxjj4na.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/8_zpsjsxjj4na.jpg.html)
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/9_zpsjr0xwt4j.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/9_zpsjr0xwt4j.jpg.html)
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/11_zpslsgdd5yl.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/11_zpslsgdd5yl.jpg.html)
And in keeping with my trigger finger on setting the hook I managed another nice rock:
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/12_zpsb5asskvn.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/12_zpsb5asskvn.jpg.html)
Second pass through this stretch I hiked upstream with a couple of other fishermen who hit the river just about where I did. Interesting that on Saturday I only caught 1 rainbow and this day I caught none. The bows seem to be a bit more sensitive to the amount of traffic in the water and button up. As I came to a big turn in the creek there was a giant “party” going on around the bend. There were at least a dozen people camped on this corner literally thrashing the heck out of the fish…..never seen that many people in one spot on Quartz in 20 years….thought it was maybe some group I spilled my secrets to on some online fishing forum (hahahaha). These people weren’t moving downstream so I just bypassed them and kept on fishing waters that were getting hammered pretty hard. After catching one more nice fish I noticed blood on the rod handle and fishing line. Unknown to me, due to all the hook setting and fast line stripping, I had burned a line hole into my index finger….a first for me:
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/13_zpshdjg0e9v.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/13_zpshdjg0e9v.jpg.html)
It was early afternoon and I decided there would be little gained by fishing anymore due to the high stress on the stream. I was back at my car getting ready to go when a group of middle aged gentlemen pulled up and started gearing up to go hit the river. I could tell, for the most part, they were a bit unfamiliar with their fly gear (which turned out to be rented) and the beads they had on were monstrous and very pretty pink…..not generally effective on this stream. So I asked them where they were from….Michigan businessmen….and first time to Alaska. Only one had a clue about fly fishing. Despite the raging pain from my nearly severed finger (cough, cough) I took the time to give them some pertinent information and provided them with a couple dozen of the “right” beads to fish with. They were still looking clueless and had no idea where to go, so I grabbed my rod and took them up the trail to show them the river and the techniques required to actually catch fish. You should expect this as I was a Boy Scout many decades ago when we actually did “a good turn daily”. Got the guys in the creek without anyone drowning and showed them the basic way to fish the bead and to look for dollies behind the spawning reds. I took another 30 minutes to fish for that same infuriating dolly that was still in the same place…to no avail. After about an hour the guy who actually knew how to flyfish had tagged a few dollies but the other 3 kept snagging reds and chasing them up and down the river….it was very amusing. They seemed to be enjoying themselves so I bid them adieu and headed back downstream. Managed to catch of few more dollies as I moved fairly quickly:
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/15_zps9la1xier.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/15_zps9la1xier.jpg.html)
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/17_zpsrhzvukim.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/17_zpsrhzvukim.jpg.html)
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/18_zpskhf1mzuq.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/18_zpskhf1mzuq.jpg.html)
That last one has a gigantic tail on it…..just in case you didn’t notice. As I was coming down the last straightaway, heading for the car and I passed this monstrous beauty on the other side:
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/10_zpsjhqb9ybm.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/DocEsox/media/Alaska/2016/Quartz%20Cr%2080607/10_zpsjhqb9ybm.jpg.html)
It kept whispering……”come eat me and I’ll take all your pain away”…….uh huh. It was one Alaskan sized toadstool. Managed 40 fish this Sunday……so I fished Quartz for 5 days and a total of 268 fish….not a bad average and I was ready to go all the way home to Boise. It was an extremely pleasant ride home.
Smile……Brian