Cold Creek – Page 4

Cold Creek Ice Gone

A large high-pressure weather system has settled into the Great Basin and beyond, keeping temperatures around Nevada near record highs for this time of year. For about two weeks the Las Vegas valley temperatures have been between the high fifties and the high sixties. I began to wonder if the Cold Creek ice had melted off.

Ice Man at Cold Creek

Bright rainbow; first trout of the day on a beaded prince nymph

We had a little cold snap in Las Vegas this week, a precursor of the colder winter to come. It made me reflect upon the Cold Creek pond, wondering if the freezing overnight temperatures had sealed its fate for the season. But yesterday was a nice day for late fall standards, and the weekend forecast was good. Being an impulsive fisherman I decided to see about the ice status for myself this morning.

Fall Stocking Accomplished at Cold Creek

A resplendent Cold Creek trout and my favorite light rod.

My friend Mitch emailed me that Cold Creek pond was stocked on Monday. Then yesterday I had a post from a reader who said he had a great time fishing in the morning before work, which made me feel relieved to learn that I’m not the only fanatic that fits fishing around odd schedules. So by Thursday you can only imagine that I was unable to resist leaving work early to have some fun before the Christmas season and the inevitable ice-over occur.

Cold Creek Pond, Clark County

I suppose I should have called the hatchery number to check on the timing of the fall stocking program. But, had I called and been told that it hadn’t been stocked yet I might not have gone to Cold Creek. And although it turned out that it wasn’t stocked, and I’m glad I went “blind” to discover that on my own.

Cold Creek Pond

Cold Creek Town 9,950 foot Willow Peak glistening in the background from a very early fall snowfall

After experiencing the hottest August on record (average high temp was just under 106º), and with September not providing much more relief, the sudden thirty degree plunge last week triggered the autumn fishing twitch within me. Waking to Las Vegas temperatures in the fifties and highs barely reaching sixty, not to mention the clouds with their needed precipitation… well it was all more than I could withstand last week. So I planned a quick one-hour visit to Cold Creek in between dropping Evan off at high school and feeding Emily breakfast (thank goodness Emily is a late morning riser).

Cold Creek, Spring Mountains, Nevada

Spring Mountains southeast of Cold Creek Pond

Curiosity got the best of me. The warmer weather prompted me to wonder how the Cold Creek trout were faring. So, after dropping off my son at his school, I high-tailed it to Cold Creek to check them out with my favorite fly rod.

Cold Creek Solitude

Mount Wheeler, Spring Mountains, overlooking Cold Creek Pond

I made a quick trip to Cold Creek after dropping Evan off at school. The Nevada Department of Wildlife has yet to make their spring stocking (usually in mid to late March), but there are still a good number of trout present. I arrived about 7:30 am to find a heron on the northern bank near the brush (I assume a great blue heron as they are common to our area, but then I’m not an Audubon member…). His three-toed tracks in the pond shallows were evident all over. When I stepped out of the truck he flew away. Later he circled and landed to the east of the pond. I was unable to track him to take a picture in flight, but I did manage to get him hiding amongst the sage. His presence meant that he was finding fish food, and thus a good omen.

Cold Creek Pond, Clark County

The “town” of Cold Creek, south of the pond

My new work schedule was producing a four-day weekend for Presidents Day, but the forecast called for rain starting Friday evening. Just for fun I ran up to Cold Creek after dropping Evan off at school this morning. It seemed calm in the valley; although I knew it would be in the mid-thirties up there. Unfortunately, at 7:30am the wind was whipping pretty good off the northern end of the Spring Mountains.

Cold Creek Revival

Some say communing with nature can be a religious experience. I, for example, find that everything in nature screams of the Creator. I don’t worship nature, but I find that the Lord’s hand is everywhere to be found in it. In the Bible, Job retorts in his defense against his so called friends, “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or ask the birds of the air, and they will teach you. Speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish of the sea tell you. Every one of these knows that the hand of the Lord has done this” (Job 13, 7-9). So, today I went to speak with Mr. Trout.

Cold Creek Pond, Clark County

Approaching the town of Cold Creek on highway 172

Hey, for those Las Vegans that have been asking about the stocking of Cold Creek I am happy to report that occurred last week. I made a short visit Thursday morning on a hunch that the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) had performed their scheduled deed even though their website had not been updated since last August.