FisherDad – Page 14 – Outdoor adventures, particularly trout angling

Cold Creek Pond, Clark County, NV

Spring Mountain reflection on Cold Creek pond

Cold Creek remains one of my fondest places in spite of it becoming overrun with private development and RV campers. Maybe it’s the memory of the delight when I first discovered the place back in the late 1970s. There were no cabins then as the land was owned by the Bureau of Land Management. The creek gushed mysteriously from the cave at the end of the arroyo, and the little jeweled trout seemed to thrive in the creek despite its diminutive stature. I became so enthralled with the area that my college grade point average dropped a whole tenth of a point during my final semester because I frequently ditched the early evening classes so I could explore around Cold Creek in the early springtime. As I mentioned in previous writings, I caught my first trout on a fly in Cold Creek when I was attending the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, forever capturing my sensibilities and birthing the fly fishing passion that still haunts me today (see November Cold Creek 2006 blog).

Cold Springs, Wayne Kirch WMA

It’s springtime! This special season always holds such promise, especially after the doldrums of winter. Anticipation builds to the point it seems no longer containable. But, I am getting ahead of myself.

Mount Potosi Reconnaissance

My son Brian has a youthful fascination with the military. When I was young I, too, thought I could survive anything while conquering the evil forces in our world. Patriotism is a wonderful thing, and it is good to know that there are young men and women who are willing to put their lives on the line to make the USA safe. But, it is only natural to hope someone else’s child would go in the place of yours.

Brian’s ’07/’08 Wrestling Season

Palo Verde Dual Champs (Brian wearing the white shirt in the middle)

Brian’s ’07/’08 wrestling season for Cimarron-Memorial High School is over. He can now eat when and what he wants. No more early Saturday morning tournaments that run into early evenings. No more rolling in after practice at 4:30 pm every school day. No more starvation or stationary bike riding to cut weight.

Christmas 2007

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and God’s blessings from the Vincent Family. Distance and time fight against us, so we thought a few Christmas pictures on the blog might warm your hearts.

Love from the Vincent family…

Illipah Reservoir – Cave Lake State Park

Leaving Cave Lake State Park driving south toward the Ward Mountain Range in the background.

Right as school let out for summer break, Denise and I received our first foster home placement. Although we were licensed since last October, we had only provided a few respite periods for another foster couple we know. This placement was the real deal, a sibling pair: a 2¹/₂ year old girl and a 14 month old boy. Ironically, we know their biological family indirectly, which creates some complications. The little girl has severe emotional disabilities, reactive attachment disorder they label it. Needless to say, this was a long, exhausting summer. I had not been fishing since Cold Springs at Wayne Kirch in early May. I had wanted to go in June before the summer heat reached its apex, but I just couldn’t bring myself to leave Denise with these two children, both still in diapers and devoid of any appreciation and respect for boundaries. By the time September arrived I could not contain myself any longer, and so I planned a two-day overnight trip.

Cambria, Central Coast of California

DeAna and Rob, Santa Rosa Chapel, July 7, 2007.

Out-of-town trips can’t always be about fishing, can they? Well, they can’t. And, although there are no pictures of fly-caught trout in this blog post, there is lots to share with family and friends.

Cold Springs Reservoir – Wayne Kirch Wildlife Management Area – Sunnyside, NV

Sixteen-inch male rainbow with kyped jaw

It had been two years since my maiden trip to Wayne Kirch. I had wanted to return last year, but the weather and timing never got in synch. In 2005 I had limited success in very cold, windy weather. On that trip I had one good strike from a strong trout that I lost before bringing it to hand, so I knew there were good-sized trout in Cold Springs.

Baker Reservoir – Veyo, UT

I am always amazed by nature. Its beauty and order, its variety and grandeur, leave me breathless. And yet, I am frequently astonished by how much we miss. We can pass by something many times and never notice it or ponder it. Perhaps it’s a sensory self-defense mechanism to protect us from overload. Nonetheless, that is the story of Baker Reservoir. I must have passed Baked a half-dozen times on my way to Pine Valley and never really noticed or considered it.

Pine Valley, UT

The weather report was showing a few more warm fall days. It seemed like this was my last chance to fish before the real hustle and bustle of the holidays hit and the fishing fell into the doldrums of winter. I had been talking about a fishing trip, out loud to myself, and Denise must have overheard me. Monday she stuck a note on my side of the mirror saying how much she appreciated my help and what it meant to her, and finished by saying that she wanted me to stay around through Thanksgiving and not go fishing… took the wind right out of my sails. After checking my calendar and giving it some thought at work, I asked her if I could go Wednesday preceding Thanksgiving, a workday, if I promised to be home by 6:00 pm. I argued it would be just like a regular workday to her, and she said “yes”.