Good-bye Stream - warm water fly fishing

                                                        Caught on my Shucker

This very well may be the last smallmouth that I catch from this stream, or this portion of it.  I have caught smallies from another access miles down stream but it's not a great spot.  I've been fishing this stream - ("indian creek") for about 15 years.  It was all pasture then.  Now, there's a golf course and huge homes along the stream.  I've never had any issues fishing on it.  Up until now.

I've always parked at the same spot (wish I could tell you the situation exactly but don't want to point out too much now) and accessed the stream from the bridge.  Today, I find out that one of the neighbors doesn't like me behind the house and claims part of the stream (rightly so . . . )  and another has had issues arising from hooligans on the stream.  Unfortunately (for me) and understandably so.

What irks me is that I have spent a long time learning this stream and now the Fish & Game dept. says I should as permission from the home owners and that they do own mid-way into the stream from their property.  All this from just a few neighbors and some issues caused by "bad eggs".  One of the neighbors has waved and said his for years . . . and now has to try and scare me off because he doesn't want folks to think they can hang out behind his place anymore.  Well,  at least I had a good day on the stream.

Since not all the property has been sold and that I would have to visit with all the neighbors year after year or season after season . . . and that I couldn't become too attached to the stream for fear of someone saying no . . . and I DID ASK permission from some of them . . . and waiting back from someone who seems to not want me on her side of the creek, I am now leaving the stream.  Fish and Game says they will ticket when called.  I even had called the county road dept. sheriff, etc. and was correct on how I entered the stream but even as I may gain access by permission, someone goof ball would do something stupid and ruin it for me.

Done with it.  How am I supposed to enjoy fishing with all that crap going on.  Butt heads were on the bridge looking for me last time.  I mean, C'mon!  Do I really need to kiss their butts, take pastries and a box of flies to folks and ask to fish behind their homes as they watch from their pools and decks and bother me with talking such as this morning??  Here it is 1 am and I am still fuming from it.


Crappie were biting like crappie do.  I had to feed my fly to them over and over.  The slightest twitch had to be felt - either that or watch my loop connector move, lol.  I drifted for them a bit but they mostly hung out in the timber and waited for my flies to approach.

                                                                Caught on purple Crazydad

                                                                  Taken on Shucker

                                                                        Shucker again.

                                                                     Moss Bluff Special

                                                                       Crazydad

My Shucker Fly (below) "caught" 4 bass and multiple panfish.  Time to make some more of these ugly bad boys.  My second cast, I had a small bass on and he got off.  The cast after that, I hooked a fat ol' smallmouth and as I tried to grab him, he shook off.  And the third bass was hefty and he jumped and jumped until the hook came out.  But at least I took a ton of panfish before landing another smallmouth that I could actually put on Instagram.

                                                                             WET

                                                                            DRY

I'll be heading back to the same waters in which I've been slugging it out with the bass. "Indian Creek" was my go to in spring and just every now and then.  The county informed me of something else (which I cannot share) which will affect stream access and parking . . . but at that point, I'm already mentally gone because Fish & Game and the sherriff's dept. have already me NOT to wade through the golf course that wasn't there too long ago.  A golf course that altered the stream for the worse.  And yet, what have I done but wade innocently behind some homes, picked up other folks litter and put fish back for other folks to catch.

Good bye ol' buddy.