Braving the Cold at Del Valle and Shadow Cliffs

Del Valle sunrise

The Wind coming in at Shadow Cliffs

My dad and I have accompanied Chang throughout his entire fishing career. I was there when he caught his first fish, I netted his first bass, and instructed him on how to catch his first trout. Now the man has grown into a fine fisherman, and accompanies us on a few trout hunts every year.  As the sun climbed shakily over the surrounding grass covered hills three fisherman began hiking into the Narrows of Del Valle Reservoir. The air was a biting 28 degrees without wind chill and heavy frost covered the ground. Those three fisherman freezing on the wet banks of Del Valle Reservoir were me, my father, and our friend Chang. We were fishing a traditional sliding egg sinker rig with powerbait on the end. My dad had a bubble bobber rig and Kastmaster rigged up on a different pole. We were ready to catch three full limits of chunky rainbow trout.

A surprise largemouth bass at Shadow Cliffs

However, the fish and the weather had other thoughts. After two hours not one of us had a single bite. Trout fisherman know that this can be a typical day, so I settled into my chair, pulled up my hood and began to wait. Suddenly Chang made the day saving decision and demanded that we instead fish at Shadow Cliffs. Through consistent pressure from Chang, my dad and I reluctantly packed up our gear and headed for the car fishless.

My dad bundling up against the wind

The first thing I noticed when I got out of the car at Shadow Cliffs was the numbing temperature. Shivering I set up my rig and laid out my chair. Everyone around me was hunched inside their coats and talking about the one fish that had been caught over an hour ago. And then the wind began to pick up, with 20-30 mph gusts whipping through the canyon. The anglers around me began to shiver a little harder and their teeth began to chatter. Then the clouds came over the sun, plunging the temperature back down to the depressing temperature of 28 degrees. I began to lose feeling in my hands and feet even though I was wearing gloves and heavy boots. Hypothermia was causing my body to centralize blood around my core. Gritting my teeth I sunk deeper into my ski jacket. I still had no trout to show for my suffering. Six hours later people were leaving the lake with blue faces and no fish. Chang had long ago disappeared and my dad and I were the only ones left standing on the metal dock. Dead birds lined the shoreline and my stringer lay sadly in my bag. And then Chang sprinted onto the dock screaming about two trout that he had caught. My dad and I looked at each other.

The final reward

Thirty seconds later we had conquered an adjacent dock by pushing the other people to the side and setting up our poles in the middle. Since my dad had a two rod stamp, we cast a total of three pre-rigged poles into the water and nodded to the stunned anglers around us. In the meantime Chang was displaying his limit of five trout and dancing on the dock singing, "There is a new Troutmaster!" Nine hours after we had started fishing the bite had begun to pick up. With three rods I began to rapidly gain on Chang. With every fish that either of us caught we held it up to the other, smirked, and placed it on the stringer. Finally the sun began to plummet from the horizon and the temperature plunged. Smiling we placed our fourteen trout onto the dock and began to pack up our gear. While many other anglers would have left hours before, Chang's instinct and our persistence led us to the fish.
When I was a kid, the first fish that I understood were the rainbow trout. I would spend hours pouring over books and visualizing in my head how the trout would interact with the changing conditions of the lake. And yet as well as I think I understand these fish they continue to surprise and challenge me. Trout have taught me patience and self discipline. This trip tested my control and revealed to me that persistence can be the path to success. As the chirp of the crickets called out and the honks of migrating geese echoed around the reservoir, the falling sun illuminated the silhouettes of three fishermen jumping on the dock and singing, "WE ARE THE NEW TROUTMASTERS!"

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Del Valle Fishing Excursion

* I am trying to catch up on the many outings I've been on since last summer. Unfortunately, it's now more difficult to check my blog for things like spelling. Please bear with my occasional mistakes.

Del Valle at sunrise

The day is the twenty-second of November, and for me, it means trout time. Fly fishing in the azure waters of a high altitude mountain lake is very appealing, but bank fishing for trout is how I came to love fishing. Sitting on the gravel slope of a beautiful reservoir and starting at a fishing pole for a hint of movement  makes you feel like a hunter stalking prey. It's a wild-card experience that is both tense and exciting. So when winter swung around in the Bay Area, I was more than happy to grab my rod and head to a nearby lake. Which is exactly what my father and I did.

Three rainbow trout that we caught 

Because the trout season was still in it's infancy, my dad decided that taking a trip to Lake Del Valle would be a good bet. We've fished at that lake for three seasons, and just before the water freezes up for winter there is a window of opportunity in the fall where an avid trout fisherman can pull in triple limits of trout.  Plus Del Valle features a plethora of wildlife, including deer, giant turkey vultures, quail, various hawks, harmless tarantulas, two famous bald eagles, and of course fish. Overall, it's probably one of the nicest reservoirs in the bay area, therefore making it a must go for my dad and I.

Our car stopped at the front gate around 5:30 A.M. The air temperature was barely above freezing, and frost covered the ground in an icy sheet. Our poles were already rigged up and ready for action. After trekking through about a mile of frigid landscape we arrived at the Narrows. The Narrows are a point on the lake where the sides of the reservoir our very close together, and the water level drops off quickly. The result is that fish are constantly funneled through the area, and sometimes come onto the flats to feed. Our tackle consisted of a standard sliding egg sinker rig, with a leader of varying length. Instead of a standard bait-holder hooks, I made the decision to use #8 circle hooks. Circle hooks are utilized by salmon boats, and their strength is that the fisherman does not have to set the hook. The unique design causes the hook to slide into the side of the trout's mouth with minimal tension. Finally, the hooks were garnished with chartreuse power bait and cast into the lake.

Two rainbows that were landed in front of the parking lot

Waiting for a trout to bite is an experience like no other. You may have to wait for hours without a bite, and yet still remain utterly focused on your pole. It's a mentally exhausting task that tests your patience and determination. For two arduous hours I waited and waited, and waited some more. Six hours could have passed, and I still would have been frozen in the same position. But after two hours, my line began to shoot out. I was out of my chair and at the pole in seconds.

When a trout takes your bait it is sometimes hard to judge how big the fish is. But that wasn't a problem with this fish. As soon as I set the hook line poured off the reel in waves. I stared at my reel, dumbfounded as line peeled into the depths of the lake. Snapping my head back to the water, I realized I was hooked into a big fish. But just how big? That is the question that all fisherman ask themselves as they reel in their fish. They'll imagine a giant catch on the end of their line. And so caught up in their fantasy, they forget about reality, and the fish slips off the hook and back into the water. Reeling in a large fish requires discipline.

SPIDER!!!

Five minutes into the fight my forearms burn with exertion. The slim trout pole is doubled over and the monofilament line twangs with tension. It's a battle of endurance between me and the fish and I'm determined to win it. Finally my catch comes within netting range. I can't see it clearly but it's massive. And it's only after the fish is netted that I sense something different. See, trout are red, silver, and emerald. This fish is a mottled brown...... and then I see the whiskers and downturned mouth and I realize I've caught a catfish!

It may not be a trout, but its still a big fish, and I'm ecstatic. But after some thought I realize catfish require warm water, and trout are a cold water fish.  It's then I realize that the water where I am fishing at is several degrees above the ideal temperature for trout. So my dad and I pack up the catfish and hike back. By now its almost 10:00 A.M. and we're far from the first people to be at a spot so close to the parking lot. But we decide to cast in our poles anyway. And after only an hour, we have two rainbow trout on our stringer. Satisfied, we pack up our catch and head home in time for lunch. It's been an excellent day of fishing and we're all smiles as we return to the car.

The 7lb. catfish, landed on 4lb. test

I believe that every fishing trip teaches you a lesson that can be applied to daily life. Take the catfish for example. I was fishing at the wrong place, at the wrong time, for the wrong species, doing the wrong thing, and yet I still managed to land a seven-pound catfish. Even though the odds are against you, one can still overcome the many disadvantages with determination, patience and a little bit of luck. And the second lesson I learned from this fishing trip, is that you should put your effort in where it matters the most. Although catching the catfish was great, I wanted to catch rainbow trout. And because I caught the catfish, I knew I was in a location that was not likely to yield trout. So I moved spots, and because of that pulled in an additional two rainbow trout. It was a beautiful day, and I even saw some wild cows waking on the path. Even without the fish, I still would have had a great time. But of course, catching a couple for dinner always makes the experience better.

Results: Seven Pound Catfish
Two rainbow trout (about 14 in)
Tackle: Sliding Egg Sinker Rig, 18 inch leader, chartreuse power bait, #8 circle hook

Air Temperature: 45 degrees
Wind Condition: None

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