Heatwave

[rstouff]

I hadn't driven the 3 1/2 hours to a central Louisiana stream in a couple months. The temperatures here along the Gulf Coast were hovering around 95, hotter inland. There had been scarce rain in the parts I wanted to be. But my best friend and I needed to go. A report from a month earlier had indicated the creek was so dry the reporter had to walk hundreds of feet between pools. We decided to go anyway, mostly to explore some places we had been curious about.
Upon arrival at 7:30 a.m. we were shocked, absolutely shocked, to find this:


Can't explain it, and didn't care to at the time. We strung up six-weights with No. 6 poppers. The spotted and largemouth bass here are not big, but they respond best to big, noisy poppers, thus the six-weight. It felt great to step into the cool flows again. This stream, some of you may remember, is an oddity and a rare, precious jewel in a land of bayous and swamps. There are none other like it with sandstone terraces and fast, living water.

In it's lower reaches, the stream slows a bit over sandbars:


We each managed two of these, a lot of pumpkinseed perch.

At 1.8 miles downstream from where we went in, we found this wonderful outcrop. Remember, this is Louisiana!


By 2 p.m. it was just too dang hot to continue, so we made our way back, had a quick lunch, then it was off home, another 3 1/2 hours southward back to the swamps and bayous I grew up in. In my head, the creek lingered like a vision for days. Still does. I can't wait until cooler weather to return.
I know it's not an Appalachian stream, or Catskills or Rockies. But it's my little, precious gem and each visit there is a treasured memory.

Roger Stouff
Chitimacha, Louisiana

[Satoshi]

I don't know what kind of place Louisiana is, but I can certainly tell that is a great stream to fish!
Thank you for great pics.

Satoshi

[Apache Trout]

That stream is a gem. Glad you get to enjoy it. A.T.

[soupmix]

Your posts remind me how truly spoiled I am in Michigan. Although you do not live in trout-utopia at least you have a great place to fish. Nice report.

The Average Joe Fisherman

[rstouff]

Much appreciated!
I wish I lived a shorter distance to such streams. Down here, all fishing is done in a boat, you couldn't wade without sinking up to your hips in muck. Don't get me wrong, the fishing can be fantastic in the swamps, bayous and marshes. But after a lifetime of messing about in boats, I've really grown weary of it hassling with trailers, fuel, trolling motors...and the fishing here isn't what it was when I was growing up, by a long shot.
R

[Mostyn]

Good report and pictures, your Large Mouth Bass, is a freshwater fish yeah? The only Bass I've ever seen is the Salmon Bass - a sea fish!

[rstouff]

It is a freshwater fish, yes.

[fishtaco]

Good to see Louisiana is well represented here, nice report Roger. Let me know when you want to head up this way, I know of a few streams I think you'd love.

[erics beetle]

Great looking place. As mostyn says no freshwater bass in UK but they are stocked widely in French stillwaters and boy do they scrap,

Andy

[Alpinefly]

Spent a whole Summer down in that neck of the woods. Didn't like the Water Mocassins (some people thought I was nuts out in my waders fly fishing while those rascals were swimming around), but the Bass I was getting were real line busters. Very nice pics !!!!!!!!!!