Deep Creek
Photos contributed by: Bernard Yin and Pat Emerick
I know that I only scratched the surface of Deep having fished it about
6
times in 2003 after an absence of about 15 years. Between its incredible
terrain
and beautiful fish it won my heart. The headwaters and even a few
tributaries can
hold fish but I have grown fanatical about the stretch below Splinter's
Cabin to
Devil's Hole. Despite
rattle snakes and some spots being overrun with
partiers (sometimes leaving a bit too much litter), there seemed to be
endless hiding
spots for fish on this stream. One thing I noticed about this stream was
the
rapid change in the fishing as the season would progress. Some spots
would be
multi-fish pools and then be virtually dead as the season got hot. The
fish
in Deep proved to be tough and given the deep holes, probably waited out
many
hot spells over the years. add to this that I have caught fish in fast
shallow
water, at great depth in pools (10 feet) and tight between boulders with
a
presentation that was more akin to ice fishing (vertical drop into deep
spot
while almost standing on the fish). Seems like some streams tend to
encourage
certain colorations on fish and I consider the bows of Deep to be some
of the
prettiest bows I have ever seen in So. Cal. They often had unusually
numerous
spots and great colors characteristic of the classic rainbow trout. The
browns
were less common in my experience. Despite this and all legends of
monsters
aside, I did land a few that were truly unexpected in their health,
girth and
attitude. All sorts of critters abounded and one could always count on
some great
wildlife sightings as well. I speak in past tense because all reports
indicate
that the stream was dealt a horrible blow with the runoff after the
fires of
2003. Maybe it'll come back stronger but I had a few scores to settle
down
there with some beasts and now worry whether or not I'll have that
chance again. I
plan to check it out in a few select spots to satisfy my curiosity.
There are
all sorts of great Deep Creek stories lurking out there and some of them
are
mind blowing. Let's all hope that this stream recovers and becomes the
great
stream that it once was.
Bernard Yin
