Nice post Vladimir. You really have put in your time and energy to locate the fish.
I guess I am at a sort of cross roads in my fishing life. Many of the waters I grew up fishing have become class 3-5 waters. I cut my teeth on Chopaka and now won't even fish it due to the crazy number of people from out of the County who pound the lake. I know many people from the metropolitan area's feel the packed campground up there isn't busy compared to the combat fishing they endure on their local ponds but the experience of fishing that high mountain lake has been ruined for me. The local resentment you may feel while fishing outside your local area isn't about people catching fish as much as it is local fly fisherman working hard to get a special regs lake established only to find they can't find a parking space at said lake now that bigger fish are present and "their" lake has become a destination. I know that is a sore topic with the Okanogan Fly Club. They improved the campground at Chopaka, keep the noxious weeds under control up there but no longer hold one of their meetings there because they can't even get into the campground anymore. The thing that drives me crazy is the fact that pressure isn't all bad. I wrestle with this paradigm all the time. I resent crowds at my favorite waters but I know they are the reason the water exist. The St. Joe River comes to mind. On the brink of becoming a saw mill sludge pond, enough people took interest in it to say this is worth saving. You can now catch wild cutts all day long but you have to share the river with 200 other fisherman. Which is the worse evil? LoL!! In our state we have an incredible abundance of lakes where you can go and catch really nice fish. Try catching a 20+ inch rainbow out of a lake on the East Coast. Most of these lakes became special reg lakes because enough fisherman came to love the water to want and protect it. Fortunately our DFW listened and changed the rules. Try getting the Oregon DFW to do the same! So I guess we have to choose our fishing destinations to fit our moods. Tomorrow I will go combat fishing at Rocky Ford because A.) I can't wade rivers yet due to my knee rehab and B.) I am about ready to go crazy staring out the window. and C.) The summer river season is 6 months away. AAAHHHHHH!!!!! Mike
