Spanish Mines

[2fishon]

You guys are right on the money. I do enjoy winter. I live in a great area for it also. If the snow is too deep on the mountains, I just go out on the desert. You're much more likely to see me standing in the snow carrying a 5wt rod than you are carrying a shovel and bucket though. Winter stream fishing is fantastic!

 

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[Old Dog]

Pretty amazing to find that there are mayfly hatches that occur on some of the springcreeks in the winter months.
I know the first time I saw the tiny olive colored things on the snow banks ... I almost freaked out.
since then we have been tying our own winter bugs, and catching lots of fish.

 

[238592]

Just curios about the mine Phision2

 

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

HI 223, Relax, they are eating fresh pan fried trout, join em.

Ole dog I used # 22 flies in late summer and early winter. Also dabbled for them or caught them with my hands, if far enough out in the field. Game wardens frown upon it. Love fresh fried 9" golden Trout too.

Don Jose de La Mancha

 

[2fishon]

The forest service finally opened the gate at the bottom of the canyon. Made plans for next weekend- myself and two buddies should be able to open this mine in a couple of hours. I'll take lots of pics.

 

[Oroblanco]

Hola amigos,
I look forward to reading new updates! Maybe even some pix of new-found GOLD too!

Dang Don Jose' - that is one type of trout I have never caught (Golden trout) but have tried. Looking forward to floating a few flies on the 'crick' in a few weeks here, too. There is a little brook with native Cutthroats that Beth and I have not been to in twenty years, a bit tough to get in to but well worth the effort. On our last visit, she caught a stringer of fat 8 to 9 inchers, using a safety pin for a hook and a piece of red flannel (no bait to be found, not even worms under the rocks) and a hand line. Those little buggers were so hungry, they were grabbing the bare safety pin; it was shiny enough that not even flannel was needed. I was busy with the gold pan at the time, unfortunately wasn't enough gold to pay for the gas to get there from town but the pan-fried trout, crackling campfire, beautiful scenery and solitude more than made up for the shortfall in gold.

Oroblanco

 

[Old Dog]

HI 223, Relax, they are eating fresh pan fried trout, join em.

Ole dog I used # 22 flies in late summer and early winter. Also dabbled for them or caught them with my hands, if far enough out in the field. Game wardens frown upon it. Love fresh fried 9" golden Trout too.

Don Jose de La Mancha

Fishing with hooks that size is tough. jeesh... tyeing them on is hard! your tippet had to be about a human hair thick.

We are usually fishing with about a 16 to 20 size fly. They really snap the darn thing up though.
Really hard to get the little hook out without tearing up your bug. But the fish sure are good when you fry them up for breakfast with some bisquits and good sausage gravy. ...Oh Yes!

 

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

Sheehs Oro & Ole houn Dog Missed your posts until just now. Yep, the 8- 9 inchers are just right for pan frying.

Those little #22 flies were hell to catch a large trout with, while they would bite, the hook shanks were so thin they would easily cut / tear loose. Incidentaly I didn't tie em, but donated to a Vet from ww-1 who did.

Oro I now see who was the man of your house - BETH catches the dinner, prpares it, cleans up. and drives you home. Which Indian tribe did you say that you were?.

Oro, the best Golden Trout are from high altitude, 8-10,000 ft up. Love the combination, GOLDEN Trout and looking for GOLD.

Don Jose de La Mancha

 

[Oroblanco]

HI 223, Relax, they are eating fresh pan fried trout, join em.

Ole dog I used # 22 flies in late summer and early winter. Also dabbled for them or caught them with my hands, if far enough out in the field. Game wardens frown upon it. Love fresh fried 9" golden Trout too.

Don Jose de La Mancha

Fishing with hooks that size is tough. jeesh... tyeing them on is hard! your tippet had to be about a human hair thick.

We are usually fishing with about a 16 to 20 size fly. They really snap the darn thing up though.
Really hard to get the little hook out without tearing up your bug. But the fish sure are good when you fry them up for breakfast with some bisquits and good sausage gravy. ...Oh Yes!

DANG - are you saying #22 size hook flies? I would have to have magnifying glasses just to tie on to the leader. The smallest I have are #16's and I have a time getting them tied on. I do look forward to checking on those cutthroats though, the spot is remote enough that apparently very darn few folks ever get in there. That area just got another fresh load of snow, so I can wait a bit longer I guess. Maybe the trout will grow a bit bigger in the meantime!

Sheehs Oro & Ole houn Dog Missed your posts until just now. Yep, the 8- 9 inchers are just right for pan frying.

Those little #22 flies were hell to catch a large trout with, while they would bite, the hook shanks were so thin they would easily cut / tear loose. Incidentaly I didn't tie em, but donated to a Vet from ww-1 who did.

Oro I now see who was the man of your house - BETH catches the dinner, prpares it, cleans up. and drives you home. Which Indian tribe did you say that you were?.

Oro, the best Golden Trout are from high altitude, 8-10,000 ft up. Love the combination, GOLDEN Trout and looking for GOLD.

Don Jose de La Mancha

Sheesh now wait til Beth hears you said she looks like a man! (You said you could SEE who was the man) Hoo boy I will have to hide the cast iron frying pans again. I sure wish I could talk you into showing me how to catch those Golden trout - would it help if I mentioned there are some excellent lakes reputedly "teeming" with Golden trout, not so far from here (in Wyoming) and the weather is warming up soon? <hint hint > After all, the world record golden trout was caught in Wyoming by Charles S. Reed, on August 5, 1948, from Cook Lake in the Wind River Range. That fish was 28 in long and weighed 11 lb, 4 oz.

<Golden Trout, public domain photo>

My Cherokee blood is a wee bit thinned with the Anglo, Gaelic, and Deutsch, but those ancestors also were tribal at one time - do you count them too? (I would have to dig out Tacitus and Caesar's Commentaries to get the exact tribal names of course.) Some of them painted themselves blue (using woad) but I usually don't do that. Gee now I am wondering why no one has ever asked my Indian name?

My apologies for the off-topic post, still looking forward to an update!
Oroblanco

 

[2fishon]

It's open. The shaft is quite a bit smaller the first 25ft or so inside (smaller than when it was open 5yrs ago). Looks like the roof has been falling in some. It looks okay further back. We didn't have an air tester with us so nobody wanted to go inside. I'm not sure that anyone will go in anyway. It'll be hands and knees at best for a ways. It might be too dangerous.