The good news is Tadd connected with a nice little buck on opening day. That makes three bucks in a row for the late starter. The other good news is that many bucks survived the season to just get bigger next year. There isn't any bad news even though I hunted 16 straight days without a kill ( except for a few trout and one monster pike). I had a few opportunities and three misses but I had a great time. It's funny that I didn't suffer the depression after being unsuccessful this year. I think that watching Tadd bag another buck was worth more than any kill I have experienced in recent memory. I've always said that the kill was over rated and the camaraderie with your buddies and the outdoor experience was what the hobby is all about. I've got a few good stories but right now I'm too tired to put them in type. Just give me a little time to think of some good excuses for the misses. ( Maybe I need a new bow?) The fishing at Lake Almanor has been outstanding and the big rainbows are stacked up in the Branch. Sunday morning before hunting Tadd and I caught and released some good ones, including a nice 4 1/2 lber I caught on a pond smelt fly. It's hard to return to Red Bluff and the heat when the fishing is so good.
Check out this hungry Rainbow. Terry and I both set the hook on the same fish. You can see both lines coming out of the fishes mouth. I've seen it in the past when one hook slides down the other line a hooks the other hook but in this case both hooks were in the fish's stomach.
When I set the hook on this pike I thought I had the wall hanger I've been chasing.
Check out this 26" three point that my neighbor Josh bagged yesterday on the last day of the season. He had to go swimming in Hamilton Branch to recover the buck and when he grabbed the horns the buck came back to life and then the battle really started. Josh had to slit the bucks neck while they were wrestling in the creek because he had shot all of his arrows. Nice buck Josh.
