I hadn't been to the park in a month or so. Temps can often be in the triple digits during the summer, but over the holiday it was "only" in the 80's, with an onshore / coastal breeze. I packed a Maxcatch Uniglass 4wt 7'6" 5-piece in my Osprey Raptor 14 loaded with 3L of water and headed out at 8am from the trailhead.
Typically I use this rod with a WF5F. After an hour and a half of pedaling I came to the first pond.
I'd had good luck in past years, catching bluegill and largemouth here, but the last couple of trips I've come up empty, and this was no exception. I saw a few tiny fish, and a larger model hiding in the weeds, but nothing like it was before. The area looks like it is being grazed again. Dunno.
"vintage" bike (1999)
I suppose one might say I should get a new bike, but this one works fine for me, and with all the hardware in my spine and neurological issues it's not like I ride hard anyway.
By mid-morning I headed out again, up and down the rolling hills on more fire roads, to the second pond.
After some lunch I had better luck here on foam dragonflies and Bailes' mini-mouse.
After a few more fish I was off again, up and down, then doowwn, and then uuupp. By late afternoon I arrived at the day's last pond.
It wasn't looking good. Water level way down, and a dead fish in the shallows, near a bobber someone had snagged apparently. Still, I took a few casts with a hippy stomper tied in damsel blue and caught a couple little guys.
I'd seen bluegill and crappie here, but today they were no-shows. I think I'll let that pond be until the winter rains come again.
By 4:30pm I was ready to head back to the car, and the 1100' fire road descent. Think squealing brakes
Total damage for the day: 26 miles / 4500' elevation gain.