We put in a lot of effort to catch one of these but it is really worth it. This weekend was another whirlwind trip to the White Mountains. We took off Saturday at 3p, ran up to Silver Creek and fished a couple of hours, spent the night in Springerville. Woke up o-dark thirty and blazed over to the West Fork of the Black River and up to the headwaters of Thompson Creek.
We then went over and sampled the Little Colorado up to the second meadow.
It was a really fun fishing adventure.
Photos by Adam Trahan and John Sachen
Salt River Canyon, climbing out on the North side
A forest fire burns...
Beautiful Silver Creek in Show Low
After the drive to the West Fork of the Black River
Walking the walk
John taking pictures with his iPhone
We had just seen a bear, he is watching us in the tree line
Panoramic of the Salt River Canyon looking South from the North side of the Canyon.
Looking down on the Salt River Canyon
Just twenty four hours ago I was standing in this spot.
These pictures are what Sachen-san and I shared from our iPhones from our trip yesterday. We decided to go to the East Central portion of our state, particularly, the White Mountains on the Apache Reservation. We left my house at promptly 4am and drove through the Salt River Canyon and entered the White Mountain Apache Indian Reservation.
We made the right turn at White River and continued on through to Hondah and bought our Reservation Permits. The manager there, I have been purchasing permits from for ohh, I don't know, a really long time. We introduced him to Tenkara. He wants to represent Tenkara USA so we made that connection with Daniel.
Driving up on Sunrise Ski Area 8:30a
On the way in
Japanese Fly Coil
Fishing Sebata-san's rod | line | fly
A stream that Zanko took me to called Gold Valley
Around the bend at Gold Valley
Two friends, just like us, rooted deep in the mountain and stream
My net and friend
On the West Fork of the Little Colorado
Catch
Apache Trout
Sachen-san
Second Meadow
The Holy Grail
We dropped our packs and sat at the Holy Grail. We had already walked about two or three miles at Gold Valley then drove over to the West Fork and had hiked the three miles here. Sitting down, Sachen-san produces lunch. I pulled out my little Wheatley Fly Box with the date 12/25/1998 and the inscription from my Mom and Dad.
"John, this is the Holy Grail, the first place that I caught Brook Trout back in 1995, 20 years ago. My Mom asked me this year, "What do you want for Christmas?" and I told her and next thing I know, I have the box inscribed. Each year I return to this spot and I open the box.
It is a ritual that is a part of my life like breathing.
Looking downstream
Panoramic from the third meadow
I pulled out the bento box that Sachen-san had prepared, onigiri and I had grabbed a couple of Asahi. That lunch was one of my favorites at the Holy Grail in the last twenty years. Thank you my friend, my new old fishing friend.
Standing guard on the way home just above the tunnel at Superior.
