Silver Creek Report -with Hudson
- This topic has 12 replies, 9 voices, and was last updated Oct 23, 2008 at 11:20 am by
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I broke down this morning and took Hudson fishing. He was pretty disappointed when I told him we couldn’t make the IA trip. At two he doesn’t quite understand the concept of work and how parent’s jobs put food on the table. Here is my weak attempt at making it up to him today.
Silver Creek is a two-hour and forty-five minute drive from Chandler Arizona. Anglers wanting to fish this spring-creek like-water will need to travel east on US60 until reaching Globe, then taking 87 southeast towards the town of Show Low. (Incidentally the town of Show Low got its name over a poker hand). Less than ten miles northeast of Show Low on Bourdon Ranch Road is the Silver Creek Fish Hatchery located on the creek sharing its name.
The Hatchery has been the heart of the Apache rehabilitation program for the better part of the last five years. Anglers who fish Silver Creek will be rewarded with some of Arizona’s gold -the Apache Trout.
A truly perfect place to take young ones and teach them how to fish. Silver Creek immediately around the hatchery, is a meandering meadow stream easy to hike and fish for people of all ages.
The Apache (Oncorhynchus apache) have black spots and a golden skin and are easily recognizable. Arizona is the only place on the planet you can catch one and Silver Creek is a great location close to the Phoenix Valley to land one of these rare trout. My son and his grandfather show off their first Apache caught. (Pictured below).
Being so close to Phoenix we have this daytrip to Silver Creek from the valley down to a science. On every day, but Sunday, you can get the world’s greatest burger at a place just up the road from the Hatchery. Don’t blink or you will miss the Hole In One burger stand located next to an industrial yard.
On your way back into town you can catch some of Arizona’s amazing Mexican food at the Casa Reynosa in Globe/Miami. If you call as soon as you get cell signal entering Miami Arizona, they will have your order ready in ten minutes when you arrive to pick it up. I recommend anything with the Green Chili.
The Apache in Silver Creek will rarely push two pounds, but fight full of piss & vinegar. Give them a try, I don’t think they will disappoint you- I know my son, Hudson, was thrilled.
Cool report, and nice photos.
In the one of your son holding the rod up in the air are you using a reflector to get that nice bright light on him?
Thanks guys. Pretty fun shooting your kid doing something you both love to do.
Ethan I was using an SB800 handheld while my on-camera flash was firing (camera in commander mode). Kept working the flash around a clock like pattern with my left hand until I got rid of the shadows from the cap brim. Kept the camera wedged between my legs with a monopod to stabilize.
It’s probably obvious that all these shots were taken mid day so I was working with what I could carry in my pack for a couple miles – on top of a two year old. No reflectors or sun shades utilized.
Couple other shots I thought were fun – trying to mess around in post to come up with something different.
Now these next shots aren’t great, but they crack me up so had to share;
Behind the Net
Fighting a Bruiser
Next Sequence – His Pick up and lay down;
He is the two year old DEVASTATOR!
Aaron,
As a 51 year-old father of two boys…………Two things come to mind when I see this post………….
1. You are creating memories that little Hudson will carry with him the rest of his life. Both my sons have traveled with me to Alaska, Montana, Wyoming , etc in pursuit of trout. Backpacking into the backcountry for days at a time. They will never forget that! This past summer I took my 16 year old to AK where he camped and fished alongside the grizzly bears. With these memories come an appreciation of the resource that all of us are thankful for.
2. While many kids get involved in the wrong things….you have planted the seed of flyfishing that hopefully Hudson will continue to nurture the rest of his life. I’ve always said that kids are kinda like a savings account…….the more you invest….the larger the dividend.
Let me speak from a voice of experience……the next 16 years will fly by! You will be sending Hudson off to college before you know it. In the meantime……enjoy the ride and keep fishing!
The photo below was taken almost ten years ago but seems like yesterday:
Thanks for posting.
Steve
I do believe that little Hudson already has better technique than I do.
Good man, Aaron, keep it up.
D.
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