With the kids back in school and dwindling crowds in the mountains, I decided to do a little trout fishing on the Middle Fork Stanislaus River. Following an early start and a quick stop at The Outpost for a breakfast burrito, I made it to the area I wanted to fish by about 8:00 AM. My starting point was the Brightman Flat Campground. It was chilly when I arrived, so I decided to use waders — but sadly, it quickly became apart that there was no way I was going to squeeze into them (these were left over waders from pre-retirement job as a biologist). So, shorts and a hoodie it was! The trek down the steep hill to the river was tough, with plenty of opportunities to go sliding to the bottom. But I made it without any issues. Using a spinning rod and reel, with a Thomas Buoyant Minnow tied on, I had my first fish in short order. I figured if the fishing was going to be this good, I didn't need to take a picture of this one (famous last words). I saw an additional fish or two as I slowly made my way upstream, but none were willing to eat my spoon. Flows were low, but there was quite a bit of slimy green algae on the rocks. And within the first hour my left foot slipped on one of them and my leg shot out in front of me. I didn’t fall but I felt a severe, sharp pain in my lower calf and achilleas (I’ve had achillieas issues for years). After sitting on a rock on the back, and letting my calf soak in the frigid water, I got up and tried to walk. Calling it difficult is an understatement. After slowly making my way for maybe 20 yards upstream, I decided I had better get back to my vehicle. The steep hill up to the road, however, seemed Daunting. I made little progress until I found a sturdy stick that I could use to help steady myself. And although I came really close to using my inReach to call for help, I eventually made it to the top and back to my Bronco. My leg felt a little better after an hour rest, so I decided to fish a few more holes further upstream that were close to where I could park. Only one more rainbow fell for my offering, but I suspect that my injury negatively impacted my presentations and enthusiasm.