Started out the day at 0800 up just past On-The-Way. I spent about an hour throwing different colours of wool and finally switched to a Jensen egg to see if there was maybe just a lockjawed coho sitting down in the slot... No love.
I moved down to the nice fishy looking area just below the crossing bridge... Threw the Jensen egg at 'em for about 45 minutes... Was beginning to wonder if there were ANY fish swimming in the river at ALL.
Well, my buddy showed up and we headed WAY down river. We found a spot by ourselves with almost no current. I switched to a gold hammered colorado under a float which I tossed and retrieved. Bingo! A beautiful female chum that got to go back to doing the job. She was pretty - too bad... would have been nice in the smoker.
After a few more casts, the fish in the area seemed to be less willing to chase. Also, I had fed about 6 blades to the various wood structures around which I had been working.
I waded about mid river and cast to the far shore... lots of willing chum. I was easy going... Feels great to fight fish...
Then, as I was just finishing saying that I'd be happy to C&R chum for the rest of the day, I noticed one of them really wiggled a lot more than usual. it started darting and dashing... it was SILVER!!!
COHO!!!!
Did it have the fin? Was it there? It tried to take a few small runs, but it didn't really seem to have it's heart in it. I look at it as it approaches - NO adipose fin! w00t! A lovely 3-4 male coho came up to the beach to hang out... He came home with me
More chum for an hour or two after that.... then home!
A BEAUTIFUL day to be out fishing - other than the STENCH of rotting fish