I went today to the Vedder on one last foray before my hernia surgery on Thursday.
I was at my favourite spot at first light, and the fish were there. The water was just perfect. Neither too high nor too low, with only very slight coloration due to the rain. The fish were tight lipped, however, it was hard to entice them to bite. I did manage a couple after working very hard and going through almost all the flies in my box.
Ended up taking home this guy, which fell for a small Christmas tree pattern:
Notice the tail on this fish:
It has spots in the lower tail fin, which is not usual for coho. Just a reminder that spots on the body and/or tail are never a bullet-proof way of ID-ing salmon. Always check the gums, too.
With the water receding to normal (lower) levels, the "trap" came within reach of my long arm, and this is what I salvaged from just one underwater log:
What left me scratching my head is the number of spinners and jigs with barbed hooks!
What part of
single barbless do people not understand?
I tend to believe that they leave the barb on the hook on purpose - to increase their chances of landing fish. Shame on them!
Anyway, got lots of hardware now for the steelhead season. That pink and gold spinner looks particularly sweet.
Until sometime later...tight lines to all.