Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum
Fishing in British Columbia => Fishing Reports => Members' Fishing Reports => Topic started by: fishingbuddha on December 07, 2009, 11:16:34 PM
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headed up to the thompson to fish for some elusive thompson river steelhead. i have been fishing this river for many years and always enjoy getting buddies into their first steelhead. this trip was no different....ok no self hooked steelhead for the steelhead virgin buddies but.... very cold, slippery rocks, windy,...did i say very very cold, frozen fingers and faces, and at times extremely bad road conditions.
fished hard all day on saturday but had no luck. we hooked into many big rainbows but no steelies.
saw some spey fishermen along the river who were hooked into some fish but for our group of five guys, not one steelhead touched until the very last run. after a couple of buddies pass over an area i know holds steelhead, i made a few casts and bam...big steelhead. when fishing for these thompson river steelies, you don't always suspect that some of the light bites are large steelhead. when you set a hook thinking its a trout and a 18+ lber starts jumping it really gets your heart pumping. well this one was no different. light tug on the line followed by 6 leaps into the air and 6 minutes of hard fighting. (video footage for proof). the end result is a beautfiul large chrome thompson steelie doe. caught on a drift set up, large blue corkie with pink wool and a cocktail shrimp wrapped on the hook so that it doesn't come off (when i say wrapped i mean wrapped. when its that cold out you don't want to be consistently putting bait on your hook and exposing your fingers to the cold air!)
Here is the picture of the first steelhead i hooked.
(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i41/jhigo/fh1.jpg)
nothing else on the first day. the second day we got up early and hit the water for sun up. after hitting many runs, all we could hook up were large rainbows. when i say large i mean 5 lbers-2 lbers. our group of five landed about 20 for the weekend plus a few ugly suckers.
we end up hitting many holes and again. a couple of holes a steelhead surfaced but couldn't entice it to bite. in my experience on this river, usually when they show themselves they are aggressive and you can hook them but this time they didn't. to me this means you have to get the hook right in front of their faces for them to bite. i call this lock jaw. all day we don't get a sniff so we decide to hit one last hole on the way out. after standing stationary (which we don't normally do but its really cold and windy) the five of us are starting to realize that we may not hook into another steelie when bam...i hook one. interestingly i fished in the same area for about one hour before the steelie hits. (proving my lock jaw theory). i pass my rod on to my buddy who then proceeds to fight his first steelie. this one is a big one and it surfaces a couple of times and then runs. buddy who is not used to fighting large strong fish muscles it too much and pops the hook out of the mouth. oh well ....thats fishing. i go back to the same spot make ten more casts and then bam... another steelhead. this time i pass it to my buddy and again and he lands this one. another nice chrome steelie. we get a pic and i move down river to a new spot. one of my other buddies moves to close to where i was standing and bam he hits one and loses it and then hits another ten casts later which snaps off his hook.
in the end, we manage to hook four and land one. for the weekend our ratio is hooking five and landing two. however, even those new to the this fishery all caught some nice big rainbows which makes it fun.
lessons i have learned fishing this river...
* yes its really cold (so cold it hurts) and windy
* keep your line in the water (have your gear ready and don't spend a lot of time tying up gear!...lose line...tie a new one on and fish)
* doesn't really matter what you use the fish are really aggressive...however, when fishing is tough they are there you just sometimes have to put the bait right in front of their faces
* ghost shrimp do work the best in my opinion, but really for all the work it takes to get this bait cocktail shrimp works just as well.
* always take a spare reel. it can be so cold that you can't expose your fingers so take a spare reel for those birds nests.
* always let your line travel as close to the shore as possible. out of the three steelhead i hooked this weekend, all three were hooked right along the shoreline.
* don't assume those light trout bites are always trout. set the hook like its a steelhead everytime!
* always check your line to make sure your leaders is not frayed. you don't want to finally hook a big one only to lose it to a weak leader or dull hook.
anyways, i will post this report and then follow up with some more pics later. hopefully my pics work this time.
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(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i41/jhigo/fh3.jpg)
picture of my buddy fighting his first steelhead
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(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i41/jhigo/fh.jpg)
picture of my buddy with a steelhead
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ok rod. what am i doing wrong with the picture attachments!!!???
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Great report, but we can't see your pics. I'd like to see them.
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I've edited your posts to include the photos. You're not inserting the pics properly. Your tag should look something like this:
[img]www.photobucket.com/blah/albumn141/198989.jpg[/img]
Nice fish though.
Also you may want to take a read through this thread (http://www.fishingwithrod.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=22832.0) as there are a few people who will be offended by the fact you were wearing gloves while both those fish were handled.
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whats so wrong about the gloves? ???
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whats so wrong about the gloves? ???
Read the thread. As I already posted.
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whats so wrong about the gloves? ???
For people too lazy to look in the other thread, they remove slime coat from the fish and make it susceptible to fungal infections. It's pretty simple to remove gloves before landing a fish and it goes a long way in protecting the fish.
That is a beautiful doe you got there fishingbuddha :) Good for you for getting your buddy into his first as well!!!
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Dion like the glove you are tailing that salmon with in your banner? ;D ;D ;D in scared to post pics here with everybody being so vicious about proper fish handeling.i hope you know im joking with you LOL Dont want the trolls blowing this out of proportion.
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Aside from fish handling practices which I do agree with, what kind of gloves is your buddy wearing? They look like good ones.
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* always take a spare reel. it can be so cold that you can't expose your fingers so take a spare reel for those birds nests.
Or if you are unfortunate enough to drop your reel in the drink. Without a backup your day is done, or you'll be spending a long time in the car, trying to de-thaw then dry out your reel. :o
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Dion like the glove you are tailing that salmon with in your banner?
Exactly. I've learned my lesson since then and no longer use gloves like that to tail fish. Read the other thread and you'll see what I mean.
I try and avoid harassing people about fish handling or ethical things and rather just point them in the right direction. Everyone starts somewhere. Some are lucky enough to have a knowledgeable fishermen mentor them, others have to learn on there own (or from forums like this). If you aren't open to a little constructive criticism then you'll never learn.
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Good post DionJL. Folks, take your gloves off when handling fish that are meant to be released.
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Exactly. I've learned my lesson since then and no longer use gloves like that to tail fish. Read the other thread and you'll see what I mean.
I try and avoid harassing people about fish handling or ethical things and rather just point them in the right direction. Everyone starts somewhere. Some are lucky enough to have a knowledgeable fishermen mentor them, others have to learn on there own (or from forums like this). If you aren't open to a little constructive criticism then you'll never learn.
Key words CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM.... that I think most are open to, but the odd time I've noticed some criticism that's not particularily constructive.... try to keep that in mind when criticisming ;D
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:o lookin at the picture, gloves have quite the destructive power. Looks like a lesson for all of us who didn't know. Don't have gloves yet but when I do get a pair, gona have the brave the element to take care of what we catch and release. Nice to know, thanks Dion
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actually my one hand is a fleece sleeve extension and the other hand is a neoprene glove. my buddy also has neoprene gloves.
didn't know that gloves are bad for fish handling. in the future will try to remember this. thanks for the information.
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Holy crap guys!!!! can someone congratulate the guy for a great report with great pics, much more than most contribute! Great report, loved it. I started reading it before dinner, but then decided to wait cause I wanted to enjoy it like one of Chris Gadsen's reports. Props to you for handing the rod off twice!!!! :o must have hooked your fair share of Thompson fish to do that.
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Awsome report!! Loved the pictures. ;D :D
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Nice catches fishingbuddha. Those who brave the cold catch the fish. ;) I too had some success yesterday in the cold on a different silver species. Also good to see that you are willing to absorb others' feedbacks. You still need to learn to put in the location and date in the title, and use the correct photobucket link though. ;D
As Dion has pointed out, as long as it is done in a respectful manner, people should not be offended by constructive criticisms. Whether you have been fishing for one week or thirty years, one should realize that there are always new things to learn. If you post stories, photos and reports for the public to view, you should expect to hear their opinions. Those opinions are not always what you would like to hear. If it stops you from doing so, then the learning part stops.
Sometimes the criticisms are not done in a respectful manner. The moderators have a very simple solution for that and we usually take care of those quite swiftly. If you see comments that the forum can do without, use the "report to moderators" link in each post to have the moderators look at them.
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Beautiful fish! Sounds like a good time was had by all. Just gotta ask one thing though,,,, is nothing sacred anymore? Is it now ok to post reports with pics about rivers with endangered wild steelhead runs? I'm guessing these kinds of reports could do far more damage to the fish than wearing a glove while handling them.
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Beautiful fish! Sounds like a good time was had by all. Just gotta ask one thing though,,,, is nothing sacred anymore? Is it now ok to post reports with pics about rivers with endangered wild steelhead runs? I'm guessing these kinds of reports could do far more damage to the fish than wearing a glove while handling them.
--My political comment on this... If no one goes there the problem goes away and then Nothing gets done.
--My experience with Okanagan lake kokanee is when it was open to fishing there were all kinds of articles and meetings on the issue. Once it was closed, I think 10 years of not fishing kokanee the fishers moved elsewhere. Each year a struggle to ensure money was being spent as promised on research and "fixing" the problem and lots of reports of poaching as no one there to observe record report and no reason for Co's to be there either.
--Many people have not seen nor experienced what the Thompson was and should be as a fishery. Without these reports there will be no discussion.
--My biggest fear is someone might see a potential gravel extraction area in the picture and put a claim on it.
--The fishery is open, legal and should be fished.
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The fishery is open, legal and should be fished
agreed the "T" is no secret in fact it is legendary
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I highly doubt that a report such as this would be the deciding factor for most fair weather fishermen. After all, it is hovering around a daytime high of -10 in Spences Bridge these days. :o
With that being said, is anyone here interested in making the trip? I don't trust my truck to make it there and back these days. :P
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I highly doubt that a report such as this would be the deciding factor for most fair weather fishermen. After all, it is hovering around a daytime high of -10 in Spences Bridge these days. :o
With that being said, is anyone here interested in making the trip? I don't trust my truck to make it there and back these days. :P
Pick me! lol
I'm home for 3 weeks starting the 17th.
I'de be up for a trip.
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I'm not sure you're car is really that much better than my truck. :P
Drop me a line when you're back in town.
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I highly doubt that a report such as this would be the deciding factor for most fair weather fishermen. After all, it is hovering around a daytime high of -10 in Spences Bridge these days. :o
With that being said, is anyone here interested in making the trip? I don't trust my truck to make it there and back these days. :P
Shoot me an e-mail, I am thinking of heading up the weekend of dec 19th and 20th let me know if you are interested
talk soon Rick
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Shoot me an e-mail, I am thinking of heading up the weekend of dec 19th and 20th let me know if you are interested
talk soon Rick
Can I come lol.
I'll be home by then! And yea Sterling the coq might be a little scary in a rear-wheel drive Mustang haha :o
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Can I come lol.
I'll be home by then! And yea Sterling the coq might be a little scary in a rear-wheel drive Mustang haha :o
thompson is the fraser canyon...usually not to bad
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gotta becareful on that nasty little "S" under that bridge when u get near :D
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Awesome report and photos to match,I really appreciate the way everyone is playing nice on this one cause it's likely ruffling a few feathers having a detailed report on such a secret river ::).My point is we're all like minded salmon trout steelhead fishermen and women here ,who care about preserving our fisheries first and foremost.I'm sure no one from this site is going to decimate the Thompson fishery or any other for that matter, if the powers that be were concerned about us sporties catching and releasing the odd steely they'd close it plain and simple and as Sterling pointed out only dedicated die hards are willing to brave those conditions.Again great report and keep e'm coming
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Could you explain to me how or why you think the T is a secret River? How can the second largest river within 2 1/2 hours of the lower mainland be a secret? It's only had about 50 articles written about it in the last decade alone. And it's not like it's an easy river! Guys have to pay their dues to learn where the fish live in order to catch them unless they've been lucky enough to have them shown those spots. I guarantee it's not like you can just waltz in there and get fish. In fact, I've talked to bait guys who have had as many as a dozen days on the river without a fish and they are good rods on their home rivers. The T is a different kettle of fish....guys who have fished it for a one or more decades know what I'm talking about.
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Congrats on the fishing success and great pics.
And to add my two cents worth.
This is a river system that needs more friends. To me keeping it a secret helps no one. As people we are only around for a short period of time, but if we can pass on values and traditions that to me is invaluable. By injecting more money, new ideas I personally think that it is a small step in the right direction for this fishery. Because if it keeps losing ground as it has done so over the past few years, the only Steelhead future generations of anglers will be seeing on the Thompson River will be in dusty old photographs in some old picture album.
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You're right mastercaster,secret was a poor word choice,but I couldn't come up with a better one at the moment I wrote it.Dennyman made a better explanation of my point ,the river needs more friends
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You're right mastercaster,secret was a poor word choice,but I couldn't come up with a better one at the moment I wrote it.Dennyman made a better explanation of my point ,the river needs more friends
So right! Otherwise don't be overly surprised if the Thompson steelhead go the way of the dinosaur.
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So right! Otherwise don't be overly surprised if the Thompson steelhead go the way of the dinosaur.
How is having more anglers on the river sore mouthing the few remaining wild fish going to help anything? It is my understanding that the biggest problem steelhead face is ocean survival and lets face it there isnt a whole lot we can do about that by standing on the river bank. Not trying to derail this thread but I would like to dispel the myth that more people on a river is always a good thing.
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Lucky, it is my understanding that Steelhead fall under provincial jurisdiction. If you were to ask the Minister of Environment, what studies they have done recently and to provide the reference material I am willing to bet it would be a big fat zero. The catch all answer that the Steelhead may be declining due to poor ocean survival rate sounds good to the media but really accomplishes nothing. At this point, if the provincial governments long range plan is to basically estimate how many Steelhead make it back to the Thompson River each year and that is it, then the outlook for Steelhead on this river is not good. To me the only way this fish stands a chance is for the fishermen to voice their concerns. It seems the only way for anything to get done in this province is to bitch and moan at the top of your voice, after all how does that old saying go, " the squeaky wheel gets the oil".
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--I've fished the Thompson since mid 60's
--Many times I've fished the river and only person I saw was my fishing partner.
--When slime started showing up on the rocks it wasn't MOE or City of Kamloops or Weyerhauser that noticed or reported the problem. It was fishers who demanded the City of Kamloops upgrade their sewage treatment.
--When runs like Deadman creek and other smaller Tribs runs showed early signs of decline it was sports fishers that first noticed and started to squawk.
--Anyone I know that fished the river.... even when it was allowed by regulation to keep steelhead, stopped immediately when they saw signs of decline.. They did not wait for regulation.
--If you want to let out secrets of the Thompson.. the resident trout and whitefish in many sections are healthy and abundant.
--The Similkameen should have much better fishery but not enough people fish it and demand action. The only action I see from MOE is a fish count to report what we already know.
--I do not blame MOE entirely for this but the only weapon they utilize is closing recreational fisheries. When no one is on the river there are no problems reported and no action demanded.
--Keep the pictures and reports coming.
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Went up Thompson caught 3 or 4 rainbows and a 10 pound doe a few weeks ago
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Great reports. Thanks for sharing and congrats on the success. Keep them coming.
One thing for sure, no 'meat' fisherman will show up the Thompson.
Much like the years I fished the Gold for wild steelies. No one cares much for meat to make that long and expensive trek to have a date with these magnificient game fish. ;)
Fish in peace.
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One thing to remember with these fish and those temps. is they shouldn't be taken out of the water...Those are minus temps and you will literally freeze the fish...not good for them...
Remember this is a C & R fishery and wild fish that need everyones help for now and the future..
Again, take your pic's, keep the fish in the water as much as possible..DONT take them out when the temps are below freezing..
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no worries, the fish was only out for a split second.
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honestly its lost on me why BC hasnt long since implemented a law requiring wild fish be kept in the water...