Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum
Fishing in British Columbia => Fishing Reports => Members' Fishing Reports => Topic started by: chris gadsden on June 30, 2006, 10:44:59 PM
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As always a warm welcome to all readers of The Journal on FWR, your top fishing web page on the net.
Arrangements were made last night with friend Gary to make our first bar fishing trip together out to Maple Leaf Bar. Reports of several good catches by the bar fishers the last week were very encouraging. As well BS and TS had both encountered good fish as well so I knew the chinook run was running hot and heavy. ;D ;D
The Leaf Mobile was packed and on the road shortly after 7. The first order of business of course was to grab a double double at Tims and then deal some fastball duties. Then it was off to meet fishing partner Gary where the Leaf Craft is stored. On arrival both Gary and the Leaf Craft were waiting in anticipation, especially the LC who was so excited it almost hooked itself on to Leaf Mobile's trailer hitch to get going. She is always in good humour when she knows she fishing Maple Leaf Bar and of course dislikes seeing anything that may resemble anything to do with the Canucks that have tried to claim the bar as their own. ;D ;D ;D
We arrive at Island 22 shortly before 9 and discover a good number of outfits ahead of us. I donot like arriving at the 6 am opening time as it is like Grand Central Station as the early birds scramble for position to get to their chosen spot. ;D
The only draw back arriving at this time is we may have trouble getting onto MLB but by being a little latter the mosquito's may not be as bad as it warms up and the wind starts to blow.
We load up and and as I start to back up I think had I put the plug in. I jump out and check and sure enough it was out. How many of you have done this? I have done it a few times backing in and then putting a few gallons into the bottom of the boat before discovering my folly.
With the plug in, LM parked, life jackets on, the 50 horse Mariner motor purrs to life but hey no water is coming out the spout. ??? O no, has the water pump gone on the fritz and we will have to cancel the trip? I tell Gary jump in and we will take it for a quick spin and see what happens, sure enough by giving the motor a little more gas the welcome sight, a steady stream of water from the cooling system spurts back into the Fraser River.
The Leaf Craft then quickly turns up river and jumps into a plane mode. She may no cover distances like the modern jet boats that seem to make up the majority of boats on the flow but she does no care, she has plied these waters long before any of her sisters saw or felt water beneath them.
We also wonder if the Fraser Valley Salmon Society had not been formed 22 years ago and so many volunteers worked so hard to get the Fraser River open once again after years of adult chinook closures would any of us even be out on the river today. As well, it was thanks to the FVSS efforts that we got all species of salmon open for the recreational anglers over the years. This is the reason a lot of anglers know how important it is to co operate with those that make the decisions that allows us to fish. It is not something to take lightly as those of us that have had to deal with these issues in some form or another each week for so many years realize.
Better get back to the fishing report before I loose all readers but BS who is eagerly awaiting the results of the trip. ;D
We arrive at MLB and I have not seen it this high at this time of year since we started fishing it a few years ago..
Three boats are anchored and 3 rods on shore. Buck is fishing in the "KE Runner" with his fishing partner and is just off the spot where I usual like to settle in on the shore.
We decide to squeeze in below the shore rods and above the "KE Runner". I think we will be OK unless we tie into a large fish that could maybe tangle with the "KE Runner's" anchor but I know if we were to hit a big fish they would pull their anchor for us.
Posting this part of the journal as taking a break. ;D ;D
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Chris, that is a pretty nice report so far, but I think that it is missing something!!! ;D You're killin me man!! ;D ;D But, alas, you are probably having a hard time with typing right now with all those fish you were hooking into today!! ;D ;D {insert sarcasm here} ;D ;D ;D
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Insert commercial here. :o
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Insert commercial here. :o
There is always commercials with a good program. ;D ;D ;D
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Insert commercial here. :o
There is always commercials with a good program. ;D ;D ;D
Yes, but to be a good program you need a great ending!! ;D I am sure that you will have something entertaining for us!! ;) ;D
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BS is gonna be on all night waiting for it ;D...dont do it chris ;D
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3 1/2 hours until departure time for the river, too hot to sleep. I have time. ;D
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3 1/2 hours until departure time for the river, too hot to sleep. I have time. ;D
same here man but here its 5 1/2 hours ;D
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3 1/2 hours until departure time for the river, too hot to sleep. I have time. ;D
same here man but here its 5 1/2 hours ;D
Particular spot that is not well known I want to be at, need to be there at first light to ensure it's not taken.
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sweet man and since u seem to answer very fast could you tell me is scale bar landstrom bar otherwise located right out of hope on landstrom road?
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sweet man and since u seem to answer very fast could you tell me is scale bar landstrom bar otherwise located right out of hope on landstrom road?
Right in that area, don't know specifics. Never fished there.
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darn! well ill be out tomrrow there anyways.
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sweet man and since u seem to answer very fast could you tell me is scale bar landstrom bar otherwise located right out of hope on landstrom road?
Already answered in your thread!! With directions!! Sort of. ;D
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We anchor the LC in among the small willows and as we get setup the mosquito's start to dive bomb us right away, looking for a tasty meal at our expense. Darn, the wind has not started to blow yet that will help to keep the critters in their hiding spots.
Gary slips his holder in above me and I will be putting my pole in one of the holders in the LC.
I think it is even before we have our rods in place we hear a commotion in the "KE Runner". As we look in their direction we see they are indeed into a fish, we see the net being readied but something goes wrong during the battle, we can not see what happened but the net if it was dipped it came up empty. :(
My Fraser King bar rod, Diawa single action reel with a red topped silver glow that is anchored by 16 ounces of lead has been in the water about 5 minutes, I had not even hunted up a bell when I hear some rattling in the boat. I look up and see the orange flagging tied to the rod tip doing a merry jig. ??? My instinct says it is not a roll (weight breaking free from its position) so I quickly grab the rod, set the hook and I am very pleased to feel the pulsating action of a fish hopefully firmly attached to my 6/O gammy.
My first concern as the 25 pound test Maxima line peels quickly off the reel is, is it heading for the anchor of the "KE Runner'" I then wonder if it will be larger than BS's fish that I predicted I would beat today. ;D
I apply enough pressure as I dare and it gets no where near the anchor. As I guide the chinook towards the net that Gary has now readied the fish finds one of the submerged willows ::) but after about 30 seconds I am able to pull it free. ;D At first I think the fish is gone but all of a sudden it appears to our sight. I once again pull it towards the now gapping net that is ready to swallow it in. Gary dips and I see the spring start to slip into the green mesh but all of a sudden the 15 to 18 pound silver sided chinook regains some energy and bolts from certain death. I am not concerned as I will just have to turn it and bring back but all of a sudden all I can feel is the weight of the weight. ??? "It gone" I say to my partner. "No" is all Gary says as I reel in all my terminal gear. Gary starts to apologize for his netting effort. I say "no problem, not your fault and besides the day is still young, I want to get a bigger one" (To beat BS's). Thinking back now the pressure I had to use to pull the fish off that bush may have been the real problem.
Thats the end of round 1, round two of The Journal tomorrow. ;D ;D
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What a tease, just like the Make Beliefs. ;)
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Great read Chris, to bad about the lose of a beauty like that!! But I think that you may have something in store for us for round 2? Anyhow, it is now past midnaight and I have to get some sleep, so I'll be looking forward to reading the rest of the journal at some point tomorrow!! ;) ;D
Good luck to all that get out tomorrow, and get one for me!! I'll try to return the Favor on Sunday!! ;D
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What a tease, just like the Make Beliefs. ;)
I feel badly and apogize for keeping you up so late but you are one of The Journals faithful readers. ;D ;D
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Great read Chris, to bad about the lose of a beauty like that!! But I think that you may have something in store for us for round 2? Anyhow, it is now past midnaight and I have to get some sleep, so I'll be looking forward to reading the rest of the journal at some point tomorrow!! ;) ;D
Good luck to all that get out tomorrow, and get one for me!! I'll try to return the Favor on Sunday!! ;D
Yes it is worth getting out if you can as there was lots of action on the bar rods today. ;D ;D
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Dont worry about it. Awsome report chirs
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Final segment
With the fish I lost now free and on its way upstream once again I get the rod back out into the flow confident it would not be long until my bell that I have now had time to attach will start ringing as loud as a church bell.
Gary is also confident of a upcoming bite as he in close to his bar holder, sitting in his lawn chair that is in about 2 feet of water. The wind has now picked up so the mosquitoes have fled the scene, so now we will have a few hours of peace.
I visit for a while with the 3 anglers above us while keeping a watchful eye on the ML bar rod from a distance. I feel it will be exploding any minute. ;D During my visit they said that they had lost one like us before we had arrived.
It was then back down to home base and I climb into the LC that is anchored in about 2 to 3 feet of water and work on fastball stats. Boat traffic is consistant, going in both directions as guides move their clients from a half day of salmon fishing to try for a sturgeon in the second half of the trip. Each time a boat goes by, especially those that seem to come so close to us ??? I have to stop writing on the ball forms because of the waves created, luckily I donot get seasick easily.
The bottom boat, in the line below us moves to the top of the bar, anchors and in no time is into and lands a nice fish.
I find out later it was a guide friend of mine who phones me later in the day as they are now sturgeon fishing up river. He tells me during the conversation the fish they landed was the third one they had hooked that day, a prime fish in the 15 pound range. The call is cut short as they are getting a sturgeon bite and he has to hang up but I hear him giving instructions, "watch the right rod" before the line becomes silent
Things slow down in the afternoon doldrums and I concentrate on the stats.
I notice a boat coming up rive with 2 uniformed pepole aboard and I tell Gary, "here comes some FOC officers" but I see as they come to shore it is 2:40 who jokily says "see your licenses".
He and his partner who work for FVRD Parks department are busy taking some bird houses to a park on the Harrison River.
They have little time to visit and are on their way, I get back to the ball stats and concentrate on fishing at the same time.
All of a sudden the bell tolls, ball score sheets and papers go flying as I once again I firmly set the hook.
I feel something is there but it does not feel very big. I wonder maybe the fish has slacked line me and is swimming right towards me. I reel frantically, hoping this was the case. My bar weight appears and in tow is a large pike minnow, ??? one that would have captured the top prize in last Saturday's derby.
What was this fish doing grabbing my glow and way out there in the swift current of the Fraser. The pike minnow is very plump in the stomach, a female full of eggs as now is when they spawn.
It is back to my task of stats as all boats and the occupants are gone for a while, until the late afternoon shift appears including one that favors the Canucks who appears at MLB. the skipper anchors below us and in no time is into and lands a fish, it is around the 12th that we had seen or been told about today, in the MLB area.
The lucky boat leaves shortly after and we are once again on our own. I tell Gary that once the mosquitoes appear we are gone. I know it will not be long as the wind now begins to slacken and the sun prepares to dip behind a mountain to the North of us.
The cell phone again rings and it is my sister wondering if I have caught a fish for a family BBQ slated for Monday night to celebrate Canada's birthday. I tell her about the salmon loss and said all we had was a pike minnow that is not the best of table fare. ;D I have been talking to her for about two minutes when lo and behold the bell really starts to toll and the rod is bouncing in tune with it. ;D ;D "I have one Fran" I say as I lurch out of the boat seat eagerly grabbing the thrashing rod. I hear in the excitement Fran say "I will turn the speaker phone on and you can describe the action as we have some guests here". I reply OK as I lay the phone on the consul of the LC.
Gary by this time is coming down once again to get the net as I am once again enjoying the feel of a blunt nosed chinook, out about 50 feet from me. The battle is going well so far as I do a play by play for my audience 30 miles away. ;D
Gary is just reaching the LC when I feel the line go a bit slack, you know how it FEELS WHEN YOU LOOSE A FISH, as I say to Gary and the rest of them "GONE AGAIN".
"There goes the BBQ" I say as I pick up the phone. Just as there is no fish on the end of my fishing line there is no one on the end of the telephone line?
I dial my sister back and she tells me she pushed the wrong button on the phone and lost the connection, I tell her I lost the fish as well.
By now the bugs are back looking for their evening meal as the wind has completely died down. Gary and I agree we have had our chances and prepare for the trip back to the launch.
Even though we did not have a fish to take home, it I guess is secondary in the whole scheme of things. We have pleasant memories of another trip out on the Fraser River, a river like so many other rivers in British Columbia that has so much to offer to us and others that enjoy the outdoors. No wonder we call it Beautiful British Columbia, lets, as we celebrate Canada Day throughout the Province make sure we keep it that way, at our campsites, fishing areas be it lakes or rivers and at other outside activities spots.
Another thing that was beautiful today as well was, the number of fish we saw or heard about, a welcome sign maybe for this year's chinook returns. Lets do all we can to make sure this trend continues for all species of salmon. Remember we owe it to both the fish and for the future generations to do so.
Happy Canada Day and good fishing.
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That's to bad about the lose of 2 fish!! You are starting to resemble your poor laughs!! ;D ;D But at least you had an awesome day out on the Mighty Fraser. I am looking forward to our day out to Canuck Bar next week. I'm sure the fsih will still be there then!! ;) ;D
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as always chris a great report hope to hook up with you real soon cheers pepsitrev
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I had to wait 24 hours for THAT report ? ;D ;D ;D At least you hooked two Chris. A days fishing is better than doing chores at home.
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You didn't say what happened to the pike minnow, its not in some cage in Cultis Lake for the next derby. Or did you do the right thing and cook it up for dinner. Survival rate is really low forcatch and release.
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[. Survival rate is really low forcatch and release.
[/quote] ;D ;D ;D