Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum
Fishing in British Columbia => Fishing Reports => Members' Fishing Reports => Topic started by: Every Day on December 24, 2011, 12:31:44 PM
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Hey guys, haven't put a report up for a while, and I don't mind a gong show on a river I will only be fishing another week :-*
First trip to the Vedder for Steelhead was this Thursday, Dec 22. Got into the run that we figured would be a good starting point and started flogging away. Not expecting much for my first time out of the year, I was surprised to have a massive hit and run on my 10th or so cast behind my buddy. Played the fish downriver and ended up beaching a 10 or so wild buck. Really coloured for this time of the year, but I was still happy to get a steely on my first trip in the first run of the day.
(http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/388125_10150424955196612_604901611_8726611_79694220_n.jpg)
Got chased outta the run by a spey guy while I had been chasing the fish down river. He wasn't moving after 20 mins so we decided to leave (only to have someone I know hit a fish there arond na hour later after we left). Went to another deep spot, and saw a steely sitting in the pool right when we got there. Of course it spooked and took off. Started fishing and nothing after about 10 mins, which is way longer than I like to stay in a run but I was determined since I saw it. I decide one last cast, wham fish on. This one turned out to be a beautiful dolly and not the steel I saw though.
(http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/400715_10150424955671612_604901611_8726614_1879070631_n.jpg)
If you can tell where it is... don't say anything. Probably see you there at some point.
After that the day was pretty much done. Fished a few more runs and hit the lower for a couple runs. Some nice water but no fish to be had or seen.
Dec 23 - Friday
Thought it was going to be busy today, but I guess everyone was out doing their shopping. Went to the same first run of the day before. Buddy decided to switch to my method of fishing this time, but it still did him no good. Let him take first water again and about the 5th cast I hook a fish that comes flying out of the water. After a very spirited fight I bring to the beach what I thought was my 2nd steelheadof the vedder season in as many trips, but no, it's a monster resident bow, biggest I have ever seen :o
(http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/397540_10150426817281612_604901611_8732998_87931741_n.jpg)
Would put up a better pic for size... but need to crop it so spot can't be seen
We keep casting, 2 casts later on the retrieve I have a smack, then another. Damn bottom again I think, speed up retrieve and wham, damn snag. Nope snag is moving. Big fish blisters off into the middle of the run and I get the heart breaking pop. Fairly sure it was a steel, if not it was a big bull, but never got a look.
By now my buddy asks for one of "whatever you're using," so I give him what I hit the steel on the day before. First cast mid drift, he almost looses his rod to a hit, but we couldn't convince it to come back and couldn't get another hit after.
We decide to go to where I got the bull trout. After around 5 or so mins of flogging, I hit a small fish but it shakes off before I could see what it was. We then leave that spot, fish a few more runs in the upper, then see what the train bridge and down looks like. Didn't like it, in fact I don't like much of the water between peach and the train bridge, it's really shallowed out a lot.
Dec 24 - TODAY
Decided to go out with a buddy and his father in law today. Was going to start at the first run again, but it was loaded with people. We head down to another run, looks good and no one there so we stop. Start fishing and 5 mins later these 2 guys go right in between my buddy and his father in law... lucky they didn't get thrown in the river, but we decide to leave.
Go upriver, hit a popular hole and work down, nothing. We decide to check to see if the first run still has people. On the way back, 4 more cars than before, damn word must have got out. O well keep driving.
Now we drive down and see that one spot has no cars, and we know it has nice water. We head down and fish through the first 4 runs. Nothing. My buddy decides to stay put in the nice 4th run and I head down to the next. Half way through the run I get a solid hit, set the hook, short run by a heavy fish, headshake and off. Damn, not sure what it was, but it was a decent fish for sure.
I head to the tailout. First cast I get a peck peck, boom. Another beauty rainbow is on the hook but quickly shakes off. I decide to give it one more go to see if anything else is there before heading back up to my buddy. Cast out, slow retrieve and mid way my hook stops dead, big time weight. No questioning this was a fish, I set the hook and the fight was on. Biggest fish I'v hit on this rod I'm using was around 14 pnds, and that was pushing it to the max. This fish was easily 16+ and come out of the water and heads downriver. I give chase, get caught up, another jump and then the heartbreak of my gear flying back at my head :'( I sit there stunned, can't even believe that I lost a fish of that size, and even more upset that I had 2 chances in 1 run and couldn't capitalize on landing them. I well that's fishing I guess, just about to head back out to see if I can convince it again.
4 steelies on in 3 trips, and a few beautiful bows/bulls in between to keep me happy. Can't ask for a better fishing break, or better luck on the Cheddar. 8)
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Well done, Congrats man!
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Excellent read, nice report. What a great early xmas present, too bad you didn't land that bad boy, but that's fishin. Best of the season to you and yours.
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beauty catch.
congrats and thanks for the report
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Great job on the catch. Looks like you are really getting the spoons down. I hope you are in the boxing day derby as you would have a good shot placeing in the top.
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looks like you caught those fish in april.All the steelhead i have ever caught and seen in dec on the ved are bullets
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Awesome job!
Thanks for the report.
It will be another few weeks before I venture out.
I am actually enjoying the down time.
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I'd say fish #3 is a steelhead. Hard to believe a 'resident' can reach that size in the Vedder/Chilliwack
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Seeing stuff like this really makes me wish i actually caught fish when i went out, lol. Other than chum in the toilet bowl that is. Great pics and fish. It's nice to know there are actually fish in the river. Cheers.
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looks like you caught those fish in april.All the steelhead i have ever caught and seen in dec on the ved are bullets
Yea I know!
I had never seen a steelhead that coloured before in december, I'v caught rosy bucks before, but not one that bad.
But a steelhead is a steelhead and for my first trip I can't complain.
And as I said, that 3rd fish is a resident bow IMO and not a steelhead.
Length to girth was all messed up and white tipped fins.
I'll see if I can post another pic of it, whatever it was it was a gorgeous fish.
Didn't get any yesterday... only 3/4 on trips to the vedder now with 4 steelhead hook ups (5 if you count that bow a steely) and a few beauty trout/char in the mix.
Saw a couple yesterday, including a beauty hatch below me, but I missed the only good pull I had, o well that's fishin.
Best of luck to all in the 2012 season!
Cheers,
Dan
PS If you really don't believe me, maybe I'll see you out on the river and show you the camera date ;) or you can ask my fishing buddy lol
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Yea I know!
I had never seen a steelhead that coloured before in december, I'v caught rosy bucks before, but not one that bad.
But a steelhead is a steelhead and for my first trip I can't complain.
And as I said, that 3rd fish is a resident bow IMO and not a steelhead.
Length to girth was all messed up and white tipped fins.
I'll see if I can post another pic of it, whatever it was it was a gorgeous fish.
Didn't get any yesterday... only 3/4 on trips to the vedder now with 4 steelhead hook ups (5 if you count that bow a steely) and a few beauty trout/char in the mix.
Saw a couple yesterday, including a beauty hatch below me, but I missed the only good pull I had, o well that's fishin.
Best of luck to all in the 2012 season!
Cheers,
Dan
PS If you really don't believe me, maybe I'll see you out on the river and show you the camera date ;) or you can ask my fishing buddy lol
all true!
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Here's another pic of the debatable "resident bow"
(http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/404266_10150433778031612_604901611_8771718_875948717_n.jpg)
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That is a beauty fish. Can't say I've seen steelies with spoons in their yaps.
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Was that you yesterday morning at the crossing bridge? You got that bite right in front of that big log as you worked down.
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Angle of the shot with flash makes it look more chrome in your second shot. How big was that fish? Looks to me to be 4to 5lbs at least.
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There is absolutely no question as to what that fish is in the 3rd pic. It is indeed a resident bow....and a beauty at that.
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Angle of the shot with flash makes it look more chrome in your second shot. How big was that fish? Looks to me to be 4to 5lbs at least.
It was a complete bullet, those colours on it were barley visible in person.
Was over 5 pound by my prediction, super fat and thick across the top.
Compared to my buddies 5.4 he weighed in in the derby I'd say this fish was bigger :P
DRP wasn't me, this is the first time in 5 years of fishing the Vedder that I'v seen guys fishing metal, seen 2 other guys than me doing it this year.
You probably saw one of them.
Cheers,
Dan
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Iv definately seen Bulls/dollys and resident rainbows over 5lbs in the Vedder. They are rare, but definately a nice little surprise when you come across one.
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I met quite a few spoon chuckers on my trips up there last year.
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Iv definately seen Bulls/dollys and resident rainbows over 5lbs in the Vedder. They are rare, but definately a nice little surprise when you come across one.
Yes, there definitely are some really obese bull trouts on the Vedder.
One I landed last week was so fat that it looked more like a carp than any trout I have seen.
It must be from feasting on all those salmon eggs in the river.
A powerful strike followed by flash of silver made my heart beat faster until I saw this squat little thing breach the surface. ::)
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Bull trout on the coast are anadromous so much of their weight is put on in the salt.
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Bull trout on the coast are anadromous so much of their weight is put on in the salt.
I see. So are they in the river this time of the year to spawn?
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Not likely. They spawn in fall and then like sea run cutthroat over winter in streams and head downstream in spring. There's lots of info on the web. google is your friend!
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Fished the river for 25 years and lots of guys including myself chuck metal on a regular basis.....
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Thank's for the great report E. D. it was a wonderful read with my lunch. Now I'm itching to get out there and catch my first of the year now that Xmas is over. Thank's again.
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nice pics...probably the biggest bow i've seen come out of that river.
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20yrs ago I used to cast metal all the time. When the steelhead would jump I could hear the clank,clank, of the spoon in their mouth.
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Fished the river for 25 years and lots of guys including myself chuck metal on a regular basis.....
Well guess I'm staying far enough away from everyone since I've never seen it before. Must be a good sign.
Maybe that's why I get a fair share or fish whenever I'm home ;D Granted I rarely get hatchery fish since I like to stay away from everyone (ie the lower).
I also tend to stay with one thing once I start it too, cover lots of water and don't second guess myself.
Best of luck to everyone! Looks like tomorrow might be my last day out on the river before my return to the peaceful waters of the island...
Cheers,
Dan
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lol, I heard a report on the river today from an "old timer" of a "kid from the island" that has been hitting fish in ****** area with spoons ;D
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lol, I heard a report on the river today from an "old timer" of a "kid from the island" that has been hitting fish in ****** area with spoons ;D
Lol... yea a few people have seen me around...
Last day out on the river, put me at 5 fish in 6 trips so far this December, all on spoons. Gear hasn't been doing squat all for me.
Was a good way to end the year. Best of luck to everyone this january to start the new year!
Cheers,
Dan
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I heard a report from an old timer that theres some really cocky kid with a spoon rod who wont stop bragging about the amount of fish hes been into... :-\ I love when that kid has to go back to the island.
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I heard a report from an old timer that theres some really cocky kid with a spoon rod who wont stop bragging about the amount of fish hes been into... :-\ I love when that kid has to go back to the island.
Lol... me too, then I can actually catch some fish, and not work all day for one lousy steelhead! ;D
Not to mention I don't have to deal with people...
BTW won't be fishing gear any more, I'll leave that to you and your favorite area :D
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Lol... me too, then I can actually catch some fish, and not work all day for one lousy steelhead! ;D
Not to mention I don't have to deal with people...
BTW won't be fishing gear any more, I'll leave that to you and your favorite area :D
which is now flogged with ppl as of yesterday :)
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I heard a report from an old timer that theres some really cocky kid with a spoon rod who wont stop bragging about the amount of fish hes been into... :-\ I love when that kid has to go back to the island.
he forgets to mention he misses some fish to i was happy to clean up behind him lol was happy to get my first of the season.
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TayC hit that one on the head, its getting retarded in that one particular section, haven't seen that many cars parked on a section of river since pink season. WTF
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Who cares, half the people dont even know how to fish that water properly...
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TayC hit that one on the head, its getting retarded in that one particular section, haven't seen that many cars parked on a section of river since pink season. WTF
Yep, glad I didn't go out on Jan 2nd... stat and all.
Even the places that use to have no one.. or the places that have sketchy wades are littered with people.
Can't wait till later in the year... also glad to be back out on a secluded rock ;D
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i have witnessed a guy set the hook on nothing their and snagged a steelhead in the eye. worse yet it was a wild one at that point i just stopped fishing for the day