Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum
Fishing in British Columbia => Fishing Reports => Members' Fishing Reports => Topic started by: chris gadsden on October 19, 2004, 05:56:55 PM
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It was sure good to spend the last two days out fishing with Nick again. We have not fished together since last Spring, a 2 day adventure to the Merritt area for a trout fly fishing trip.
Now that I do not have a computer at home for a while gives me more time to fish than on the FWR site but I sure miss all of you and all the fishing stories. I will not even have time to read the last few days as my time is limited this afternoon.
Sunday night I got a invite from Nick to head over to the Harrison to try spin casting for some coho and maybe pick up a fresh chum or two.
Of course I could not refuse having a chance to fish with, in my books the best all round angler in the Valley.
My phone rang at 5:30 am as I had asked Nick to give me a call to make sure I would not sleep in as with all the house renovations going on I could not even find an alarm clock. ::)
By 5:45 the Leaf Mobile was loaded and I was on my way to the 20 minute trip to Nick's who on my arrival had his 16 foot Prince Craft with a 40 horses on the tail end hooked up and ready to roll.
Our first stop after topping up the Merc's gas tank was a breakfast in Agassiz at the A&W as it was the only spot open at 6:30.
After the breakfast we were on our way to the Kilby Boat Launch, about 12 minutes away, were on arrival Nick quickly launches the boat while I deposit the $5 launching fee in the deposit box. A good concrete launching site there.
We head down to the mouth were a few boats are already anchored some are spin casting while a guide boat pulls in at the same time as us and I see they have 4 clients that will be fly fishing.
I drop the anchor in about 10 feet on water and we start throwing the #3 Blue Foxes towards the shore. Lots of chum surfacing in the whole area but in the first half hour no takers.
Nick tells me to pull anchor and we move to another sport, which we do a number of times through the day. " Got to find where the coho are" Nick says. :D
For some reason I am having trouble casting with a spinning reel of all things and getting loops in the drum more than I should. My excuse is I never hardly ever fish a spinning reel which should be fool proof one would think. A bit embarrissing to say the least.
Anyway I hook in to the first fish a fairly fresh chum that heads to one of the piling but turns away at the last moment. It becomes airborne a few times trying to rid itself from the Blue Fox which it does. Glad it was not a CO I think as we move to another spot in the bay. More boats, alot of them guide boats are arriving and we see one coho and a few chum being hooked.
Shortly after the latest move I am into another chum and have a good battle with her especially with the newbee I am with a spinning reel trying to ajust the drag correctly.
I am successful in getting her to the boat with Nick netting her as I decide to keep her, a fish of about about 9 pounds. Last year I enjoyed the chum smoked and this was a fresh run fish.
A few more moves around the same area with no more hits and we then decide to take a run up river towards the mouth of the Chehalis area.
A beautiful area with lots of wild life, ducks, eagles, kingfishers and large springs surfacing in the Harrison Rapids area. The scenery is worth the trip alone. Of course lots of chum spawning in the gravel shallows, a wonderful salmon nursery to say the least. The eagles perched high in the trees are just waiting for the salmon to complete their life cycle.
We fish in a few spotsin this area and Nick looses a CO and gets a couple of pike minnows while I touch nothing.
We break for lunch made up ::) of smoked spring and soup, a good mix. ::) I continue to admire the scenery and marvel at the huge springs jumping around us.
We decide to end the day back at the mouth and 15 minutes before we are to leave my lure had just hit the water and as I begin to wind there it is, a CO, as we see its silver sides flashes in the green waters of the Harrison.
She puts up no much as a battle you would think for a fresh fish of about 10 pounds. Maybe that was luckly as our net had somehow fallen out of the boat earlier. Nick skillfully gets his hands around her and lifts the hatchery fish aboard, one of the nicest CO's I have ever taken.
The end of a perfect day and once again Nick was a perfect guide letting me land all the fish. ;D ;D
As my time is running short a very short report on the Vedder today. ;D
We fished the upper river and I landed 6 CO's and Nick 5. The river was perfect with a good number of fish around.
I also landed one jack spring and broke off one fairly fresh spring. Of the 6 coho I landed 4 were wild and 2 hatchery.
I retained a slightly colored buck of just under 10 and also got a nice picture of a wild doe which I will try to get posted along with the Harrison River CO.
2 good days with one of the best fishing partners you could ask for, thanks again Nick. ;D ;D
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What level of netting (native) activity did you see Chris???
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Sounds like a great ole time I am a bit envious. Good on ya 8)
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hmm...
I'm a bit envious as well ;D
Anyway, here's the pics as promised Chris:
(http://members.shaw.ca/Pimmetje/Chris%20Gadsden%20Coho%20Oct%2018%202004.jpg)
Harrison River Coho October 18th
(http://members.shaw.ca/Pimmetje/Chris%20Gadsden%20Coho%20Oct%2019%202004.jpg)
Wild Vedder Coho October 19th
Congrats Chris, good to see your Coho season is finaly well under way :)
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Sorry Chris, I guess I didn't crop enough off! ::)
;D ;D ;D
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Chris ... please excuse my beginner's question: what kind of reel is that on the Vedder? A fly reel on a baitcasting rod? Or a trolling reel? I thought trolling reel is not suitable for river fishing? ???
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Single action reel
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Single action reel ... is it good for casting and float fishing on the river??? I mean can the spool run free when letting out the line?
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It's a centrepin, a large spool on finely tuned ball-bearings (those things will spin for hours!!!). They are used for float fishing, but I have heard of them being used for casting lures.
(I even know someone who took it out into the chuck and got a 32# hali on it, using 10 lb test !!!)
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Very good float fishing reel. Free spool very well. No drag, you control your fish by palming the reel.
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8)the only way to fish the vedder.....or any river...LOL 8)
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Our first stop after topping up the Merc's gas tank
??? ??? ???
Nice fish Chris!
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Thanks. It makes sense. I thought it was like my fly reel with the clicking and drag control on the spool. Finely tuned ball bearings ... wow!
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Once you get use to casting a centre pin and you are catching and playing fish with it you will find they are the most enjoyable reel to fish with. ;D ;D
Hopefully tomorrow a few CO's will be pulling line off my Avon. ;D
Thanks for posting the photo's George.
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I don't know about that Chris! I'd choose my 10' for #7 Gloomis GLX and my disc drag Flylogic any day... And I owned an Avon for a few seasons, but harly evolved into the hardcore centrepin addict that you have :)
Nice fish by the way! I'm jealous!
Cheers,
Nicole
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Is That Avon up for sale? ;D ;D ;D
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Nope sorry long gone - the first guy I offered it to bought it... Was one nice reel - it was the skinny one - the coqdour? I don't know how that model was spelled.
Cheers,
Nicole