Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum
Fishing in British Columbia => Fishing Reports => Members' Fishing Reports => Topic started by: chris gadsden on January 16, 2006, 07:19:13 PM
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Today was the first day of the brood capture program on the Chilliwack Vedder River so I thought I should make an effort to get out on the Vedder even though I am fighting a cold. Last year I only contributed 3 steelhead to the program so I had committed myself to try and do better this season. It is the volunteer anglers that contribute a good portion of the 70 odd brood stock each year
I am pleased as I leave the comfort of my bed to see no rain had fallen last night, so much for the rainfall record. ??? I am now hopeful we may get some decent weather now that has made the Vedder unfishable for so many days this season.
I had made arrangement to meet CEJ on the river around first light, after a short stop at Tims for the usual extra large double double.
On arriving at the river I see CEJ's truck but no sign of him as I strap on my gear and the brood capture tubes. As I reach the first run to fish I notice the river is in the best shape it has been in some time. As I make my first cast I think there should be some fish around in such conditions. ;D In the first run that I fish for about 10 minutes the drennan float is buried 3 times but each time I strike nothing is there. As I leave the run heading to the next spot I am going to fish I figure it must have been a trout but who knows.
As I near the second spot the "root run" where I have hit and landed 2 fish this season I see CEJ leaving spot number 3 already, boy is he on the move this morning. ;D I have no takes in the "root run" so move to the run CEJ had vacated.
I fish it for maybe 10 minutes starting at the top of the run moving downstream. Always a good idea to start casting at the top of the run as sometime in the early morning steelhead can lay close in. If you start at the bottom of the run you can spook them as you move up stream.
Starting at the top allows your drift to reach water below you where if a fish is laying he can not see you.
Anyway partway down the run my Maple Leaf drennan disappears, for some foolish reason I pickup instead of setting the hook properly. ??? All of a sudden I see the silver flash of a fish as my line go slack as the steelhead easily discards the hook. :'( What a rookie move that was I think as I send the next cast into the same spot thinking this fish will not give me a second chance but a few feet above where I had seen the flash float down again, a solid strike this time but no tension, roe bag still intact.
As I make the third cast I am thinking was that a different fish or what. I have not much time to think as down goes the float again, am I ever ready this time. ;D Immediatly after setting the hook line is peeling nicely off my centre pin. ;D The fish does not show herself but repects the pool (does not leave it) and after 5 minutes or so of a spirted battle I have the hatchery doe of about 10 pounds laying at my feet. CEJ appears from upriver at this time and gently eases the hen back to the run.
There was no way I considered retaining this fish as having kept 2 out of the 3 I have landed so far this season I did not need a fish to eat and besides I wished to continue fishing, especially hoping for a fish for the hatchery.
CEJ tells me that he figured he missed a fish first thing but because he had to leave early he wanted to fish as much of the area as possible. As CEJ starts to work the run I notice a wind knot in my leader lucky that it did not break while landing the steelhead. As I retie a new leader CEJ has another solid take but the fish would not give him another chance. As he has to leave I walk with him down river, figure I will leave the run to rest as we still have the area to ourselves.
As CEJ heads for his truck I try a few minor runs before heading back to todays "hot spot" the KE run. ;D ;D I start at the top once again making a few casts then taking a few steps downstream. As a near the tailout on a long drift I am looking at some angler that has moved into a run below me, I look back in the direction of my float.
Where is it? I strike, solid, no movement at all. Just as I start to think I am snagged as I have drifted to a fairly shallow part of the run a fish boils to the top of the water. I am shocked and very surprised at the same time as this fish does not respect the run and bails downstream right now. It moves downstream and upstream not wanting to go over a shallow riffle. I am pleased as the roots of "the root run" await if it does so. Finally as it tires it surrenders to the riffles and I follow it hoping to be able to keep it away from those root obstacles. A fly fishers who has just arrived in the area sees me with the fish and trots over. I ask him if he can give me a hand with the tubing if it is a wild fish. "Of course, will be pleased to" he answers. I apply as much pressure as my 8 pound test leader will stand as I pull him clear of the roots. For the first time I see he is a wild fish as the adipose fin appears above the water, a buck in the 12 pound range. I flip the holding tube off my shoulder and hand it to the fly fisher and ask him to unzip it. The fish turns again towards my enemy those roots but once again I am successful in turning him and finally I have him at the shoreline and tuck him safely in the now gapping tube. As I revove the hook I notice it is holding by just a thread, one more run and he would have gained his freedom instead of heading to the Chilliwack Hatchery.
I tie the tube firmly to the now friendly roots in 2 feet of slow water and call the hatchery that I have a steelhead for them. R says he will be down in about 20 minutes for the pickup.
As I always do, I stay close to the fish and the tube checking on the fish in his darken enviroment that every thing is fine with them. If anything happened I would just feel terrible and I have never had a mishap with a fish over the years, touch wood.
As I wait for R a fellow comes to "the root run" and on his first cast he is into a fish. :o This fish takes off downstream line bailing from this angler's reel. I grab my spare tube and follow in hot pursuit. ;D
The angler does not know what awaits below, a jam with many limbs and logs sticking out into the river. I know all about them and was luckly to get around them with my second fish of the year a few days ago.
Anyway this fish has gone by the jam but the anglers line is around a few limbs, I lean out and I am able to get them off a couple. However the line is now around a small log, line continues to leave the reel as the fish must be in the rapids by now. As the angler tries to work free of the log all on a sudden there is a loud bang as the rod explodes into a couple of pieces, loud cursing also erupts from the now rod less angler who is holding about 2 feet of his rod butt and luckly his nice centre pin. Part of the other end of the rod is still on the log and I grab it in a last attemp to free it. As I apply some pressure another loud bang as I am left holding about 6 inchs of the now very short rod. At the same time his line has also snapped as well and everything fish and all has disappeared from sight. :'(
I apologize to the angler for what I had done but he says you tried your best or something to that effect. Another angler who had joined us on the trip downstream said "quite a show that was" I said "you got that right to bad you did not have a video camera"
As the now empty handed angler leaves the river I return to check on the tubed fish and everything is fine.
As I await the hatchery truck I miss another fish that does not give me a second chance. As the hatchery truck arrives Ron quickly sees me and no time has the fish safely in the holding tank as I try to get a picture of the fish as it is removed from the tube to the tank but do not get too good a shot.
As R heads back to the hatchery I go back to the river to get my rod and make a few casts but by this time the area is becoming crowded with anglers. This happens often when fish are being caught as word spreads very quickly out on the river, quicker than on the net. ;D
That is what I tell a few anglers that complain about my stories here on FWR, there is no secrets on such a heavily fished river as the Chilliwack Vedder River. Once again life is way too short to worry about such minor things as catching fish but once again everyone is entitled to their opion as I am to mine.
As the watch ticked near noon time to head to Cookies for a lunch break. ;D ;D
As I wish to go to badminton I will complete as I often do the rest of today's story later, some more action by some others.
I may have a couple of photo's that Rodney may wish to post or not, will forward them to him to decide.
Rain coming down hard this afternoon and now so do not know what the river will be like tomorrow.
Photos below (log in to view).
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wow great story and sound's like you had a good day but really weird :o
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Awesome Chris!!! ;D ;D Sounds like you are having a great time out there, and great job on getting the Buck for the Brood Stock!! I think that you, from the sounds of it, are going to have one heck of a season!! In fact, I think that you have already had one heck of a season!! ;) I can't wait to get back out there as well!!
BTW, was wondering if you got a chance to check the water before dark? It is pouring out here right now, thinking about going out tomorrow, but that rotten, stinkin, no good, rain..... :'( :'(
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What a interesting day for you,sound like you had a blast at the river too,thanks for the good read
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woow what a day, that a chromer, good to here some more fish, i hope all this rain lets up.
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Ran out of steam so not going to badminton so a short wrap of the day.
After the usual enjoyable meal at Cookies I was back on the river around 1:30. The rain was now really pelting down. I see there was only one other angler in the area so I started fishing the spots once again but the float would not go down. I then ran into Gerry who had been at another spot but had touched nothing himself but had seen one hatchery fish taken. We were fishing one of the runs when we see two anglers working downstream towards us. We were fence posting the run a bit, visiting more than fishing I guess.
I knew one of the anglers and we chat about today's events for a while. He says he will slip below us a bit, fine with us as I have covered most of the run so I had thought.
All of a sudden one of the chaps, the one I knew was into a fish, the bright silver beauty takes off downstream. This fish was laying right at the tailout. I grab the tube and follow. A good scrappy fish that the angler skillfully keeps from the roots and as it gets within viewing range we see it is a wild. ;D
I prepare the tube as the angler is more than pleased to donate it. So for the second time this day we have another wild for the hatchery program, around a 9 pound doe. ;D
A phone call to the hatchery has R coming down for a late afternoon pickup. While we were tubing the fish Gerry tells me later he has rolled a fish but it would not come back for him.
Shortly after Gerry helps as we quickly carry the tube and the fish from a main channel to the side channel only a few feet away for an easy transfer to the hatchery truck. R tells us that is the third wild of the day a good start for the first day of the brood capture. ;D ;D
With the fish on its way to its new home the long day and the rain has got to me as I call it a day. It was an interesting one to say the least with plenty of action and we all felt good to help the brood capture program that will hopefully help provide more hatchery fish for those that like to take the odd one home once and a while. As well it felt good to experience the thrill of hooking and landing a couple of prized steelhead. Then on the other hand the disappointment of the other angler losing his fish and breaking his rod in the process was not the greatest to say the least. I met him later in the day coming back with a new rod he had just bought and I am sure it will not be long until he baptizes it, hopefully in a more friendly spot but that is steelheading isn't it.
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Chris i can not believe your stories they are so informative it makes you feel like your fishing right beside you,only if this were true.Keep the stories coming they help ease the pain for us who can't get out there ourselves.
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Excellent read as usual Chris. Too bad about the angler breaking his rod. Those things happen. BTW how many wild steelhead does the hatchery require for their program ?
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Excellent read as usual Chris. Too bad about the angler breaking his rod. Those things happen. BTW how many wild steelhead does the hatchery require for their program ?
I believe they will be taking the same as in past years around 70. Buck will know if that is the correct number.
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Awesome Chris!!! ;D ;D Sounds like you are having a great time out there, and great job on getting the Buck for the Brood Stock!! I think that you, from the sounds of it, are going to have one heck of a season!! In fact, I think that you have already had one heck of a season!! ;) I can't wait to get back out there as well!!
BTW, was wondering if you got a chance to check the water before dark? It is pouring out here right now, thinking about going out tomorrow, but that rotten, stinkin, no good, rain..... :'( :'(
Water was ok at dark. Still pouring now so tomorrow will be a guessing game right up to daylight.
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another good writeup Chris,an artist with the rod and the keyboard
sandy
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Thanks for the update on the river!! I think that I might have to work tomorrow. ::) Have a mold that is now a rush and has to get back into production!! :'(
So it looks like the weekend for me again, maybe both days if the river coperates!! ;)
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Great write up Chris, and congrats on the fish for the hatchery!!
Can you tell me where Cookies is? I have to go out to Fred's tomorrow to pick up my precious Sage rod that Pete has so kindly nursed back to health so I may have time for a bite before heading back over to the other side of the Fraser for a day of fishing. I hope the meals are big, cause Dean and I are big boys with big appetites. ;D
Tight lines, and keep up the good work.
ATS
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my girlfriend has told me i have to go fishing tomorrow hehehe..... i ain't gonna argue with her
thanx for the great read Chris and can you pm me a contact # for someone i can call for brood pick up??? I am spending more time on the river than the average guy now, up to 4 days of the week ;D . maybe shoot me your cell number, I'll come see ya with a thermos O tim's.... and ,,, i won't make fun of your leafs hat ;)
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another awesome report for an awesome day Chris. The way you are going, pretty soon we will say, Master who?
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Great write up Chris, and congrats on the fish for the hatchery!!
Can you tell me where Cookies is? I have to go out to Fred's tomorrow to pick up my precious Sage rod that Pete has so kindly nursed back to health so I may have time for a bite before heading back over to the other side of the Fraser for a day of fishing. I hope the meals are big, cause Dean and I are big boys with big appetites. ;D
Tight lines, and keep up the good work.
ATS
Turn off the freeway at Lickman Road go north to the first light (Best Western and Tim Hortons is on your left) turn right at this intersection which is Yale Road. You go maybe half a mile or so and it is on your left right next to a large storage facility.
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Just got back from the lower river, up from yesterday and some colour but should start to drop again shortly with the rain now stopped.
Was not the best of conditions first thing but is fishable now and should improve as the day goes on unless something drastic happens.
May slip out again but have to take in a truck load of bottles from Saturday's cleanup. Thanks guys for finding so many, a hour of work now and will cut into my fishing time today. ::) ;D
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ahhh i won't make fun of your hat anymore...but for us newbies..what do we do if we catch a wild? obviously if we're by ourselves you should probably let it go right away..but if we have our cell's do/can we call someone? thanks and you are the Master of these posts...
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awsome report chris...seems you cant keep em off the line
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ahhh i won't make fun of your hat anymore...but for us newbies..what do we do if we catch a wild? obviously if we're by ourselves you should probably let it go right away..but if we have our cell's do/can we call someone? thanks and you are the Master of these posts...
It is very difficult to call us unless a brood capture person is very close to you when you hook a wild fish. Naturally when you hook and land a wild fish it should be released as quickly as possible so to make a call would not be the best way to go. In most cases the permitted brood capture anglers are scattered throughout the river and they are always watching for other anglers with fish on. For example when I see an angler with a fish on I move to him with my tube to see if it is a wild fish and if he will agree to donate it to the program.
Thanks for you interest in the program and hope we see you on the river and with a fish on, we will be watching for it. ;D ;D
O, just got a call from the Master and he has landed a nice fish so I better get back out there. ;D ;D
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you know Chris...it sounds like you are catching enough fish..... :o :o I don't think it is neccessary for you to start breaking fellow fishermaens rods in order to keep the runs to yourself.....maybe next time just ask him to leave ..... ;D ;D ;D ;D