Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum
Fishing in British Columbia => Fishing Reports => Members' Fishing Reports => Topic started by: chris gadsden on February 03, 2006, 04:58:42 PM
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The end of another week has come, as usual a very warm welcome to all readers of the Journal on FWR.
After yesterday's success of tubing 3 steelhead for the hatchery and on the other end of the spectrum for me in losing all three I must say I was looking forward to today fishing.
I got a earlier than usual start as had a number of e-mails on several fishing issues to deal with before I could think of heading to the river.
When I arrived at the run that I was planning to fish I was surprised on two fronts, not many anglers out for a Friday and the river was not in the best of shape for the first while.
It started to improve slowly and steelieman was the first to get the ball rolling Computer problems so will continue below.
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I Can't take the suspense aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 :o :o :o
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No kidding!!! :D :D :D Come on Chris, spill it, we know that you got some, it is just how many!!!!!! ;D ;D ;D
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As I see his pole arched and a fish splashing in front of him. I quickly start towards him in case it is a wild for the tube. I have only gone a few yards before I see his line go slack, this stops me in my tracks and I return to fishing. A short time later, steelieman is into another ::) what is it with him, in the hot spot or what as the rest of us have hit nothing. I once again make tracks towards him as he is bringing the fish downstream in my direction. I get there just before we see it is a nice hatchery doe that he decides to retain it. I snap a picture of his fish with steelieman's camera, we visit a bit and are then joined by Duke also from the forum who I first met yesterday. Duke has come up from the run we were fishing for a boo at the steelhead. Maybe to see what they look like. ;D ;D We are still waiting for his report from yesterday.
Anyway he heads to the "hot spot" vacated by steelieman and I back to my fishing spot. Anglers come and go, a fair amount of room to move about. ;D
Shortly after I have resume fishing, the Maple Leaf Drennan goes for its first swim of the day and I win the back and forth battle with a hatchery doe in the 11 pound range. I get her to the beach and try to tail the fish and pull her into deeper water to release her. She quickly slips from my grasp and swims out around 20 feet from the shore. I apply pressure to pull her back but my line breaks above the drennan. ??? ::)
My lucky charm Maple Leaf Drennan is now floating away, I forget about the escaped steelhead as I thunder downstream to retrieve it. I am a bit embarrassed as I am sure some onlookers were thinking I was trying to catch the escaped steelhead in the shallows or something. :-[ ??? Luck would have it that I did not fall in again for the second time in the last week or my fellow fishers could have thought I was diving for the fish. ;D I now feel bad that I broke the fish off with a hook in it, hopefully she will be able to shake it out quickly.
I catch up with my precious float and once again it has been rescued from the end of its career, on my line anyway. If word got out I had lost it FA would be out searching for it, just to peel the Leaf logo off it. ;D
As I start to retie I see Duke is into one in the "steelieman run", we have the KE and the "Root Run" so why not the "steelieman run". ;D ;D. I drop my retie chore, grab a tube and head towards the Duker. As I reach Duke we both see it too is a hatchery hen and he slides the silver bullet to shore to end the Duke's day. Duke says while I was fighting my steelhead earlier he had lost one before landing this 11 to 12 pound fish. 3 fish now landed by FWR members, the only ones we have seen so far. ;D
We head back to where to where I was tying up and I do not get the job completed as buck is into one, grab the tube once again and this time it is a wild that we successfully slip into the tube. 4 fish landed in our immediate area, all by FWR guys, good fisherman or what. ;D
Buck and I get it tied up in a good location and he heads back fishing. I then call the hatchery and Jim will be doing the pickup after he gets another fish from Tooth Pick.
Then another fish below and off I go again, sure getting my exercise the last few days. It turns out to be a hatchery that the angler releases.
I finally are tied up so head to try a spot no one has yet fished, first cast with the new gear that included the new Kodiak Rolling Swivels that Gerry had send me to try. Sure like them especially with the word rolling in their name. I know the "Master"uses and likes them so I know I will. Anyway on the first cast into an overhanging tree limb, As I pull to try to free it, bang, everything gone. :o I frantically search for my precious floating Maple Leaf Drennan but no sign of it. Did the lead fly back and break it and it sunk out of sight?
I can not see it and I head downstream to see if I can see its lifeless floating body but no sign of it. :'(
As I sit to retie once again I then have a brain wave ???, did it fly back onto the gravel bar without me seeing the flying drennan whiz by me? I head back up to the spot of the breakoff and there it is landing among the rocks with its Leaf logo just waiting to be picked up. ;D
The only problem is the toothpick has broken off inside the drennan and I can not get the line through of course, should have used those stoppers stldslayer had given me.
As I retie up again I have to use Maple Leaf Drennan #2, will have to wait for the toothpick to dry and then push it out of the orignal MLD. I am having a lot of down time today tying up and chasing fish for the tube.
Duke's friend Greg also from the forum has arrived and he also heads for the "steelieman run".
I take a picture of Duke's fish just before he cleans it and then I am back fishing. Shortly after the new Leaf Drennan makes it first splash down but the fish is not on long and the christening will have to wait.
Jim arrives and he picks up the tubed fish, before he leaves I say he most likely will be making a return trip shortly.
This prediction comes quickly as I see Greg is coming down with a fish from "the steelieman run" that is really producing. Greg has quite a battle and has to avoid some branches and snags as the steelhead tries to find a good hiding spot. Greg does a good job and we are able to tube another wild. I snap a picture of Greg by the tube and then work it down to the hitching post before calling Jim for another pickup.
Fishing With Rod members are doing the catching today as the standings are 4 for FWR and 1 for the other guys. ;D
I just get things settled down and the other guy has another one on. Downstream I go again, I hate to think the miles of running I am putting in today. It is a small wild doe that we slip into the tube and I work it up to the other tubed fish and tie it up to the root we are using. This is the second day in a row having two tubes have paid off. ;D
Jim appears soon after and we pack the two does to the truck, running the total at the hatchery to around 26 does and 12 bucks give or take a fish or two.
Jim is now on his way. It is getting close to the end of the tubing day so I decide to do a little more fishing as I am not going to fish much longer as getting dead tired from my early morning start and all the tubing the last two days.
Just as I start fishing I see Gary fighting and landing a hatchery on the other side of the river. The run I am fishing is getting a bit crowed so I slip to the top of the run. A few casts later, close in, float down, was it bottom or a fish?
Three casts or so later the Maple Leaf Drennan #2 is gone for view, this time I connect and I am into a good fish. It decides to head downstream so I comply so as to allow the 5 or so fisherman below me can continue to fish.
I work it down to the next run, it takes me a few minutes to get it within view and I see it is a good sized hatchery buck. I think it may get me on the derby board for the Wally Hall Jr. Memorial Derby at Fred's Custom Tackle so I decide to retain it. Besides this will get me off the river.
I head to Fred's to weigh it, and find its 14 and a half pounds does not make the board. :o I notice the top fish is now just over 18 with "The Master" now in second.
I head to Tim's for a coffee to celebrate the fish. I run into Les, a rep for a new product called Gorilla Gold Grip Enhancer an all - sports formula. He wonders if they would be of use for fishing rods. I said maybe for sturgeon fishing poles. He says All Pro Bass is using them now. He gives me a couple of packs to try as I said they would be great for my badminton racquets. Major League baseball has passed the product including the Toronto Blue Jays who will be using the product this season, no need for pine tar now. ;D
This ends my week with my biggest hatchery steelhead in a few years, certainly a good day as well for FWR members, one would think it was a FWR fish in today. ;D It was positive as well being able to tube a total of 7 fish in the last 5 days although I can not seem to land a wild myself.
Things do not look good tomorrow for the weekend fisherman as the high winds and heavy rain that are in the forcast will certainly make fishing difficult as I think the river will blow out as it has been very tempermental the last while. Two days off for me then, before another adventure and another journal starts on Monday. ;D ;D
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great report
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Very, very nice Chris!! It looks as though I might have to take tomorrow off though!! :'( :'( But I will make it out for Sunday and hope for the best!! Great report, and awesome job on your fish!! ;D ;D
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First photo. Chris' hatchery fish.
Second photo. Tending Buck's tube.
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nice fish
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In return for 2 beers I would be pleased to send you one of my floats Chris ;)
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WOW what a beauty. Did you have your shades on? 8)
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Thanks for the report chris ,man that drennan must have nine lives. ;D :D