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.
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.
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
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.
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Topic: Chilliwack River, December 22nd - 24th 2011 (Read 4967 times)