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Author Topic: A fishing report from the dark side of the Moon  (Read 2489 times)

RalphH

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A fishing report from the dark side of the Moon
« on: October 08, 2023, 08:50:38 AM »

Does everybody just fish the Vedder? Not me. Personally I go for uncrowded waters where the chance of being accused of flossing is extremely low and snagging is almost impossible. You see there just isn't the water velocity or the quantity of fish there. The water is tanic colored at best. There is some hatchery additions made and an attempt to reestablish populations of chinook and chums. However it's not rare for me to fish an entire season and not catch a hatchery coho. The large majority are wild. It's not generally crowded at least not on weekdays. Often I have a km or more of river bank to myself. It's an agrarian location amidst farms and fields. I can enjoy the local wildlife which is birds mostly; herons,  hawks ducks and geese plus muskrats & the odd coyote or otter.  Earlier this week I was treading through grass as tall as me when I heard the desperate chattering of a blackbird, a small hawk hot on it's tail. The smaller bird suddenly broke left and executed a beautiful roll over the hawk and struck it's back with it's feet. I could hear the strike! The hawk seemed unperturbed & the blackbird dove down below my line of sight and the hawk followed, both passing from visibility. How did it end?  I went to look and found no sign of a kill.

Fishing has been ok. It's usually over by noon. I hooked 5 fish last trip; 4 coho and a cutthroat landing 2 hatch coho (the limit is 1) and the cutthroat which was 15 inches.  So far this season I have landed 3 coho. The trip before I landed a beautiful wild buck that looked close to 30 inches. In past years I have seen coho that weighed 15lbs. I also have taken 2 spring jacks on separate days & brought them home.

have a look:

The first spring jack:



It's fillets:



not a Harrison white

The second spring



I don't catch springs there that often. I took a 10lb fish on a fly rod a few years ago. I was a bit red so I released it. The one before that was 10+ years ago.

The coho



On coho # 3, a fish I had hooked from a high bank, this happened when the hook came away:



I have contacted the maker and am getting a new one under warranty. I'll pass on details when it's complete. Anyone else notice the set in the tip? It's a graphite rod!

Believe it or not I kept fishing with that rod and even landed hatchery fish #2, a beautiful chrome doe I had to release. I could have kept it,the thought entered my mind as there was no one around but I let it go.

BTW I usually don't take pictures of fish I release unless I can keep them in the water. I try to be an ethical angler.
« Last Edit: October 08, 2023, 02:49:26 PM by RalphH »
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coastangler

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Re: A fishing report from the dark side of the Moon
« Reply #1 on: October 08, 2023, 12:36:25 PM »

Thanks for the report and looks like time well spent! Agreed there are many great opportunities outside of the Vedder, but part of me wants the Vedder to still be so popular and everyone claiming how many more Cohos and Springs are there this season so other streams don't get as crowded  ;D - I haven't put a foot in the Vedder this season and I couldn't be happier.

Regarding the rod tip, did it snapped when the fish came off? I've only snapped the rod tip once like that and was due to a hit with a heavy fly :(

Also regarding "I usually don't take pictures of fish I release unless I can keep them in the water. I try to be an ethical angler." that's a good reminder. Although I do think that if using a rubber net, you can take a quick pic and minimize damage to the fish still, but I do agree with the sentiment
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roeman

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Re: A fishing report from the dark side of the Moon
« Reply #2 on: October 08, 2023, 04:00:00 PM »

Agreed there are many great opportunities outside of the Vedder, but part of me wants the Vedder to still be so popular and everyone claiming how many more Cohos and Springs are there this season so other streams don't get as crowded

Exactly...

Although I don't understand the point of the original post.  Calling the post a fishing report?????
Went fishing
Caught fish
Not on the Vedder...
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RalphH

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Re: A fishing report from the dark side of the Moon
« Reply #3 on: October 08, 2023, 04:38:45 PM »

Exactly...

Although I don't understand the point of the original post.  Calling the post a fishing report?????
Went fishing
Caught fish
Not on the Vedder...

 ;D

Too much detail for you roeman? What the devil! LOL!
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RalphH

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Re: A fishing report from the dark side of the Moon
« Reply #4 on: October 09, 2023, 09:20:55 AM »

Thanks for the report and looks like time well spent! Agreed there are many great opportunities outside of the Vedder, but part of me wants the Vedder to still be so popular and everyone claiming how many more Cohos and Springs are there this season so other streams don't get as crowded  ;D - I haven't put a foot in the Vedder this season and I couldn't be happier.

Regarding the rod tip, did it snapped when the fish came off? I've only snapped the rod tip once like that and was due to a hit with a heavy fly :(

Also regarding "I usually don't take pictures of fish I release unless I can keep them in the water. I try to be an ethical angler." that's a good reminder. Although I do think that if using a rubber net, you can take a quick pic and minimize damage to the fish still, but I do agree with the sentiment

You're welcome. I believe I have posted similar reports before. Angling is about a lot of things other than catching fish. I've fished that location since my father first took me there when I was 5 - so over 60 years. I have a strong attachment to the place. It's all private land (even the stream bed) but I think access will be cut off in the near future. The local government doesn't want people on the dykes and has blocked access in nearby. Up till now land owners have tolerated anglers & people who just come for a stroll.

I think the tip snapped when the fish came off but all I know was when it was gone (I was on a bank 4+ feet above the water & I am 6ft+) the tip was dangling in the line. The choice not to take pictures of fish I have to release isn't absolute and it is a choice. I don't need the photos for the most part.
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Silex-user

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Re: A fishing report from the dark side of the Moon
« Reply #5 on: October 12, 2023, 07:24:18 PM »

Fished the Zipper mouth water this morning the one Ralph wrote about. I caught 5 chrome wild jacks, one wild chrome hen coho and 4 beautiful cutties. Nobody around. Being fishing this water since I was 5 years old with my dad back in 60's. I know quite farmers /owner whom let me park on their farms and only 5 minutes walk.


Silex-user
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coastangler

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Re: A fishing report from the dark side of the Moon
« Reply #6 on: October 17, 2023, 09:40:16 PM »

Didn't fish the same stream as RalphH or Silex-user (I think) but also had a great day away from the Vedder. Landed 3 hatcheries and released a wild - lost 3 more and overall had a great day. This is the first season I'm not focusing my energies on the C/V during October like in the last few years and so far I'm having a great month. Will probably check out the C/V during November as I usually find it less busy and easier to fly fish




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Darko

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Re: A fishing report from the dark side of the Moon
« Reply #7 on: October 17, 2023, 10:13:02 PM »

Didn't fish the same stream as RalphH or Silex-user (I think) but also had a great day away from the Vedder. Landed 3 hatcheries and released a wild - lost 3 more and overall had a great day. This is the first season I'm not focusing my energies on the C/V during October like in the last few years and so far I'm having a great month. Will probably check out the C/V during November as I usually find it less busy and easier to fly fish


way to go! Nice photo.
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