Once again a warm welcome to all and for reading the journal on FWR.
I was slow to get organized this morning as tired after a late night of badminton at Abbotsford and yesterday events, this is getting to like being at work again.
I wondered what the river would be like this morning as it was 9 degrees and some heavy rain last night on the drive back from the Raspberry Capital of B.C..
When I reached the river around 7:30 the parking area was full of cars and so was the run as the lineup of anglers looked like sockeye season at the Scale Bar.
Some of them must have got there very early as a couple of chairs were evident on the bar.
When I look at the water for visibility I see the rain and temperatures did take a toll on the visibility as it was around a foot to 18 inches, fishable I guess but not to my liking.
I wander around a bit and make a few casts in a run or two where no one was fishing. Slowly the picket line begins to show holes in it as anglers move on and some move out.
I join the latter and decide to put up some garbage bags at a couple of locations for anglers hopefully to deposit their cups etc. in.
I also stop by Ian's place, cleanup half a bag of garbage where anglers park and put an old garbage tin with a bag in it for those that park there with the hope will also put their stuff in it.
I move above the Crossing and see the water seems to be improving. Run into Tooth Pick and we chat for a bit. I stop at the Twin Cedars, make a few casts before heading back down river.
I park, tie a few fresh roe bags and then head to the river. As I reach the river I see a very nice steelhead laying on the path, then Steelieman appears and he tells me he had been into 3 others before landing this beauty of a fish. I congratulate him on his fish and move down river, fishing a few spots as I go. River condition now prefect, much improved from this morning.
As I reach the top of a nice run float down, steelhead on for a second or two then gone, record now 14 for 16. I fish around the area a bit before the hunger pains set in. I pull up a log and enjoy some smoked fish a gourmet meal if there every was one out on the flow.
Shortly after lunch an angler near me signals, fish on above. I grab one of the tubes and head to the run above. John has a very nice buck that is in the middle teens and a wild for the tube. Just as we slip it into the tube the hook pops up put I have the zipper mostly closed so his escape route has disappeared. Ross helps me move the fish in the tube full of water to the sidestream where I work him down to a nice location by a log where I tie him up. I call the hatchery for pickup.
30 minutes later just as I see Ron and the tanker truck coming down the road I see the Englishman is into one. I grab my second tube and quickly make tracks out to the river to gladly except another wild buck for the program. The English chap wants a picture so just before I place the 7 pound or so steelhead in the holding tube one of the regulars does the honours of a quick photo. I signal Ron to the location of tubed fish #1 as I work tubed fish #2 downstream to the pickup point. As Ron takes Tube #2 to the truck and goes back for #1 Ron's cell phone rings, it is stdslayer with another wild for pick up. This is the first time I have used the two tubes I pack around, finally paid off.
Ron has just placed #2 in the oxygen tank and tells stdslayer he will be down in 15 minutes, it is now around 2:30. Just as Ron is preparing to leave the signal comes from an angler on the beach, another fish on, I jump in with Ron and we drive upstream a tad to make the crossing easier. I toss one of the now empty tubes over the shoulder and hot foot it once again across the gravel bar. This is getting more tiring than a night of hitting the birdie. As I reach the scene of the action, now breathless, I see it is Ross, with a good sized wild buck also in the middle teens. I drop to me knees zip open the tube in readiness to receive its cargo. I have a little trouble getting the fish to cooperate to move into its temporay dwelling but with some help from Ron we have it safely tucked away.
Ron carts it to join the other 2 and they make a pretty trio, the completion of the first hattrick of the day that makes me feel good to have tubed 7 so far this season, 5 males and 2 females. Thanks to the 5 different anglers that have donated the fish to the brood capture program.
Now with the tubing day over it is time for me to try to relax some and do some fishing.
I work the run where I had lost the one earlier but I could not get another bite so decide to move to the next run above. I run into Chris coming down, he has had a good day as was into 5 so far.
Just as I get to the run the Englishman is into another fish right where I had just been fishing. He lands and releases it. I settle in between two anglers and one ask me if I am CG, he reads the journal and I guess he sees the Leaf hat and of course the Maple Leaf Drennan that he admires greatly.
He identifies himself as Duke from Steveston. He says he has a fish that started tearing up stream before it was gone. Hopefully Duke will make his first post to tell us more about it.
Dukes asks a few questions about short floating and I demonstrate how I like my float to look on a drift. A few casts later float down, nothing like getting a fish on when trying to sell your way of fishing.
However the steelhead ,a good sized fish is gone after a brief boil to the top, record now 14 for 17 and slipping.
Enjoy visiting with Duke. There is only 3 of us fishing the run now as the day is drawing to a close all to quickly as the afternoon bite has been good.
I now move right to the top of the run and on a drift close in, drennan down, I set the hook but nothing, was I too deep for the drift in close?
Next cast, hoping it was a fish, not bottom, however the float top stays dry. Next cast Maple Leaf Drennan is making its fourth dive of the day as I firmly set the newly tied #1 gammy. This time connection, as another good sized fish shows lots of spunk. Duke and I can see it silver sides flashing 20 feet or so from shore for a few seconds after the first run. Then all of a sudden it puts on a show for us all doing a few flips including a couple of back flips. It is on one of these maneuvers that the steelhead's newly found tricks has paid dividends for itself as my third fish of the day has also gained its freedom. record moving downhill fast at 14 for 18.
Duke and I make out last cast shortly after 5 and make our way back to our vehicles parked at the same location. Always good to end the day walking out with another person, and summarize our day.
To me it was a triple header twice over, one successful with 3 wilds tubed, the other a failure with 3 steelhead lost but it was a lot of fun none the less. Besides I got lots of exercise and met more members from FWR once again.
Tomorrow will be the start of another adventure, another journal to write, a day on the Vedder River, hopefully an enjoyable day on the river with fellow anglers all hoping for the chance at a steelhead. I hope to improve my average once again but it will be good to just be out there chasing down, maybe a 20 pounder, hows that sound?
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Topic: A Triple Header, Two Times Over, On A Thursday, The Journal, Feb. 2 (Read 3339 times)