As we start a fresh week of steelheading on the Vedder River once again a warm welcome to The Journal on Fishing With Rod.
It was a welcome change this morning to see we may have seen the last of the rain for a couple of days at least. As I headed to the run of choice to start the day I noticed a bit of a nip in the air, caused mostly from the slight wind from the Eastthat is blowing down the exposed Vedder River bed. I am glad I brought a thermos of coffee along in my pack as I trot down the path, a little late once again but should not matter as the best fishing last week was later in the morning and during the afternoon.
As I first see the run I wish to make my first cast I only see one angler there
but what is going on here, I notice a nice arc in his pole meaning steelhead on.
I shout loudly, enough most likely for the whole river to hear
" if its a wild can you hold it until I get there" my trot now turns to a bit of a gallop and I then scramble over the bank. I am lucky in my haste that I do not make my second splashdown into the river but I keep my balance. This was a bit of a miracle in itself loaded down with two brood capture tubes and a back pack loaded with the thermos and other goodies.
This brood capture thing is turning into a bit of a job, but a good excuse to get out of household chores.
As I wade the sidestream and once again gain terra firma I see the steelhead is bouncing like a basketball as it hits the gravel bar. I now recognize the angler and he has a very nice fish, a doe at least 12 pounds that ends
the anglers's day. "They are stacked out there Chris" the now pleased angler informs me as I quickly affix with anticipation a freshly made steelhead roe bag. "I had two others on before I got this one" he tells me. He also asks if I can take his picture with his prize. Sure I say but I first want to make a few casts as another angler has slipped into the run as well. If they are stacked like cordwood I want to harvest some of the wood.
After 6 or so casts, close in, the Maple Leaf Drennan dipped quickly, I am on it strike wise, the fish briefly boils and shows itself put tosses the hook in about 2 seconds. Darn, hook to land ratio slipping at 16 for 21.
No matter I think, if they are stacked there like the succesful one had told me there should be plenty more but as I pound the run nothing more. I have snapped the picture and he is off while I move around fishing some other runs, I see another angler lose a fish in another run but things remain quiet overall.
Toothpick Tom arrives and we see an angler packing a fish from the "steelieman run" that is above us. An angler who says he is going to register one day on FWR as Montegobay man is fishing the same run as I, before heading up river.
The next I see him is bringing a fish downstream, also from the "steelieman run" he waves to me and I break towards him but I screech to a halt as I see a swinging motion meaning another steelhead has gone to fish heaven.
Montegobay man comes down and shows us a very nice fish and he asks for me to take a picture, hope he posts it. I believe he said this fish was the fourth he hooked after leaving us, to fish some runs above.
Shane appears on the scene and as we visit and fish I see an angler heading to a side stream run, one I had fished an hour or so before. He is not there long and he is in to a fish, once again it is running time, with Shane following. As we get near we see it is a wild buck so I ready the tube and as I slip him in Shane snaps a few pictures of the action, glad I did not lose him with pictures being taken.
After I have him safely secured in the holding tube I take him downstream a tad and tie the tube to a root, the same place we tied up some tubed fish last week.
I phone the hatchery and am told Ron is picking up another buck, a good sixes one apparently that Stdlslayer has. I ask Lynne what the brood numbers will be with these two fish. She tells me it is 29 does and with these two bucks today will make their total at 16. That means we will need around 19 more bucks and 6 does to complete this years needs. I have been told from this number of fish about 120,000 smolts will be produced and released.
With the tube secure I am back fishing, hoping for another steelhead before Ron arrives with the pickup truck. Shane said he is going upstream to try his luck and I bid him farewell. I say I would most likely see him next at the FWR and CVRCC booth at the Tradex show in March.
Shane is not out of sight yet when at the head of a run I get my second chance of the day, once again I am on the take and the fish starts to peel line like mad after the hook set. I turn and shout to Shane, hoping it may be a wild and he can help me tube it. I no sooner turn my attention back to the action I see my float bounce to the surface, slack line means no steelhead as my ratio slips further down at 16 for 22.
Just then Ron appears and I pack the tube and the buck to the truck where Ron slips it out of the tube into the tank. The now rested fish is full of vinegar so Ron quickly closes the lid as the steelhead will settle down once again in the darkness.
The time is 1 o'clock and I stay in the area until the end of tubing time that usually ends around 2:30. Nothing happens and I decide to head for a coffee at Tims as my thermos is now empty. Just before I leave two anglers I know appear and they have been into 4, landing a couple I believe they said.
After Tims back to the river to try a different spot for the last couple of hours, try prawn tails most of the time but I find nothing fish wise but locate one float.
As the sun sets and glows a red hue in the West it signals that it is time to head to the Leaf Mobile, the end of another day of steelheading on the Vedder. As I now plod tiredly down the trail, I think of the two fish I lost but satisfied I was able to pick up another wild steelhead, the 11th for the brood stock program.
Tomorrow of course is another day on the Vedder, another adventure awaits I am sure for The Journal as I try to stop the mounting losses.
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Topic: The Losses Mount, The Vedder Journal, Feb. 6 (Read 7351 times)