Once again, a warm welcome to forum members and lurkers on FWR with the Journal for Tuesday.
I was surprised to receive a PM last night that Rodney would be able to get away from his busy schedule for our first steelhead trip together for 2006.
This morning while tying up some roe bags I get another message he plans to arrive at our meeting place at 7.
I am late as usual getting away from home as I also had to but a new Maple Leaf Logo on Drennan # 2 as it was starting to wear off, being pulled under so many times.
. MLD #1 still has that toothpick stuck in it, waiting for it to dry so it can be removed, of course MLD #1 is anxious to get back out fishing.
I arrive somewhere around 7:15 at the parking spot. As I just embark from the Leaf Mobile, Rodney pulls up right behind me in our reserved parking stall. The river will be busy by the look of the vehicles in the parking area.
As we gear up here comes an angler returning from the river with a steelhead
talk about the early bird getting the worm.
We quickly complete our task of getting ready and Rodney sets a brisk pace in our 7 minute walk to the run where I thought we should start. When we peer over the bank there is about 5 anglers in it and only 3 in the run above. I mention to Rodney if might be worth going to the top run that has produced very well last week.
I decide to head to a secondary run but stop at the run with all the anglers in it for an update.
They tell me it was hectic at first light with the hatchery we saw being packed out along with a wild that was landed and released. Also I got the word a number were lost at the same time, before we arrived.
I fish the marginal areas for a while and then Rodney comes down from the above runs and says "nothing there yet", a report from the "Steelieman Run" is it is dead at this now popular run so far.
We move up to today's "hot run" and are able to slip in as two anglers thinking the bite is over so they head for greener water. The top angler is making long drifts that make fishing the run hard to fish properly. He is also retrieving his float in the "torpedo" method, float making a wake as he retrieves it from the end of his drift, I firmly believe this can scare fish, especially in clearer water.
I am not sure if it is caused by the fast retrieve made possible by modern level winds but with a 1 to 1 ratio on a single action reel if you hold your rod tip high there is no wake so no "torpedo run".
I am fishing next to the previously mentioned angler and I see him miss a fish, he is using bugs, for some reason he takes a break from casting after the miss.
So with the angler out of action Ray and I are all over the spot but to no avail.
A while later with the angler's rest period now over he is back at it, I decide to move up to the next run. I take about a dozen steps and then someone says fish.
I turn around and guess what the angler that had just resumed casting is the one with a fish on. So much for my idea on the "torpedo run" but maybe this steelhead had a liking for ghost shrimp, who knows. This fish does not have much chance to fight, as well the angler knocks his hat in the water in his haste to beach it, I retrieve the bonnet to get in this chap's good books in case it is a wild for the tube.
The fish hits the beach before any of us can really see it is wild or hatchery but luckily it is a hatchery fish. The anglers takes no time in claiming his prize and promply pulls the gills out that makes a bit of a bloody scene.
Rodney has joined us for the performance but decides not to film. He wanted to get some video and stills of the tubing purposes anyway. I keep my eye on the fortunate one and to make sure he knows about marking his fish on his license. After about 5 minutes as he prepares to leave with no ink yet to hit the paper I remind him he has not marked his fish.
"No pen" he says, well I and I imagine a number of us have been there on this one but he could have asked to borrow one. I give him one and tell him to keep it for the future, now what if I get a big one that I wish to keep, no pen but O, Rod is here with one I hope.
With a little bit more room in the run I slip in at the top and after a few casts the Maple Leaf Drennan dips down and then back up very quickly but I strike, too late. As I wind in I point out to Rodney that the roe bag has been robbed of its contents.
I put on another tempting looking roe bag and a few casts later down she goes again.
This time I have something solid on, it zips around creating a few loose line situations and a couple of times I think the steelhead is gone. It then heads downstream into a fast flowing side stream and I believe Rod is snapping some picture. It is fighting like it has wrapped up in the line or something, Rodney says " you have flossed it"
. Do not mention those words so early in the 2006 season and to a fellow with a 10 inch leader.
Anyway the now tiring steelhead seeks shelter in a riffle for cover as she feels safe there. I catch up to her and she heads down a bit more, to a place that is hard to land. We do not know if it is hatchery or wild yet.
Another angler who has joined us say it is hatchery but he has no sooner said it that I see the adopoise fin.
She is tired now so I pull her up to a calmer area, hand Rod the pole and I drop to my knees and ease the 10 pound doe in to the tube. She cooperates and almost swims into the now open tube
We then each take an end of the tube that is full now of a few pounds of water and hot foot across the side stream to a calm piece of water to tie her up. The call is made to the hatchery for pickup.
Kelly is doing the driving today and on his arrival Rod get some video of the transfer to the tank.
Just as Kelly is getting ready to leave we see a fish on, just as we start towards it, it is gone. Turned out it was Coho Cody's dad. Give him a lesson on landing fish Cody.
As I have left my spare roe for making roe bags in the Leaf Mobile I get a ride out with Kelly. On my return Rod has a chance but he can tell you about it later.
We see another hatchery taken before 12 and we then decide to head out to Cookies for lunch. Duke who was fishing around the same area decides to join us.
We meet Lars, Nicole's dad and brother Ryan there too and they join us at the table. We have fun exchanging fishing stories and when Lars and I played hockey against each other many moons ago.
He was with Vancouver I think it was and once put a puck in his own net, hence the name Lars.
I of course was with............, fill in the blanks FA.
I decide to call it a day fishing wise and catch up on some community work in town that I have neglected by too much fishing. Rodney heads for home and Duke goes back out for the big one. I imagine he will file a report saying there was fish every where.
That ends a short day but an enjoyable day Fishing With Rod on the Vedder River but we were able to tube doe # 30 for the hatchery with the bucks now standing at 16 when we left the river.This is now over halfway to the total of 70 brood fish that may take some fishing time to catch up with some bucks.
Tomorrow will be another adventure, another journal as we will see if we can find a couple of bucks to add to that total.
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Topic: Fishing With Rod, In Person, The Feb. 7th Edition Of The Journal (Read 7583 times)