stel
04-08-2004, 01:30 AM
Went right to the mouth on this gorgeuos day. I had very high hopes of wacking the steel today. Wow, was I ever in for a spurprize. Let me tell you, the fish all disappeared. I fish with some of the best fisherman on this river and when I got there, none of them had a bobber down. Usually you can see about 15-20 fish in this long narrow hole but every once in awhile you would see a fish. Word was it the fish were all up in the cricks and when that happens the run is dwindleing down. :(
When I was getting ready to leave, Josh had a bobber down but missed the fish. Probably because he was daydreaming of what it was like last week :rolleyes: I then went up river and did a little scouting. I walked about half the river and only saw one fish. This wasn't good. Then I ran into another local and we bs'ed and talked about the past season.
While walking around with him I then ran into a guy I fished with everyday during salmon season. He had moved and going to school so I stayed and talked to him. He was fishing a run of gravel where you could see 4 HUGE steelhead holding. He hooked one fouled by addident and broke it off. Then this one guy came over and volunteer to net the fish. He then decided to set up right next to my friend and throw his crap through the hole ripping at them :angry: Then a kid who I didn't relize I talked to last salmon season came and was drifting a bobber with waxies 50-70 feet down river into my friends hole. He eventually had it and took off. I ended up finding a hole that was just full of steelhead. I was the only one with gl***es on and I could see there was 5,6,7 maybe 10 steelhead in there. Every body kept asking me, do you see fish, do you see fish and I like..umm no. I didn't want to say anything because I knew that guy would come down and start trying to foul hook them so I kept my mouth shut. From bottom to top there was a gravel flat where my friend was fishing, a hole, a redd, and another hole and the fish were loaded in there.
I then went and grabbed my pole and set up with a nuke egg with a 3 foot leader. I was casting in the hole and noticed the fly wasn't getting down to the fish. I ended up shortening my leader to about a foot. I then had a problem with my rod and the little kid started telling me the reason why I was having trouble. I thought it was funny and explained to him many steelheaders use 8 lb line. He also started telling me how he could see a fish from the bridge and knew it was a female. I asked how he knew and he said he had a sixth sence :lol: I wish I had that sence, then I would know where the fish are holding 100% of the time B)
So after I fix all my gear up, I started making some cast. I finally had a hit and it was a huge chromer. She got off and I brought in some fish scales. :unsure: Couple cast later, I hooked a bigger fish that went skyward and through the hook. Same thing, brought in more scales. Now I was starting to wonder about this flydunking stuff :blink: :D Made a few more cast and BAMM, Fish on and what a fight it was.Then my cell started going off, lol. When I "thought" I had him warn out I asked the boy to net it for me. When I had the fish up to the net I noticed the net dragging in the water and I was worried about it getting caught with my sinker or line and breaking off so I let the fish go a little bit down river and he ripp across stream. This happened two times and on the third time he ripped line off, I explained to the boy what to do with the net when I pull him up. Then the fish started heading towards the bridge throwing his head. I was in touble so I threw on the breaks and thought I better head down river. I then remember what foerster hunter taught me on the big manistee and turned that fish around and brought him back up. The fish also jumped several time. Got him near the net, ran across stream about 5 feet and then the boy netted him, KACHING. By then I had an audiance watching and got an applause when I landed the fish.
Oh, I was happy. The hole time the boy was telling me "if you don't want to take him home, I will" so I noticed the fish was fin clipped and said he could have it as long as he take a picture of me with the fish. Here it is:
First 2004 steel on a fly
http://www.myfishingpictures.com/img/017030.JPG (http://www.myfishingpictures.com/?p=17030&c=505&z=1)
I then called my friend Dustin up and he wanted to go do some fishing. I couldn't back out of that and told him I would meet up with him around 6:30. I casted a few more times but that was about it. When I was getting ready to leave the boy then says you can take that fish. I don't want him. Great, niether did I. So I brought him home and cleaned him up real quickly. Then took off to fish with Dustin.
I met Dustin around 6:38 and we had plans to fish some new water that I had never fished and he hadn't fish since he was a boy. I tried waxies and he tried spawn.
It was a great night and the sun was starting to go down. It was like a dream and you felt the chils going down your back from fishing a wonderful spot. Dustin and I moved up river near the dam and he caught a nice 9 inch brown. I didn't catch anything but that was alright, I had a great time.
Well, that's it. Time for some sleep. I plan on being in that hole early tomarrow:)
Til next time, fish on!
When I was getting ready to leave, Josh had a bobber down but missed the fish. Probably because he was daydreaming of what it was like last week :rolleyes: I then went up river and did a little scouting. I walked about half the river and only saw one fish. This wasn't good. Then I ran into another local and we bs'ed and talked about the past season.
While walking around with him I then ran into a guy I fished with everyday during salmon season. He had moved and going to school so I stayed and talked to him. He was fishing a run of gravel where you could see 4 HUGE steelhead holding. He hooked one fouled by addident and broke it off. Then this one guy came over and volunteer to net the fish. He then decided to set up right next to my friend and throw his crap through the hole ripping at them :angry: Then a kid who I didn't relize I talked to last salmon season came and was drifting a bobber with waxies 50-70 feet down river into my friends hole. He eventually had it and took off. I ended up finding a hole that was just full of steelhead. I was the only one with gl***es on and I could see there was 5,6,7 maybe 10 steelhead in there. Every body kept asking me, do you see fish, do you see fish and I like..umm no. I didn't want to say anything because I knew that guy would come down and start trying to foul hook them so I kept my mouth shut. From bottom to top there was a gravel flat where my friend was fishing, a hole, a redd, and another hole and the fish were loaded in there.
I then went and grabbed my pole and set up with a nuke egg with a 3 foot leader. I was casting in the hole and noticed the fly wasn't getting down to the fish. I ended up shortening my leader to about a foot. I then had a problem with my rod and the little kid started telling me the reason why I was having trouble. I thought it was funny and explained to him many steelheaders use 8 lb line. He also started telling me how he could see a fish from the bridge and knew it was a female. I asked how he knew and he said he had a sixth sence :lol: I wish I had that sence, then I would know where the fish are holding 100% of the time B)
So after I fix all my gear up, I started making some cast. I finally had a hit and it was a huge chromer. She got off and I brought in some fish scales. :unsure: Couple cast later, I hooked a bigger fish that went skyward and through the hook. Same thing, brought in more scales. Now I was starting to wonder about this flydunking stuff :blink: :D Made a few more cast and BAMM, Fish on and what a fight it was.Then my cell started going off, lol. When I "thought" I had him warn out I asked the boy to net it for me. When I had the fish up to the net I noticed the net dragging in the water and I was worried about it getting caught with my sinker or line and breaking off so I let the fish go a little bit down river and he ripp across stream. This happened two times and on the third time he ripped line off, I explained to the boy what to do with the net when I pull him up. Then the fish started heading towards the bridge throwing his head. I was in touble so I threw on the breaks and thought I better head down river. I then remember what foerster hunter taught me on the big manistee and turned that fish around and brought him back up. The fish also jumped several time. Got him near the net, ran across stream about 5 feet and then the boy netted him, KACHING. By then I had an audiance watching and got an applause when I landed the fish.
Oh, I was happy. The hole time the boy was telling me "if you don't want to take him home, I will" so I noticed the fish was fin clipped and said he could have it as long as he take a picture of me with the fish. Here it is:
First 2004 steel on a fly
http://www.myfishingpictures.com/img/017030.JPG (http://www.myfishingpictures.com/?p=17030&c=505&z=1)
I then called my friend Dustin up and he wanted to go do some fishing. I couldn't back out of that and told him I would meet up with him around 6:30. I casted a few more times but that was about it. When I was getting ready to leave the boy then says you can take that fish. I don't want him. Great, niether did I. So I brought him home and cleaned him up real quickly. Then took off to fish with Dustin.
I met Dustin around 6:38 and we had plans to fish some new water that I had never fished and he hadn't fish since he was a boy. I tried waxies and he tried spawn.
It was a great night and the sun was starting to go down. It was like a dream and you felt the chils going down your back from fishing a wonderful spot. Dustin and I moved up river near the dam and he caught a nice 9 inch brown. I didn't catch anything but that was alright, I had a great time.
Well, that's it. Time for some sleep. I plan on being in that hole early tomarrow:)
Til next time, fish on!