Reply #10

[xlurker]

I am also one who doesn't post, but I had to reply to this one.

How about two of my "most memorable steelhead"?  And, both were caught with Chumdog way back when.

The first was mine.  I was flyfishing the Kalama a lot after St. Helens blew.  To say the least, there were lots of fish above Summers Creek in the "fly-only" water for about five years after the eruption.  I was working with Chumdog at the bank, and had told him about how great the fishing was, and he asked me to take him.  So we made the drive, got on our gear, and decided to fish the bottom hole of the "Holy" water, which was a series of succeeding rapids and pools where the road paralleled the river.  As we were walking up to the hole, I was telling him how to fish the lines we were using (sink-tips of leadcore and deep-water express), and made a casual rollcast into the hole to get my line positioned for the next cast.  As I'm talking to him on the bank, my line is swinging through the tailout and whammm!  Fish-on.  Cookie-cutter 10lb brat.  After that first cast, he really believed that the fishing was hot.  No further explaining to do....he wanted to fish.

The second was Chumdog's.  I had a driftboat back then, and we were fishing the OP a lot.  We decided to hit the Hump in February (I think), and were fishing from Hwy 101 down.  During the day, Chumdog hit a few kelts on their way back to saltwater; nothing for me.  Believe me, this was usually the case.  He caught all the fish.  Anyway, we are literally one hole above the takeout and had one more hole to fish.  Narrow slot; logjams on either side.  Down go the plugs, and I start rowing hard to slow the boat down.  About halfway through the hole, down goes his rod tip.  He grabs it, and sets the hook.  As I look downstream to where the fish should be, all of a sudden I see this large back and tailfin break water.  This is a big fish.  I practically lost it in my neoprenes.  My first thought is to get us out of the logjam area so the fish doesn't get hung up, so I row downstream and pull the boat over to shallow water near a gravel bar.  The rest is history....except.  Chumdog is playing out the fish and I am the "netter".  He gets the fish close, and I stretch to get it.  Oops!  The hook on the plug temporarily gets fouled in the net.  Luckily, it comes loose, and the fish makes another run.  I would have never lived that one down if that fish had been lost.  The fish was a 20+ native buck.  We took a few pictures, but not enough.  We should have spent a whole roll taking pictures of that one.  So, if he ever tells you he has caught a 20+ nate, believe him.  I was there, and he should have the pictures to prove it.

RIP Bmac.