Hey guys. First off will give ya a report from today... then maybe give ya some tidbits from a couple previous weeks.
Today:
Woke up a 7 am, totally ready for my first go after the big rains. Last report I got said river was clear, still high but dropping. I figure what the hell, go make my own report. I get all my gear together (so I thought) and take off as fast as I can, in a rush to get there. I get around 45 mins into the 1 hr drive and realize I made a dire mistake. My waders and jacket were still on my bed at home... I'm soooo pissed off at myself, asking how I could forget the next most important thing to my rods, and almost turned around. Then I tell myself, you're already here, may as well do a water check for your trip on Tuesday and maybe toss a few casts.
I get out of my truck at the destination. All I'm wearing is a pair of old skate shoes, a pair of track pants and a fairly thin hoodie in this -1C weather (30 F), not to mention the thick fog that was moistening everything. I still push on. I have recently become obsessed with spoon fishing for steelhead, on the same light spin caster I used for coho. I go down to the river geared up with the spin caster and the level wind. First run doesn't look to promising, limited on areas to fish since I can't go in the water. Nothing on the spoons, switch to my roe fly and have the float absolutely buried on the 1st cast. Missed it and it never came back. Second and third run produced nothing.
Get to the 4th run and its a nice piece of water, right in between (far enough below to be legal) a fish ladder and another set of falls. First cast reveals a small 14" rainbow. Second cast after that reveals one a bit bigger 2-3 pounds. I joke with my self that they are getting bigger every cast and that the next should be a steely. Wouldn't you know it, the next cast on the retrieve, boom 6-7 pnd bullet grabs the spoon, jumps and then rolls tossing my spoon.... dang.
Next run down first 3 casts are all rainbows. At least they are keeping me entertained. Next cast after that something big (rainbow/cutty/bull/coho) that is chrome follows it in, but doesn't commit. This whole time I've been casting the spoon way out far and letting it swing into the tailout (once again because I can't go in the water), so I decide on something different. I cast in close and almost let the spoon drift without a swing right on the current seam. Halfway through the drift it gets hammered, and a 12 or so pound summer run comes 5+ feet out of the water and snaps off my little cleo at the peak of the jump
I switch to another little cleo, my only one left is silver and orange. Within the next half hour I get some more trout and 2 more vicious hits that I somehow miss. By now I am so cold I am almost feeling hypothermic, so I decide it is best to move back to the truck (now 11:30 am). On the way back to the truck I see the run where I got the fish before. Freezing my ass off I figure what the hell, one more toss won't kill me (I hope
). Out goes the cast, tap tap and boom. Biggest trout I've ever seen out of this river is on, around 4-5 pounds. I get it close to the beach and it shakes off, o well, woulda liked a pic though. I decide one more cast, flip it out and start getting it close to the edge. Last fish hit around 2 feet from the edge so on a hunch I jig the spoon vertically once. Bam, steelhead liked it and a 6 pnd summer run hatch glides in to the beach. A little too coloured for me so a quick pic and he's back in the drink.
I go for a drive now, with heat full blast. My original plan was to leave, but that last fish changed my mind again. I drive around looking at new spots, then remember a spot from last year that was hard to cover with gear because it was so wide with not much structure besides rocks in the bottom. I make my way to that run, 20 min hike down hill (at least going back will warm me up). Around 15 mins into that run, on my last decided long bomb cast, my spoon gets 2 taps. I know it's a fish, so I keep waiting. Another tap, then 5 feet later tap tap, then another 5 feet and wham, hammers it hard. Set the hook and a fish erupts out of the water. 3 blistering runs and 10 or more jumps (all of which were at least 4 feet of air) later the fish glides into the bank. I fiddle with my camera to capture a pic of this gorgeous, chrome and slightly blushed wild fish, and just as I snap the pic it kicks for one last go. I try to guide it back in but the hook pops on the second attempt. I well a slightly blurry pic is better than none I guess.
After that I continue to the tailout of the run. I see 2 steelies roll in the tail but I couldn't convince them to bite in the few casts I took as it was starting to get close to 4, and being alone and cold with dark approaching I thought it was best to leave. So I closed out a good day, with 4 steelies on, and 2 landed even though I couldn't access even half of the water I wanted to.
Moral of the report... well two. First of all don't let forgetting something "vital" (unless it's your rod) effect your day. Still possible to make a day out of it, and although miserable is still good at relieving stress and better than a good day at work. Second moral is don't underestimate the beak in jogging pants and skate shoes with a coffee grinder walking into your hole
And now... the reason I got into spoon fishing... 3 trips, 7 fish, haven't been skunked yet
(knock on wood). All started with the legendary Thompson steelhead. First time spoon fishing for steelies ever, first time fishing the river and I ended up nailing 2 fish, both were behind all 3 of my buddies (man that feels good)
. Landed one and lost the second. Since then I've been hooked, and beginning to believe this is THE WAY to catch steelhead. Can cover a tonne of water very quickly (have even hook fish in pockets and un-spoon worthy water by most standards - can fish everything), and it seems they get pissed at the big flashy thing. Not only that, but hardly any one uses them so it is something new. They also fight like made on that little rod I got.
O and did I mention... you get the most by catch I've ever got on any type of bait or lures with these as well....
Will try and post some pics later of today's report*
Cheers,
Dan
