Brian, Fishcaddie (Bruce) and myself met early this morning for what could be a last run at summer steelies, at least for me. After a couple of hour drive we arrived at first light to some very promising looking water and decent weather.
After fishing up quite a ways with various color jigs to no avail, we figured the herd of 30 elk crossing the river was a sign to switch to hardware and start back down. I put on the classic #3 brass summer spiinner, Bruce had on a spoon, and since we had most of the bases covered, Brian chose a chartruese vibrax with red tape on the back, we affectionately named it the "traffic signal." Just to rub in his superior steelheading skills, Brian hooked this buck on the way down, fishing last, with a classic coho spinner hanging from his jaw:
This photo doesn't do the colors justice; try this one:
There were a few chum (yes, chum) and some dark kings hanging out in one hole, and Brian thought it would be fun to fight a chum. So, pink jig on and...
I know what your thinking, thats a king, not a chum. Yep, proof when you're the master, anything will hit a pink jig!
We drove up further for some more river rock ankle strengthening training and thigh master crossings. No wonder Brian is so fit. Bruce and I are ppphhhhhhhtttttt. Brian let us have first water, feeling bad for hogging all the action, until Bruce had broken off (or was wheezing in the bushes, I'm not sure), and I also decorated a small underwater limb with my jig (Christmas will be well decorated up there this year), so he just naturally fished the next hole while waiting for us. Yep...
I managed to hook into a king similar in size to Brian's (mid 20's), also on a jig, but in a much more difficult place to fight one of those pigs. I managed to coax him into shallow water and he seemed relatively calm, but apparently he didn't like the orange VB hat, or wasn't a cigar smoke fan, because as I was holding him there, trying to keep him from running downstream, under a log jam, Brian "snuck" up behind and off he went. You ever seen one of those videos where a cat somehow crawls under a door? This king had, too. He managed to squirm under a huge log and get into the current on the other side. It wasn't very deep, so Brian, arms aching from landing fish, and soaked to the bone (did I mention it had started to rain quite steadily - it poured, actually, and while Bruce and I were getting our rain jackets all wet, Brian wanted his to be dry for the trip home so he left it in the rig - Brian sure is smart that way), hopped over the log and managed to tail the fish. I never got to see this part, however, because as Brian went to remove my jig, mr. king, again annoyed by the cigar smoke, went berzerk, escaped Brian's grasp and headed for freedom with jig, float, and a great story.
Bruce and I both managed some decent cutthroat and had a fantastic time! Thanks a bunch Brian and we'll hook up again soon!
Jeff
Oh, and if you're wondering where Jonnyhook the boy wonder is in this marvelous adventure, he decided 4 in the morning was too early this weekend!!!
