goodentight
Steelhead Master
I had the opportunity to be off work for a week this week. What a week to have some time to decompress and hit the river. Sunday and Tuesday we got big boy rain come through, which was the first noticeable rain in about a month. I knew a ton of steel had to be anxiously building to come on up. I'm not one for pier fishing really so I was waiting anxiously myself for that system to come in as I'm sure a lot of you can relate.
I was skunked through the month of October, about 7 or 8 outings or so. The other weekend I managed to hook up and land a little 3ish lb guy. That was amazing. So I had confidence going into my bender this week (which all took place on the same East Trib ... I like getting to know a system inside out and I learned alot being at the same place the three consecutive days with that rain Tuesday)
Tuesday Morning.
Get to the river 8am - 2pm alone. In the 6 hours I didn't see a single person. Dog walker, angler.. nothing. It was extremely relaxing. No fresh run steel yet, but I hooked up and landed 2 that had been around for some time. Decent sized, not weighed. 4 and 5ish lbs I think. 2/2 on the day.
packed her home and called it a great day.
Wednesday Morning.
Meet up with Grubman at 745 after hearing of my success the day prior. It was f**in cold!!!! We lasted till 11 and that was that. It was snowing and then hailing at one point! I managed to have luck and go 3/3! All these fish were smaller, I had a scale, 1.66, 2.77, and the first one I didn't weigh but it was about 3.5 or so. All these ones were fresh run from the rain! The colors were great. Awesome bullets.
the first 3.5
then the 2.7
then the little guy 1.6
great day. 5/5 on back to back days is as good as it gets for me! I was readying to pack it in and call it a great two days. this time I think we had one guy stop and talk to us grub? That was it. Again, nice and peaceful. (thanks for the landings grub... that was freezing cold water to dip your hands into!)
The phone rings... my buddy from Niagara wants in on the action! So of course I was ready to battle the cold again for a third day.
Thursday Morning.
Feeling good, we hit the water for sun up today. 7am. We try my "honey hole" for about two hours, no bites nothing. My bud starts to think if the trip in from Niagara is worth it. We meander around and try a second spot. Boom. Third drift for my buddy. His response isn't "Fish on" its "Oh s#!ttttt.." I figure hes hung up on the tree infront of him. LOL. (It was also his first day on the pin!! Hes been on the fly for a few years, knows whats up, just a CP set up is brand new to him). Hooked and landed. I was greatful that already his trip up was worth it. We weighed it quick, it was 3.3 lbs. Drift that run another hour or so and then headed to another run, followed by another one.. followed by another one.... no action. Slow day. We were going to pack it in about 1pm or so, one fish to show for it.. but I had one last spot that was hopefully worth hoofing it to that we tried.
FIRST drift for my buddy, I was still rigging up again. BOOM! A bit darker... great action. 7lbs. This more than made my buddies day. (and mine too, that I was able to put him on fish. I wouldn't mind one of my own though..). Good on him going 2/2 on the pin.
We keep drifting away both hoping I can find something quick before we had to leave. Im 5 and a half hours in, 0/2 at this point... loosing my confidence.. but keep at it. Of about 10 or 15 drifts my float went down in a spot about 1/3 of the time. Hmm... never anything when I set... I was deep, on bottom I figured.. anyways, next drift... WHAMO! My pin smashes my fingers up and takes off. zzzzzzzzzEEEEEEEEEEEEEE. Holey f. Felt like I had a darn salmon on my line. Dont run for the branches I tell the fish. Of course he somehow hears me.. and darts for the branches. LOL. Isn't that always the case. Wow this boy didn't want to come in. Once I saw it I knew it was a personal record and kept biting my tongue not to curse it with kindness before we landed it. Anyways. Finally got it in. Couple quick pictures and a real quick scale and back into the water for this lunker. Rang in at 11lbs. Doubt I will be touching that again anytime soon! The long day of freezing my ass of was well worth the wait! Time... and persistence... is the key.
Cheers guys thanks for reading! I'm always looking for someone to get out there with... if you wanna get out send me a PM.. I stick around the East usually.
I was skunked through the month of October, about 7 or 8 outings or so. The other weekend I managed to hook up and land a little 3ish lb guy. That was amazing. So I had confidence going into my bender this week (which all took place on the same East Trib ... I like getting to know a system inside out and I learned alot being at the same place the three consecutive days with that rain Tuesday)
Tuesday Morning.
Get to the river 8am - 2pm alone. In the 6 hours I didn't see a single person. Dog walker, angler.. nothing. It was extremely relaxing. No fresh run steel yet, but I hooked up and landed 2 that had been around for some time. Decent sized, not weighed. 4 and 5ish lbs I think. 2/2 on the day.
packed her home and called it a great day.
Wednesday Morning.
Meet up with Grubman at 745 after hearing of my success the day prior. It was f**in cold!!!! We lasted till 11 and that was that. It was snowing and then hailing at one point! I managed to have luck and go 3/3! All these fish were smaller, I had a scale, 1.66, 2.77, and the first one I didn't weigh but it was about 3.5 or so. All these ones were fresh run from the rain! The colors were great. Awesome bullets.
the first 3.5
then the 2.7
then the little guy 1.6
great day. 5/5 on back to back days is as good as it gets for me! I was readying to pack it in and call it a great two days. this time I think we had one guy stop and talk to us grub? That was it. Again, nice and peaceful. (thanks for the landings grub... that was freezing cold water to dip your hands into!)
The phone rings... my buddy from Niagara wants in on the action! So of course I was ready to battle the cold again for a third day.
Thursday Morning.
Feeling good, we hit the water for sun up today. 7am. We try my "honey hole" for about two hours, no bites nothing. My bud starts to think if the trip in from Niagara is worth it. We meander around and try a second spot. Boom. Third drift for my buddy. His response isn't "Fish on" its "Oh s#!ttttt.." I figure hes hung up on the tree infront of him. LOL. (It was also his first day on the pin!! Hes been on the fly for a few years, knows whats up, just a CP set up is brand new to him). Hooked and landed. I was greatful that already his trip up was worth it. We weighed it quick, it was 3.3 lbs. Drift that run another hour or so and then headed to another run, followed by another one.. followed by another one.... no action. Slow day. We were going to pack it in about 1pm or so, one fish to show for it.. but I had one last spot that was hopefully worth hoofing it to that we tried.
FIRST drift for my buddy, I was still rigging up again. BOOM! A bit darker... great action. 7lbs. This more than made my buddies day. (and mine too, that I was able to put him on fish. I wouldn't mind one of my own though..). Good on him going 2/2 on the pin.
We keep drifting away both hoping I can find something quick before we had to leave. Im 5 and a half hours in, 0/2 at this point... loosing my confidence.. but keep at it. Of about 10 or 15 drifts my float went down in a spot about 1/3 of the time. Hmm... never anything when I set... I was deep, on bottom I figured.. anyways, next drift... WHAMO! My pin smashes my fingers up and takes off. zzzzzzzzzEEEEEEEEEEEEEE. Holey f. Felt like I had a darn salmon on my line. Dont run for the branches I tell the fish. Of course he somehow hears me.. and darts for the branches. LOL. Isn't that always the case. Wow this boy didn't want to come in. Once I saw it I knew it was a personal record and kept biting my tongue not to curse it with kindness before we landed it. Anyways. Finally got it in. Couple quick pictures and a real quick scale and back into the water for this lunker. Rang in at 11lbs. Doubt I will be touching that again anytime soon! The long day of freezing my ass of was well worth the wait! Time... and persistence... is the key.
Cheers guys thanks for reading! I'm always looking for someone to get out there with... if you wanna get out send me a PM.. I stick around the East usually.
