Now back to the fishing.
I get a early start that seems to be the norm these days with e-mails and I had to get ready for the Fraser Valley Salmon Society meeting as well. Cleaned up a few things before heading to Tims for a coffee and then to the river.
I arrive and as I have noticed very few anglers out at the crack of dawn except at KWB where the regulars are hanging out maybe because they are getting fish. I have fished it a little especially the last while to wrap up the brood capture program and got some brood there from others that I reported in a earlier report. I seem to stay only a short time there, maybe is it the crowds or the reputation KWB has.
I see some anglers fishing too deep, floats on their sides, and I know some steelhead are being lined but I better no go there.
I arrive at my starting point hoping to break my fishless streak of over a week. I keep hearing of much success in some runs around Lickman etc. but I donot like fishing in a lineup as I did en ought of it this season mainly as it gave more opportunity to collect brood which I did, getting 20 although only 6 or 7 where ones I personally caught. thanks once again to all that contributed fish not just to me but to the other volunteers.
Back to fishing as I keep diverting away.
I find the run I start at unoccupied but it seems to be void of a biting fish so I move down to the next run, moving too quickly maybe as I can not seem to concentrate like I should as my head swirls with the issues of the day and the past week.
As I work through the next run I see the Master in the run below a few hundred yards. This brightens my day as I know when I get to him breakfast at Cookies will certainly be on the agenda.
I watch him from the distance working the run as do I above him. Ducks are busy working on the migrating pink fry that are now darting for cover around my feet as I wade down towards the Master.
A couple of Canada Geese are quarreling about something or am I too near a nest they have under construction near me, most likely may even have eggs laid now as well.
I then see the Master with his back turned to the river, most have broken off and is tying up I think.
I will have to kid him about that when i reach him as I wonder did he wing another drennan into the bushes or breakoff on a snag. Always good to fish below him as he losses his share of drennans as he does not mind working those difficult areas, places where steelhead lie. That is why he catches more than the rest of us, a true master at his craft.
All of a sudden I see the Master bend down and up pops a steelhead to my view.
He had not broken off but was filling out his license.
As I quicken my pace towards him to get a good luck at his prize I see him leaving the run. Has he not seen me as he is usually so observant to what is going on around him. He continues to walk, I shout and wave at him as he looks towards me, wondering what the shouting is about I guess. He continues his walk away, what is going on here, he must recognize me, Maple Leaf hat and all.
Talking about my beloved Maple Leafs, they are certainly
rolling, rolling,rolling right along as the Canucks keep losing, two teams going in opposite directions as we move to another Stanley Cup.
Well I will find out what is going on here as I dig for my cell phone. I see him crossing the river, what a time to phone him. I let the ringing continue and I see him reaching for it as he reaches the far bank. "Hello" is the greeting as I quickly ask for an explanation, "Is that you"he says as I see him look towards me once again. We share a laugh and he says he was going down to Donny his fishing partner. I tell him I will fish towards him quickly and we will go to Cookies for breakfast.
As I reach approximately where I saw him filling out his license my Maple Leaf Drennan goes down, I strike but come up empty. Another shrimp is attached and in the same spot down again, for some reason I was not ready
and do not pull as the red topped drennan pops to the surface. As I reel in the bait is gone, what a beak I am. I cast the same area several more times but the steelhead has learned its lesson or maybe busy digesting my shrimp he cleverly removed from my #1 Gammy.
I decide to leave the spot go for breakfast with Nick and Donny and come back later.
As I reach Nick's truck I get the blow by blow of the catch. He also tells me he had finally put the Maple Leaf Drennan on I gave him a few weeks ago. He said he was keeping it for a souvenir but could not resist letting it weave its magic. I snap a photo of the Master, his 12 pound hen and the Maple Leaf Drennan, look closely for it in the picture if Rodney posts it later. Another convert to the lure of the famous Maple Leaf team just got to love those guys. Welcome aboard Nick.
A enjoyable breakfast at Cookies and then I head back to try for that fish again but I come up empty. As my time is limited as a few more things to do for the FVSS meeting and need my nap first.
As I reach the Leaf Mobile my phone rings, it is Rodney who has been working upstream a bit. We agree to meet at a spot where I can point out a couple of areas worth trying on the tide.
The Fraser Valley Salmon Society meeting went well. Around 75 people attended and Frank is our new president, a very hard worker, we owe him a lot of thanks on all the work he does for us and the fish.
Craig Orr president of the Watershed Watch Salmon Society gave a interesting talk on the disaster on the coast with the pink smolts that migrate near the fish farms. Terrible.
Kerry Baid also speaks on the Greater Georgia Basin steelhead Recovery plan, good stuff.
Bill Otway is his fired up self talking about the SDA, we owe him so much.
I better end this as I want to make a few casts before I meet Bill, Frank and G to tour the causeway site again this morning as Bill has not seen it. We will want to see if the causeway has been completly removed and how much the water has come up in the area of the pink redds. More filming to do as we continue to work to save the fish, for you, me and the future. What a task it is.
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Topic: The Master Has Converted, The Journal, On The Vedder River, March 14 (Read 2509 times)