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After last week’s success of landing my first hatchery steelhead of the season even thought I had lost it or another fish in the same run 3 times I was eager to get back on the flow today after the weekend fishers had returned to work, well most of them anyway.Last week I had also lost another nice fish.Before last week I had lost 2 others as well so I was hoping to improve my landing average this week.
After coffee and reading the Province newspaper I was off to the Vedder River. I arrived at the river at 7 AM and tied up 6 fresh roe bags before heading out to the "Hot Spot." The river was in lovely shape, steelhead green as some people call it, I waded 2 side-streams, the water level had dropped from last week which was not a surprise as the snow level was down on the mountains some what today. I am also surprised to see no other anglers in the 3 runs I was hoping to fish.
I quicken my stride to head to the run where I had lost the steelhead last Thursday, I am pleased to see it devoid of any other early riser. My Avon was being a bit cranky as last week, while fishing a nut and spindle became loose on the reel and while trying to fix it both nut and spindle fell into the river and got swept from my sight, what a beako move trying to repair it while standing in the river. I had to go home that day and take the parts off another broken Avon, it fits OK but does not spin as well as it should.
I find run is empty of a steelhead or a biting one anyway, after a few casts making sure I am covering the run close in and then working my way outward, adjusting the depth of the float line when needed, in sort of a grid pattern.
I decide to move to run # 2 that is still free of a fisher except for a gaggle of Canadian geese who were getting ready to leave their overnight roost and head to their feeding grounds. After a couple of casts I think I miss a fish as the roe bag is a bit worse for wear, on goes another. A couple more casts further out this time the Maple Leaf Drennan's red top dips under the surface. Right after the strike the fish boils to the top and the battle is on. After a few strong runs the fish is tiring, dropping down river. I decide to walk it down to the next run where there is a nice back water to land it.
Just then, I see a angler crossing the side stream towards where I am playing the fish, I have not seen if the now fairly tired steehead is a wild or hatchery yet. I am still playing the fish when Chris F, arrives, "saw you playing it" Chris says. The fish is now getting close to the shore, makes another short run twisting and turning, trying to rid itself of the foreign object in its mouth. As I turn the fish towards the shore one little kick and the fish is successful in throwing the hook, oh well a good fight was had.
I tell Chris there will be more here I say, with confidence. We both work the run with no success, I move to 2 other runs below this morning's "hot spot" with no success there either. I then return to the top of the run where I had lost the fish maybe 20 minutes before. Chris is at the bottom of the run and says as I head to the top of the run, "nothing yet".
I am part way down the run and then, float down again, I was right for a change, there was another fish there.
The fish seems to wrap itself in the line for part of the action so it does not take long until I see its a hatchery hen that is brought onto the gravel beach for another fish dinner.
It is a fish that the tips the scales at a little under 8.5 pounds, very fresh with sea lice on it. As I head for another coffee, with Lew I tell Chris you will find one more here I am sure. He tells me later in the day there was indeed more there as he picks up a wild and a hatchery too in going 2 for 2.
Another good day for the two Christophers.
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Topic: Chilliwack River, February 2nd 2015 (Read 2704 times)