Saturday morning - up super early to hit the river. Got up there and started at the pools near the railway bridge. I noticed right away that everyone was catching fish but myself!
I was fishing blades and spinners all day. No luck at the pools, but super nice to just be outside at the river. I didn't see many people snagging or flossing at that area. I did however see a guy dragging 2 live chum through the water with a rope through the gills. I felt bad for these fish but didn't say anything as he was on the other side of the river. Gross.
My buddy and I packed it up and headed up to Allison. A few casts in and fish on!! Sweet! I landed it (about a 15lb chinook) - but it was so beat up I just turned it around and let it go to die in peace. I hooked it right inside it mouth, by the way
. Up at Allison I saw all sorts of crappy fishing techniques. Being a newb, I still know how to spot flossers or simply snagging. In the large pool with the cliff beside it at the top of Allison I saw a couple of Chinooks hooked through the dorsal. These guys had no floats and super long leaders and were standing directly over the fish. I also saw a rainbow hooked through its side. Hooked by a "ripper".
Apparently, I suck as a fisherman on the Vedder, but I'm going to continue going out, practicing the "right" way even if it takes me a while to consistently land fish and most importantly, be able to enjoy the great outdoors!
Sunday, I hit a local lake and fished for bows. Caught 7. Kept the first 4 and ate 3 last night! Yum. I'll be back next weekend!
*FYI - Short drift fishing confuses me!
I need to find out how to do that properly as it was hard for me to figure out the wrong or right way to do it on the Vedder. It seamed that everybody had a different method!