Got up 5:30,checked the sky and made the decision: I am going to have long
weekend.Made the latte, pulled bag of roe out of the freezer,packed the rods
and I went look for new spots for upcoming steelhead season and maybe some
last cohos at the upper Vedder.Turn out to be one of those days,you remember
for a long time.River just for my self, crisp beautiful day, water flow
perfect. I got into 10 cohos(all dark, but fun to battle); all on blue fox
vibrax. Then I lost what I thought was a chrome coho,saw just a flash of a chrome fish and it
was gone. I went through the run and then went back where i started.I put small
pieace of roe on and casted out, third cast in,on the same spot where I
thought I lost chrome coho, float went down,I pulled back, nothing there, roe
gone. New piece of roe on, float goes down as it hits water again,
I pull hard back,see the same flash of the chrome fish and this time fight is on.Seconds
later fish leaps out of the water and I know IT IS NOT A COHO,adrenaline rush
in, my heart is pounding and through my mind runs complete check what could go wrong!
After all, it is first one of the season. Fight continues for 5 more minutes,I
am very,very patient,no pressure.Then I land first stealie of the
season,nice hatchery doe 12.5 lbs.What a beautiful day on the river, what a
nice surprise!