Part two now.
My next spot to try is near were I pulled the fish to the top the other day. It is a very small slot, not much bigger than being able to hold a fish, well a little bigger.
Experience over the years has told me a spot like this has and does hold steelhead. Many anglers will just walk by them.
Anyway this one is a bit of a boil too and sometimes the turbulence pulls your float down so it can be hard at times to sense a take. On the first drift the Maple Leaf Drennan goes down, is it the boil or not, I pull all too gently. I think I feel a bit of a head shake, not sure. I quickly recast, the float makes the same maneuver I donot pull, it does nor stay down, it's red head pops to the top. As I wind in the hook is bare, except for the tuff of pink wool, shrimp is gone, must be a fish, I now feel the excitement.
I decide not to re bait as this may be an aggressive steelhead, the wool may do it. I am correct, the same movement is made by the MLD and boy I set the hook this time, yep it was a fish as it quickly vacates this little holding spot, heading to some fast water. I charge after it having to cross a side stream to a small gravel bar. The problem now is I am hembed in, no way to follow it.
I apply a little pressure to try and bring it back, it co - operates and races back to where it was laying before I interrupted it's rest, I see it briefly, a fish not that big maybe 8 pounds or so. More trouble though, it has taken my line under a bare submerged log that is maybe 10 feet long. Its sits for a bit in the slot, my next choice, the only one I have is to try and pull in back, from under the log. I hold the rod low, in the water and apply some leverage. The fish comes towards me a bit but it feels like it may be hung up, then it comes towards me, I feel a bit of slack, darn gone but no it is still there as I feel it twisting and turning, good I still have a chance. Those thoughts are then quickly dashed.
The steelhead that is still full of energy says, I am out of here and heads down stream like it did at the start of the struggle. I try the original trick but it is to no avail, I have to tighten more, too much as pop goes the line, its gone, Maple Leaf Drennan is also disappearing, floating away, for some lucky person to salvage from some log jam.
I stand there with the limp line dangling, a bit dejected as my record is now 1 for 4 (counting actual fish on).
So back to the Leaf Mobile I go, might as well be warm as I retie. Just then Terry arrives from fishing higher up in the flow, "no luck there" he says although he was still pleased from his success of yesterday.
I point out a spot he might want to try, he heads to it.
I am lucky that I have another MLD with logo attached in my bag, it goes on as does a number 2 hook and that tuff of pink wool. I then head back to the same spot but nothing more there.
I cross the river to try where I had pulled the fish to the top the other day, nothing there either however there is another small slot similar to where I had lost the first fish. First cast float down and yes another steelhead is on, well now, maybe I am into 20 minutes of actual fishing time and I have been into two fish. Who says miracles do not happen.
This fish too has a mind of its own and is heading down through the swift water that helped cost me the earlier fish. It is taking line off the reel all too fast.
I have a choice this time, let him go, as I race upstream to cross another side stream keeping as much tension on the Avon as I dare. I donot even look at how much line is left, I could panic.
As I prance through the water like a fleeing deer I am thinking, I am glad I loaded up the reel the other day. As I gain the other side of the stream I feel the fish still there, I start to gain line. Two anglers just leaving the area stop to watch the action, just as I catch up to the fish. I get a glimpse, it looks hatchery, not sure thought. The fish has some energy left and heads back down again, that is after it went up stream a bit.
I am now gaining and winning the struggle, I now see it is indeed a hatchery fish and as I am not feeling all that great I decide to retain it s o I have to go home.
As I slide it up on dry land I notice it is like my first fish of the season, another chrome beauty, not a mark on it (when I get home it tips the scales at 10 even). I am now pleased. After I mark my license I phone The Master, he has none so far.
Maybe his spot is not so hot after all, we decide to meet at Cookies for lunch, I phone Terry to join us too. He is not that happy that I sent him to the spot he had just fished after I told him I had got one.
Another enjoyable lunch with good friends is the the end of a perfect day for me as I head home to rest my cold.
Later in theday I got a call from the Master and he got nothing all day but a friend who joined him got one around 16, a hatchery too. Well Nick you can not get them every day and a tip for you and others, don't forget to fish those small spots, they can be a gold mine, I mean a STEEL mine.
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Topic: It Can Be Easy, The Journal For The 8th Of January, 2008, On The Vedder (Read 4420 times)