After landing only 1 steelhead this past week and losing 4 I was anxious to see if I could raise my 1 for 8 land to hook ratio today although I do feel a bit guilty fishing on the weekend but I try not to go to a run someone else is fishing. It also is a good time to scout out some new spots and also with no brood stock capture on the weekends I do not have to carry the tube around. Also I donot have to keep my eyes on other anglers to see if they have a steelhead on that could be a brood fish for the program. A couple of times over the years while star gazing I have turned around to see my float under.
I was tired out from yesterday trip after guiding Rodney and Nina, into no fish as well as looking after the tubed fish before the hatchery staff picked it up, I worry like a mother hen when they are in my care as I donot want anything to happen to them. I check them every so often in the tube that they are doing ok. I remember a few years back I unzipped the holding tube too far and the fish took the opportunity to get clear of it's dark temporary home and gave me a wet splash goodbye.
I got to bed early because of this strenuous work week, 5 days on the river and walking on the rocks made it almost worse than working. Of course getting to sleep early meant I was awake early too. After making some coffee and then picking up a few bottles and tins before I made the river at first light.
As I arrive at the run I was going to start at I find Doc there, it was him who donated the wild fish yesterday. He said he took a nice hatchery yesterday too so he had a good day all around. After chatting for a while with him I leave the run for him to fish as he was there first. I slip down to the run below and after maybe 10 minutes I see Doc's pole with a nice bend to it. He is working down towards me so I go up to take in the action. It was a good thing as the fish left the main run and started down some fast water with a log jam along the shore. Doc would have to climb over a couple of logs as it was too deep to wade past it. I take the pole as Doc slips over the jam and logs and I then hand him back the rod. He plays the fish that appears to have some good weight to it, into a nice piece of back water but the fish is very stubborn to give up, so strong. Of course at times this makes getting one to the beach successfully a challenge, I had found that out the past while.
Finally we see it is a wild, too bad it was not yesterday as we donot take brood on weekends except by the the upper limits of the Chilliwack, just below the hatchery. As Doc eases it into the shallows I slip out the hook, a nice buck which I would say was close to 14. I tell Doc maybe we can catch it early next week for a brood fish. We then head up to where he had caught the fish but two spey anglers are just settling into the top of the run, I leave it to them to try their luck.
I try a couple of other runs but I have been keeping my eye on the Friday Hole, downstream a bit. I had seen no one at it yet so I decide to make my move, this is the spot I missed some sort of fish 4 times the other day. It takes me about 5 minutes to get to it, I pick up a 20 cent returnable bottle on the way.
As I reach the run two fellows are just approaching it, on the other side of the flow, one is tying up his gear or doing some thing as he is sitting on a log. The other chap moves into casting position just as I am putting my pole together and a fresh bait on. He has made 4 or 5 casts with no action in the small fishing area, this spot I really like as if a fish is there you should find it quickly. I decide as we arrived at the same time to make some casts too. I make 1 cast of my own and the fellow maybe a couple more and then moves up a tad to fish a spot on his side of the river.
On my second cast down goes the Maple Leaf DNE, remember yesterday I lost my ML Drennan so I decided to change floats types, maybe it will change my fortunes which it now has as a fish that feels like a fair sized one is twisting and turning below the surface, it does not show itself. The fish then decides to vacant the main part of the run. I tell the fellow on the log who is now watching the action I hope he does not go down the channel on your side or I am out of luck. The pole I bought some time ago from The Master has a very nice bend in it, my heart is beating a little faster than normal. Suddenly the fish says I am out of here and bolts downstream, luckily on the channel on my side. Line is now peeling quickly of the center pin, one of the ones my dad bought many years ago in England. I am in hot pursuit, I splash across as small section of water with some loose sand just like quick sand. I loose my balance and sink to my knees but with my adrenaline running high I quickly regain my feet and on I go again.
Next thing to go wrong is I reach two beaver cut off logs with their ends in the water. I donot know how but my line is not caught up in them but is under them. With a bit of effort I am able to hand over hand the rod under them. All the time line is quickly evaporating off the reel. I have no idea if the fish is still there, I am afraid to look and see how much line is left on the reel. To make matters worse I am fishing 8 pound leader and 10 main.The water is really moving too, all the time I am thinking the fish must be gone but I have come this far so I will keep following it. I have not gone much further and the line is around a small root sticking out of the cut bank. it takes me 30 seconds to knock the line off with another stick. All the time I have to watch that the sandy bank does not give way. One has to be so careful especially with the excitement in ones veins with a steehead on. Actually when getting the line free part of the bank falls in. As I move on I have another log to contend with. When I reach it my line is around a small cut of limb that is also hard to free. I have to ease myself over the bank a bit to be able to reach out to flip it off which with a bit of luck I do. Back on the chase I have to go upstream a bit to forge another side stream. Finally I am on a gravel bar with only a small log jam below that does not look like it will be a challenge like what I have just passed by. I have a little trouble walking properly as all the scrambling has seen my sweat pants slip down on my legs a bit, luckly they are underneath my waders.
I hold the rod high and see the line is down from me nearly a 100 yards, I tighten up on the pole a bit, yes I feel the pulse of the fish telegraph up the pole. I cannot believe it still there. After losing 7 out of 8 fish in the last month with no obstacles to deal with how did this one stay on. I wind as I continue the downstream march. A chap from the forum and others around me are watching the show that would have been funny to video I am sure. Too bad Rodney and Nina were not here today I think. A fellow behind the log jam does not see me coming and we shout to him that a fish is on just above him, he slips out of the way as I hold the rod high to easily clear the jam. I have clear sailing now and the fish that has just rested a bit I guess as it came downstream carried by the current. It puts on another 5 to 10 minute battle before I see it is a hatchery so it comes to shore to stay. As I had put my pack down before I had started fishing where I hit the fish I had my pen it so I borrowed one from the forum member. I told him to go up and try the spot and I will bring the pen up to you. Two other people are making a line to it too. I sit on a log but the pen will not write so I have to walk up to where the pack is to get mine. It looks about 400 yards but it felt further on the way down but in the heat of the fight one does not notice. As I go up to my pack I am amazed of what the obstacles I got by, I must take a picture of them one day.
I take the doe to weigh in at Fred's Custom Tackle, it comes in a tad over 11 pounds, not huge but we now have fresh fish once again.
It certainly was nice to catch a fish in the Friday Hole on a Saturday.
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Topic: Chilliwack River, January 23rd 2010 (Read 2790 times)