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[chris gadsden]

Hit the river a first light with the rubber raft launched with some anticipation around 7:30. I anchored in position and missed a couple of chances. During this time I see some fish on. I get restless and go for a row and find a drennan, a little crack in it but repairable. I get hungry and go ashore and since I have my camping gear still in the Leaf Mobile from the hunting trip I cook up a batch of hotcakes. while doing so the bite seems to come on and I see a few fish landed, coho and chinooks.

I am enjoying the breakfast too much to re launch the raft at this time. Lew phones and he said he is looking for a spot to try a late morning fishing trip. I tell him I know a nice spot from shore, we agree to meet in 30 minutes.
While I await his arrival I anchor again but just as I do a nice wooden float comes by, I make chase but after capturing it I wish I had not as the row against the now ebb tide flow makes for too much exercise, glad I had fuelled on the cakes.

Lew arrives and I go ashore again for a visit and point out the spot to try. I head back out but another 2 boats arrive with one rowing right through the fish travel lane. The anglers on shore point this out to him and they exchange some words and against my better judgements I add a word too.

The other craft anchored above me and one person is long lining drifts past me and when he winds in his terminal gear come close to the raft. Fearing a puncture wound   to Leaf Craft #4 I decide to pack it in but I think it was the steady rain that sent me packing.

As it is Lew's birthday I deliver him a steaming hot coffee from the truck stop and one for Don too even though it is not his birthday.

I stop at KWB and cleanup some garbage and find enough tins to pay for the 3 coffee. A fishless day but 2 floats worth near $20, $6 worth of tins and some garbage off the river is just as good.

Anyway tomorrow is another day to get that first coho adult of the season, the fishing will get better in the days ahead.

[chris gadsden]

Opps I meant the 5th. Change made.

[joska]

great report chris....not a bad day on the river with hotcakes for breakfast,and finding a few floats. tomorrow cant come soon enough.

[bluenoser]

Good thing your continually picking garbage up Chris and unlike me you seem to do it with a good attitude....same positive attitude you apply to fishing...although being retired may help as you always know tomorrow is another fishing day...when your retired there are alot of ups and downs I hear...you get up when you want and you lay down when you want.

[hookme]

Nice to see you in the water  Chris it was busy around 11 am to 1pm

[jacked55]

i too was out from about 0730am-2pm mid-river looking for my first vedder river salmon. other people were catching a few but un-fortunately today was not my day. although it was a nice peaceful day out, i got to talk to a few regulars who were very helpful in giving advice on how to improve. pretty good atmosphere all around today.i did manage to hook up with 5 including one nice spring, but sadly none decided to make it to shore. 
cant wait for the next trip out.

[jacked55]

i have tried using pink wool, orange wool, roe, and even broke out a vibrax spinner today as i watched one gentleman gen a nice hatch coho on a colorado blade, and that's the closest thing i had. anyone have any other suggestions to try? one fisherman told me he uses powerbait pink eggs soaked in anise extract on the hook with a small piece of pink or white wool in the bait loop, anyone ever heard of that?

[Steely]

Sounds like your using the right bait. Just not your day I suppose. There are many different baits people seem to like to use, never really heard of that one but to each thier own. Just keep plugin' away

[nickredway]

If you want coho just fish roe or hardware, forget the wool.

[chris gadsden]

If you want coho just fish roe or hardware, forget the wool.

Yes that is the way to go to get biting fish.

You have your float going down river, sitting straight up, with about one half inch of color of your maple Leaf float showing above the water surface, (not lying on its side like we so much of these days) you are watching it keenly and all of a sudden its gone from your sight, you set the hook, contact is made and the battle is on, your skill is now tested as the fish clears the water a few times twisting and turning to try and rid your barbless hook from inside its mouth, you win the tussle and then you have a silver sided hatchery coho at your feet, a thing of beauty and you feel good about making it take your offering and a nice healthy meal as well..

Gosh I think i will do that tomorrow.

[FlyFishin Magician]

Hey jacked55 - what type of leader are you using?  Hook size?  Also, note that when a coho strikes, the float might not actually take a dive!  Watch for any unusual movement of the float and gently, but deliberately, lift the rod tip. This is classic roe fishing at its best, and mastering the setting of the hook is critical.

Anyway, I use 6 - 8 lb leader and size 4 hooks.  If the fish are spooky or the water is clear, try experimenting with fluorocarbon leader.  Length about 2 - 3 feet.  Anything longer and you actually are at a disadvantage detecting the strike.

Good luck and have fun catching BITING fish...

[jacked55]

size 2 hooks, but 15lb maxima ultra green. my leader length was 18". i also did alot of experimenting with float adjustment and depth. most of the people i was watching the past two times out have had about a 5-7' length of of line between the float and the weight. a couple of the more experienced guys who have been observing me have told me to lengthen it as when i started it was only about 2 feet apart. today i was told to lengthen it out real good so that you can feel it bouncing on the bottom, then next cast move it down abit so it is just off the bottom because that where the target fish are, closer to the bottom. but as soon as your line starts to drift inwards it is now dragging on the bottom again, so isnt this counter productive?
i have read the short floating technique on here and are you not supposed to aim for 2 feet off the bottom depending on river depth you are fishing?
also, chris good point about the float, thank you for your advice. i was thinking about it and i think my float tip was mostly on the side today. does that mean i have too much slack on the line and i am letting the drifting leader get ahead of the float?
i have been watching people around me and have noticed two very opposite styles.
1- you cast out to about 2 o'clock then wind in your slack and then re-engage your drift on your reel and let the current take line until about 11 o'clock ( or a fish bites, not so much my situation so far.) then you start reeling in.
2- you cast out to about 2 o'clock then immediately click over your reel and do not let your reel drift at all. so basically your line will sweep inwards faster rather than going down river. but the line seems to have less slack in it allowing for better hookups, or so it seemed.
both people fishing those two techniques have been catching fish. i have tried both.
which is the proper technique?
thanks for any help.

[dennyman]

Hmm...just curious where some of those fish were hooked, outside in perhaps. But getting back to float fishing one thing I will point out is that it sounds like you have set your rig up for an adjustable float.  Because as you move down the river or even to different spots you will have to adjust your float accordingly especially if you are short floating.  One other tip is to keep as much of the line off the water as possible during your drift. Keep at it as it looks like you are on the right path.

[chris gadsden]

jacked55, float on its side and holding back is a method used to floss fish. Follow Rodney instruction on short floating and Nick's video on the same subject.

[scuntor]

Grabbing floats while boating by has become and artform this year! Too bad I have found many more floats than I have coho.