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With only one steelhead fishing trip under my belt for the new season it was defiantly time to get out there to seek an early Iron Head. Besides I had entered the Wally Hall Junior Memorial steelhead derby yesterday so hopefully I could be the sixth fish to hit the scales.
A frosty morning kept me under the sheets until 8, boy one gets lazy in ones later years. As I look back I thought of when I would get out before work for a few casts and now I can go any time I want. Of course the pins are not like they once were because of age I guess but 60 years of badminton, 20 years of hockey and pitching fastball along with many years of umpiring all took their toll.
The first order of business was to meet Nick and Murdena at dear friend Gwyn Joiner’s Memorial Bench on The Rotary Trail, it’s by Lickman Road. They had kindly made a Christmas wreath to put on the bench so I went there to take some pictures. You can see them if you wish at the Fraser Valley Salmon Societies FB page.
As we placed the wreath we thought of Gwyn and all the good times we had together be it fishing, hunting, and serving on many committees together over many years. It makes one realize how fleeting life is.
After spending some time there it was time to meet Lew for coffee as he had phoned while we were at the memorial bench. He was eager to fish as was I as the river was looking prime. My hopes also grew as an angler came by with a good sized buck that was so fresh it had sea lice on his 13 pound body.
Another local angler and I arrived for coffee at the same time. He had no fish or seen any today. Lew arrives soon after and as we sip our beverage of coffee we talk about fishing days past. I tell them I feel good about finding a fish today, trying not to sound too cocky but over the years when Lew and I fish together we have a high percentage of one of us hooking a steelhead.
With coffee completed we head to the river, with Lew going to another area than I. Before I trek to the area I have chosen to fish I tie up 5 roe bags using skeins of chum roe. As I had no thread I have to use dental floss to tie them up, well that’s a first.
As I start towards the river Lew arrives and says “too many people fishing where I wanted to fish”.
As we near the area we are to fish we see the area empty. Lew slips down to a run below while I wade a side stream. When I reach the island I see what I think is a Maple Leaf Drennan on the side I just waded so I wade back and get it. It is not a Drennan but a Clear Drift, that's OK as they are good floats too.
I slip on one of the dime sized dental floss tied roe bags and move to a great looking spot that I had found on my first trip to the river over a week ago.
I make my first cast...... back shortly with part 2.