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Author Topic: Fish Galore August 12  (Read 4302 times)

chris gadsden

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Fish Galore August 12
« on: August 13, 2004, 08:00:18 AM »



I have not written a story for a while so here goes, for those that wish to read it procede, and hope you enjoy, for those that do not it is called scanning to get the info you may want. ;D ;D

When I plan an all day fishing trip I try to get an early 4am start and yesterday was no exception. It seems packing enough food for the day and  getting Leaf Craft also fueled with enough gas incase she gets the idea to wander afar on the Fraser wide expanse.

The plan for the day was to bar fish for spring #10, fish for cuttys, maybe try floatfish for sockeye if there was enough around and check for the sockeye burial ground Doc talked about.

Leaf Craft slides into the water around 5:45 and purrs to life on the first turn of the key anxious as was I after not plying the Fraser for a week.

We find sockeye fishers already hard at work but  find the part of the bar I wanted to fish empty as could be so the Fraser King bar rod with the good Doctor aboard was quickly working in around 7 to 8 feet of water. ;D

An angler I know walks down the bar for a talk and says nothing happening so far. The days still early I tell him as I put up the umbrella to shields me from the sun that was now poking her head and rays over Mt. Cheam. Another hot one was in the forcast and I was glad I had plenty of water in the frozen 2 litre pop bottles.

A good tip, freeze them and then when out fishing you have refreshing ice water through the day as the ice slowly melts.  Also I do the same to put on the fish, if I catch any. :D

As I hunt for any agates that may have escaped the Doc eyes a boat of sox fishers anchors above me and as I wander back and forth along the shore line we talk about the fishing season and the lovely weather it was today. Small talk I guess.

Agate hunting is good and have about a couple of dozen that I put in a jar of water and they look so beautiful when wet.

A large flock of Turkey vultures are on the beach below me looking for breakfast I quess, that gives me the idea to have mine, ceral and some fresh blackberries. Of course a cup of coffee follows as I settle into the lawn chair keeping a eye on the tip of my bell less rod tip. Do not put one on sometime makes me stay alert unless of course I fall asleep. ;D

The sox fishers are getting hung up so move up a bit as I wander by them again on another agate walk. I tell them I notice the guys above them are hauling them in prety good. I wander up to the first group, a fellow with a beard and 2 others with him and they are just beaching one. I stop to watch the action so to speak and the bearded ones nets the fish of around 6 pounds. He quickly moves past me on the way with the fish to the cooler with nary a word. Probaley thought I was checking out his spot. Of course he did not know the Leaf Craft would not be interested at all.

I leave the sox fishers as I am too far from my rod as it is and would not want to try to set an Olympic record for the 220 if the rod goes off. Got to save my body for my effort in the senior games in badminton that is in Pentiction this year. Got to get a gold this year.  ;D ;D  Hey the Olympic start today I believe.

Back to the rod and I lay down in the shade of the umbrella and of course I fall alsleep, no one around to watch the rod but when I wake an hour later it has not moved.

I go for another walk to lossen up the body and once again talk to the guys in the anchored boat above me.

" It really heated up the tell me, we have 3 in the boat now they say" with a smile as long as the bow of their boat.
Well done I say with mixed emotions as I wounder why one one what seems a good run of sockeye going through have not attacked the good Doctor.  The guys above, the bearded fellow leaves with their limit I figure.

As the tide is getting ready to change it is time to change my approach,cutty time. ;D ;D

As I head down river I stop at the flood bar and try to find the buried sockeye, I think I find a spot where the gravel has been disturbed but I discover I have no shovel so I can not scratch down with my shoes.

I proceed downstream and anchor, rig up my trout rod and attach the first dew worm to the barbless trout hook, the time is 1:30.  

Speaking of time I have a morning meeting now so if you will forgive me I will have to continue the report later. ::)

Sort of like a intermission at a show. ;)

pepsitrev

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Re:Fish Galore August 12
« Reply #1 on: August 13, 2004, 08:08:55 AM »

as always chris a pleasure to read your reports/ cant wait till after the intermission/ gonna grab my drink and popcorn. keep it up with these types of reports as they are very informative to most on this board and enjoyable to read. have a good chris and keep us posted on these meetings regarding the net fishery
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The Gilly

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Re:Fish Galore August 12
« Reply #2 on: August 13, 2004, 08:18:47 AM »

Perfect, I have to go pee anyway ;D  I'll finish it after work.
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spooled

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Re:Fish Galore August 12
« Reply #3 on: August 13, 2004, 08:53:01 AM »

Always look forward to your stories Chris ... BTW if its intermission ... where's the popcorn  :D
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Fish Assassin

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Re:Fish Galore August 12
« Reply #4 on: August 13, 2004, 01:17:04 PM »

How long is this intermission ?
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pepsitrev

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Re:Fish Galore August 12
« Reply #5 on: August 13, 2004, 01:17:47 PM »

and hangin now i gotta go pee too ;D ;D ;D ;D ahh better now will look forwards to the ending chris ::) ::)
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chris gadsden

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Re:Fish Galore August 12
« Reply #6 on: August 14, 2004, 12:33:14 AM »

Part two as was busy working on some plans for operation barby. Keep your eyes peeled as you may spot us tomorrow and do not forget to wave. ;D

And before I forget thanks Bantam_50 for your tip, passed it on.

Back at the scene of trout fishing it was so nice, it was only me and a couple of seals that kept checking me out, looking for an easy meal from the end of my line I quess.  

I think back to a few years fishing the same spot a seal came up and tore a piece of the pike minnow a boy I had fishing was brining over the edge of the boat. You should have seen the boy's eyes.

I was actually filming at the time but I moved the camera to the side as the seal came up so missed his head in the frame.

Anyway the action was none stop as I must have landed at least 3 dozen pike minnows, 6 chub, 2 bullheads and 2 steelhead smolts.  

The cutts I were after were a lot harder to catch as only got one feeder hatchery of about 10 inches and the catch of the day a lovely fresh searun wild fish of about 14 inches that put up a good fight on the trout pole.  

To take a bit of a break and the tide was quite low I went for a lure hunt among the snags and was pleased to find 11 Kit A Macks etc and
13 Tee Spoons for a total of 24. ;D ;D With a little polish will have a good supply of spoons for trolling for springs next year.

The time was 6:30 so I thought I would head back to the bar as the tide was coming in. I have found in the past the tide seems to push  more fish in than with a falling tide in the lower river.

We have found we catch a lot more fish bar fishing then rather than a falling tide.

 Heading back to the same spot I started the day and as the Leaf Craft knifes through the water pass the "line" of sockeye fishers we observe a few more sockeye being hauled up on the beach by the excited lucky ones. I also see the FN nets are in and being put in all the way along the stretch of water we travel.

Once again the good Doctor is at work plying his trade in 6 to 7 feet of water. As I settle in to the lawn chair more excited yells vibrate across the bars telling of more sockeye being landed by the line of fishers below.

Flocks of geese leave their afternoon resting place with excited chatter of their own, similar to the anglers below them as they head for their supper at a newly cut pea field somewhere in the Sumas Prairie area.

How fast the young grow as it seems just yesterday they were small fluffy goslings and now they have learned to fly and seem the same size as their parents. Well life seems to pass by all of us too quickly doesn't it?

Time has passed on this trip for me as well as the sun is ducking behind the mountains in the direction of Westminster Abby that I see in the direction of Mission.

I also see a string of nets with the dying rays of the sun reflecting off their white topped corks as they bob in the ebb and flow of the Fraser across from me.

A FN fisher paces above them anxious to check them before darkness sets in.

I decide to wait and see what may be in the nets and watch closely with my binoculars as he moves along the net line in his small boat and to my surprise he finds nary a fish. ??? Very unusual I think as I too have come up empty for a salmon anyway as I reel the good Doctor in for the last time of the day.  

Leaf Craft does not seem to want to leave as she is very cranky to start, thought we may have to spend the night under the tarp.  ::)

Might have been nice to see the metor shower as well but I have no food or coffee. :P

LC finally sucumbes and jumps to life and we leave the bar behind.

Arriving at the launch guys are proudly cleaning their catchs of sockeye and Dave a old bar fishing buddy shows me a 25 pound spring he caught after work. He was bar fishing of course and reported he had seen RS with a jack spring. Good I thought as they are starting to run and should be in the Thompson in good numbers for our trip in a week or so.

My trip of about 15 hours comes to a close, I may have been the only one on the river with no fish to take home but I probaley caught more fish, found more agates and salvaged more lures than anyone else that day thus fish galore and much more that I enjoy each trip somewhere in the beautiful valley. ;D

O yes I as well caught the most beautiful fish of the day on the river I believe, in my mind anyway, which is what I set out to do, a lovely bright, chunky, fresh sea run cutty that made the day for me.

It will not be long until I once again will be out on the water but tomorow I will be flying above it. ;D ;D ;D

Stay tunned for the results of that trip.



« Last Edit: August 14, 2004, 01:25:11 AM by chris gadsden »
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FishOn

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Re:Fish Galore August 12
« Reply #7 on: August 14, 2004, 01:30:23 AM »

Great report and good luck on your aerial ventures tomorrow. Hopefully you'll be able to generate lotsa heat for a giant roasting.
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redlad

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Re:Fish Galore August 12
« Reply #8 on: August 14, 2004, 02:23:21 PM »

A wonderful report Chrisas always.

I have always prided myself on being able to have fun catching any type of fish.  I can remember as teen growing up in Logan lake catching steelhead one day on the coldwater river and then following it up the next day catching 10 inch rainbows on Guichon creek.  I would be hard pressed to say which was more fun.

This year was the first year I have participated in the Sockeye fishery.  I have no boat  down here (lower mainland), so I found a spot that not many people go to because it is a hard walk and very snaggy.  I have fished in 4 times.  twice with success and twice with no success.  Yesterday I had no success as did most of the other people at this bar.  Since the water has dropped even farther the Sockeye are very few in number at this bar. Stupidly I thought to myself what can I do to get a bite.  Normally you switch to something else - then it ocurred to me there was nothing I could do.  One of the few guys that had his limit was using a bare hook! I did try floting some shrimp - no go. These fish don't bite.  Not that there is isn't a certain skill/feel involved, but I guess maybe it isn't for me.  I love to catch fish and I enjoy eating them as well, but there is no way I am going to the zoo like bars.  For me - it just isn't fun.

Will I continue to Sockeye fish? - probably not.  Will I continue to fish the Fraser?  For sure.  I hope that one day i can get to know it like Chris knows this river.

Anyway, bye for now.  See you all in the fall when I will be happy to catch and release ugly chum and hope for the odd coho.  Maybe this afternoon or tomorrow I will head out and try to catch a pikeminnow at kanaka creek.  That is more my speed
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otto

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Re:Fish Galore August 12
« Reply #9 on: August 14, 2004, 03:16:55 PM »

yo chris check the electrical connections on your boat. sounds like a corroded battery terminal clamp or wires somewheres.  (it is an inboard is it not??
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The Gilly

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Re:Fish Galore August 12
« Reply #10 on: August 16, 2004, 09:48:56 AM »

Finally got around to finish your story.  I smiled as I read the part about the FN net being empty.  The sad part is that I was fishing from my boat down past the corner of peg leg on Saturday and Sunday, right in front of a FN net that was in the eddie.  When we arrived at 8:30 Saturday morning, there was a sockeye floating dead at the lowwer part of the net.  It was still there when we left at 2:30 Sunday >:(  I get really ticked when these FN place there nets, because they can, and never check them.  The net is probably loaded with dead rotting salmon.  Thanks a lot to all the FN that claim they are interested in the environment >:(
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chris gadsden

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Re:Fish Galore August 12
« Reply #11 on: August 16, 2004, 03:05:24 PM »

Yes and I know the fellow that I mentioned and he tends his net very well,  I was surprised to see it empty as well.