A late evening welcome to all to The Journal on Fishing With Rod.
Another day on the Vedder, I should have marked down how many hours and days that I have been chasing Iron's but quite a few.
I headed to the Diving Board for the first stop and as I pull in to park the Leaf Mobile I see only 2 solitary figures in the breaking daylight waiting to make their first cast.
I quickly get my gear on and sling the brood capture tube and quickly stride down the Rotary trail, about a 5 minute walk to the run. A couple of flock of geese with some members quarreling among themselves, most likely 2 year olds preparing to choose a mate for their first experience of raising a family.
As I approach the two anglers they stop visiting and take their spot on the run. We exchange pleasantries and the three of start fishing. I have made only a few casts and I see in the run above a couple of anglers crouched down. To me it looks like one has taken a fish and it is confirmed a few minutes later as I see the flash of the camera.
I move around the run and then an angler I know passes by and says good morning, i say nothing doing here. He moves to the run where I have seen the first fish taken maybe 15 minutes before. It seems in no time this angler is into a fish and lands a nice hatchery.
I find nothing in the DB run and eventual move up to the scene of the two deceased steelhead but I fish it from the other side, no success so head back to the Leaf Mobile for a coffee and plan my next move. I pick up some garbage and while doing this Steve, from Woody's Grill, the home of the best mushroom burger in town stops by with Mark for a chat.
We are shortly joined by G and with the visit completed G and I both agree to try a run we both had discovered the last few days actually I did yesterday even though there was nothing home.
We fish it for a while and then I tell G I am going down to another likely spot I found yesterday.
I make a few casts using a shrimp and just as I hear the roar of G's truck arriving and come to a stop, Maple Leaf Drennan is gone from view and the start of the struggle with steelhead # 35 begins. I shout to G, "I have fish on and I have my tube if it is a wild". I also say, "if it is a hatchery I will retain it" as I have not taken a fish for the table in 23 days. We see it is hatchery fish, a buck only in the 8 pound range. "I am still keeping it as I need to get off the river and do some things and my wife would like some fresh fish", I add.
Just then another vehicle stops, it is Chronic, even though he could not see us he could see the arch in the rod from his drivers seat.
We are in a difficult place to land the fish but with the help of a device of G's we have the fish on the bank.
It is nice to be able to write the license out in the car as I am that close to the road.
While G fishes I pick up some garbage before G decides to move on. I weigh the fish at Fred's, just under 8 pounds. I then head and empty 3 garbage bags I have placed around the parking area's and are pleased to see anglers using them. As well very little garbage dumped around the parking area's. However the bag by Ian's has been stolen or maybe someone used it to pack a steehead in.
This is the second robbery in this spot as they took a old garbage tin and the bag last time
so did not replace it this time.
I then move down to an area to check for floats but only found two.
Then home to drop off the fish and then pick up Frank and head out to check the road out to Ferry Island that is being build. As I freelance as I have said before with Global TV had the video camera along.
I get some good footage and interviews with FOC officers on the scene and a FOC monitor and an a Engineer. It is quite a operation and Rodney may have posted some of the recent photo's from today. Frank from the FVSS, SDA and chair of the SFAC did a great job asking questions and was great on camera as were the FOC people. The down part was I had a little problem with the camera and I will not be able to submit the footage to Global news as the quality is not up to standard. Still good stuff for reference. There is a number of concerns to Frank and one is a good recreational bar for many years for fishing looks like it may be gone as the area where they are going to start removing gravel is the main fishing ground.
Will wrap today's journal now as the hour is late as another adventure another journal starts in a little over 6 hours. Hope to see you Friday evening at the Tradex show as FWR and the Chilliwack Vedder River Cleanup Coalition will be there, stop by for a chat. I will be the one with the Maple Leaf Hat and may bring Maple Leaf Drennan # 3 for you to admire and hold, see you then FA?