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I certainly have not done much fishing of late and with the steelhead season drawing quickly to a conclusion for another season so I thought I should make at least one more trip out to the Vedder.
After the usual morning trip to Tims I transported the Leaf Craft to a friend who was going to do some maintenance on it, have to have it ready if the flood they forcast may happen in the Valley in the next few weeks. Of course we also need to have it ready for the bar fishing season but this year it will be dismal as the water will stay high for a good part of the season I believe.
After delivering the Leaf Craft I stop for a snack at McDonalds and then go and check the gravel mining going on at Vedder Crossing. Every time I look at it it makes me feel so bad that the river is being treated this way. The good part the river looked fishable so I park the Leaf Mobile just downstream of the rock quarry, below Vedder Crossing.
I load up my gear and get part way to the river and I remember I have left my bait, pro cured shrimp back in the Leaf Mobile, back I go.
When I arrive at the river I see the visibility is around 2 feet, not the best but fishable. I discover the runs have changed since my last trip, that was a few weeks ago.
The good part was there was no one on the river so I had all the runs to myself. I fish my way upstream soaking up the Spring like weather, a crow is busy tugging on some material lying on the gravel bar,the nesting season is fast approaching.
The Rotary Trail has it share of walkers enjoying the great outdoors too. I think back when we used to drive where they now walk. In those days you saw few walkers unless they were packing fishing rods, most of the rods had center pins reels in those days too. How things have changed, large dwellings now line the bank of the river be they back some distance from the river. They now stretch from Peach Road to Webster Road.
A mile or so above from where I stand the gravel mining goes on unabated, gravel being unceremoniously removed from the Chilliwack River's precious riparian zone, in order to feed the appetites of the booming construction industry. Like I say things have changed here in the Valley.
I fish the first two runs with no success and reach a sidestream, should I cross it or head downstream?
A inviting looking piece of water beckons me, I cross. I start my casting at the top of the run, the Maple Leaf Drennan is drifting smartly, my bait is 2 feet below searching for a steelhead that should be holding in this 3 feet or so depth of H2O.
Part way down the run the MLD dips I strike but there is no resistant, the brightly colored shrimp is intact. A few more cast come up empty, was it or was it not? I work my way down to the tail out of the run, without success.
I still am thinking was this a fish or no, I stride back up to the top of the run again and begin casting. Maybe after 3 or 4 casts I am not sure how many but in a spot above where I had seem my float first disappear the MLD sort of goes sideways a tad and then plunges downward. I strike, I feel resistance this time, just as I start to get excited the steelhead boils to the top, I donot see it but the boil looked good. However that was to be as good as it got for the boil was all I was going to see. The fish was now gone along with the hope for my second steelhead of the season, to the beach that is but it still felt good, to hook another one.
I fish for another couples of hours without even the hint of another fish, in some nice water too. I do see about 4 or 5 anglers above and below me after I had lost the fish but the pressure is light out there. Maybe it will be worth another trip or two before the month ends, you never know when The Journal may once again appear.
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Topic: The Pull Of A Steehead Once Again, A Mini Journal From The Vedder (Read 1694 times)