1 wild fish

Well Gary and I headed out to the Miller on the Met again, after us having a slam dunk day last Thursday only to get a lot of practice casting in. It was dark went we arrived overcast and the parking lot was empty one other rig there.

I got 1 wild fish after maybe an hour and nothing after, John and Greg from Brewster showed up about 30 minutes after the sun came up. John low holed Gary and on his first few cast pulled out a small Hatchery fish and then shortly after that pulled in another. It was a good day for John. The other Greg worked the same water over and over with nothing.

Gary worked the same water as he did on Thursday with nothing.

We ended up leaving and headed up to the Burma Bridge. Got out of the truck and stood on the bridge for a few minutes. Saw some beat-up Chinook and that was it. Headed back up and check out the Chillwist, Tommy and someone were there and had been there all morning with nothing, not even a bump. We swung by and I showed Gary a couple of other places, but didn’t fish.

I think with the rain we received yesterday most of the fish holding on the lower Methow have moved up river. Got back to the house about noon. Maybe I’ll go back out later today. 

SH Day 3 / 4

Back up to the canyon after making a call the night before. I was told that I could shoot the three other dogs just don't shoot the hound.

Well i did't have to shoot the dawgs but I was prepared to do so and I packed my 38 with me, just in case they came around either getting to or from the water. Dark thirty again suited up and loaded for dogs. Rod ready from parking to fishing less than 15 minutes. I worked over 300 yards of good water for over three hours changing flies. the sun came up over the hill side. saw a couple of fish boil as I was tearing down my rod. But it was still time to go eat, twist some flies, shower and do some chores.
Two o'clock I went on a scouting trip down river a ways to check out some old waters that I never got to fish last year, with the river so hi.
The hi waters of last year really did change the slot, there is lots of Chinook in now spawning. so until the river comes up I'll just leave this spot alone for now.
 My neighbor Bill flagged me down as I was pulling in and asked if I could take him up to a private spot for him to fish for a while.  ( Bill doesn't fly fish tho I have tried to teach him many times, I did teach him a few years back to use corkies.)
     I did take him up, He keep casting over my line, so I switched places with him so that he was above me, and on his third drift thru bang fish on for him. I pulled in my stuff and helped him get it to shore getting my feet wet, slipping on the wet rocks to my knees. But we got it in small little buck shy of 5lbs. But his first SH in over two years.

It's overcast a bit warm at 55 and the water temp is 54. Doctor Dave hooked a wild buck last night.

Now its day 4
       I met up with Gary and Scott up river above Tonasket the water looks good.
With Scott being fresh and hadn't hooked a metalhead yet we gave him the best water. His casting has. improved 100% with the little lessons I had given him.and him getting in lots of practice.
 We pounded the water till 10 with nothing not even a bump. It's a bit early I think for many fish up this hi in the river.

          I need to twist up some more DDPs to skate along with some Curbfeeler  for the Met

                The three of us Dave Gary and I are headed back to the Met tomorrow.  

   

SH day 2

      I headed up to the canyon so that I was there at daybreak the wind was blowing and there was a pack of dogs that gathered as I pulled in to park. Three were hound dogs, and the other 3 were just scruffy lookin. The biggest one of all the meanest lookin showed me nothing but teeth as I started to get out of the truck. I opened up the door and he lunged at me snapping and growling. I pulled my legs back in closed the door waited a few moments and started out again same thing. Too early for a dog fight.

     Then headed down to the Arrowhead it was just getting light out and I didn’t need my headlamp. I suited up pieced the Winston together put on the Nautilus. Tied on a DDP booby fly and headed out the water is low and clear. I head up river and half way across in knee deep water I strip out my usual 15 to 18 strips and get ready to fling my fly. Just at the edge of the ripple as I’m stripping in I get a rock, haven’t really done a cast yet, and bang my line goes tight. The head shake and my line is ripped through my fingers to the reel. Turn out to be a wild buck about 8lbs.

   Thirty minutes later half way thru the swing just about the same place the tickle and tug.  Lift the rod set the hook and out of the water comes one mad acrobatic crazy peel some line heading cross river up and out of the water again my running line is just about gone. She slows and I’m able to gain line back, just about to the Scandi head she takes another short run, shaking her head. The long rod is bent and she is holding tight in about 2 foot of water. A few moments later I’m able to move in beside her grab my leader place my rod between my legs and grab her by the tail. The hook is buried deep in the center of her lower jaw. I need my hemos to remove it we struggle I go down to one knee in the water as the river is flowing past me I can feel my side getting wet. The hook out finely and I hold her by the tail she is beautiful bright and maybe 7lbs.

    Even tho I’m a bit wet down to my wading belt and slowly down my leg. I work my way back towards shore swingin the booby and get a take at the edge of another ripple. I lift the rod set the hook and the game begins again only this time it doesn’t last very long, first good pull and then nothing, my line come sailing back the rod straightens back out, loose line.

Should have checked the leader. 

   Tie on another fly fling it out, on the fifth or sixth cast another take only this time it’s heavy and doesn’t want to move at all. I know its not a rock, rocks don’t shake, it’s could be a stick, but I don’t think so  then It moves out of its hole and into the stronger current I can see its back and dorsal fin Chinook Damit anyway. I battle it for close to 30 minutes finally able to drag it up onto shore. Pull my hook get a bloody finger and push it back into the water I turn around to look at my fly and get a splashing as the big Chinook hen swims away.

     I have to cut this short I need to head up river to meet up with Gary and Scott. Today is Scotts day to Hook and Land his first Steelhead Can’t wait to get that picture for him.            

Steelhead opener on the Met.

   It’s still dark thirty with our waters already on, we pull into the parking lot only to find the lot just about completely full. There is just maybe enough room to park Doctor Dave’s small car.

   The three of us have our headlamps ready, to assemble our rods, it only takes a afew short moments to be ready to walk down the dark hillside through the brush and into the River, across we go, the water level is low and really the only thing one could see is the movement of other headlamps.

     As we get to the south side of Miller’s Crossing all we can see is the flicker of headlamps moving along the rocky shore on the other side.

     Dave, Gary and I stop just before the second groups of rocks. This looks like a good spot between a set of lights from the other side. I set my sling down, string up my Winston Spey with my Nautilus. It has a Skagit 410 gr. head on it, I leave it for now put a 12’ long leader on another 2ft of tippit, and yup I tye a Disco Dolly Parton on Just to show Gary that even the Metalheads like it.

        Gary take a reading of water temp 46 a bit cold to skate a fly. I think, but I’ve got to do it skating is the ultimate rush for me,

   We hear a splash either someone has fallen into the river or a fish jumped. It looks like a prison break with headlights all of a sudden scanning the surface of the water. Just a FISH.

Dave heads out into the water about 20 feet below me and starts casting his single hander.       It’s still too dark for me. Then the splash in the water again. Another fish but this time someone has it hooked. Someone yells FISH ON. And you can tell everybody is heading closer to the edge on the rocks across river, and the splashing of the ones on the south side heading out into the water, the waders.

     I gave it just a few more minutes to get just a bit lighter so at least I could see the tip of my rod. Move my way out into the water, strip out the shooting head and maybe 40 feet of running line with a roll cast. I have to step out a bit farther so that my line is out past Dave for my retrieval, I take 5 or 6 steps out recast send the line and bug back out nice straight cast mid swing the tickle the tug and the lift of the rod and fish on.

Fifteen minutes later the sky is lite up and I can see clearly now, First SH of the year a Buck, No adipose fin, Hatchery, Keeper. Maybe 7 lbs. Bonked and recorded, hook and line checked, bac out into the water.

      I was maybe 20 minutes later my next fish Wild, then another Wild. A hatchery my fourth. (but it got away while I was removing the hook, I really didn’t want to stop fishing. It’s not even 8 o’clock yet.) Then I lost a couple of fish, Don’t know what went wrong they were on one for just a short time the other almost completely in and bang gone.

My day 9 Steelhead hooked, 2 lost, that I never saw, 5 Wild. 1 Hatchery I keep, and the hatchery that got away.

       Gary had a great day fishing above the pipe catching, landing more then 10 wild fish and two keeper. Dave also did good don’t know his numbers but I saw him with at least 5 and he had one to bring home.

We were back in the car heading home by shortly after 10 and I was home by 11:15. Gary needed to be home no later them 1 he had a game to officiate, and fish to take care of.

Thanks Guys let do it again some time during the week, Dark thirty again, is fine with me. 

The last lake of 15

  Well from my last post Steelhead opens on Thursday the 15^th so that is where my energy will be for the next couple of months. then Rocky Ford Ck. I will get some time in for Chums on the Wetside and maybe some more Silvers.

Gary and I finished out Lake Season doing a good friends private lake. It has G. Browns, Bows, Tiger, and some fresh triploid Brooks.  

      Gary came close to a Grand Slam, he didn’t land that Tiger. That really didn’t matter all the other were big and powerful and I know he had a great time.

I on the other hand I did get a grand slam hooking and landing all four. I don’t write about this lake much because it is private and the owner want to keep it that way without having people come knocking on his door.

      This is the lake that I test most of my flies on to perfect them, from the Disco Dolly Patton (booby) my crawdads patterns, Damsels both dries and nymphs. Along with many others.

The fish are big, some are real fighters and some are like boots full of mud and just hold you down. Many will run and take you into your backing. As Gary found out yesterday. He hooked a Bow well over 6lbs. on a small Caddis dry. I was very proud of him holding his composure until he had it in the net.

      The wind blew but not bad and we got in our fix for the year. I have caught many Steelhead smaller than the fish in this lake.

So on to other fish stories, and tells.

Happy Steelhead Season I wish you the best of times in the 2015-16 season.

 Keep the Wilds in the Water, & Keep your Hatcheries

Fishing to open for hatchery steelhead, rainbows on upper Columbia River and selected tributaries

Action: Allow anglers to retain hatchery-origin steelhead and rainbow trout marked with a clipped adipose fin on the Columbia River below Wells Dam to Chief Joseph Dam and the Methow and Okanogan rivers on Oct. 15, 2015, and the Similkameen River on Nov.1, 2015.

Species affected: Hatchery steelhead and rainbow trout

General rules:

1. Mandatory retention of hatchery steelhead, identified by a missing adipose fin with a healed scar at the location of the clipped fin.
2. Daily limit of two (2) hatchery steelhead; 20 inch minimum size.
3. Daily limit of five (5) hatchery rainbow trout of less than 20 inches in total length, identified by a missing adipose fin with a healed scar at the location of the clipped fin.
4. Anglers must stop fishing when a daily limit of two (2) hatchery steelhead are obtained, regardless of the number of hatchery rainbow trout obtained.
5. Selective gear rules and night closure are in effect for all steelhead fishery areas, except the use of bait is allowed on the mainstem Columbia River.
6. Steelhead with an intact adipose fin must be released unharmed and cannot be removed from the water prior to release.
7. Release all steelhead with a floy (anchor) tag attached and/or one or more round ź inch in diameter holes punched in the caudal (tail) fin.

Locations and effective dates:

1) The mainstem Columbia River from the powerlines crossing the Columbia River approximately ž mile downstream of Wells Dam to 400 feet below Chief Joseph Dam; Oct. 15, 2015, until further notice.
2) The Methow River from the mouth to the confluence with the Chewuch River in Winthrop; Oct. 15, 2015, until further notice. Fishing from a floating device is prohibited from the second powerline crossing (1 mile upstream from the mouth) to the first Hwy 153 Bridge (4 miles upstream from the mouth).
3) The Okanogan River from the mouth to the Highway 97 Bridge in Oroville; Oct. 15, 2015, until further notice.
4) The Similkameen River, from its mouth to 400 feet below Enloe Dam; Nov. 1, 2015, until further notice.

Reason for action: Hatchery-origin steelhead in excess of desired escapement are forecast to return to the upper Columbia River. The fishery will reduce the number of excess hatchery-origin steelhead and consequently increase the proportion of natural-origin steelhead on the spawning grounds.

Other information: Anglers should be aware that fishing rules are subject to change and that rivers can close at any time due to impacts on natural-origin steelhead. Adhering to the mandatory retention of adipose clipped steelhead is vital in allowing the fishery to continue and to provide the maximum benefit to natural origin fish.

Information contacts: Ryan Fortier, District 6 Fish Biologist, (509) 997-0316; Jeff Korth, Region 2 Fish Program Manager, (509) 754-4624.

Skagit River Silvers

Skagit River Oct. 1

I hit the lower Skagit today around Mt. Vernon with my leaky Simm’s waders. The ones that I just use with my pontoon boat. The water is not cold and my wader only leak when I’m standing in water deeper than my crouch. The river is so low that a didn’t have to go out that far to be into the fish.

With Spey rod in hand I walked out to just above my knees stripped out about 60-70 feet of running line attached to my Scandi head put on a green tail skunk flip out my first cast. And had a bump, on my third or fourth cast I got the take, set the hook and the game was on. Humpy. Ten- twelve cast later hook set again but this one I lost. Then a few more cast Hook-up and another Humpy. I need to be back to pick up Ginny (my wife) I had time to get in a cast or two before I had to leave.

I hooked another Humpy but it came off just as I was going to release the hook from its mouth. ( Good I didn’t have to touch it ugly SOB) Checked my hook and stripped out some more line. Sent the line and fly sailing it hit the water swings less than 5 feet I feel the tickle and set the hook.

Silver. I could tell the difference right away stronger, more power, and wanted to turn and run down river. He came out of the water twice as the hook buried deeper in the side of his jaw. A boat drifted by for the third time. He was there before me and the guy asked me what I was using. I told him a green butt skunk, He just looked at me weird as he drifted away.

Later on in the day I went to the newest of sporting goods store Dick’s they have less Fly stuff then me. So I took the ride over the freeway to Holiday Market. I found out that my old friend David Sanchez had passed away not more than a couple of months ago Heart Attack. David many will miss you. We had many good times on the water together. May you be in a much better place with bigger and better fishing.

 Holiday had a pretty good selection but the pricing is way hi and since David is not there the two different guys have no clue as to what is what can’t ansured some of the simplest of questions, or tell someone about the products that they have. I asked about Airflo’s Poly Leaders or Rio’s  Spey Versil- Leaders  both of them just gave me a like  ?????? They had no shooting line or Amnesia.   

10/2

Pressentin Creek I picked up Wayne at the Hiway 9 Park and ride at 12:40 and we headed up river to try to teach him the way of the Spey. Yea Rite! After about two hours of showing him over and over and over explaining to him he just can’t get it. Watching fish roll just below the Creeks entrance, I had to wet a line myself. So I left him alone while I lined up my RL Winston, and pitched out Wayne got tangled up. Don’t ask me how, but he did. I stopped got him back on track, and went back to the Winston.

 Found a lop knot in my running line about 50 feet from the 510 Skagit Shooting head I to get out at least 75 to get a good swing. Without having my other reel ( Loop bac at the truck ) I went back to Wayne and tried some more. He could do a short roll cast, but that was about it. I told him about me having a problem with my other line and suggested to him to go down to Loretta Creek for a while.

Loretta Creek the fish can’t get up do to no water flow coming in to the Skagit and they were stacked up there was a couple of gear guys fishing the flinging their jigs and such below I put on the Loop changed out the head. Wayne went up river so nobody could see him struggling with his casting.

I threw out and let it swing the gear guy threw up above me and crossed my line, he did this until he finally caught my line. And when I said something to him he called over his Buddy.

Fishing is no fun if you have to fight for a spot.  Wayne was struggling and I just reeled back in and we left.

10/3

Dark thirty I head back up river to Loretta. Just getting light out as I got there I suited up, strung up the Winston with the Loop. Got out into the water stripped out about 60-70 feet of line with a Green Butt Skunk gave it a good cast, watched a nice Silver jump over the shooting head. I was in the zone.  Four or five casts later the tug, the hook set, the games begin. By 10:30 I had landed six Silvers one about 9lbs. and twice as many Humpys. Two trucks pulled in as I was landing the last Humpy and now there were four more guys hitting the water, all gear so I packed it in.

We need to come back in about 45 days hopefully there will be a Chum season when we return, Gota love the Skagit