Maybe one of my last days on the OK for Steelhead this season.

Yesterday Gary and I went to a new spot.  ( new to Gary anyway) I for some reason just don't think about it that much, If the river is hi it is almost impossible to get to at least anything over 2100cfs.
yesterday: Sunny 55, bright, no wind, warm enough to just a lite long sleeve shirt  it was running at 1970cfs and the water temp. was in the bottom 40s.We spent just a bit over 3 hours with us only getting a small bump.
     
  Today totally different, Windy mid 40s cloudy with some rain, River dropped down just a little to 1910cfs. and the temp is holding in the low 40s...........
I was going to go back this mourning at dark 30 but I had therapy for my knee at 9 so I wouldn't have much time before I had to quit and leave pull off the waders you know the drill. it was raining when I finished therapy so I ran home had some lunch grabbed the Simms rain coat and was down and in the water by 12:15 the wind blowin into my face at a pretty good clip. and  god ripple on the water.
Switched out from by Scandi line to a Skagit head and put on a MOW head 2.5 flote 5ft of T 11  four ft of fluorocarbon tippit on a 3ft. leader  Copperbutt.

 After working 3/4 of the way through the run and seeing a fish or two rise I got the tug and hard. I snug the rod up river it set the hook and game on. a nice wild hen and when I put my hand to her belly the eggs started flowin. I slipped the hook from her mouth and in no time she was gone.
   
 I caught her about 3 ft off the seam so I headed almost to the same spot to keep working down 5 or 6 more cast the swing was ending almost at shore. I waited until the swing stopped completely so that I could pull my hat down tighter and bang my line went limp, there was no more drag from the water. Lifting the rod straight up almost all the way and then got ahead shake. As soon as I put tension on the line it off to the middle of the river and into the current. up and out of the water a leap and a second run and headed down river this one took some time to get in, bigger then the first one but not by much at first I thought it was a buck WRONG another wild hen. I played this one longer and It took longer for her to swim away she seemed strong just hope she makes it to spawn.

At the very bottom of the run I was ready to reel in and move back up ONE MORE CAST.. Giving it a fling just to the far side of the seam a bit of a bow in the line mend it out and wham fish on.

So if this is the end of my season my total is a tie with last year at 18.

My next trips will be to Omak Lake if the river is shut down on the first.



 

Spey lessons and Hess Lake

Saturday after therapy on my bum knee, I met up with Casey. Casey is new to the area, but anyway last week while we were talking he asked me if I knew anybody that was into Spey casting around here. Why yes I knew a few. I really want to learn how to do it, but I don’t have a rod or any of the set up. I just happen to have everything that you need to get going. Echo DH 1338 only used a couple times that I’ll let go along with everything else.

My reel was a bit expense for him. So he passed on it but I looked into getting everything that he would need. Reel, backing, shooting line, heads and tips and ordered it up for him.

Using my reel I took him to Omak Lake where I could give him his first lesson, the kid did great.  We spent about three hours until the wind picked up blowing cold north wind. We bagged it in ,but I lent him one of my reels all set up, a pair of waders. (his waders are in the mail). I’ll be seeing more of him in the future. He is interested in learning to tye some flies, and wants to come to the next meeting of the fly club.

Today I’m sure he is down at the lake getting some more practice in.

Today I had plans to take Richard (84years old) up to Hess Lake to catch him some dinner. Picked him up at 10.  Hess Lake about ¾ of the lake is now ice free. On the north side so I had some open water.

 I started out with a # 16 blood under a indicator until it feel off. Then switched to a #16 prince nymph and that was the ticket landing a couple of nice bows. We need to get going at about noon the cool wind picking up and I knew that Richard would never say anything about it, He had picked up my dog and they both sat in the truck while I got in a few more casts.   

      When we left I had landed his dinner.

Quick note I heard that Gary got rid of the crud and hit the river in the high water and hooked himself a nice SH he was sorry to tell me it got loose by way of sunkin limb. At least he's bac to hitting the water. 

Nymphing on the OK

The days are getting longer and warmer. With the sunrise today around 7:15, I let Gary know last night that I was going to hit the River, and wanted to know if he could make it.  All thing were a go until he until I got his text saying that he needed to past was up most of the night not feeling good.

I made to one of our spots and the sky overcast water level up just a bit higher than I would like it 1450 cfs. And the water temp. up to 37. Nymphing time.  I just took my time working my way out.

    With a hot orange double bead peacock  stone, rigged up under a indicator about 9 ft.  I hit the top and worked it thru the first hole. Nothing, I shorten up and worked  in closer to shore in the shadows with the stone not more than 5 feet below the indicator on the fifth or sixth drift bobber down, it ran right up in towards shore into no more then a foot of water then back out into the main stem. Not a lot of fight and soon my hand was around this pretty Hens tail.

        My next fish was maybe 30 minutes later, when I thought that I pick up something off the bottom the way my bobber went down just under the surface I could see it just hang there I lifted the long rod only to get a shake Stick! No fish it just wasn’t going anywhere soon. Some pressure slight bend in the rod and then it took off into the main current. Soon I was wrapping my hand around this nice buck’s tail.

            The wind picked up blownin out of the north through the canyon and it was cold on wet hands. I didn’t check my knots, gave another fling eight or nine time and the bobber goes down again hook set. Short fight, there is nothing more gone then a lost fish.  Never got to see it just felt it a short while retrieve my limp line less the bug. Knot failure leader to tippit.

              By 10:30 hungry, cold wind blowing, no bug on the line, two fish to the hand, one bad mistake, (I should know better) I marched out of the water and headed home to warm me bones.  

The rain is to come back tonight and rain for the next few days, hopefully the river will be back in shape so I can work the bugs again soon.

MAY THE FISH BE WITH YOU,  ROD BENT, AND TIGHT LINES    

Super Steelhead Sunday

     Living up to tradition this will make my 20th consecutive Super Bowl that I have made it out for at least a few hours before the big game.

 It all started back with my Good Buddy Jonboy up on the north fork of the Stilly. I remember it as if it were just yesterday. Cold wet and we had two different spots one of them was where he fished from time to time and the other one that I fished quite a bit.

     We both needed to be somewhere that day so we left his house at 7 and we were at the water in 30 minutes. only to find someone had beat us to it. 

    Back down the road to the spot that I knew about and thru the woods we went. The run was in good shape we flipped a coin to see who got the top of the run work down while the other waited. Jonboy got to go first and when he got halfway through I took up the top we only had about a hundred yards to work. Three cast three steps.

  On my second step, close to our side in close just as I was ready to strip back in I got the tug, set the hook and the fish took off back down river and was between Jonboy and the shore. Jonboy had to duck and lift the line over his head while the Metalhead made a beeline into the middle of the river. Once in the middle it was up and out doing the tail walk and dance.

   I got to shore and started picking up line and running down river until I couldn’t run no father. Stopped by a bunch of trees that over hung the river and a very very deep hole. I backed up river feeding out just enough line but keeping it tight, out up to my waist, standing my ground and slowly I was able to work it back to me.       We played the tug a war game back and forth many times. He wanted to get into the over hung trees and I wanted to keep him out towards the middle. I took a step out a bit deeper and found myself up to the top of my waders. The cold, cold water started flooding in just below my extended arm pit. Like I said the water was cold. Jonboy came out into the water and grabbed the back of my waders and pulled me back closer to shore. The only thing I could do gasp for air, hard to breeze and catch my breath, I changed hands with my rod, and felt my line and rod go limp.          Damn I lost it after all that. But after getting almost to shore now about knee deep I started putting the line back onto the reel and it went tight again. The head shake was back and this time the tug a war was all in my favor. Soon my leader was close to the tip of the rod I backed up onto shore and drug the Buck with me.       Just as Jonboy went to conk it the hook popped out and it flipped back into the water. Jonboy had the net ready and scooped it up.

    I had to fight for that one, so I’ll never forget that first Super Steelhead Sunday. I’ve had some days that I caught fish and as many that I didn’t just like today. I had a tug and that’s all that I really needed to keep me going back.

     Today I had my good Buddy Gary with me it was again cold at 26 to get started and after only a couple of hours being in the deep freeze, waist deep with my bum knee it will go down as another day to remember, no matter who wins the big football game. 

Thanks taking the time reading and I hope you enjoy.