Eagle CREEK is gone

[bigdog]

Well Eagle Creeek is gone and in it's place there is now Eagle River. Seems the rains we have got this past week have really woke that water up and changed everything. The fishing holes that I have been fishing are really not very fishable now. The places that I would wade through aren't walkable now but are now the new fishing holes. :think:
So it was back to the hunt for the holes with the fish in them. Caught a nice half way good looking hen below the ladder near fern park but she was a native :naughty:so had to let her go back in.
Then went up to the hach and was able to hook in to 8 fish and banked 6 of them but all were pretty ugly and not worth keeping. Still a good fun day of catch and release though.
Got to watch a few bucks fighting over what I thought would be over a hen:think:. Don't seem to be any good fish left in the creek now just have to wait and hope for some more to come in from the coast but not to sure that is going to happen:think:. Anyone know or at least think there is going to be some and if not then whats up steelies they need to hurry up and get hereray: I'm going to go crazy with nothing to fish not to mention what it is going to do to my household around here dealing with me:lol:.
CJ

 

[ArcticAmoeba]

This is one of those times in OR, when we get a lull in fishing on the Clackamas. The 'hos will have blown up to the Hatchery in this high water, and the Winter Steel won't be in thick, or at least in any fishable numbers for at least another 5 weeks or so. Last winter they got less than 800 W. Steel to the hatchery on Dog Creek. A friend of mine, and I tagged a large percentage of the counted fish, more than 10%, way more... Hopefully it won't be so much work for cold Steel this winter though. The lull in fishing sucks, but there are always late Summers, and some really moldy Springers still milling about the Clackamas. There are always fish to be played in the Clack.

 

[mgdguy]

Thanks for the update bigdog, I was wondering how you did this weekend....

 

[bigdog]

Yeah they are there for the playing. But I'm wanting to find the ones for keeping but they are far and few. If your looking for something to just get a fish on and have a good time fighting these little giants then I would say go higher on the creek. There are plenty of them up there and they are going nuts for eggs. You have to keep in mind what AA said though as the water changes so must your ways of fishing. Good luck hope you find the fish you are looking for.
CJ

 

[mgdguy]

Yea I'm too busy to even make it out this weekend. Next Saturday though, hopefully more brighter fish will have moved up towards the hatchery. I will head up there next Saturday if the outlook is good.

 

[bigdog]

Yea I'm too busy to even make it out this weekend. Next Saturday though, hopefully more brighter fish will have moved up towards the hatchery. I will head up there next Saturday if the outlook is good.

Well not to sure on how it is going to look but why don't you head that way anyways maybe can get a couple people to meet up and we can make a day out of it? Would be great to get a day out with someone fishing besides myself maybe we can get fishtopher to go with us. Can cheack a few holes out and see what we can find. Always looking for someone to go fishing with myself and fishtopher and I have been talking about getting out there together again. He is a good guy fun to fish with.
CJ

 

[mgdguy]

Sounds good, let's plan for it.

Just got word my brother and a buddy went to John Day today and they landed a few summer steelies. Figures - the one weekend I can't go!!

 

[bigdog]

Sounds good, let's plan for it.

Just got word my brother and a buddy went to John Day today and they landed a few summer steelies. Figures - the one weekend I can't go!!

I think that is one of the reasons I don't get as many fish as I would like don't travel far to get them. I always seem to try to stay within a 40 minute drive from home. Seems to be easier to get to know the water I'm fishing when it is close because I get to go to it more often and have more time to explore it. But I'm really thinking about going further so I can get to know other areas but don't want to do that alone want to have someone that somewhat knows where we are going don't want to waist gas and not get to get any fishing in.

 

[mgdguy]

That's how I've been operating too. Plus with two young kids it's hard enough to convince the wife to let me have my half day of fishing. John Day is a looong day.

 

[bigdog]

That's how I've been operating too. Plus with two young kids it's hard enough to convince the wife to let me have my half day of fishing. John Day is a looong day.

Yeah I know what you mean there to we have a 13 and 6 year old girls but if I don't get to go fishing for at least one day a weekend if not two then my household goes crazy because I get way to bored and start bouncing off walls around here looking for things to do. So I have to go out at least once for the household sanity if nothing more.

 

[tnffishman]

went up to EC today, checked eagle fern. Nothin there. headed up to the hatch and saw about fifty to a hundred laying on that stretch of water right below the ladder at the haychery so we decided to walk down. saw a few fish movin by 1 by 1 not too far in. so we headed farther i after about 30 minutes of fish zoomin past us too fast to hook. after that we only saw a few dark ones. crappy hooks and bad conditions resulted in a bad day everything i did hook came off cause i burned through all my vmc's the last time i went up. did see one fish that would have probably been the state record holding in a deep hole. must have ran about thirty pounds

 

[mgdguy]

went up to EC today, checked eagle fern. Nothin there. headed up to the hatch and saw about fifty to a hundred laying on that stretch of water right below the ladder at the haychery so we decided to walk down. saw a few fish movin by 1 by 1 not too far in. so we headed farther i after about 30 minutes of fish zoomin past us too fast to hook. after that we only saw a few dark ones. crappy hooks and bad conditions resulted in a bad day everything i did hook came off cause i burned through all my vmc's the last time i went up. did see one fish that would have probably been the state record holding in a deep hole. must have ran about thirty pounds

Sounds like the same experience I had up there last weekend!

 

[mgdguy]

Yeah I know what you mean there to we have a 13 and 6 year old girls but if I don't get to go fishing for at least one day a weekend if not two then my household goes crazy because I get way to bored and start bouncing off walls around here looking for things to do. So I have to go out at least once for the household sanity if nothing more.

9 and 3 year old boys here. I know exactly what you mean though. And my wife got out for a girls night tonight so it's my turn next weekend

If I can get up to John Day soon and get just my little bro to take me (he now knows where to go over there) I will let you know. He's always been the lucky fisherman in the family and I'm just trying to get some of it to rub off on me this year.

Tony

 

[bigdog]

went up to EC today, checked eagle fern. Nothin there. headed up to the hatch and saw about fifty to a hundred laying on that stretch of water right below the ladder at the haychery so we decided to walk down. saw a few fish movin by 1 by 1 not too far in. so we headed farther i after about 30 minutes of fish zoomin past us too fast to hook. after that we only saw a few dark ones. crappy hooks and bad conditions resulted in a bad day everything i did hook came off cause i burned through all my vmc's the last time i went up. did see one fish that would have probably been the state record holding in a deep hole. must have ran about thirty pounds

They are out there just takes time to find them. When coming to a hole or a spot that looks like there would be some fish stop for a little while and just look around in the water. There is more in there then might meet the eye at first glance, they seem to be really good at blending in and hiding in the water. You will be shocked at how many might be in a spot where you thought you only saw couple or none. For the ones moving up real fast you can get them just need to be fast and cast in front of them a little ways and get you gear to drift right in front of there face, when moving they are aggresive and will hit something in the way and eggs are something they are out to hit right now. You might not have caught anything that day but keep in mind a day fishing is never a bad day but it is always nice to get a fish or two.

 

[bigdog]

9 and 3 year old boys here. I know exactly what you mean though. And my wife got out for a girls night tonight so it's my turn next weekend

If I can get up to John Day soon and get just my little bro to take me (he now knows where to go over there) I will let you know. He's always been the lucky fisherman in the family and I'm just trying to get some of it to rub off on me this year.

Tony

Yeah let me know on that one I know if the weather holds out to what they are saying it is going to be like next weekend then I'm going to be going out on sat for sure to the creek and think it would be great if you could join me there.

 

[luv2fish]

except spawning silvers...there's nothing in creek....

 

[bigdog]

except spawning silvers...there's nothing in creek....

Well I pulled out to nice looking silver hens last week (down by the mouth). I still think it was luck on my part though there isn't many pretty looking fish in there but there is plenty of dark ones to play with. I'm not always out to get fish to keep (although that is always nice) but if there isn't anything there to keep I'll go just to fight a few fish for the day. Pluss it helps me better my fish finding skills :lol: skills:lol: ok fish finding luck, that's a little more like it. Like I always say any day fishing is a good day but getting fish makes it a great day.

 

[ArcticAmoeba]

I have hooked Steelhead, and the Cutties that are now aparantly in the Creek. The Steelhead are almost all hens it seems, which makes life really nice when you get into really nice bait. And it makes catching Coho a lot easier, when your berries are of a manageable size, and not just completely singled out. They make for excellent small baits for the spooky Coho. I now use a different cure for targeting "bait giver" hens on the Creek, but yes the Big Boots still gut bomb eggs, and bare hooks too. They are wise to yarn by now, in nearly all colors, and corkies might get a hit, but they spit it quicker than they inhale it with water wings...Corkies. Adaptive Angling.

TNF - What size VMC do you like for Coho. I recently got way into the #3 Visions, and haven't looked back. Not a big fan of the hole Owners make, as that results in a lot of lost fish for me. I tied up the Visions with a #6 Stinger, and it has made a world of difference. Most fish are hooked right on the underside of the top of their beak...In the brutal boney substrate in their mouths. I have since been using a #4 for the stinger, but the 6's worked pretty well. No cmplaints yet. Other than the fact that I needed to tie up doubles, or side drifters in the early part of the season.

 

[bigdog]

Steelies did someone say they are seeing steelies in the creek now? What part of the creek you been fishing where you see our friends the steelies I wouldn't mind targetting some of them now. At least be getting some fish to keep and who don't want some eggs come on free bait with dinner what more can you ask for?

 

[ArcticAmoeba]

The Steel that are in there right now, are late summers. They are still way better meat color than the average Coho, but the freshies are hard to beat. The are in the Creek, down low, and they seem to be just in there to cool off a bit. The Creek is pretty cold, and those Steelhead love that. I normally get into them near the mouth, or just above Bonnie Lure Park. They kind of look like a Jack in the water, but the scales especially, and other indicator clues are a bit different from the fresher Coho. They like eggs, although a super Steelhead cure would probably rile the hype right out of 'em, and lure those sleepers out from the flats. Fish for 'em in traditional Steelhead water, and you may surprise yourself...