End to winters

M
markasd
So work has been in the way for the past few years and finally I had some time OFF for ME! Had quite a stack of chores and honey-do's, got 'em outta the way pretty quick. Headed out wednesday to the Trask and was sooo glad I didn't bring the cataraft to float the north fork - doable, but too much work. There were a few other anglers out, but no fish for me. Was nice to get out there.
Up north from there and on to new waters for me. Was sworn to a "keep it to yourself" body of water - OMG! I have fallen in love all over again... my new winter steelhead home. After a lotta work we were on the river and in some other world. "Trees get this big?" I thought to myself... I have never stood next a spruce that big. Seemed fake. As I was still trying to gain my composure and get over my new surrounding, little brother holla's "comin' down, WOOHOO"... he's hooked up on the first or second cast in the first run we came to! This is gonna be a good day... the fish hits his gear, then b-lines straight for the tailout - POP! "Um.. 10 lb may be too light up here"... we both only had 10lb leader material. I was runnin' with my 9' 8 wt with 10lb leader, and a 10' 6" bobber rod with 8lb leader. Didn't use the bobber rod much, was good to cast the fly rod again. Continued up the river, unreal water - perfect runs, tailouts and pools. Pocket water in between just about every run... I found earths perfect steelhead water. Wading up stream, roll casting on command - put that egg-pattern right were I wanted it almost every time... SWEET! Been too long I'm thinking to myself - WHOA that steelhead just followed my egg pattern for like 15 feet... love those heart-pounding moments. "If I just let it stop he'd a hit em".. thinking to myself. Notta - keep on trekin' up.... gettin' pinched OFF. End of the line and time to backtrack down to get outta this canyon. Took us a few hours to get up there - fishin' it quicker on the way out. Had two more follow my egg pattern with no takers. Got down to the last run, right where we started and redemption! Hooked up in to a little 8-9 lber. Sweet!! Up the hole, down the hole - cart-wheelin'! YEAH-BOYEE!! Pumped! What a good way to end the day... had to head back to the valley for a doctors appt. so the road trip was ended a day soon... was granted a pass for saturday morning - so OFF to the Salmon River. Get there at the break of dawn - head down to the first drift/hole and start OFF with my buddy on the bobber n jig and I'm now stuck on my 9' 8wt with the egg pattern... no luck for him but third cast in the head of the pool I hooked a hot steelhead did two nice jumps then spit the hook as he raced down into the pool... right on! 10 minutes in to the day... good sign. We head up past the little water fall and I spotted a monster in a pocket about 4' deep... first roll cast he swam over and NAILED it... FISH ON... he took me up through a boulder patch about 100'.. then hung there and let me wade up through the hellish bouler patch only to turn back downstream RIPPIN' line off the reel... in switching hands I drop the rod - OH $h!+!! Now I am haulin' after it - gets about 15' from me and stopped - then took off again.... finally got my hands back on the rod - like 30-45 seconds later - fish still there!! Puttin' the screws to him now - he goes over the water fall, and back down to the big hole.. SNAP!! I'm winded now - sweatin' my butt off... whew.. I go meet back up with my buddy, we laugh and go over what just happened. Proceed to work our way up to the rest stop and I hook and landed two more with one taking me through two runs right on the highway... I like that little river. So close to home too...
So I think this ends my winter steelhead season for '11. Was only able to make a few trips this year but I think it turned out alright.
Time to get back to work..

Tight lines
Mark
 
troutdude
troutdude
Wow, what a sweet report...and you got a couple of good work outs too boot!
 
H
halibuthitman
hmmm, me thinks me nows where you were at... and if me is right ... next time take a bike to ride in on, or go left on the first logging road and drop down early... nice report
 
brandon4455
brandon4455
great stories mark, glad you had you had the chance to hook a few. ill be seeing you out on the water again eventualy bud. got plenty of stories to share

take care,
brandon
 
Last edited:
N
nwkiller
wow what a day you had, sounds like some serious fun!!!
 

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