Siletz gorge (long winded)

R
RunWithSasquatch
I usually make several trips a year up the gorge. I know the area well, and think its some of the best bank access/ fishing around. So I made my first trip of the year up there, and it was cold, and lots of snow. Fished about mid way up to the deadline.


Started this morning with remembering the my wading boots had been in the back of my truck for the past week, and they were about as hard as a jawbreaker. Throw them in under the floor board for the ride over, load my gear, and off to meet my buddy at 6.

As far as the drive, most of it was not bad. The summit highway was no race track, covered with packed snow and ice, so it was easy going until Big Rock Creek. There was about 8'' of snow towards the top end of rock creek, and was pleased to see that there wasn't any log trucks running up there today, my buddies truck doesn't have a CB. We hit the top end near the 1000 line and see there is log trucks running from the other direction, and one is stopped chaining up, so its on your toes with all this snow around.... Few more corners, and we're on the brakes, and theres a log truck on his brakes, and everyone is sliding... get stopped, hes stopped... back up out of the way ( i know how much this pisses them off) so to top off the situation, hes on a hill, and CANNOT gett'r goin!:doh: We sit and watch for a minute or two and decide we better get out and go get our ass chewin', long story short, was a younger guy, who was irritated, but relatively mannered, had to back him a ways down the road before it got flat enough he could get up to speed and make the hill.

Finally, make it to our destination, and like anticipated, no one around.

So we get right to work, make our casts, battle the cold, and the fingers that felt like I stuck them on a skillet, rather than in the cold. I was surprised at the gear malfunction I had, my revo toro51 wouldn't disengage and free spool, so it was rendered useless until the sun started to shine, and the ice in it melted.

Very slow fishing, the water temp was extremely cold, not sure exactly what it was.
So after about 3 hours of putting in the work, something happens. Make a cast off a deep shelf, drifting a yarnie, and it feels like my slinky is dragging hard over a large rock in the bottom, I give a lift of the rod tip, and it continues to give the same feeling, so I lift a little more... and I feel a head shake, so i put the screws to it! And im waiting... and waiting... my friend joel looks at me wanting to know whats going on... and I go its a fish!.. I think?. So finally it starts moving, and I can tell its just too cold for it to do anything about the hook that just got buried in its mouth, I pull and it just stays put, I pull and it feels like a wet log, finally it takes off on a small run, and I feel better about the situation, so i start working it in, get a few small runs and then it just sits in the bottom of this deep hole, and stays so still, I thought it wrapped me on a rock, so i tighten the drag down quite a bit, and i give a long slow pull, and here it comes, makes it to the surface, rolls a few times, trys to run, and rolls some more, so i put it up on skid and joel comes over and tails it for me.... 31'' Hen that fought me like a giant stick fish. I bet she would have been a hand full in the lower river! Nice eggs, beautiful as always up there. Bumped a small grip of elk on the way home, but they got the drop on me before I could get a picture.
 
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J
JeannaJigs
Oh man, too cold LOL. I'm normally not a wiener about the cold, but man it's been miserable the last two days. Guess I should suck it up and hit the water somewhere Sunday.
 
S
Santiam338
I always look forward to your reports...They are worth the wait..

Nice fish..You look cold though...LOL

I haven't caught a fish on one of my yarnies yet...I will keep trying..:pray:
 
D
durantmatt
Nice fish man, well worth the trip
 
R
RunWithSasquatch
JeannaJigs said:
Oh man, too cold LOL. I'm normally not a wiener about the cold, but man it's been miserable the last two days. Guess I should suck it up and hit the water somewhere Sunday.

Thursday night at work before I got off, all I could think about is why I wanted to go back out in the cold after working in it all week, but on the drive out I felt pretty good about it...I MIGHT float sunday too... theres still a push of bonkers to work through.
 
R
RunWithSasquatch
Santiam338 said:
I always look forward to your reports...They are worth the wait..

Nice fish..You look cold though...LOL

I haven't caught a fish on one of my yarnies yet...I will keep trying..:pray:

haha, my fingers are still recouping.

I think that santiam this spring/summer will hammer your yarn!... if you put down that plug rod!
 
troutdude
troutdude
Nice job buddy, and great report. I know that stretch of road well, having fished the rock creek system (when it was open), moonshine, gorge, etc a great deal about 25 years back. Good of you to assist the big rig. As I read your report, I felt like I was along for the adventure. Nice fish!
 
S
skunk
Nice report, nicer fish! I whimped out and went home after work. Too cold.
 
M
Mad dog
Nice! :clap: Looks cold! Sometimes the getting there is half the fun! :lol:
 
T
Throbbit _Shane
Thanks for the great report!! nice fish too :D
 
J
JeannaJigs
RunWithSasquatch said:
Thursday night at work before I got off, all I could think about is why I wanted to go back out in the cold after working in it all week, but on the drive out I felt pretty good about it...I MIGHT float sunday too... theres still a push of bonkers to work through.

Haha yeah im trying hard to motivate myself. Think I'm just gonna bank it on lake creek, got a new float rod I haven't had the opportunity to use. I think trying to convinc and coordinate with someone else to do a float somewhere else Sunday will be a challenge. Will see what happens. That float rod is getting put to use though lol. You were rewarded for the hypothermia so there's a sliver of hope.
 
S
Santiam338
Good luck on Lake Creek and watch out for powerlines..
 
J
JeannaJigs
Santiam338 said:
Good luck on Lake Creek and watch out for powerlines..

Bahaha! I will look up always, but only because of the printed warning ;)
 
X
XFactorTackle
Way to go, a lot of guys would have given up in that weather. Nice fish.
 
J
Johnny Southpaw
Way to get out there in that COLD weather and catch a fish!! I got my lines wet Friday and BOY WAS THE WATER COLD!!! Gotta love pictures of steelhead with snow in the background/on the bank. So refreshing.
 
F
fishingfreak
Nice looking fish! Good Job Man!
 
T
Thuggin4Life
Man that sure looks cold. Nice fish!
 

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