That is not a level playing field!

C
ChezJfrey
Went 1-2 today.

Started at one of my usual spots and had no action for an hour and a half. Got in the truck and hit #2 usual spot. Saw a guy, but he was nowhere near my target area...walked by him, hiking another 100-150 yards and tossed a spinner a few times. Within 5 minutes, hooked this shiny thing:

2012-04-06_12-22-18_924.jpg

Gave a few more goes around the area, moved around...nothing. Hit another section of the river I've never fished before, but found beautiful water. Still nothing, so headed back to where I started as I've had the best luck in late afternoon. After a few casts, my spoon stopped moving downstream...set the hook and my rod bends, but that's it. Snagged? Lean it back again and it pumps a bit - fish! Then, the line goes slack. Uh oh, bad knot? I reel in quickly and still nothing....10-20-30 ft. of line. Dang, must have busted...keep reeling, then I feel a fish and it's now perpendicular with me out in the current.

Now, as soon as it feels the pressure, it freakin' takes off upstream like a rocket. I've never had so much line peel off so quickly...this fish is like a freight train! I'm glad it's heading upstream, perhaps take a little steam outta the thing. After a short while, it stops and hangs for a bit, so I work it back, bit by bit. When it gets within 20 feet or so, it starts flipping out, thrashing out of the water, violent head shakes, this thing is hot! It's also the biggest and certainly the most powerful I've hooked to date.

Then, I suppose the inevitable...it takes off...downstream this time. I'm losing lots of line as it makes its way out to the middle of the current and is absolutely flying. I figure I need to try keeping some of the line I'm losing, so I follow it while reeling. Unfortunate for me, the bank is lined with overhanging trees, so I have to keep below the water line, ducking branches. At one point, one of them touches the water and I have to dip my rod under water while navigating downstream.

Near where the river bends, the fish stops and I'm able to retrieve some line. Just below the bend, there is a set of rapids and I'd really like to keep this beast above that if I can. In fact, I'm standing in the same spot where I landed a native. Though it's become quite evident to me that using 10 lb. leader for the low, clear conditions has put me at a disadvantage for dictating anything to this fish; it is pretty much doing whatever it wants.

I gain some ground on this fish, but again, when I get it near, it bolts...tearing line away like I'm freespooling. It's going to the rapids and there's nothing I can do but follow. I duck under the trees, making my way over the rocks. Fortunately, when the fish hit the tumbling water, it must have felt a bit more secure, because was just waiting for me to gain my footing and bearings. Thanks :)

Since the river keeps curving down below this, there's a nice seam and some calmer water on the near side...maybe I can land this thing somewhere near here? The fish bumps back out into the wilder water, but I'm able to actually guide it back to the nearside below me. I'm ducking under the overhanging branches, when my line gets tangled in one of them...dang it. I quickly dislodge it and the fish is still there...phew! I'm able to pull the fish toward me, but my rod can't go higher than a couple feet above the water's surface. C'mon...a little closer, pull a bit, reel, pull a bit, reel. The fish appears to be cooperating better...getting closer, within 20 feet.

Downstream there is a mine field of rocks protruding above the water, I can't raise my rod tip...I get an ominous feeling...like I'm cornered. C'mon...the water is so shallow that the fish's back breaks above the water line...native. Though, at this point, this comes as no surprise as it's completely running the show. Pull a bit more, reel. We're about 15 ft. apart, then it reads my mind and spooks. About face and boom! Burning line again and headed straight down toward the rock field. I'm in trouble, I have nothing to lose, so I clamp down harder and pray ;) Nope, the fish heads right into the rocks...then takes a right. I can't raise my rod above the tops of the rocks, and my line slips under one. Bye, bye fish! My line is still taut, but broken from the lure/fish, under a rock and a couple tugs, it slips free and I reel in and just let out a wimper/sigh at the sight of a curly-end leader.

Exciting day, but I just can't bring the bigguns to the bank :)
 
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F
fishmutt
great story. i have similar problems on the coast, seems like i always get schooled by the big 'ens. sometimes the chase is better than the catch?
 
C
ChezJfrey
Yeah, I'm still debating that...LOL

I was seriously outgunned in this match. If I woulda hooked this one where I caught the first one, I would have had a chance as there is a lot more room both up and down. But in this particular spot, not as much, and while I've banked a couple there, they were not nearly as hot and heavy.
 
brandon4455
brandon4455
those chases are really fun, ive only experienced 1 myself but man it gets your heart pounding! beautiful fish and excellent report
 
M
metalfisher76
Great job man! Yer getting deadly with that metal!!
 
W
wozniasm
Excellent story! At least you got a peak at him and a great story to tell!
 
C_Run
C_Run
What a heart breaker. I pretty much had a similar experience on Thursday with what would have been my best keeper of the year except I actually had it half way on the bank with my hand on it when it went nuts one last time an broke the line and slipped back in the river. Not much you can do but cry at that point. Keep up the good work .
 
S
SmallStreams
Having the experience is what it's all about and that was a humdinger of an experience!
 
V
Van
ChezJfrey said:
Went 1-2 today.
Saw a guy, but he was nowhere near my target area...walked by him, hiking another 100-150 yards and tossed a spinner a few times. Within 5 minutes, hooked this shiny thing:

Spinner you say? Come back to the light, ChezJfrey.











Grats, btw. :)
 
18406ej
18406ej
What a fun fight! You need to be an action-adventure writer- the story was very well portrayed.
 
C
ChezJfrey
Van said:
Spinner you say? Come back to the light, ChezJfrey.


Grats, btw. :)

Hehehehe.

I'm going to hijack my own thread here for a moment...

My fly fishing actually started last year because of my inability to get any steelhead action at all. I had a 5 wt., so started taking it with me during the trout season months and when I spent many ours getting skunked, I reverted to fishing for trout with the fly rod during the latter part of the day because I soon found I could catch 'em and it was fun.

Out of a bit of delusion, I did pick up an 8 wt. on the off chance I might actually hook a steelhead on the fly, because well, everything else I tried (float/jig, spinner, spoon, drifting) wasn't working either. However, eventually I hooked a couple on a spinner, then several on spoons; I think, at this point, I just have a better feel/knack for them than other methods.

Now that I'm getting hookups, and even banking a few, well, it's rather hard to think I'll have to revert to months and months of skunks as I ramp up the fly-flinging learning curve :) But, if things keep going well for me, I think it'll become easier for me to put aside my comfort level and branch out to other skillsets in the steelhead pursuit; I definitely don't want to lock myself into a one-dimensional fisher.
 
brandon4455
brandon4455
all you need is a thingamabobber with size 2-6 egg sucking leeches and egg patterns, hard part is finding the fish and getting a good dead drift as long as you can,usually have to hike around and find "fly water" you will pick up more fish then you would swinging flies because winter fish wont move far to grab stuff you gotta put it in their face. Very rewarding to say the least.. you will **** a brick when you hook a hot fish and then your really screwed and wont want to drop the fly rod. ask a lot of questions and do your research,watch youtube videos. it will shorten your learning curve, i know it did mine..i hooked 7 fish my first season..only problem is the hook to land ratio is crappy lol. i could hook you up with all the info i have stored in my brain through a pm..just let me know.
 
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F
fredaevans
Sigh .... you're just figuring out that the word "Life" is a 4-letter word?
;>)
 

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