It was a great trip!! I had a ton of fun and very much needed to get out!!! It was my first "official" steelhead trip and I learned a lot.
I was able to use a lot of gear for the first time, some of which I had gotten close to 2 years ago but just never had the right opportunity to use it. So because of that, my pack weighed close to 50 lbs. But it was worth it.
My new switch rod and accompanying setup felt great in my hands. I can tell it is going to need some more time on the water to really get used to it and a fish to break it in ......... :think: ........ hopefully not break it though. hahahahaha :lol:
Having your dog there was fun too. He is a crazy beggar man!!!!! hahahahahaha But he is a trooper. :clap:
We were able to watch another guy hookup and play the fish for probably about 15 seconds before the fish took off down stream and the guy went after it. He decided he needed a little swim and took a plunge in a large pool. :shock:
But after about maybe a minute or so, the fish came unbuttoned. The hook was bent.

Oh well.
I do need to figure out how to better read the water conditions and how to better present my flies. But I think that is something that will take time and practice.
Friday was beautiful!! The sun was out, and on one particular sandbar, Modest_Man decided to take a nap and soak up the sun. It was a very nice day!! Saturday was cloudy and rainy, but I rather enjoyed it like that. It gave the day more of a typical steelhead fishing day persona, like the ones that are associated with steelhead fishing that I hear and read about all the time. So it felt nice to be in that kind of weather.
All in all, I think that it was a very productive trip .... just not for fishing .... although I did not skunk on Friday. I caught, by accident, a little 14" rainbow/smolt and let him go. I got him on the swing. It was nice to catch a fish on my first trip of the year. But unfortunately I skunked on Saturday.

I broke my 2 year streak of not skunking ......
Interesting thing is that we saw about 10 - 12 other people up there. I honestly thought that we would maybe see a max of 3 others up there. But I was surprised by how many there were. :think:
@HHM - Yeah, we figured that we were going early, but the hike was well worth the beautiful views and the sweet waters!!! If you have any tips, advise, ideas, please ..... feel free to shoot me a PM.

ray:

hehehe

We will be going up there again sometime soon, just have to work out the details.
Take care y'all and thanks Modest_Man for heading out there with me. Next time I will pack significantly lighter, hahahahahaha!!!
-Spydey