Well I ended up at the creek..

[eggs]

Started off today at 7:30 below stark street on the blown out sandy.... i stood on the bank and shook my head then realized i should go to a eagle creek and see what all the fuss is about...

after reading about where to go based on this forum i was on my way..

first things first wow a lot more people up there then i imagined, about 30 to 40 cars parked on the side of the road from around eagle fern to hatchery(about 10-12 at hatchery)... is it always like this?? is itworse on weekends? i mean it wasn't war fishing but i expected to be like 1 of 5 or 10 people on the upper part today..

it was my first time fishing the creek and kinda liked it..

Went up the the hachery and the holes below it, didn't know my way around the trails at 8:30am.. so i walked down the creek(pretty damn clear water) from the harchery about 1/2 mile... some reason i pictured the typical harchey hole, a line of guys casting into a pool inches from the boundery... I was stoked and suprised at the spacing and distance between holes.. quick question is fishing below and above of the fish ladder below eagle fern any good??(outside restricted area of course) lots of cars there..

this is my first ever steelie run and hooked into my first 2 today and didn't land a single one... my first serious attempt at anything larger then trouts :lol: each battle lasted like 5 minutes.. I was mainly drifting a pink worm... and practicing my float fishing with my baitcaster..(BIRDS NEST)

but something happened that I am not proud of i think i screwed up the guy next to me by trying to help him net a fish he hooked instead of banking it, i think it spooked the fish and it got free :doh: I still feel like **** at the possibility i screwed up someones catch I just got soo pumped for somone to catch a steelie, i wanted to help anyway i could... but that didn't work out well and it ruined my day for sure

lesson learned i guess, i grew a little wiser today! maybe tomorrow has more learning in store.. hopefully at my own expense this time!

sorry bout the fish off bro..

 

[tnffishman]

thats a good trip out for sure! a lot of guys catch fish below that ladder but it's usually too crowded.

Man ur netting fish off story reminded me of my first and only time doing that. But this was a 30 pound fall chinook ARGHHH i still feel so bad for that now they're on their own I guess

 

[Ideceivefish]

Did he ask you to help him net it?

 

[Ideceivefish]

30-40 cars? That's insane. All I can think about is being out fishing this time of year while I am at work all day. I can barely get out once a week, but glad to have a good job. Fine line I guess.

 

[eggs]

Did he ask you to help him net it?

i asked him if he wanted help.. he said ya sure.. so i went over.. then while trying to net it when it was close to shore the fish took off back to the current.. he told me to stop and to get back to the shore.. which i was doing.. then the fish jumped out of the water and puked out the hook he then told me that netting can scare the fish and you can loose it.. he said it is better to tire the fish out and he doesn't really like to use a net..

i always though was bad to completely tire it out if there is a chance it was a wild steelie.. but what do i know

he said it was cool after the fact and not to worry.. but still bummed me out knowing i scared off his first steelie in a couple years according to him.. i could tell he was alittle bummed, he packed up but continued to fish for like an hour to try and land that guy.. no dice

ehh not much i could do i guess.. I listened as much as possible and reacted as quick as i could, both helping and getting away..

 

[eggs]

30-40 cars? That's insane. All I can think about is being out fishing this time of year while I am at work all day. I can barely get out once a week, but glad to have a very good job. Fine line I guess.

yea there was around 15 at the ladder.. 5 in eagle fern .. 3 or 4 at the bridge up stream of eagle fern.. 5-10 on the road randomly to the hatchery.. and 10-12 at the harchery.. all by 8:30am

 

[Ideceivefish]

Guess I need to start getting there at 4:30am and setting traps behind me. :lol:

Kidding. But I really enjoy my space and EC is def not a place to get that.

 

[halibuthitman]

I wouldnt beat yourself up over it..... its just a fish

 

[Mherriford]

I was at teh bridge above eagle fern all morning, but no dice, it did seam like there was a lot of people out there for a weekday

 

[lilsalmon]

I kind of know how you feel eggs....my experience yesterday was not quite as bad but it ruined my day.....First time on the N Fork Alsea by the hatchery...everyone was soo cool and there was quite a few of us there...well, anyway...as I am casting out I look and there is this lone float right where mine is slowly flying toward....slowly drifting down, minding its own business....happy as can be....guess what...tangled my line right around it...well, I felt like poop cuz I knew that guy was way experienced and I am an amateur....he told me to take it, I did, cut MY line and threw his out...all the time redfaced and thinking damn, if I could hook a steelie as good.........

 

[Ideceivefish]

If people are out combat fishing they need to expect that to happen. I don't think anyone cares about it during that type of fishing.

 

[eggs]

yea i'm not beating myself up anymore.. just sucks to have happen.. but for now on i am keeping to myself and only helping if the person is yelling for help

 

[Mike123]

Even "pro netters" miss fish.. it happens. Although I did have to school my brother and my dad who get WAY too excited when netting. haha. Main thing to do IMO is keep the net outta the water until you really know your gonna get the fish in the net and hold the excess netting up with your hand, letting it go as you stab the net into the water.. Sometimes those whacky buggas will jump all around and act crazy before you can get 'em in the net.:lol:

 

[GDBrown]

I have found that the fish are ready to be netted when they roll onto their side the first time. Then always go for a head first stab with the net like Mike123 said.

GD

 

[Mike123]

I have found that the fish are ready to be netted when they roll onto their side the first time. Then always go for a head first stab with the net like Mike123 said.

GD

Yea head first! They always seem to swim away really fast when you go tail first.

 

[Yentz]

I think EC is gonna be pretty popular right now with the other rivers mostly blown out. I'm dreading what it's gonna be like Sat when I go down there.

 

[steelhead_stalkers]

I would not consider most people at a meat hole to be experienced so don't worry about tangling up with someone, it happens all the time in those places.

And as far as netting a fish, its not your fault that he lost the fish, he would have lost it anyway trying to tire it out enough to beach it since the hook came out anyway. People are so weird sometimes, you were helping him out and he lost the fish, HIS loss not yours. Its not like you tried to net the fish and had it half in the net and the hook came out, that would be something to feel bad about.

 

[metalfisher76]

I would not consider most people at a meat hole to be experienced so don't worry about tangling up with someone, it happens all the time in those places.

And as far as netting a fish, its not your fault that he lost the fish, he would have lost it anyway trying to tire it out enough to beach it since the hook came out anyway. People are so weird sometimes, you were helping him out and he lost the fish, HIS loss not yours. Its not like you tried to net the fish and had it half in the net and the hook came out, that would be something to feel bad about.

TRUE! Ya did good. If he thinks he was gonna land it , when the hook popped without any extra pressure, he be trippin. I do the same thing, never use a net. But I know whether I caused a fish to come off or if it was inevitable.

 

[eggs]

thanks for the support you guys rock!

 

[Troutier Bassier]

In a fish's mind when it sees a net.."F%$^$% NET! SWIM!"

A while ago I was trying to a PIG Hatchery steelhead caught on accident whil fishing with a kastmaster. It was tired so I tried to net it and accidentaly hit the hook out of its mouth. My dad tried to cheer me up by saying it was a wild. boy I knew it was a hatchery...