Salmon River Steelhead-The Never Ending Story

[steelheaderny]

I made it to the schoolhouse by 8:00 this morning. I went 7 for 10. One largish buck- about 12 lbs. The rest ran from 6 to 9, but the last fish, one of the smallest of the day gave me the best ride. All were caught on black or black and red. I saw 3 cohos- all bucks and caught by others. I actually hooked the big one's mouth shut. Bottom to top. Never did that before. I have to stop fishing and look for work.

[Dirty-Genny]

salmon eggs work fine in the cold water...

[steelheaderny]

I caught fish at zero degrees on salmon eggs. I read that in Salmon Trout Steelheader Mag. I always add a caveat like "I read", or "I heard" to things I don't see for myself. The more I fish, the more I realize how full of it all the "experts" are.

[DaveP]

I caught fish at zero degrees on salmon eggs. I read that in Salmon Trout Steelheader Mag. I always add a caveat like "I read", or "I heard" to things I don't see for myself. The more I fish, the more I realize how full of it all the "experts" are.

Doubly so when they don't tell you if that was Celsius, Fahrenheit, or Kelvin. sheesh.

[steelheaderny]

40 degrees FAHRENHEIT tomorrow....I'll post when I get back.

[steelheaderny]

5 for 7 and a very weird day. Nothing at all happened up and down the schoolhouse 'till 9:30 when a guide's client hit and lost a fish. I thought I was heading for my first skunk in a long time when I hit a fish and lost it about 12:00. I went on to land 4 for 6 and was about to leave when I hooked a BIG buck- 32". I'll guess about 13lbs. He was fat as hell and bright chrome. I thought all the way to shore I had him in the azz 'cuz he just wouldn't come in and felt like dead weight. After I landed him and took out four hooks (including mine) I measured him and took my time reviving him. I never took him out of the water. After I let him go, he surfaced up and down the pool no fewer than ten times. I was bumming, thinking I killed him. He disappeared and I don't know if he made it back to the slot, or got washed down and died. Bummer. The big ones take forever to land, and they are dog tired when you get them in. I wonder if I should have released him in the diversion where there is no current (and no oxygen), or let him go in the slowest water I could, like I did. I hope he made it.

[River Rat<><]

I think you did the right thing. The dead water would likely have less disolved oxygen in it. Me and a buddy saw a HUGE hen brown floating down river this year on a smaller trib. She had been milked up river and left to float. I got her at the tail out and used one of thin nylon rope like stringers to tie her up (jaw pierced) at the bottom of a small fast rapid in a seam to the side. We used a long rock and tree limb to keep her from going belly up and continued fishing the pool above the rapid.

We figured if she came around we would release her and if she died, well....there were plenty of guys to give her to that day. I checked on her after a half hour and she was coming around....about an hour later she was kicking like a mule and back in she went.

I hope she made it, they haven't stocked browns up here for years and those spawners are the only hope of a continued fishery.

RR

[steelheaderny]

I hope so. On the way home I saw an Amish buggy doing a U-turn in the middle of Rt. 13. I'm thinking "What the hell?" As I approached I saw a large, round top felt hat in the road. Obviously it blew off the owners head. As I drove by I saw a little Amish boy- no more than three years old if he was a day. He's got a look on his face like "Oh no, my f-ing hat blew off, yo." He was just the cutest little guy you can imagine. Straw-blond straight hair in a Dutch-boy (no pun). Big fat ruddy cheeks. His father couldn't be a day over 21 himself. Big stranglyass black beard. No mustache. Fat ugly wife (same ruddy cheeks) with a baby in her arms. I'm waiting for this guy to make the kid get out and get his hat, but he did it himself. Lucky for him. Most any local would have run that hat over if they possibly could. Rednecks. Say or think what you will, but they look healthier as a group than most people. All that good food and clean livin'.

[River Rat<><]

ya......so.......next time you have a floater, perhaps an hour on a stringer in well oxygenated water could bring it around. It works.

RR

[steelheaderny]

Thanks. He wasn't floating though. He was upright for a long time before I let him go. He bolted, too. I got SKUNKED today, Sat. Not...a...touch. Nothing. Nada. Niente. First skunk since October.

[Dirty-Genny]

seriously? the white man does the same......

[steelheaderny]

35degrees Saturday.

[steelheaderny]

6 for 8 with a LARGE buck and a nice long (but not heavy) buck brown. I think this was my first brown of the year. I've finally got pictures of the big steelie . I'll guess 12 or 13. I cannot for the life of me figure out how to post pictures on this blog. I've followed all the directions, but no dice. I'm shti for technology. The day started out very cold, but by 11:00 I was peeling off layer after layer. I FINALLY caught a steelie on my own fly. I used all my good stuff and went to a chartreuse egg sucking leech I made...poorly. It worked, though. It's a great feeling.

[steelslayer81]

Keep up the good posts,I have missed reading them this past week(this is the only reason I visit this site).I am heading up that way in a week form the granite state and can not wait to hook in to some steel.have fun and congrats on hooking up on your own fly

[Dirty-Genny]

in order to post pics, you first need to create a photobucket(or similar) account and first upload them there.

then copy and past the image code, which looks similar to this

[IMG]http://stuffandthings.com[IMG]