Salmon River Steelhead-The Never Ending Story

[steelheaderny]

I spent thursday, friday and saturday on the river. I stayed in town. Thursday was a once in a lifetime day- hundreds of hookups, doubles, triples, QUADS! You name it. I saw George obrians three have triples more than once. Friday a cold front moved in and shut 'em down. I still dug up ten fish. Saturday dawned clear and starry (it was 4:30 when we got to the river.) I had 24 fish on with three over 10 lbs. The biggest I landed was about a 8 lb. buck- long and sleek. An olive #10 wooly bugger did it. Also purple crushed egg patterns. Black and red stones, black and blue, black and purple. Flashbacks. I found a slot, quite by accident in close. I never would have believed it. Once I found that slot it was game on. Ten fish in a half hour. Two jamokes came in right on top of me chucking lead and spooking my fish. My run stopped dead right there. Literally right over my left shoulder. I don't get aggravated anymore, it's not worth it. I pulled into the parking lot thursday and a beautiful big black salmon net was laying in the lot. I looked around thinking somebody was not far away....nobody. I open the net and lean it on my truck for all to see while I get dressed. Anyone else would have grabbed it and ran. I was going to put it in my truck and write a note with my number on the door. Couldn't find a pen. I opted for putting it in the back of my truck with an oak plank over it hoping the owner would take it. When I came back it was gone. I hope the owner got it. If not , I hope whoever stole it dies a horrible drawn out sore covered painful death. I have too much faith in people. I wanted whoever lost that net to have a chance, though.

[steelheaderny]

I've been up since 4:30. I wanna go sooo bad...My brother caught a georgeous 15 lb. double stripe buck.....TWICE! He strung it through the lower jaw and let it sit all day. No dice. Had to kill that beauty. I don't know about the second time, but the first hook was right in the huge kipe. He got lucky and it hung out close long enough to tire out and come in right where it started. A beautiful creature and an awesome battle. A lifetime fish for most mortals. I gotta give props to George Obrian. He put a total newbie into at least twenty fish Saturday. He's a pain in the azz sometimes, but a total professional who is all guide, all the time. He takes his job VERY seriously, and he's not there to be your fishing partner. He's gonna find what's working, and you're gonna catch fish. I watched that newbie hook and land his very first two without taking a step down.

[steelheaderny]

Went out today and rigged on shore. Put on a rubber san juan worm, stepped out and cast.... WHAM! My very first cast. A largish 9# or so hen. I re-rigged and cast for ten minutes...WHAM! a LARGE fish. IT came halfway out like a shark and was HUGE. I don't know if it was steel or coho, but it was over 15 lbs.. Lost in 15 seconds. A mystery monster.

[flyphisherman]

A steelhead on the first cast is truly a great way to start the day!

[steelheaderny]

It's funny you say that, it's exactly what the guy one slot down said. I went out for a few hours wednesday morning- Lou Guellierri was CRUSHING fish down below me. Centerpin, then chuck-N-duck- his two clients had twenty+ on in the three hours I was there. They were a hootin' and a hollerin'. 1250 cfs and lou was killen' 'em. Lou's a good guy. And a good guide. Him or George Obrian- you can't go wrong. I don't like to plug guides or stores if I can help it, but it does come up in normal chat situations. I have no reason or motive to lie. I gain nothing. On any given day I can outfish any guide on that river and then some. I've done- more than once. I've also been skunked while they slay 'em.... it's a wash. If anyone had some knowledge, some secret no one else knew, they would bottle it and sell it to all the people looking for that secret spot/bait/mojo. There is nothing, believe me. Luck plays as big a part as skill sometimes, if not ALL the time. The best guide is the guide who has the experience and was on the river YESTERDAY. And the day before, and before...etc. Knowing the current conditions is second to nothing as the most pertinent, valuable info. These guides are all plugged into each other, exchanging info, techniques etc.

[steelheaderny]

Sorry to those of you who enjoy my posts- Work has been getting in the way of more important things. Not that I haven't been going- I go at least once a week. I'm just too wasted to post by the time I get home .I have a couple good ones. Last Friday my big brother and I go out for the day. I went 2 for 9. He's slammin' fish with an olive drab wooley bugger, so I switch up. First cast WHAAAMMMMM! A huge strike and a head shake fight. I get the fish to the net and see my fly on her gill plate. I'm thinking "no way, man", but she sucked it in and it went out her gills and lodged in her gill plate. Never saw or heard of that. Later in my 2 for 9 day I hooked moby [censored]. That fish was HUGE. It came out like a whale sideways jumping at least 4 feet horizontally three times.It was really cool. I had to chase him a hundred yards before finally putting the brakes on. Between the current and the fish the lines' burning my hand trying to hold it still with the rod bent all the way around. He bent the hook and was gone. I never gained a single inch. I know he was one of my biggest ever.Oh well. I think he might have been foul 'cuz I had no control, but I don't know...... he might just have been that big. I did land a 15 pounder double strper, and I've got the pics to prove it. There's a million fish in that river. Also a million guys when the wheather's nice. Like tomorrow. I'm going anyway- at 4:00 am.

[steelheaderny]

I swear this is a true story. I went out about two weeks ago during a horrible snowstorm. During this day I had to( insert vulgar name for defecation here) twice. (I've been told to clean up my verse or risk being thrown off this site. Like I give a [censored].) The first time I had to (insert vulgar name for defecation here) I used napkins to wipe my POSTERIOR. The second time I had nothing- (I had been suffering from a bad digestion, etc., etc.) I used my Dr. slick hemo/scissors to cut off my underwear to wipe my POSTERIOR with. I haven't seen them since. Where are my hemos? I don't know. Anyway, TODAY I find myself in the uncomfortable position of having to take a (insert vulgar name for defecation here) with nothing to wipe my POSTERIOR with! I go to my used before spot with my new hemos and there...amongst the (insert vulgar name for defecation here) are my old Dr slicks! From two weeks ago! I was delighted, to say the very least. I got them back with zinger attatached and took a good... you know and went back fishing 2 for 5.

FIN

[WNY Steel]

(I've been told to clean up my verse or risk being thrown off this site. Like I give a [censored].)

not from me you haven't....and i'm the moderator!

[gordon141]

Ziplock bag full of diaper wipes! People crack on the guys with backpacks, but we've got plenty of beer, hot soup, and diaper wipes. Creekside deuce in style!

[steelheaderny]

Baby wipes! GREAT idea! I'll bet you don't get swamp crack like with TP. I hate that hydrolic oil crack feeling. I hauled out my soiled undies, by the by. And I do need to tone down my rants, ther are lotsa kids who use this site. But thanks. I met a GREAT dude named Jim the other day on the river. He's a 100% disabled vet, and he told me about project healing waters fly fishing. It's a non-profit dedicated to helping our active duty and veteran military learn to fish, tie flies, etc. It's a great way to give something back to our boys who have sacrificed so much for us. And it does'nt have to be just money. Last year they stayed free at the dec, got a free lasagna dinner at the vfw, and an awesome drift trip with volunteer guides, $500.00 worth of equipment etc. http://www.projecthealingwaters.org . Also, as I've said before, why not make a donation to this site if you haven't already? How much time and enjoyment have you gotten here? How many tips? How many tricks? What's $25.00 or more compared to all that? I know I spend more than that for one day on the river, and I'm a local. I don't think these guys are making a million here. Far from it. For me, I look at it like public radio. ( I know, that's a non-profit) but so what?

[steelheaderny]

Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, Inc.SM
Mission Statement and 501(c)(3)

The missionof Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing is to assist in the physical and emotional rehabilitation of disabled active duty military personnel and veterans through fly fishing and fly tying education and outings.

Project Healing Waters is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization incorporated in the State of Maryland. PHWFF is dependent on tax-deductible donations and the help of numerous volunteers to meet the educational, equipment, transportation, and related needs of the participants.

Our financial information and status is posted by Philanthropic Research, Inc. (GuideStar) for your convenience. In order to access the information, you may be asked to complete a brief, no-cost registration. Please click on their logo, below, to review our financial information, including our current IRS Form 990.




Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, Inc. strives to effectively serve the deserving past and present members of our armed forces who have made great sacrifices in the service of our Nation.

[steelheaderny]

I've had a few slow days on the river. No skunk yet though. I guided my friend and co-worker Todd on his second trip. It was good. He broke his cherry by hooking and landing his first eight pound buck. He went one for three to my o for four. Then he took a little swim. He is tall. About six foot six, but skinny as a snake. He decided to go after a snarl that's been driving us all nuts. I warned him to come back, but no, he had to do it. He got it to everyones cheers, and he managed the all too critical turn, then he tripped and went down. In slow motion. First to his knees, then the current took him to his chest, then all the way, baby. I packed his stuff and sent him out as quick as I could. It was cold, too. Soaked my Stradic reel. At least he didn't break my beautiful custom rod. By the bye, I bought some baby wipes to have on hand. Its a great idea until they freeze in your pack. You cant wipe yourself with a frozen brick of baby wipes.

[FurFace]

I've been a lifelong resident of New York (with a few years spent in New Hampshire) and those fish are spawning on those redds because I PAID FOR THE MUTHERFUCKRS! I also had to learn how to use a flyrod for the first time, and with all the trees and shiznit around I spent at least half the day re-rigging. Sorry if you can't agree/relate, but I'll sure as hell go back next year and kick their azzes again. I felt a little guilty at first after reading your post, but in retrospect I don't feel the least bit unsportsmanlike about it.

Sorry, don't want to step on any toes here, but I do have to pick this up. I'm a fellow New Hampshire angler, and a steelheader. I think you need to consider that those steelhead (mfers?) that you "paid for" are really paid for by all anglers who venture into the state, as well as those from NY. But the issue isn't (or should never be) who pays for them. If we truly care about the sport, then we need to care for and respect the steelhead, and what's in their best interest. It should never be about our personal angling, but about the health, welfare and future of the steel population.
Fact of the matter, any fish (especially steelhead) are exhausted by the rigors of spawning and the arduous activity of establishing the breeding pecking order. If we really do care about steelhead and the future of the "sport", then we should let them fulfill their life's purpose -- as many times as they can.
Shouldn't it be enough that we get to fish for, battle and admire these awesome fish at all??? Why do we have to make it a numbers thing? Isn't any day on steelhead water a good day? a GOOD ENOUGH day? So what's the harm of letting them spawn uninterrupted? We get to fish for them the whole rest of the time, and in my book, that's more than enough.

[Flytie09!!]

steelheader, I met up with you in early Nov., and I just wanted to say it was a pleasure mtg you. I was the guy at the Sportsmans Hole and walked out w/ you. That being said, keep posting as I only get to enjoy the river 1x a year. Heres my brief take on redds. I say if you love them like your children, you shoudn't jab a hook in their jaw and drag them around in the current for 20 min. I enjoy fishing, I don't sight fish, but if it's your bag, go for it. I'm getting a little po'd by the righteous fishermen I see on the river criticizing every friggen move everyone makes out there. Im a fly fisherman myself and there are a growing number of us that rather than help, educate, and respect others techniques within the law, want to bow up and flap their choppers with every foul hooked fish and poor technique they see. Do you guys remember the snaggin Eighties? I do and I see alot of great sportsmen out there now vs then. If I want to be bitched at out there, Ill bring my wife. Peace. p.s. to the prev. poster, this is not directed ar u. Im just philosphizing and could be full of shiii#.

[FurFace]

Thanks, appreciate that... Like I said, not trying to step on toes, but MY feeling is that we owe sooo much to salmon and SH and should let them do their thing. Easy enough to just move on to other water and fish to other fish who aren't fulfilling their life's call. That's all. For me, it's about growing my angling skills to be able to hook up more with difficult fish in difficult circumstances. But that's me.

FF