ChrisK

So sorry to here about this Bruce. They are just as close too us as any family member and sometimes even more. We love our dogs with all our hearts and when it comes time its always a hard call to let them. All those years of unconditional love never to be forgotten...I still well up when I think of Arnie and all the fun we used to have together.... My condolences to you Bruce.

You know it

Great work guys !!

Sounds like your going to beat this thing Rich.. Merry Christmas !!

Very cool Bill !!

Looks like he's going to fit right in. Great companion for your boy as well.

Great report Keven !

That was funny !!

I only use fluorocarbon when pinning. I've also been trying different brands over the years. I like the Frog hair and the Drennan. It seem to be more abrasion resistant and stronger knot strength than most of the others.

Thanx for the kind words everyone. I really love this time of year up at the trailer. Of course its my favorite time of year with all those fall chromers coming in and out of the river and the bonus coho's if the timing is right. I'm hoping there will be another few weekends to go if the weather permits so keep your fingers crossed and lets hope for the best.

Got off to the trailer early Saturday morning. Arrived about 7.30am and suited up. Got down to the river and placed my first cast right on the mark. No more did the float hit the water when it disappeared and I set the hook into my first fish. Took a few good runs and started to give up a little. I'm thinking,this is strange. Usually these steelhead don't give up that easy. As I bring the fish closer to shore I realize its a little dark and beat up looking. Tail was worn down from spawning and its in rough shape.I get it landed and to my surprise its a drop back,huh ???? This little fella has found himself a fall spawning hen. Not the first time I've come across this. I've caught loose hens before in the fall but never on this trib. So I send him off and get back to it....About a half hour goes by and once again the float disappears and I have another fish on. Again the fight is lazy,no air time and mostly this fish is doggin around in front of me. Whats going on here I'm thinkin,another drop back ??? So the fish gives in and I get it into the shallows and at first it looks like a bow but hardly a fight at all,can't be a bow...I get it to the bank and its a big female coho and she's got belly full of roe. Good timing cause I had used up all my spawn and was buying it lately from a local tackle shop. So I decided to keep her. Of course her presence meant one thing. I had just walked into a run of coho and the day was just getting started. Timing is everything with these fish because they show up and disappear in the matter of hours water levels permitting... Next fish puts up a better fight,finally some steel.. And another this time on a wiggler Decided to take a brake for lunch and process that hen coho and tie a couple flies. Cleaned her at the river and water hardened the roe for about 20 minutes in a plastic bag. Worked out pretty good. Took the roe and the fish back to the trailer where I chunked up the hen for the smoker and laid out all the fresh spawn onto paper towels for drying. Picked out all the impurities and broken egg shells and an hour later dumped all the fresh spawn into a zip lock. Sweet !! Decided to tie up a nice big white bugger and a couple of wigglers after my sandwich and geared up for round two. Couple drifts in and I'm hooked up again. Another lazy fish and once again its a coho. Looks like a female but she's not real big like the other and not half as heavy with roe so I sent her on her way. I tie on the big white bugger and toss it out. The float goes no more than a foot and wham I get freight trained and set the hook. The fish goes for a huge run tearing out line to the tail out of the pool and takes to the air cartwheeling and then comes screaming back up into the pool in front of me and goes to air again..The fight was intense and a major heart pounding adrenalin rush for me. Fight carries on but finally the steel tires and succumbs to my efforts. Very respectful size buck and he fought well so for this he gets to fight another day.... Last fish of the day !! I decided to take a video of his release. Nice little shaker and he put up a good fight for his size. http://youtu.be/urnWr3UwU5Q I called it a day after this release and headed back up to my resting place for some cold beer and dinner. Around 7.00pm I loaded up the fireplace and kicked back on the couch to rest for a bit before a movie and some more fly tieing. Next thing I know I'm out like a light...Eyes open and its 4.00am....wide awake !! Its raining pretty good out there. To early to fish and certainly two early to get into a couple beers so I put on the coffee and start tieing. It started to get light shortly after 7.00am so I finished up my last fly and started to get ready. The rain was still coming down pretty steady. Here's what I tied in the past few hours. I know its not much but I was in morning mode enjoying my coffee and baileys while listening to the rain fall on my roof... Finally out the door and back on the river. The water was going off because of the rain and slowly rising. I fished for a couple hours with not even a hit water still rising and changing color. Here comes my buddy John from London to fish with me in the rain. We fished together for a couple more hours until I had enough and headed back to the trailer. John decided to stay and fish since he only had this day to get a couple fish on. He switched up to a spinning pole after I had went back to the trailer and look what happened !! Nice fish John and on his favorite flatfish like usual. After I saw this I had to give it a try. Went and got my spinning pole and put on a Blue Fox silver vibrax...Tossed it around a bit and ended up with a nice little shaker finally. Picture didn't turn out so well due to water on the lense but here it is anyways.... Anyhow,that's my weekend and hope you enjoyed it half as much as I did.

Well done JOP. I'll take 3 to 6 pounders all day if thats what was in the cards. Good scrappers to say the least !!

Nice reel !! Good luck with your casting Fang. I have total confidence your going to do well with a little practice.

Ahh let it slide..... Good neighbors are hard to come buy. You like them right and the truck is an older model which you just want to keep around for a year ??? Go talk to your neighbor over a couple cold ones. He may surprise you....

Not impressed,sorry

I'll go check it out

Too bad they couldn't add a video clip of the action of the bait in the water...

Yup,pretty close to locking this one down pending now on what happens next. If you all including Capt Bruce can cool yer jets we can leave this one up so Emil can continue to celebrate his great first day of pinning for steel. So what do you all say we just move on.... Good on ya Emil...Great catch !!

Sorry to here that Mike. My condolences to you and your family. Seems like it hasn't been that long since I sat at my fathers side while he passed away so I know what you mean by the most peaceful moment...

It will be prime this weekend and I could sure use that extra chair at the fire pit.I'll be the only one there as well so your company would be more than welcome !!

Lake Huron trout are delicious. If I was to keep a fish for the dinner table it would be a 3 or 4 pound fish. When it comes to smoking fish I look for the bigger ones with more fat content in the meat. They tend not to dry out so fast which allows me to keep them in the smoker for longer periods of time. Usually 4 trays of wood chips and then a good 8 hours from that point. If the meat isn't cooked enough by then I put a cover over the smoker to increase heat for another hour or two.

Naaaa,just my fishing partner...more of a young steelheader in training

Hey,that does look good

This weekend was simply amazing. Numbers were down but the fish we did catch were huge and they fought hard taking to the air cartwheeling and tearing up and down the pools like freight trains. Some hit gently barely moving the float while others literally tore the pole from your hands and removed the fly from the tippet instantly in some of the most aggressive strikes I've seen this fall. I think it had a lot to do with the crystal clear cold highly oxygenated water. We took this picture and there was some silt in the water and still you could nearly see half way across the river,wow !! Now for some Huron bruisers !!

Happy Birthday Lew !!