Steelheading With douG And ccmt

[solopaddler]

Not an indepth tale, it's more of a rundown of the days events.

With both kids nipping at my heels today it'll have to suffice .

 

Enjoy!

 

 

Anticipation

 

The chances of all 3 of us being able to take a week day off at the same time and on a day when the conditions are perfect, well they're pretty slim.

 

Nevertheless amazingly enough it happened yesterday.

Cliff showed up at my place with Doug in tow shortly before 5am.

I'd been trying for awhile now to get Cliff to come out with me to no avail. Work, schedules and life in general always intervened.

Same thing with Doug. Over the last year or so we've shared a great many lengthy phone conversations and his desire to fish for steelhead, his eagerness to learn, and his enthusiasm were all infectious.

Today was the day we finally made it happen.

 

As we piled our gear into my vehicle and hit the highway the anticipation was palpable...

 

I can't see!

 

Neither one of the boys were rigged up, both preferring to wait 'till we arrived so that I could lend a hand in the process.

We pulled into a truck stop close to the river in the cold pre dawn hours to grab a coffee, and I figured why not get everyone ready here?

There was a large streetlamp iluminating everything nicely for me as I went to work..

Was about halfway through the chore, moving quickly as my fintgertips were numb when suddenly the light went out.

Arrrgh, "I can't see!".

Fumbling and bumbling in front of the truck trying to use the headlights, Cliff came to the rescue with a halogen headlamp clipped to the brim of my cap. Sweeet .

We quickly donned our waders and gear, hopped in the truck and sped down the nearby backroad heading towards the river.

Even though I've been here many times the tiny rutted trail was hard to find in the murky darkness and I actually drove right past the thing and had to backtrack .

Finally found it, parked the truck, grabbed our gear and we were off...

 

Don't Take Me Down With You!

 

The trail to the river was slick with mud. It was a far cry from my previous outing on Sunday when everything was frozen.

Nice temps to start the day, but for those with felt soled boots (Doug) the walking was a bit....slippery .

When we finally arrived at the river and began our hike upstream I knew it would be a good day.

The river was still up and flowing well, but the clarity was perfect.

About 2', with just a tinge of greenish sediment suspended in the flow.

In order to reach our first pool the river must be forded three times. With the river still somewhat high, and deceptively powerful Douglas needed a hand.

With little experience wading in larger flows that was to be expected, but when he latched onto my jacket with the grip of a demon and started pulling me backwards I had second thoughts.

"For gawds sake man don't take me down with you!!" LOL!

A minute or two of sidestepping, shuffling and angling downstream with the current (don't fight it, go with it) had us to the other side.

Only 2 more to go!

 

Finally we made it to my pool of choice. As mentioned the river was a quite a bit clearer, so we had to tweak the rigs a bit before starting.

Stretched the float out, added a couple more split shot, lengthened the leader and we were good to go.

My first priority was helping the guys, but after a bit of instruction I couldn't resist. I sidled downstream and placed my float along a particularly inviting seam.

It righted itself, floated 10' downstream, paused then shot under.

First fish of the day:

 

 

Not long after Doug hit a small skipper. Perfect for the pan he quickly dispatched it with the skill of a butcher.

(I thinks he's done that once or twice before ).

He was ecstatic.

 

He was even more ecstatic when moments later he hooked into this shiny chunk of chrome:

 

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=y5WY7rZoOuY

 

Cliffy got in the game after assuming the pole position in the pool, and managed several including one that was particularly fat and chromy.

Here's a pic of Doug taking a pic of one of Cliffs fish :

 

 

There are more pic's of Cliff with fish, but they're on his camera. Hopefully he'll post 'em!

 

The Chrome-A-Thon Commences

 

As mentioned I'm not feeling overly inspired at the moment so pic's of yesterdays action will have to suffice.

Some of the photos are spectacular. The lighting and water clarity were perfect...

Most of these photos are of me...that wasn't planned.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At one point Doug hooked and caught a gorgeous chrome buck that put up a fantastic fight in the current:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Doug Breaks Into Song

 

 

Around mid-day Doug managed a perfect drift 6" from a huge log jam in the river. I was watching his float expecting it to dip down and hang up on one of the branches.

It shot down all right but it was another angry male steelhead he was attached to and not a branch.

The fish zigged, then zagged, then exploded on the surface right in front of him before taking off on a sizzling run downstream.

 

Doug, (with some prodding), broke into song :

 

http://ca.youtube.com/user/solopaddler4

 

And here's a still pic of the beast:

 

 

 

I've GOT to Pee!

 

 

That was pretty much it......except for one thing.

 

On the way home Doug started squirming and fidgeting. He was having a bit of a bladder control issue.

Hmmm...perhaps it had something to do with the 2 litres of pop he had just swilled down LOL!

 

"Stop!" he says.

"Alright, there's a truck stop just up the...."

"Stop now. Anywhere, I don't care where" he says.

 

Alrighty then. I found a totally deserted country road and Doug hopped out.

 

I don't know what compelled me to drive away leaving him exposed just as that pickup rounded the corner....

 

 

He said he, uh, waved at them when they drove by LOL!

 

What a great day, thanks guys!

 

(Already mentioned it guys, but let's see some more pic's of the two of you! I barely had any on my camera!)

 

Cheers, Mike

[BillM]

You know, this doesn't help when I don't pick my float rod/reel up until the 31st

 

Great report!

[ccmtcanada]

I'll a few more pics from my camera when I get home.....

 

Great write up Mike! Had an awesome day with you and Doug...

[PatrickGG]

Awesome job and quality Chrome, Job well done .

[Roy]

Just a wonderful report Mike. I've really been looking forward to this one. I'll come back and take the time to really enjoy it cause right now I'm busier than a 3 legged cat trying to bury a turd on a frozen pond.

 

ps. I was able to tweak that song clip by hitting the mute switch on my headset.

[medmart]

Sounds like every one had a great day those are some nice chrome

 

Rob

[johnnyb]

I am just blow away with all the steelhead on this board. For about 5 or 6 years, I tried every year...mind you, never in the fall. I'm a total noob when it comes to steel, although, I think I've got enough gear to get by. thanks for posting this, solo...definitely inspiring me to get out there and give it a rip!

[kemper]

Im really beginning to dislike you.

 

And tomorrow morning i get to fish in a ditch...one that will probably be 500 m high and chocolate milk.

[jdmls]

LMAO @ " we can't let this one go " , honestly I had people at the office turning around at their desks raiseing an eyebrow...

 

Awesome day guys. Mike you called it for the Thursday wrong word storm on its way in tonight ....Hopefully next week !!

 

The video's made this report !!!

Edited October 24, 2008 by JDMLS

[Paulus]

Sweeeeeet!

 

As I continue to live vicariously through you, let me express the fact that it does nothing to relieve the serious case of green envy from which I suffer.

 

 

p.-

[douG]

Great report, Mike. Even though I don't remember some of those things transpiring exactly the same as you described, everything you said was pretty much true.

 

Mike, please let me say how happy I was to get to fish with you and Cliff yesterday, and to thank you for putting on a true clinic for me. You were extremely generous with your time, advice and patience, and you were as thrilled as I was when I started to hit them.

 

That day won't soon be forgotten. And Cliff, it is always a treat to be able to fish with you. Many thanks to you too. I'll put up some pictures tonight.

[troutologist]

Looks like a beauty day there gents. Keep up the good work!

[silvio]

Hate my life!!!

Good job boys, Maybe next week well have a shoot at paradise.

[snag]

Brilliant as always !

 

Poor Doug. When ya gotta go, ya gotta go. (good thing it gets caught on camera!)

 

Well done!

[LeXXington]

Super going guys, Thoes picks were amazing.

 

Thanks for sharing

[ccmtcanada]

The day was perfect....well except for the fact I was up at 2:30am.....

 

It was overcast and cold to start the day, but once the sun came up, the clouds went away, the sun came out and it was perfect out there. Even had to shed the heavier jacket later in the day.

 

Thanks Mike...as usual, the fishing was great, but the overall experience was phenomenal! Doug...you were a blast to fish with on this day as well...like a kid in a candy store. Whenever you had a fish on, the excitement on your face was just priceless!!!

 

Anyhow, here are the pics....

 

Doug with his first decent sized Steelie ever....see his "kid in the candy store look?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This guy didn't want to wait around for a picture....so it had a premature release....LOL

Edited October 24, 2008 by ccmt

[silvio]

Nice pics...

[Whopper]

Awesome account of your time spent together fellas!

[JohnF]

That looks like an excellent way to spend part of a day. Creek wading is the way to go.

 

Two questions:

 

1. Does anyone here use a river stick? I have one, courtesy of a friendly Ottawa Valley beaver. It was lightweight (some kind of Poplar I think), already stripped of it's bark, and ready to go. All I had to do was drill three holes and insert two pieces of light cord. One for a wrist wrap and the other so I could hang it across my back when not in use. The top end sticks up over my left shoulder so it doesn't interfere with my cast. It's very handy for fast flowing creeks when the water gets up around my hips and I can no longer see the bottom.

 

2. Are there any lazy steelheads that don't start swimming until a more reasonable hour, like 10 am? I don't function well at 5 am. In fact, I may not even function at all. I did well to get out at 8:30 this morning on yet one more fruitless basschase in the Thames. Lotsa pretty scenery (we tried a new spot) but no bass.

 

JF

[kingofthesteelhead]

I dare you to come out east and do that! Maybe on monday and tuesday.

[solopaddler]

I dare you to come out east and do that! Maybe on monday and tuesday.

 

Normally I'd be up for a dare but this time I think I'll pass .

 

Should be good out there Mon/Tues though.

[solopaddler]

That looks like an excellent way to spend part of a day. Creek wading is the way to go.

 

Two questions:

 

1. Does anyone here use a river stick? I have one, courtesy of a friendly Ottawa Valley beaver. It was lightweight (some kind of Poplar I think), already stripped of it's bark, and ready to go. All I had to do was drill three holes and insert two pieces of light cord. One for a wrist wrap and the other so I could hang it across my back when not in use. The top end sticks up over my left shoulder so it doesn't interfere with my cast. It's very handy for fast flowing creeks when the water gets up around my hips and I can no longer see the bottom.

 

2. Are there any lazy steelheads that don't start swimming until a more reasonable hour, like 10 am? I don't function well at 5 am. In fact, I may not even function at all. I did well to get out at 8:30 this morning on yet one more fruitless basschase in the Thames. Lotsa pretty scenery (we tried a new spot) but no bass.

 

JF

 

To answer your questions, no and once again no.

[msp]

I dare you to come out east and do that! Maybe on monday and tuesday.

I thought that that was out east.Wasnt that Oshawa Creek?

[bigugli]

Amazing report fellas. Great catch of fish.

 

Doug, what is it with Finns and singing. Were we all brought up watching Hymn Sing on CBC?

[JohnF]

To answer your questions, no and once again no.

 

That sux. It's one thing fer you young budgers to get up that early, you aren't already in countdown mode like us old codgers. We're avoiding greeting the next day like the plague, cuz it's the downhill side of everything that's good, unless you value value baldness and decrepitude. And when yer old and creaky, the balance goes second. Y'all think ya know what goes first and it ain't memory, and it also ain't what yer thinkin'. I'd share it with y'all, but ya need to find out fer yerselfs.

 

The MNR needs to develop a fish species that thrives on sunlight and shallow water (other than those dang' carp), that gets up late in the morning and is attracted to (sparse) grey hair .... oh yeah, and portliness. Then they need to impose new fishing regs that allow only those of us over 60 to prey on these particularly dumb lazy fish. It would be nice if they'd be toothless like bass and disinclined towards long spooling runs.

 

The world is tilted in favour of you young studs.

 

JF