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Epic Quest For Chrome


solopaddler

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So, last Thursday night my buddy Fergie calls me to say he can't make it Fri/Sat.

We had plans to head to Ohio to meet up with a friend of mine who lives down there for 2 days of fishing.

Looong drive when you're alone, so I decided against going.

Still, I had 2 free days. The kids were being dropped off at my sister's place for a sleepover and Joanne had things planned for both days herself. Couldn't possibly let this opportunity go to waste :) .

 

Friday morning I started locally at Port D. The browns had been hitting pretty good earlier in the week so I thought why not?

After arriving at the pier I noticed a familiar looking boat drifting in the current. Turned out to be a couple buddies of mine and they were more than happy to welcome me aboard. Excellent!

I've got no pic's to show you mainly 'cause I didn't catch anything :P . That's the way she goes sometimes!

While I was with them the other boys caught a couple of browns and 1 lake trout though, but it certainly wasn't fast and furious.

I did have a fat female brown on and right up to the side of the boat before the hook pulled free.

 

Around 11am I said my goodbyes and left the boys drifting. I shot home, packed the car and hit the hwy north. Suddenly I had an urge to fish the Saugeen :) .

I figured it would be good as I'd heard a couple of reports that the water was up, in prime shape and the fish were in.

The only concern was rain. I drove through a literal monsoon approaching Southampton and it never stopped from that point on.

I arrived at 4:30pm so I didn't have much time to waste. I quickly donned my waders and headed to the dam.

Not a spot I normally bother with, but time was of the essence..

 

The river was up, slightly off coloured and just rippin'.

In the rainy, murky gloom I saw 3 guys with fish on at the same time, rods dancing and bucking as they struggled to follow these fresh powerhouse fish downstream.

I managed to squeeze into a spot and with about 30 mins of light left my float shot under and I was suddenly attached to a bolt of lightning. The fish, a good one, shot through the tailout and sped downriver through another riffle before I could blink.

Stumbling after it as best I could the fish made one wild leap and spit the hook...

Ah well...

I snapped a quick pic of the pool before the rain and approaching darkness drove me from the river:

 

GeorgianBayNov2008002.jpg

 

Now I had decision to make, what to do?

The 'geen is one of my favourite rivers, but with all the rain I was afraid Saturday might be a write off.

Rather than potentially be faced with blown conditions I decided to head east to Georgian Bay.

Those rivers (the smaller ones at least) would be a much safer bet in my experience...

 

Pulled into town around 8pm, checked into a motel, wolfed down some fast food and a beer and passed out.

 

The next morning I arrived at the mouth of the river in darkness.

As best I could tell the water was up and off coloured but definitely fishable.

Already both banks were lined with guys fishing with small glowsticks on their floats.

I walked over to the east side and found a nice flat rock to stand on..

 

Now this is cool :) . It was really still too dark to see my float, but I couldn't resist lobbing a cast out anyway.

I threw it out there blindly, and after about 10 seconds I feel this huge tug on my line.

I thought it was one of guys across from me that I was entangled with. Great start I thought..

I slowly pull back (no hook set) and a fish erupted right in front of me apparantly attached to the end of my line.

Great start indeed :) .

 

GeorgianBayNov2008003.jpg

 

Ended up doing quite well. Without getting into numbers it was by far the best day I've had up there in a while.

 

Didn't get a ton of pic's, but I did get a few:

 

GeorgianBayNov2008004.jpg

 

GeorgianBayNov2008005.jpg

 

GeorgianBayNov2008008.jpg

 

GeorgianBayNov2008010.jpg

 

GeorgianBayNov2008009.jpg

 

GeorgianBayNov2008006.jpg

 

I just bought a smoker last week and decided that I'd keep a couple of these chrome beauties to try out.

Near the end of the day I dispatched a couple and filleted them up.

Check out the meat, yum!

 

GeorgianBayNov2008007.jpg

 

Fantastic couple of days even being solo!

 

Cheers, Mike

Edited by solopaddler
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Sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.........................................How's the new stick?? :whistling:

 

Well I only used it at the Saugeen, it's a big water stick as you know, so can't really say.

Incredible power for such a thin blank that's for sure...

 

I'll give you the definitive rundown after the Michigan trip this week.

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Very nice Mike all the driving and solo trip payed off. Never leave home without a glow stick. :) I miss river fishing bows it's been a while, but I use to be a night hawk when everyone was leaving I was just showing up with a pocket full of glow sticks and they hit all night long from dusk till dawn.

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