First successful steelhead outing!

[frozen-fire]

I recently picked up a float setup for this fall season. Seeing all these steelhead reports made me want to expand my fishing opportunities into the winter and also pick up a new style of fishing altogether.

With lots of help from MJL and Victor, I was slowly on my way to becoming a pinner Casting is still a little awkward at times, but I'm definitely starting to get the hang of it. Handling of such a long rod through thick trees and bush is also a learning process haha.

 

I spent about a month or two going on countless outings only to produce nothing. The skunkings were starting to pile up and I started to get frustrated.

The lack of rain leading to low water and gin clear conditions certainly didn't help.

 

This weekend I was determined to get into my first and to put an end to my embarassing skunk streak.

 

Thankfully, MJL joined EC1 and myself to show us how the pro's do it

 

The morning was cold. Ice was forming along the shores and the water looked very murky. Not good. We got to a nice stretch and rigged up the rods. As sunlight slowly crept over the trees, I was finally able to see my float and the actual pool we were fishing. MJL is a very good teacher/guide, as he showed us what to do, where the fish typically hold, best conditions to fish in, some history and info on the fish and stocking, etc.

As we fished, the water eventually cleared up a bit and looked very ideal. It was still very cold and our guides would keep icing up.

MJL was the first to hook into one, but lost it shortly after a few headshakes. Many anglers walked by and none seemed to have any luck. This day was starting to look like a bust.

Not long after, MJL gets an aggressive strike and manages to land a nice steelie. First one of the day!

 

 

It was very satisfying to see a fish after such a cold and slow start to the day.

 

He soon lands another one. Beautiful spotting on this fish.

 

 

Things are starting to heat up!

Before you know it, my float goes straight down...set the hook and the fight is on. I was really scared as this would by my first real fish landed with a centerpin. Thankfully, due to the cold temps, the fish were a little more sluggish and were subdued without too many problems.

 

 

As soon as things started heating up... it slowed down and we didn't get anything for quite a while.

Packed it up and headed to another pool.

 

The sun was high up by now and the heat felt nice. With the increase in temp, the fish should be more active too, right? Of course.

Fished this pool for the rest of the outing and it produced quite a few big ones

 

 

I ended up going 6 for 6.

5 nice ones and 1 shaker. My previous trip was a complete skunking and the trip before that, I went 0 for 4... so this was a really nice change.

All fish released to make their way upstream and spawn. I even managed to get a free spinner from a fish that still had it stuck to it's jaw!

 

I am hooked. It's quite a rush watching your float go down and setting the hook to feel head shakes from a big steelie.

Hopefully many more reports to come.

[Victor]

WOW! CONGRATS!

 

I'm glad that you finally got into some, 6/6 would considered to be amazing in my books, you have me beat in the "total # of steel landed" category now

 

Oh yeah, great pics!

[splashhopper]

WTG Frozen-fire..... u da man !!

 

 

 

I am still skunked for this season and it got even more frustrating when I started using my centre pin for the very first time last weekend.

Edited December 5, 2009 by splashhopper

[StoneFly]

WOW,..thats a pretty Good Job for your First Successful outing. you did better than we did!! Good Job Bud!!!

[Dusky]

Congratulations!! Some nice fishes and pictures!

[dave524]

Very nice looking fresh fish, 6 for 6 is a good day in anybodies' log. Nice pictures too.

[Spiel]

Congratulations son, well done and welcome to the world of hardcore steelheading.

[irishfield]

Some nice shiny clean fish there fella!

[solopaddler]

That's fantastic, congrat's!

(Good job as well on the guiding Mike)

[tibbs]

Great Job!!

 

Fantastic Pictures also!!

 

What camera are you using? I'm in the market for a new camera this Christmas.

 

Thanks.

[frozen-fire]

Thanks guys!

 

tibbs: I'm using a Canon EOS Rebel XSi. Today, the pics were taken with a 50mm F1.8 lens. Small and easier to carry on the river.

[laszlo]

Awesome!

Way to go man.

[KelfuN]

great job out there boys!

 

there's a reason why Mike took you guys to that pool, that hole never disappoints

[young_one]

Good job guys! Thanks for sharing... I'll be out there as soon as my finals are done.

[EC1]

Was definitely a fun day out there yesterday!

Thanks for taking me out bud!

Edited December 6, 2009 by EC1

[majorlifts]

people who plateau in training hire a personal trainer to get them results, I think this is very much like fishing, when you find yourself on a plateau with fishing, I think its time to up the game and get a guide or ( a pro ) to help break the plateau. This is proof and I really like the the chrome you produced with that center pin.

[Gerritt]

dude! awesome report and photos! I would like to thank you for actually being able to see the entire picture!

 

Well done!

 

Beauty chrome!

 

G

[danjang]

Nice! Awesome pics of your first steelie.

BTW Have you ever tried fishing the islands with your girlfriend? You look really familiar and I think it was from then.

[frozen-fire]

great job out there boys!

 

there's a reason why Mike took you guys to that pool, that hole never disappoints

 

It disappointed us today

I still can't believe that guy wouldn't even move over so that I could safely land the fish today. I mean, it's not like I stole his fish...he came to the pool after us.

[frozen-fire]

Nice! Awesome pics of your first steelie.

BTW Have you ever tried fishing the islands with your girlfriend? You look really familiar and I think it was from then.

 

It's an annual tradition for me and the GF to fish the islands for pike opener. Her PB is still bigger than mine, and she still rubs it in once in a while

[MJL]

Awesome report Ant…Great to finally meet you in person after so long. Was a tiring weekend for sure…Feeling pretty shattered with 2-3hrs of sleep the last few days (Cause was entirely fishing related ). Still thinking about losing that monster hen this morning

 

Thanks for waiting a few extra minutes while I slept in on Saturday …Also many thanks for driving me around all weekend too…Really appreciate it – Rarely get the car on weekends now.

 

Was a pleasure watching you beat your PB 3 times back-to-back-to-back as well as getting EC1 into his first steelhead as well. Mad fun this weekend!

[KelfuN]

Awesome report Ant…Great to finally meet you in person after so long. Was a tiring weekend for sure…Feeling pretty shattered with 2-3hrs of sleep the last few days (Cause was entirely fishing related ). Still thinking about losing that monster hen this morning

 

Thanks for waiting a few extra minutes while I slept in on Saturday …Also many thanks for driving me around all weekend too…Really appreciate it – Rarely get the car on weekends now.

 

Was a pleasure watching you beat your PB 3 times back-to-back-to-back as well as getting EC1 into his first steelhead as well. Mad fun this weekend!

 

ok the weekend is over now...

let's not talk about it

[Leecher]

Awesome Report and pics frozen-fire

Sounds like you had fun with them steelies!!!

 

Congrats to all involved :clapping:

and kudos to Mike for his great advice and guidance

Thanks for sharing

Leechman

[craigdritchie]

6 for 6? Good grief - nice job! Congrats ... some really nice looking fish too.

 

Of course now you realize you're ruined for life.

 

You're going to catch yourself checking the weather forecasts several times a day, your freezer will fill up with little Ziplock bags of roe and all sorts of other odd things, and the whole concept of standing knee-deep in ice water will become insanely appealing to you. You'll come to enjoy tying complex knots with wiry line at 10 below in a 40 km wind, using your mouth as a substitute for your index finger because it's too cold to bend any more. You'll look at dew worms washed out on the sidewalk after a rain in a whole new light, and you'll definitely look differently at those live crickets they sell at pet stores as feed for lizards. You'll collect all kinds of gobs of brightly coloured yarn, and you'll learn a whole new vocabulary filled with strange words like "trotting" and "shotting" and "checking" -- oh my!! You'll travel to exotic locations like the 'Ganny and the Willy and the 'Catt and the 'Geen. Your life will be turned upside down, and you have MJL to blame.

 

Ain't it grand?

 

Nice job on the fishies. Congrats! Another one lured to the Dark Side!

[frozen-fire]

6 for 6? Good grief - nice job! Congrats ... some really nice looking fish too.

 

Of course now you realize you're ruined for life.

 

You're going to catch yourself checking the weather forecasts several times a day, your freezer will fill up with little Ziplock bags of roe and all sorts of other odd things, and the whole concept of standing knee-deep in ice water will become insanely appealing to you. You'll come to enjoy tying complex knots with wiry line at 10 below in a 40 km wind, using your mouth as a substitute for your index finger because it's too cold to bend any more. You'll look at dew worms washed out on the sidewalk after a rain in a whole new light, and you'll definitely look differently at those live crickets they sell at pet stores as feed for lizards. You'll collect all kinds of gobs of brightly coloured yarn, and you'll learn a whole new vocabulary filled with strange words like "trotting" and "shotting" and "checking" -- oh my!! You'll travel to exotic locations like the 'Ganny and the Willy and the 'Catt and the 'Geen. Your life will be turned upside down, and you have MJL to blame.

 

Ain't it grand?

 

Nice job on the fishies. Congrats! Another one lured to the Dark Side!

 

Oh no...what have I done?!?!?!

 

Glad to be on the Dark Side!