tangled
09-05-2003, 10:28 AM
I guess this is customary - so I'll give you a fishing report and a story wrapped up in one. A little setting - my older brother, Bob, visits from the east every year in late August, we typically go backpacking, lake and/or river fishing depending on the area we choose. This year, just last week, after 4 days packing in the sisters we went down to the North Umpqua. The lure of those steelhead is too great for an outoftowner. Last year I had him on the Grande Ronde for a few days in October and once you feel the power of a big trout your hooked. So we head down with thoughts of big fish, knowing that the catching part was another thing. We strike out on a south bank trail in the upper river, not seeing a person, having the entire place to ourselves, amongst the largest doug firs I have ever seen, wow were they big. Although they say the river is low, IMO it has plenty of water. We soon scrambled down to the river and began to set up. As I am scanning the river, not 30 seconds later, 20 yards downstream, a steelhead comes leaping out the water, an entire body, full arcing display. What a treat. Needless to say, that got our motors running in anticipation. Well, you know how it is, a lot of casting and little cathcing ensued. The hours and evening are wearing on, we haven't seen a fish since the first sighting, although the occassional nontargeted trout byproduct kept things interesting, bop bop, trout on, dam, just one is all I'm asking for. Must have hooked 2 dozen trout on the swing between us, actually they hook themselves, mostly little, but a few good ones. Bob is now fishing about 40 yards above me, from behind, I hear what we all want to hear, "fish on." Last year on the Grande Ronde we saw a lot of fish, but only hooked a few. Bob had one one for about 7 or 8 minutes, his first, and then the hooked popped out, lesson learned. He has yet to land one. We were'nt going to loose this one. We start hooten and hollerin up and down the rivervalley, two kids in adult bodies. My brother is frantically trying to get himself out of deep water while keeping the line tight and to the side (lesson learned), I'm reeling in, when all of a sudden, splash, down he goes, face first, glasses flying, full body layout in about a foot of water. Hilarious, now were really hootin and hoolerin, but you should have seen the save. You know when you got a full beer and you go down for one reason or the other and the beer is saved, well Bob maintained his rod in hand, tip up, tight line, throughout. Now we got this fish. I come as fast as I can, Bob's now upright and wet, we finally see our fish, wow what a beauty, all 15 inches of her. Outoftowner. It must have been the fast current.
Isn't steelhead fishing fun!
Isn't steelhead fishing fun!