David Johnson
06-13-2004, 05:53 PM
Talk about whacky weather. Hot and dry for May and cooler and wetter for June. With it we had June water conditions in May and May conditions in June.
In late May and June there's been lots of spring chinook and summer steelhead.
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/medium/415WallLim.jpg
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Father and Son Trip
Eric and Mark and their two sons, Michael and Andrew joined me for a day of salmon fishing.
By mid morning plan "A" hadn't worked so we moved on the plan "B", search and destroy. We were several miles up river backing our diver and bait down into some juicy looking holding water when Erics rod started to get bit and then folded over. I quickly grabbed Michaels rod to keep them from tangling and all of a sudden it was, "There's one on this one too, take your fish Mike!"
DOUBLE ON!
The fast running river drug us hundreds of yards down stream as the battle raged on. A person has to move fast with lots of things going on at once, fast water, run the boat, look out for that rock, "bring your fish this way, no that way!", "give me the net!", "hold the net".... Let me tell you, it's time to break a sweat with a double on in fast water.
Erics was a hatchery, it was scooped and flopped in the boat and Michaels was quickly released just was we dodged some shallow water and dropped over the lip into the next rapids.
We ran back up to the slot and with fresh bait we made another pass. Again Micheals rod burries over and the fight is on!
Another great fight but this time another wild fish that must be released.
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/medium/415MikeNate.jpg
Micheals second of the day.
During the last fight several other boats had moved into our spot so we waited our turn and made another pass.
Those other boats didn't pick anything up and we didn't either. I was thinking about moving on to another spot but then considered how crowded the river was and decided we'd make another pass. Since they had left, I figured if we went any where else we'd have to share it with another boat.
It was a good choice, just as we dropped into the deeper "bucket" of the hole Andrews rod tip started to do a little dance. I wasn't sure if it was a ********* or the real thing but then it started to pull harder and harder and I knew it was going to be a nice one.
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/medium/415Andrew.jpg
First Steelhead
We had a great time. We did our best to hunt up some more fishies and Micheal got another nice summer steelhead so we finished the day with a couple released and three for the road.
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/medium/415McBride.jpg
Little Andrew was too pooped for the photo shoot at the end of the day.
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NO "OLD SNAGGY"
On another recent trip John, Sam and Mark hit the river with me. John and Sam live local here and though Mark grew up in Oregon he now lives in Texas. This particular morning the river had come up several feet the day before and over night, putting the fish from the day before on the move.
As we waited for fish Mark had several stories to tell us that were very interesting.
One of them was about his first encounter with a spring chinook. For some reason I think I'll always remember it.
When Mark was seven years old, a few decades ago, he and his father were fishing the Willamette for springers. Little Mark hooked into a beautiful springer and brought it to the boat. Back in those days nobody used a net, they gaffed all their fish. So when Marks fish was close enough his dad took his chance at gaffing this fish but in the process knocked it off the hook and lost it.
A near-by boat said to them, "Hey, that fish might not sink right away if it's not dead."
Just then they looked down river to see an elderly couple picking up a nice salmon from the water. They watched as another boat confronted the couple, hand gestures and head shakes were exchanged and Marks fish sailed off into the sunset on the boat named "Old Snaggy".
Mark will never forget that name as long as he lives.
Not long after the old snaggy story we got into a pod of moving fish and soon everyone had a fish on their tag.
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/medium/415Kline.jpg
When the fishing slowed down for us we watched another boat in the hole above us get a couple more so then we moved up above to the next hole to wait them out as they move up to us again.
Mark finished out the day by catching a beautiful, big chinook that put up an awesome fight.
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/medium/415MMil.jpg
There were no "Old Snaggies" for Mark on this trip to Oregon.
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http://pic5.picturetrail.com/VOL81/623942/3012915/56497977.jpg
Who says steelhead don't hit chem cured salmon eggs :shrug:
http://pic5.picturetrail.com/VOL81/623942/3012915/56498038.jpg
They're not line shy either.
We've been catching summer steelhead on big, juicy gobs of eggs hung on a 4/0 hook and 25# leader all month.
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/medium/415TS.jpg
In late May and June there's been lots of spring chinook and summer steelhead.
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/medium/415WallLim.jpg
-----------------------------------------------------------
Father and Son Trip
Eric and Mark and their two sons, Michael and Andrew joined me for a day of salmon fishing.
By mid morning plan "A" hadn't worked so we moved on the plan "B", search and destroy. We were several miles up river backing our diver and bait down into some juicy looking holding water when Erics rod started to get bit and then folded over. I quickly grabbed Michaels rod to keep them from tangling and all of a sudden it was, "There's one on this one too, take your fish Mike!"
DOUBLE ON!
The fast running river drug us hundreds of yards down stream as the battle raged on. A person has to move fast with lots of things going on at once, fast water, run the boat, look out for that rock, "bring your fish this way, no that way!", "give me the net!", "hold the net".... Let me tell you, it's time to break a sweat with a double on in fast water.
Erics was a hatchery, it was scooped and flopped in the boat and Michaels was quickly released just was we dodged some shallow water and dropped over the lip into the next rapids.
We ran back up to the slot and with fresh bait we made another pass. Again Micheals rod burries over and the fight is on!
Another great fight but this time another wild fish that must be released.
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/medium/415MikeNate.jpg
Micheals second of the day.
During the last fight several other boats had moved into our spot so we waited our turn and made another pass.
Those other boats didn't pick anything up and we didn't either. I was thinking about moving on to another spot but then considered how crowded the river was and decided we'd make another pass. Since they had left, I figured if we went any where else we'd have to share it with another boat.
It was a good choice, just as we dropped into the deeper "bucket" of the hole Andrews rod tip started to do a little dance. I wasn't sure if it was a ********* or the real thing but then it started to pull harder and harder and I knew it was going to be a nice one.
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/medium/415Andrew.jpg
First Steelhead
We had a great time. We did our best to hunt up some more fishies and Micheal got another nice summer steelhead so we finished the day with a couple released and three for the road.
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/medium/415McBride.jpg
Little Andrew was too pooped for the photo shoot at the end of the day.
------------------------------------------------------------
NO "OLD SNAGGY"
On another recent trip John, Sam and Mark hit the river with me. John and Sam live local here and though Mark grew up in Oregon he now lives in Texas. This particular morning the river had come up several feet the day before and over night, putting the fish from the day before on the move.
As we waited for fish Mark had several stories to tell us that were very interesting.
One of them was about his first encounter with a spring chinook. For some reason I think I'll always remember it.
When Mark was seven years old, a few decades ago, he and his father were fishing the Willamette for springers. Little Mark hooked into a beautiful springer and brought it to the boat. Back in those days nobody used a net, they gaffed all their fish. So when Marks fish was close enough his dad took his chance at gaffing this fish but in the process knocked it off the hook and lost it.
A near-by boat said to them, "Hey, that fish might not sink right away if it's not dead."
Just then they looked down river to see an elderly couple picking up a nice salmon from the water. They watched as another boat confronted the couple, hand gestures and head shakes were exchanged and Marks fish sailed off into the sunset on the boat named "Old Snaggy".
Mark will never forget that name as long as he lives.
Not long after the old snaggy story we got into a pod of moving fish and soon everyone had a fish on their tag.
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/medium/415Kline.jpg
When the fishing slowed down for us we watched another boat in the hole above us get a couple more so then we moved up above to the next hole to wait them out as they move up to us again.
Mark finished out the day by catching a beautiful, big chinook that put up an awesome fight.
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/medium/415MMil.jpg
There were no "Old Snaggies" for Mark on this trip to Oregon.
------------------------------------------------------------
http://pic5.picturetrail.com/VOL81/623942/3012915/56497977.jpg
Who says steelhead don't hit chem cured salmon eggs :shrug:
http://pic5.picturetrail.com/VOL81/623942/3012915/56498038.jpg
They're not line shy either.
We've been catching summer steelhead on big, juicy gobs of eggs hung on a 4/0 hook and 25# leader all month.
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/medium/415TS.jpg