Kalama Mojo
10-10-2005, 05:30 AM
I had an incredible day on the Kalama River. I caught my first….second….and third Steelhead ever, on a beautiful rainy Sunday morning of last week.
Since this is my first trip report I will give you a little background on myself. I bought my first fly rod on July 1st of this year and went out on the Rogue river for 5 days. I was hooked, although I didn’t catch a single fish. I have been on the water 28 days so far this year and about 15 days were targeting Salmon/Steelhead. Besides the Rogue River I have fished the Cowlitz, N. Santiam, North Fork of the Lewis, Kelchis, Merrill Lake, Deep Lake and the Kalama.
The rain started that Thursday night so I was on the water Friday night and Saturday morning. I was fishing the Beginners hole both days going after the Silvers. I hooked up (foul) with some old nasty Kings but that was it. Didn’t see any Silvers getting caught.
On Sunday I arrived at the river at 6:00 am and it is still very dark. I pulled into the parking area for the Beginners hole and there was already 6 other cars there, so I drove up the river a little ways and pulled off where I usually fish. I caught my first King here about a month earlier. There was no one there. I had that hole to myself all morning. I Fished until 7:45am and I was about ready to walk up river, when the first one hit. It was the big buck, and he shot out of the water when he first hit the fly. He was 30" long and about 9 lbs. When I landed him I let out a big scream of joy. I tried to get some self portraits in the rain. I have attached a copy of that picture.
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/medium/First_steelhead-e1.jpg
This was total redemption, because about 3 weeks earlier, I hooked up with a big buck and was getting ready to land the fish. There was a guy fishing below me and he said that he would net the fish for me. I am feeling really good, my first Steelhead ! The fish is about 20 ft below me, and another guy walked up and saw that I had him hooked good and said I should bank it. I yell, “I’ll just bank it”, but the guy with the net wasn’t listening. Then it all happened so fast, the guy grabs my line, stabs at the fish with his net, misses it, the line breaks and the fish is gone. I would get sick to my stomach every time I thought about. But that feeling is gone now.
So after the pictures I start casting the same fly in the same place. The next one hit in the same place, this was a hen about 26" and 6 lbs and she fought like crazy. She got air 3 times and it took about 10 minutes to land her. So now I am really excited.
I jumped in the car and went down to the beginners hole to find my fishing buddy. He was out of the water so I told him about my incredible morning and we went back up to where I was catching the fish. There was still no one else there. I put him in the spot where I was catching them and I started to fish below him. Ten cast later, I had another one on. This was another 26” hen, she had a little color and was a beautiful fish. I released her and was thinking life doesnt get any better than this.
I tied a #2 Polar Shrimp to my TFO 8 wt in the morning and I still had that same fly on at the end of my day. That fly landed all 3 fish. It made it through numerous snags in the rocks and a few in the tree, ( I was fishing under a tree). Towards the end of the morning, I snagged it on a rock and it wouldn’t come loose, but there was no way I was going to lose that fly. So I wadded out and dug that fly out of the rock, broke down my pole and called it a day. It is a little tattered now, but I will have to frame it or permanently attach it to my vest or hat. That fly is something special.
My lucky Day ---
1) My girlfriend wakes up at 4:30 am to make me hot coco and lunch ( she has never done that before).
2) Where I was going to fish is full, so I move to my regular spot and no one is there.
3) I land 3 Steelhead !
4) I fish the same fly all day long.
5) I can share it with my fishing buddy and fly fishing mentor. Thanks for everything John.
6) I get home and watch my Broncos win.
All the STARS were aligned for me that wonderful Sunday morning.
I am heading off to the Rogue River this Thursday for 3 days of some Half Pounder action. I will post a report when I get back.
Dan
Since this is my first trip report I will give you a little background on myself. I bought my first fly rod on July 1st of this year and went out on the Rogue river for 5 days. I was hooked, although I didn’t catch a single fish. I have been on the water 28 days so far this year and about 15 days were targeting Salmon/Steelhead. Besides the Rogue River I have fished the Cowlitz, N. Santiam, North Fork of the Lewis, Kelchis, Merrill Lake, Deep Lake and the Kalama.
The rain started that Thursday night so I was on the water Friday night and Saturday morning. I was fishing the Beginners hole both days going after the Silvers. I hooked up (foul) with some old nasty Kings but that was it. Didn’t see any Silvers getting caught.
On Sunday I arrived at the river at 6:00 am and it is still very dark. I pulled into the parking area for the Beginners hole and there was already 6 other cars there, so I drove up the river a little ways and pulled off where I usually fish. I caught my first King here about a month earlier. There was no one there. I had that hole to myself all morning. I Fished until 7:45am and I was about ready to walk up river, when the first one hit. It was the big buck, and he shot out of the water when he first hit the fly. He was 30" long and about 9 lbs. When I landed him I let out a big scream of joy. I tried to get some self portraits in the rain. I have attached a copy of that picture.
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/medium/First_steelhead-e1.jpg
This was total redemption, because about 3 weeks earlier, I hooked up with a big buck and was getting ready to land the fish. There was a guy fishing below me and he said that he would net the fish for me. I am feeling really good, my first Steelhead ! The fish is about 20 ft below me, and another guy walked up and saw that I had him hooked good and said I should bank it. I yell, “I’ll just bank it”, but the guy with the net wasn’t listening. Then it all happened so fast, the guy grabs my line, stabs at the fish with his net, misses it, the line breaks and the fish is gone. I would get sick to my stomach every time I thought about. But that feeling is gone now.
So after the pictures I start casting the same fly in the same place. The next one hit in the same place, this was a hen about 26" and 6 lbs and she fought like crazy. She got air 3 times and it took about 10 minutes to land her. So now I am really excited.
I jumped in the car and went down to the beginners hole to find my fishing buddy. He was out of the water so I told him about my incredible morning and we went back up to where I was catching the fish. There was still no one else there. I put him in the spot where I was catching them and I started to fish below him. Ten cast later, I had another one on. This was another 26” hen, she had a little color and was a beautiful fish. I released her and was thinking life doesnt get any better than this.
I tied a #2 Polar Shrimp to my TFO 8 wt in the morning and I still had that same fly on at the end of my day. That fly landed all 3 fish. It made it through numerous snags in the rocks and a few in the tree, ( I was fishing under a tree). Towards the end of the morning, I snagged it on a rock and it wouldn’t come loose, but there was no way I was going to lose that fly. So I wadded out and dug that fly out of the rock, broke down my pole and called it a day. It is a little tattered now, but I will have to frame it or permanently attach it to my vest or hat. That fly is something special.
My lucky Day ---
1) My girlfriend wakes up at 4:30 am to make me hot coco and lunch ( she has never done that before).
2) Where I was going to fish is full, so I move to my regular spot and no one is there.
3) I land 3 Steelhead !
4) I fish the same fly all day long.
5) I can share it with my fishing buddy and fly fishing mentor. Thanks for everything John.
6) I get home and watch my Broncos win.
All the STARS were aligned for me that wonderful Sunday morning.
I am heading off to the Rogue River this Thursday for 3 days of some Half Pounder action. I will post a report when I get back.
Dan