S. Santiam River Report (Revenge of the Flotilla)

[Smily]

Looks Like I'm the first to make it back alive with such a report. I must say, Meeting Phunybonz and his wife was an extreme pleasure for me and fishing with him even better. The float starts off Bright and early about 6:00 am and people hooking up fish was an immediate task for someone who we seen land 2 fish before we even started rowwing. I was amazed on how much participaiton there was from this crowd here on Ifish. There was a lot of boats and I want an accurate fish count from people who caught fish.
Okay I'll start. I did manage to land a 30" Bright Summer Steelie on this trip as soon as I got away from some of the crowds. A good Fight this fish had produced and getting him into the boat was even a better chore for Phunybonz as he came up with a new way to Net the fish by Caterpulting the fish in the boat from the river. It was quite a comical event and even the boat next to us was watching were amused. That's about it on the fishing. Seen a couple of fish Jump out completely of the water for what, I don't know. Maybe just to show off again. We had a couple of other bites as well but that's about it. I loved drifting that river as it gave me another experience of driftfishing at it's finest. There was a couple of spots on that river that I got a little nervous as we went down it as the rapids got pretty big to me cause I'm still knew to this driftboating/fishing. I am glad to make it back in one piece. I got to meet a couple of other Ifisher's and personally want to thank Willierower for setting all this up. That drift was a Blast for me and I hope for eveyone else as well. By for now, [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Smily [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[willierower]

I saw the fish catapault. It was pretty funny.
Im glad you guys had a good time. You guys bailed down the river And we didnt see you the rest of the day.
See ya on the river!

[Phunybonz]

I feel it's time to take the stand in my own defense. Your Honors, that was the first fish that had me holding the net. My first attempt was from behind with the fish having no part of that. He just jumped right out. I was given a second chance, this time I made the executive decision to let the river help me and went for the frontal attack. I think I let the slack net go a little early as the net ****** the fish off before the hoop got around him. Panic set in,I scooped and lifted to the heavens. fish jumped out of the net again. Problem being that know the fish was 8 ft. above the boat. I guided him to a safe landing at my feet. The net then became a lid as this fish was pretty upset with my technique. I now know where they get the name steelhead, I gave that dude 5-6 solid shots to the brain. Just made him more angry. Fish ends up in the box after a bloody battle. Hey, I only lost by 24". I caught a 6" trout.

[ 06-02-2001: Message edited by: Phunybonz ]

[Bait O' Eggs]

Smiley, I know what you mean about the rapids. I seem to remember reading on ifish this was an "easy" drift. It was for a while until we round the corner and see the rolling white water. I turned out to be a lot easier than it looked, but I have to admit I was surprised to see the one stretch of water after reading the reports here. Hookset judged it to be a 2.5 class whitewater. I know that isnt much, but not what I was expecting.

It has been a while since I have seen fish stacked up like that below Foster dam. We were one of the first boats wet, we go about 50 yards and drop anchor. Hookset breaks 2 off, and I miss 2 good hits. At least it was a line breakage problem and not a knot problem [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img] for Gregg. Spooled pulls out of the ramp and starts to run bait and divers. In about 15 minutes they have 2 in the box and 1 lost near the boat. There was fish jumping everywhere. We should have just stayed in this water and not proceeded down the river. Though there were fish caught all along river. Smokey and Ramstrong must have been in a race because they shot down the river and were at the take out ramp before they started fishing [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img] (well almost). They hang around the takeout and pick up 3 fish waiting for the rest of us. Another boat that was not part of the ifish floatilla had 3 fish on a stringer. Overall there were lots of fish caught today, but it looked like an aluminum hatch was going on. One of the non ifish boats was grumbling about all the people today. Geees imagine that, if he could read, he would have known we were coming.

Good time by all, I believe, well except for O's. O's kept saying something about missing his monkey. He called his wife every 30 minutes to check in like she made him. [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img] Since he wasnt catching any fish, he didnt have any problem finding time to call. [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] Redneck was everything we expected, well maybe he was less, or possibly he was more. [img]images/icons/confused.gif[/img] Nobody was sure. [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

[Hookset]

Nothing but net I tell you,nothing but net. Oh wait, that was spooled's boat just after putting in this morning. The diver and bait combo really put a hurt on those fish in the first run by the ramp.

Bait and I fished right at Willey creek to begin with. Turned out to be our best hole for the day. I broke two fish off and was just dumbfounded for an explanation. I never, almost never break a fish off. The drag was loose, first one broke the main line, second the leader. Just can't explain this. Anyone know a technique for checking line breaking strenght?

I'd like to thank Bait-o-Eggs for guiding me down the river all day. Roy's a good ol boy and a pleasure to fish with. I was probably a pain in the arse and really appreciate Roy's hospitality and good natured humor.

Now picture this. I get in the boat and Roy shoves off. Me, I'm getting tackle organized for my usual slay fest. After I get the drift rod fishing, I turn around and what do I see......A HUGE REBEL flag blowing in the breeze. What the heck????? [img]images/icons/confused.gif[/img] This flag is 3x5 feet or so and hanging from a pole off the transom that Roy extended 7 feet up. I ask Roy if he's from the south. Nope, he just wanted Hey Yall to feel welcome and not so homesick. A short time later Hey Yall comes by and saluted the flag. I just wondered what the other 100 boats thought about the flag.

Ok, thank you's......to Willierower for setting up this event, thank you......Roy for his mighty mast and turning his drifter into a sail boat (and rowing, shuttle, and good all around guy), thank you.......Spooled, showing us the fish and getting the juices flowing.........Vic the Fishhead, forever the humbled fisherman, how big can I stretch this steelie and the secret prawn recipe, [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img] Chuck n' Duck, the sand shrimp King, the bait shop that delivers......Rags, sleep? who needs sleep, just give me 2 hours........Osprey, the spinning magician, who's always in search of a longer rod..........Hey Yall, will the reel Hey Yall please stand up?? What were you wearing anyway? Was that a Alabama full lenght extra wimp cond m'......... SteelieSteve, who came disguised as SteelieSteve, the one and only...........Ramstrong, I only fish near the takeout Ramstrong, anyone seen a camera.......Willierower, samples? what samples??..........

A great time I did have, forgot how nice the local rivers really are.

thanks everyone, and thanks again ROY, my main man!! [img]images/icons/cool.gif[/img]

hook

[Fishhead]

What a great time we had, to bad for the ones who couldnt go. Rags or should I say, (the dead on his feet rower) got us into some prime water and had me into my only fish, a 12 to 13lb. chrome steelie around 12:45. It was nice to see the faces behind the monikers. What nice people to spend the day drifting a beautiful stretch of river. My hat goes of to Willierower for the invite to this new piece of Oregon that I had never got to see before.(lived here all my life)Hope to do this again. See ya on the river...Fishhead Vic [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[chuck 'n' duck]

Smily:

I was the boat across from you when Phunybonz was illustrating the new and innovative technique for netting fish. "The fish catapult" was something to see indeed. At least the fish landed in the boat! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

CnD

[Fishhead]

Rags and I saw the net flying but couldnt tell if they were trying to scoop up a fish or trying to knock it in the head [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img] . The thought ran through my mind that maybe the net had a hole in it? [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] Next time someone should invite the Hot Tamale to film this circus !! The fish were there for some of us, and the nets were flying. Did someone say bumper boats? We should have stayed near the put-in were the fish had stacked up, I saw two roll while Rags backed the boat down!! But since we didnt know the river we wanted to stay with the ones who did. Thanks again to Willierower and also to Chuck-n-Duck for the generous donation of fresh sandshrimp. See you guys next time for round #3....Fishhead Vic [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

I like the idea about filming the next Flotilla. After all, if they can allow Jim Spagg on public access then they should allow most of the things that happen on the river.

[novice]

I see where the S. Santiam is on a straight dive downward(almost below 2000) Someone from the corps must have known the flotilla was happening this weekend. Hopefully this will improve fishing conditions.
novice