From fire to ice…
January 25th, 2009
……a thought from the author how fishing with friends still excites………..when ToDD came by my place for some quality NBA television, fish stories and some music, I asked him if he would be interested in coming along with Nookslayer and I on bank steelhead romp……Team Salmon bank style. He obliged quickly, which impressed me a lot as a fellow fisherman. The reason it impressed me is because it is very hard (and I know from experience) to stray from a comfort zone that has been good to you. While DD maintains a platinum status (my words, not his) with big water sled fishing……he is admittedly less experienced at some of the bank romping techniques and tactics for steelies that works for a lot of us from time to time. I was genuinely excited that Nook and I were going to be taking him out. I have learned something about myself since my layoff; there is nothing more rewarding than either learning or teaching a new method of fishing to a friend. Spread your knowledge to your own friends…..but do read on first.
Fishing from one day to the next can be like going from red hot FIRE to ice cold, well, ice. This was the case for me this weekend and one day was fire, and the other was……… And ice is exactly what we ran into along with all my steelhead….and snow….and huge blinding wet wind whipped snow flakes in your face….yeah, all that too.
After I built my survival fire and warmed up….my rod was jingling baby!
DD got the hang of things early and wandered of to this beautiful hole….
After being scared up river by too many cars in the parking lot, we found some familiar water that we happened to hit at the right level. Fishing pocket water, especially next to slots and runs, an angler becomes very vulnerable to loosing a fish down river to a full head of steam and a high gradient river to accelerate the effort. Well, for a pretty sweet little amateur video effort detailing this exact scenario, kick your feet up and check this clip out. I swear, on the fifteen pound permit I caught in Florida on the flats….and on my 18 pound silver up at my Auntie’s place….this SH would go at least eighteen and some change….maybe a 40 incher. Ask either jaw dropped Team Salmon member with me. Check it out, but keep in mind it’s a six minute video and the series is more like fifteen. So if you’re in a hurry, come back later.
Yeah, pretty nuts right? So, I sat right there and watched the whole video on the camera, and just thought about the fish. Just sat and thought about the bite…..just imagined going right back up there and doing it again. Or, maybe I just got really lucky. Part two:
So there you have that. Or something like that. Or I don’t know how the hell to land a SH in really fast water that can constantly bruise it’s way back into the middle of the gnarliest currents. I think in both cases; had I not forgot my wader boots in freezing cold temps…maybe I could’ve steered those fish around differently…..or maybe I just needed to hook another one. Finally, one small enough to land.
Like I said, finally a fish. I missed one more as well, non documented. What a day. It was also very cool to see so many new and cool flies and techniques from Nookslayer…..
Nook carried two fully rigged heavy fly rods and a ton of gear. He switched up often and fished hard. Amazing caster.
See ya’ll over the next snowy hill……happy winters huntin’…….
……yer devoted captain..….
