STORIES & ARTICLES
October 23rd, 2007
Evolution, or just a change of pace?
Most of my life I have caught fish from the bank. Whether I’ve been fly fishing for trout as a teenager in Montana, Wyoming, Idaho and Oregon or casting my proudest gob of roe on one of our coastal King rivers….I’ve almost always done so, from the bank.
The few trips over the years I’ve done out of a boat were usually a fluke….and other than some over-sized Sturgeon fishing, it’s never been productive..especially not for Salmon…..because there wasn’t a consistent focus….or a good source of knowledge and information to help me/us get better.
I wouldn’t have guessed, almost three years ago now, when Gavin, Sal and I bought the Diamond Back Drifter….that we would be nailing chrome bright Kings out of it…in the Columbia River on anchor next to hawg lines and sleds….that is not until LipRipper showed me how to convert my traditional drift boat into one ‘fit’ for CR Chinook anchor fishing.
I wouldn’t have been comfortable enough hooking an anchor and bouy system up to my driftboat, let alone backbounce 12 ounces of lead on a wobbler in fifty feet of water with ANY kind of confidence.
If Big Tone and Jed didn’t have an uncle who owns the Acropolis, they would have never re-connected with our old comrade from the original Fisherman’s back in the day, ToDD “Double D” Peterson.
Thanks to DD’s selfless runs with us out in the big river, we were not only able to see how to catch fresh fish in the big river from a driftboat…..but also now we were able to see how the finer nuances played into the mix…..washing lures with soap…running tremendously long lead lines…..the best rods to use for maximum wobbler presentation…as well as countless other helpful hints and habits to form for future success.
So, as I sit and think about these two new Team Salmon members….and I think of the original TS guys that have ponied up trips this fall season…..I’m forced to wonder…Is Team Salmon evolving as a group of Allaroundanglers? Or, is this boat fishing simply a change of pace? I’ll let the future trips speak for themselves.
I just wanted to prop these guys and give the rest of you something to think about. I’ll tell you what, it’s been a long time since I tagged six Kings in a month….let alone HOT fish that wreak of Chromeness and little wiggly sea lice.
This boat fishing just might be more than a change of pace. Just a hunch.
H3LLcat
They Love The Pink Plastics
February 2008
With the recent flurry of fish being taken on unlikely crud under a bobber (I’m as jazzed as goofy pink worms as can be), I’m curious what else a Steelhead will bite. I mean, seriously, should we try jigs n’ pigs tipped with a pork rind?
It is highly probable that there are many other artificial baits that, when drifted under a bobber, become enticing for Steelhead to violently strike against. For example, I have fished along side Sal Monid when he has drowned a make shift Colorado Spinner wedding ring imposter on many occasions. I have flipped him an uncountable amount of brown stinky substance about his choice to fish that method, as well.
Well, after much heckling, and ultimately, getting heckled upon myself, Sal Monid has finally convinced me to begin making my very own goofy-ars spinner under a bobber rig.
As if watching him hook five fish on the White Salmon five years ago wasn’t enough: It took several more years of fish being taken on this method for me to finally break down and admit IT IS DEADLY.
So deadly in fact, that Sal was able to land a fish that pushed the 20# mark yesterday, on said riggin. Sal, I’m going to clue in a few of our compadres on why I think you do so well on that contraption (because it is a contraption):
1) The spinner shaft is literally your leader, with your clevis on your line itself….this allow the Colorado spinner to flutter and wiggle, versus just spinning.
2) By only attaching weights on the leader (split shot) the spinner is able to bounce off of rocks and obstacles without dragging too much. This creates the natural “hop………..hop……….hop……….” type of bottom contact that you look for when Steelheading.
3) And finally, using a dink or cylindrical bobber allows you to swing the spinner on the end of your casts (like a fly being quartered) without the bobber causing a wake (like my natural round corks do).
Try one yourself, it could save your day or even your season….good fishin’
H3LLCAT
2007, A Year In Review
2007 will turn out to be the toughest year of fishing in my life. I’m not saying this as a, good, or as a, bad, thing. I’m just saying. I mean it is what it is. There were some pretty cool things accomplished as well, but again, I’m just saying; I’ve got buddies all over the board with blanked tags for both Salmon and Steelhead.
In fact, my only King of the year, Spring or Fall, was lost after an epic battle on the Kilches from my drift boat in high water. One King. I used to fart ‘one King’. I just don’t get it.
I mean, it seems like each year, there is something more tragic that happens to sportfishing. Either it’s a monumentally shitty run for one reason or another, or the timing is off or something. As I said, I just don’t know. I suppose the fact that I caught my first Winter Steelhead from a Washington river in 2007 is notable. B Dog and I scouting out several new rivers in 2007 may prove to be the best use of time down the road. We like Washington.
Banging out a fifteen pound nickel bright Winter out of our new boat nearly a year ago is also something to talk about. But other than a very few stories such as these, there just hasn’t been the consistent fishing we’ve all come to know and love here in the Northwest.
I imagine that’s a good portion of the reason why my website has fallen off so many of my friends’ radars. Can’t blame them, I guess. If you ain’t ever catching anything then there ain’t much to talk about, some would say. Anyhow, I hope that we start to see some more consistent returns here in the near future.
My gut tells me that my up river coastal fishing days with five to ten Kings hooked and half as many landed are long gone. Something else tells me we’d better start warming up to Sal so he can start taking us on his trips across the nation and abroad. He does pretty GD well. Come on Stripers. I’m down for Stripers.
Anyway, thanks for coming by my website and taking a minute. I would love to hear your thoughts as well.
Your Commander In Chief, H3LLCAT
FALL FISHING RINGS TRUE
I thought this Fall would never come. Being a river fisherman, it seems like I must listen to countless stories about nickel bright Silvers and Kings being caught in the ocean, all Summer long. All I can do is wait for the Fall.
The time of the year when these 200 foot deep Ocean dwelling silver bullets and freight-trains venture up into water where us bank and driftboat fishermen can fish them….our Northwest rivers and streams. For other ALLAROUNDANGLERS like myself, the river season can’t last long enough.
Although the Fall King run itself, lasts around 3 to 4 months in total; as a river fisherman casting leads, eggs and bobbers, I only get about 6 good weeks. Now that’s not to say I don’t hook Fall fish in December at the coast, because I do. But it won’t produce like the previous month of November in most cases.
For those of you who haven’t experienced our local Fall Chinook fishery, I would recommend seriously considering doing so. I could, of course, use less people on the water, but would not be doing my duty to inform if I didn’t share my vision of this wonderful thing THAT IS river fishing for Salmon in the Fall.
I recently had a friend who visited my website. He’s new to angling and excited to learn about what to fish for, and when. He pointed out and reminded me that NOT EVERYONE who stops by the site is equipped with the experience or even perspective that maybe TEAM Salmon is…….
For those of you out there looking for some direction, this is a great time of year to wonder. I will offer you this thought….Imagine, if you will, an azure-blue, free-flowing body of water not ten miles from our great Pacific Ocean. Imagine this ‘trout-sized’ body of water harnessing some of the most prized and sought after Salmonids in all of the World….now imagine this body of water in your backyard. Now imagine yourself hooking one. To accurately imitate this I would suggest tying some rope to the back of a moving VW…and holding on tight!
You’ve got the picture now, I’m sure. You’re standing in some of the finest angling country on the whole entire planet. Our Pacific Northwest Rivers and Streams are simply some of the best. Care to find out more? Wanna know how to catch these beasts? Do you know what kind of gear to use or where exactly to go?
Simply browse our blog to see if something interests you. If so, simply make a comment or email me with a request to join our site.
What a fantastic way to meet people and enjoy Mother Nature in all her Glory. Thanks for coming by the Allaroundangler!
H3LLCAT
Nice piece on the mysterious and exciting quality of fall in salmon country. It is hard to identify unless one has had one of these bullets on the end of a line or fresh on the bank. I am still waiting for my reward this year.
Comment by SalMonid — October 29, 2007 @ 8:21 pm
I’m flattered, Pop. Thanks for reading.
Comment by Hellcat — October 29, 2007 @ 8:30 pm
Excellent piece of lit cat. It’s good to see you writing again. Keep it up!
Comment by Nookslayer — October 31, 2007 @ 9:36 pm
Thanks, Nook. Preciate the read.
Comment by Hellcat — November 1, 2007 @ 7:23 am
Its definately been the slowest year ever man, thats for sure. I seriously have enjoyed our trips together this year, fish or no fish, its always a blast! Scouting the new rivers with you this year has also been a real highlight for me! I do see it being key for this next year, if nothing else at least we have more options. Keep up the great work you do on the site HELL, and lets get out as soon as we can, B
Comment by B Dog Lobey — December 27, 2007 @ 12:52 pm
That is my word, B Dog. I hope your back gets better soon so we can try our luck in Oh Eight!
Comment by Hellcat — December 28, 2007 @ 7:40 am