[steelie 99]

So after a few weeks of chatting Big Green Machine was able to make it down from Kelowna to full fill is Steelhead addiction. I arrived at the hotel around 6:30 in the morning, we introduced each other and away to Tim Horton we went. Chatting away in the truck we told each other some good fishing stories on the way to the Chilliwack River. As we started to drive away from Vedder crossing I told BMG about the “STEELHEAD CURCUIT ” I had planned for the day. We started at “Halibut Rock”
(I will post a picture in the future why I call it that) As we walked up the river I pointed out where the fish were sitting and he we both started to get the steelie fever. BMG started fishing as I watched for the first 20 minutes in hope’s that he would be the first to hook up. BMG was having a little problem with his reel at first denying him to hit the first seam, so he look’s over at me and say’s “ make a cast and show me where the fish are” I eagerly put the new sage together and searched my snack pack for the right roe bag. I made a cast and it lands in the seam right at the top perfectly, a little line peeled off my centre pin cuz I filled it with new line the night before, so fixing the free line looking at my reel I hear “set the hook” I look ……. No float so I swing the rod only to see my drennan come flying back at me. As I look at the hook all I had left was mesh so that fish had a nice pre snack as i felt no head shake or resistance at the time, so I knew she was still in the mood. Searching for the perfect roe bag in the snack pack I find it.

I cast into the head of the run again and the float makes it about 2 feet and it vanishes. I was on the hook set immediately and the fish breaks the water and I give a big smile over to BMG as he snaps the photo.

With a big hi 5 we quickly headed back to our rocks and BMG begins casting in the hole no problem now, as we take turns casting a car pulls up, so we now have company. As I move down from BMG a few rocks to try and give good distance between us our guest decided to fish between the two of us. I am kinda the person that usually would say something but by this time we had the top of the run and tailout covered between the two of us. Not much longer into casting to the sweet tailout I am into a sweet bar of chrome, it came out of the water and gave me a couple of good headshakes and now iam into a battle new rod in the air and a smile on my face. I was being blinded from the flashes as the steelie rolled in front of me as i followed it down the river .....

THEN…………….
#@[email protected]# #$%#$%#$ FISH OFF. [email protected]#!# [email protected]#[email protected]%#$% [email protected]#%#$


I don’t have any explanation for why I lost that fish. And it was a larger size then what I ve been catching so far this year. Now … there are three cars that just pulled into the parking lot. I looked over at BMG and gave him the nod ( which meant time to cross to the backside) We crossed over and headed up the river to untouched water, as we approached the first hole there was three nice sized steelie's just swaying back and forth in the tailout as I pointed them out to BMG. We headed up to the next hole to see 3 more fish sitting in the tailout , I sat back and watched as BMG as he drifted through the seam when “WHAM” the float berries under the water and within a second the fish boils the waters surface and is gone. After drifting 40 more time we moved down to the next run to have the samething happen 2 more times to BMG. We decided we had enough of this run and headed down to Thurston’s and fished hard to come up with nothing, and the we went to tamahi for a bit and nothing. The water sure does colour as it leaves the back of “Ranger run”. I wish they would block of the back flow to stop the extra clay from destroying all the salmon eggs and such from being suffocated. Anyhow we decided to call it a day. At the end of the day I gave BMG my snack pack as he was going to head up to the same spot first thing solo cuz I had prior arrangements the next day and iam sure he will have a story to post in the next few days.

BMG anytime you come down let me know
I’d be happy to fish with you again

Steelie

 

[Rib]

Great read! Nice pics too...Good to hear you two had such a great day on the river...Snack pack eh? Man, that roe bag looks sweet...I am going to put some new roe bags of mine to the test with some of your suggestions Steelie, can't hardly wait! I like how you described casting to the first seam...it shows how precise you have to be at times, often the fish won't come to you and you have to be dead on with your casts to really get into fish...Hopefully BGM achieved redemption the next day, and maybe we'll see part two up here soon...
Great Report Steelie...
rib

 

[DMW]

Again very nice report Steelie!! I am gettin jealous over here, but when you are in the groove, those are the kinds of extended rolls one can get on. Great job. I am hoping to make it out tomorrow and perhaps tuesday/wednesday. So hopefully, I will be able to get off the bench and get into a couple. ;D ;D

 

[Chris]

Nice fish Sure looks like you know where the fish hold!

 

[Big Green Machine]

Thanks for taking me out Steelie 99! I can't tell you how much I appreciate all your hospitality and advice. It reaffirms for me that the members of this site are second to none! If you or any other member needs a similar treatment when in the Central Okanagan or Thompson region, don't hesitate to pm me!

Your secret recipe singles in the bags worked well (I have your "snack pack" in the freezer waiting for the next trip) but it was good to see some fish landed with neon orange wool only. You know what they say, if you can find the fish it's pretty hard for them to resist your offering. And yes, not only can Steelie 99 find fish, you should see him cross the river. Here I am the old guy using a wading staff carefully evaluating each step, Steelie 99 is walking through it like it was a walk in the park.

My expectations for the day were simply to explore, have some fun and learn learn learn and I accomplished everything thanks to you. Sorry you couln't make it out on Friday too as the weather was stunning and the river in near perfect condition. I arrived at "Halibut Rock" at 6:30 am and was surprised to see 3 other anglers there already perched and waiting for daylight. Fished that run for about an hour, moved upstream to fish another but came up empty handed. At about 1:00pm I walked past Halibut again and stopped and spoke to one fellow who was fishing there since first light and he saw zero steelhead hooked. He landed a nice 3 pound resident bow however. I drove downstream and fished a run just below ranger - one that hugged the road, then hiked into Allison and finally Tamahi. I fished the new undercut banks on the south side of the river below Tamahi for steel hugging the bank in the colored water. I played one fish for about a minute and a half before it ran straight into a sweeper and broke off my leader. Boy there sure is a lot of trees and debris along the banks there! In retrospect I should have beefed up my leader to 15 pound for this colored up debris strewn water as I think I could have horsed the fish out of the sweeper with a little creative maneuvering. Stopped fishing at 2:30 and drove to North Vancouver to visit my wife's sister. I went out to get a coffee and "low and behold" I run into Highwater Tackle a block away. I go in and introduce myself to Dave Steele (the owner and field editor for BC Outdoors Fishing magazine) and he manages to sell me a new reel the good salesmen he is. So, Steelie 99, next time we head out, there will be no reel malfunction and that beauty fish will be mine!!!

 

[fishhog]

Nice pics and a nice read!!!!

 

[scruffy]

nice pics and read ;D