Finnally the time has come! I love this time of year because I only get out to it a few times a year. I got up early Sunday and drove up to the Birkenhead to target the most unique fishery I have fished. Birkenhead springs!
Made to the river by 8 am to find that she is high and low visabilty but not unishable by any means. If we hook a fish in this it's going to be a challenge to land this sucker. So sure enough right as we gear up and hit the first spot it starts pouring so within the first 20 mins we are soaked.But I am also into my first spring of about 15 lbs.I had a hell of a time landing this thing. I had to climb over this huge rock onto a wood pile and pass my rod to my friend then get on this fallen log that crosses some deep water and play this fish as I shimmy across on my butt close enough to shore so my buddy can land and unhook this chrome beauty.As I went to snap a pic of this fish it revived reel fast and was gone before I knew it. Oh well can't win them all.
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So back up on the rock we go and within 10 mins my buddy hooks a hog that he plays briefly before it decides to freight train down river and snap off.He wasn't too worried tough as to just to have a chance to play one of these fish is pure joy to the extreme angler.I hook and play a beauty 5 lb dollie that was fat as a pig before we decide to move on to the next spot.
Upriver to the next spot which is almost completely underwater exept for a couple of small openings in the trees that we can access so into the bush we go.There is barely enough room for us to cast in there side by side but we manage OK.So my first cast I think that I hit the bottom and set the hook anyways and came up empty.The fourth or fifth cast my float gets sucked under and set the hook and I'm off to the races with a big fish.It amazes me the sheer power of these fish after being in fresh water for months that they still have the strength to put up world class fighting.This fish ran and got tangled in some trees so what to do to get him out I let loose the line,give it some slack so it feel no pressure and it easily comes out of the bush and then engage my reel again.So for those of you thinking about Daiwa Luna's this is a sure test that enforces my endorsement of these great reels cause this thing is performing like gold.So this thing finally starts to come in after about 15 mins and decides it's going try and hide in the bushes I'm standing next to a couple of times.Somehow I managed to get it out and finally land this chrome beauty.Take a few pics and a nice release into the river.
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In the afternoon we decide to do some exploring upriver to find some new water and hopefully fish but it wasn't meant to be so we decide that we have rested our first spot enough to go back and try for some more.By this time the rive level has dropped 10" and the visability was perfect.Our afternoon was a mirror of the morning we hooked,landed,and played several fish.I think you guys get the idea of how my day was.
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This river is truly a gem of our great province and fishing can be suberb if you an time it right.I always look forward to this time as you can really get there a few times if you're lucky.Most definately some of my favorite fishing here right now!
Will post some pics later courtesy of our trusted mod Ribby
Hotrod
Made to the river by 8 am to find that she is high and low visabilty but not unishable by any means. If we hook a fish in this it's going to be a challenge to land this sucker. So sure enough right as we gear up and hit the first spot it starts pouring so within the first 20 mins we are soaked.But I am also into my first spring of about 15 lbs.I had a hell of a time landing this thing. I had to climb over this huge rock onto a wood pile and pass my rod to my friend then get on this fallen log that crosses some deep water and play this fish as I shimmy across on my butt close enough to shore so my buddy can land and unhook this chrome beauty.As I went to snap a pic of this fish it revived reel fast and was gone before I knew it. Oh well can't win them all.
So back up on the rock we go and within 10 mins my buddy hooks a hog that he plays briefly before it decides to freight train down river and snap off.He wasn't too worried tough as to just to have a chance to play one of these fish is pure joy to the extreme angler.I hook and play a beauty 5 lb dollie that was fat as a pig before we decide to move on to the next spot.
Upriver to the next spot which is almost completely underwater exept for a couple of small openings in the trees that we can access so into the bush we go.There is barely enough room for us to cast in there side by side but we manage OK.So my first cast I think that I hit the bottom and set the hook anyways and came up empty.The fourth or fifth cast my float gets sucked under and set the hook and I'm off to the races with a big fish.It amazes me the sheer power of these fish after being in fresh water for months that they still have the strength to put up world class fighting.This fish ran and got tangled in some trees so what to do to get him out I let loose the line,give it some slack so it feel no pressure and it easily comes out of the bush and then engage my reel again.So for those of you thinking about Daiwa Luna's this is a sure test that enforces my endorsement of these great reels cause this thing is performing like gold.So this thing finally starts to come in after about 15 mins and decides it's going try and hide in the bushes I'm standing next to a couple of times.Somehow I managed to get it out and finally land this chrome beauty.Take a few pics and a nice release into the river.
In the afternoon we decide to do some exploring upriver to find some new water and hopefully fish but it wasn't meant to be so we decide that we have rested our first spot enough to go back and try for some more.By this time the rive level has dropped 10" and the visability was perfect.Our afternoon was a mirror of the morning we hooked,landed,and played several fish.I think you guys get the idea of how my day was.
This river is truly a gem of our great province and fishing can be suberb if you an time it right.I always look forward to this time as you can really get there a few times if you're lucky.Most definately some of my favorite fishing here right now!
Will post some pics later courtesy of our trusted mod Ribby
Hotrod
