[swiftwater]

With the upcoming steelhead season just around the corner I find myself looking forward to seeing some of the great rods that have shaped my steelhead journeys.

I am talking about the gentlemen that have been fishing the rivers before many of us had the chance, or the knowledge! These are the fishermen that were willing to share a bit of their knowledge the old fashioned way, before the days of internet or forums. They earned their stripes by pulling fish behind the bait often with nothing more than a tuft of wool or a well fished fly.

Over the last 18 years I have had the great fortune of fishing around a few of them on the Vedder and other local rivers and always look forward to seeing them. I don’t know all of them and many I don’t know by name but the faces will always be remembered.

These are the faces of kindness, the bits of information they have given, their help in tailing a Fish or the help you have given in the same. There are times when they have moved over for you, or shown you what they are using. This is what makes steel heading so special for me.
My father taught me and my brothers what to do and had the opportunity of introducing us to many. I look forward to passing on some of the info they have shared with me and look forward to seeing a new Steelheader on the river.

I know and remember what it was like to get skunked for years to get my first and
hope that you have it easier. Hopefully you get the chance to meet some of the great
rods on the water and share some water with them.
I have had the good fortune to fish around steelheaders like Harry west, Bill Beatle or Toothpick Tom and many others that have taken time with us on the water and show us something new. I know they are not looking for credit but they deserve it as do many others.

As our river become more popular I hope that I can be as helpful as some of these fishermen have been to me. To all the new steelheaders out there ,the best advice is often hard won with many days of cold fingers and soggy hats but its well worth it in the end.

Perhaps some members would like to share some of their memories of some great rods and stories to get us all pumped up for steelhead season.

Cheers
OR

 

[Rick Baerg]

Nice post Oliver, How is old Harry West doing these days? Have you seen him lately?

 

[stsfisher]

last time i talked to Harry he was living in kamloops( i think it was Kamloops) and was coming down whenever he could to hit the flow, that was last steel season that i bumped into him.ya these great rods are the reason that i am still interested in the sport. i can remember when i was 14 and started fishing on my own as my dad did not fish.i started on the fraser and met an older gentlemen that basically showed me ho it was done (barfishing) i was there everyday after school and on weekends untill i was old enough to drive and started hitting the vedder where i was always helped out by these great rods again. i may not remember all their names but i do know the faces and it sure is nice to see a few of them here and there.

 

[Silex-user]

I had the pleasure fishing with Lee Straight a couple of time who used to wrote fishing reports for the Vancouver Sun back in 70's and 80's. One thing for sure was he had lots of steelhead fishing stories to tell. :thumbup:

Over the last 30 years odd years of fishing the Vedder river for steelheads I meet lots Old Timers( I can't remember their names now) whom I gain lots of valuable learning experiences from these old hands. I was just kid back (late 70's) then flinging a Daiwa 4000 spinning reel loaded with 25lbs tests mainline and 20lbs test leader with barb 3/0 eagle claw hook baited using a loonie size Okie (goolybob) on 7' trout rod. I remember watching these Old Hands using a Hardy Ten' Ten' rods, Silex reels and using good old standby size# 10 red n white spin-glo.

Yeah those good old days, now I don't get out to to the Vedder river as as much I like too but with the New Year coming upon us I would like to get out and enjoy some Steelhead fishing again on the Vedder.

Enjoy. Silex-user.

 

[kingpin]

Tooth pick tom is a miserable old bastard haha, though i do love loud outspokenness against snaggers at kwb.. hes a great rod. lots of old guys ive fished with down that way including tom,Frank,Al, Keith, Dick, Stumps and lots more... one can really learn a lot from talking to these guys or by just watching them....

 

[swiftwater]

Harry is like a steelhead ,shows up after the first good flood of december. He is now living on the banks of the shuswap. terrorizing the rainbows and dollies til steelhead arrive.
hopefully he will be around soon.
cheers
OR

 

[Cummins]

Oh man the great rods that have shown me the ropes many years ago! I dont like using there names on the open site!

But one was good old Tooth pick Tom, now he is out guarding the Vedder! Was a blast to when he fished the local flow on the north shore!

Most of the old timers ya dont want to be around them if they catch someone snagging!

 

[Thor]

I had my first steelhead experiences on the Campbell and the Quinnie. I learned lots from a couple of guys named Bruce and Larry. All the best if your out there its been many years.

 

[Pat AV]

I learned alot from a fellow Named Kent who used to fish the upper vedder in early september for years before the hole where we fished together changed and we started targeting different water.

I have also learned alot about fly fishing from Daryl at RFT.

For the most part I am self taught and fish where there are not many people.

I have had the pleasure of fishing with a few good rods over the years though although I will leave last names out Eric, Joe, Ehor, Peter and more you never know who you will bump into on the flow.