Joined
·
4,442 Posts
While on vacation in Qualicum Beach, I did a walk-on ferry trip to Horseshoe Bay where I was picked up by my friend Andrew. We headed to Agassiz for our annual pilgrimage to a Fraser River bar to partake in the annual "Flosseye, her Sockeye Harvest." I was looking forward to doing a little bar fishing as well with my new 12 foot heavy casting rod. I knew this was not going to come to fruition as my other buddy Bill said we were headed to Spaghetti. I have heard a lot about this bar and was eager to see it myself.
We boated from the launch by the Fraser River Lodge in Agassiz amongst the hundreds of wealthy Americans on jet boats, most of them with hired guides I suspect. I was not aware that one could even launch a boat from this location but I guess more launches open up as the water level goes down. We were in an old 14 foot aluminum with a15 HP Evinrude packed full of camping gear. We looked like the Beverly Hillbillies moving into town - but we didn't care. This was a low budget trip. We knew we would be into the same fish as the guys spending hundreds of dollars. We crossed the river to the bar to find about 30 boats beached, each with 3 to 4 "anglers" long cast bottom bouncing for springs or casting closer to shore for sockeye. We pulled up to clearing on the lower portion of Spaghetti Bar on shore so as to avoid people fishing and set up our tents on a level piece of ground. Soon after we noticed a trail behind our tents that was littered with toilet paper and human feces. Nice. We moved the tents to another location, this one not too level but we were prepared to sleep on a slope as opposed to "Shit Alley." We started fishing and for an hour we had no action. We looked up the bar - lots oif people landing fish, we looked down the bar, same thing. But in the mid portion of the bar? A ghost town! So we waited for some boats to leave and we moved to the lower bar and soon my two buddies limited on sockeye by 9:30 pm and I got the big goose egg. "What did I do to deserve this?" I wondered. Oh I know....the guilt trip my wife left me with as I headed out the door on another fishing trip....that must be her revenge. Then it started to rain heavily as we got ready for bed. Insult to injury I thought. Oh well, there is always tomorrow I thought as I drifted in and out of sleep for the next 6 hours in between starnge animal noises, strange human noises and annoying phone calls from our intoxicated friends back home who wished they were fishing but had to work.
Bright and early the next morning at 4:30 I awoke to the sound of half a dozen boats jockeying for the best position on the bar. We got up, made a fire, ate some breakfast and chatted with our neighbours for a while. We started fishing and I made my fist cast and "thump" I had my first sockeye on.
Soon after my buddies started seeing lots of action wile my rod seemed to just die. Geez I thought, might have to go to a 16 foot leader instead of the ten footer I was using :wink: They both had their two fish by 10:00 am and I was still waiting for my second when I hooked a spring. It took out quite a bit of line and the head shakes were heart pounding. After a minute with no line retrieved we fired up the boat and just as I was about to get in, snap! The freight train was off. I reeled in my line it had come off above the swivel!!!!! :twisted:
Could have snapped the 25 pound Maxima Ultra Green or it could have been a poorly tied knot. I am not sure. Soon after we noticed a lot of boats floating by with springs on and then the guy next to me landed a 16 pounder from shore! We kept on fishing and sure enough both my buddies are into one each at the same time! Unfortunately, both came unbuttoned. There must have been a wave of springs going through at that time because it seemed like everyone was hooking them. We fished for another hour and took 12 fish home with us (4 each for two days) but no springs.
It was a good experience and it was good to explore this bar as it was a first time for me having been to Peg Leg, Scale, Bowman's and Herrling in previous years. Those of you who fish Spaghetti, why is the mid portion of the bar not as prolific? I suspect it is because folks can't get a decent "bounce" there because of bottom structure of the heavy volume of fast moving water?
Until next time, BGM
![]()
We boated from the launch by the Fraser River Lodge in Agassiz amongst the hundreds of wealthy Americans on jet boats, most of them with hired guides I suspect. I was not aware that one could even launch a boat from this location but I guess more launches open up as the water level goes down. We were in an old 14 foot aluminum with a15 HP Evinrude packed full of camping gear. We looked like the Beverly Hillbillies moving into town - but we didn't care. This was a low budget trip. We knew we would be into the same fish as the guys spending hundreds of dollars. We crossed the river to the bar to find about 30 boats beached, each with 3 to 4 "anglers" long cast bottom bouncing for springs or casting closer to shore for sockeye. We pulled up to clearing on the lower portion of Spaghetti Bar on shore so as to avoid people fishing and set up our tents on a level piece of ground. Soon after we noticed a trail behind our tents that was littered with toilet paper and human feces. Nice. We moved the tents to another location, this one not too level but we were prepared to sleep on a slope as opposed to "Shit Alley." We started fishing and for an hour we had no action. We looked up the bar - lots oif people landing fish, we looked down the bar, same thing. But in the mid portion of the bar? A ghost town! So we waited for some boats to leave and we moved to the lower bar and soon my two buddies limited on sockeye by 9:30 pm and I got the big goose egg. "What did I do to deserve this?" I wondered. Oh I know....the guilt trip my wife left me with as I headed out the door on another fishing trip....that must be her revenge. Then it started to rain heavily as we got ready for bed. Insult to injury I thought. Oh well, there is always tomorrow I thought as I drifted in and out of sleep for the next 6 hours in between starnge animal noises, strange human noises and annoying phone calls from our intoxicated friends back home who wished they were fishing but had to work.
Bright and early the next morning at 4:30 I awoke to the sound of half a dozen boats jockeying for the best position on the bar. We got up, made a fire, ate some breakfast and chatted with our neighbours for a while. We started fishing and I made my fist cast and "thump" I had my first sockeye on.
Soon after my buddies started seeing lots of action wile my rod seemed to just die. Geez I thought, might have to go to a 16 foot leader instead of the ten footer I was using :wink: They both had their two fish by 10:00 am and I was still waiting for my second when I hooked a spring. It took out quite a bit of line and the head shakes were heart pounding. After a minute with no line retrieved we fired up the boat and just as I was about to get in, snap! The freight train was off. I reeled in my line it had come off above the swivel!!!!! :twisted:
Could have snapped the 25 pound Maxima Ultra Green or it could have been a poorly tied knot. I am not sure. Soon after we noticed a lot of boats floating by with springs on and then the guy next to me landed a 16 pounder from shore! We kept on fishing and sure enough both my buddies are into one each at the same time! Unfortunately, both came unbuttoned. There must have been a wave of springs going through at that time because it seemed like everyone was hooking them. We fished for another hour and took 12 fish home with us (4 each for two days) but no springs.It was a good experience and it was good to explore this bar as it was a first time for me having been to Peg Leg, Scale, Bowman's and Herrling in previous years. Those of you who fish Spaghetti, why is the mid portion of the bar not as prolific? I suspect it is because folks can't get a decent "bounce" there because of bottom structure of the heavy volume of fast moving water?
Until next time, BGM
