fly fishing bass (grundy county, il)

My morning started with the aspirations of trout fishing in SW Wisconsin, but an incoming storm changed everything. This seemed to be a decent front pushing in from the west, local weather predicted rain for 6 hours. It was 4:30am and I was already awake with half a Red Bull already downed, what do I do now? I did what any hard core weekend warrior would do, I packed the rain gear and decided to drive 2 hours in the opposite direction. I hoped the shift in location would take me out of the direct path of the storm and buy me a couple more “dry” hours of fishing time. After 20 minutes of swapping gear is was heading south searching for some river smallmouth.

a grundy county creek

I made great time and was at my destination quickly. I was running my normal recon routine, following the river downstream by car, looking for some promising stretches of water. The river was running high and murky, but the further south I went the water looked more and more promising. I was following the stream down a farm road, when it happened. Rather nothing happened, my car just died. One second I was driving and the next the car completely shut off as it was moving down the road. I came to a stop and gave it a few minutes and tried to turn the engine over again and again and again, nothing. So there I was, stuck on a gravel farm road 2 hours from home with the storm front I was trying to dodge starting to roll in on top of me.

same creek just upriver from last phot

Needless to say, the day from that point forward was filled with tons of waiting. Waiting out the storm, waiting for a tow, and waiting for my unhappy but willing wife to drive 2 hours with my 3 kids to pick me up. I did spend the middle of the day getting acquainted with a small town by foot, my car is currently still there getting fixed. Maybe I’ll get my redemption next weekend. I know one thing, I’m going back sometime soon.

Read More »

carp fishing (fox chain of lakes, il)

Fathers day was awesome. It had been awhile since I was able to take Lucas (my youngest son) out fishing with me. Last week I was out in Las Vegas for a national sales meeting with my company and had no time to fish. The 5 weeks prior to that I was making a long drive out to the driftless area of Wisconsin, and didn’t want to have my son deal with 5 hours of driving. Needless to say, he was itching to get out and fathers day was the perfect day to be together.

luke's carp, i just help with holding it

We met Neal and his girlfriends father (Dan) around 7:00am. Neal’s friend Eric and his brother made it out a little later. We were all set for a solid day of carp fishing and a home cooked breakfast on the shore from chef Neal. The weather conditions changed just about every 5 minutes. We experienced everything from wind, drizzle, and blue bird skies.

a fox lake carp

The fishing wasn’t anything out of this world. We were scratching a fish every now and again, but we sure were waiting a long time in-between bites. To keep busy, my son combed the beach for shells and bugs and filled the rest of his time with throwing rocks and sticks in the water. Its really amazing how my son can entertain himself for a long period of time as long as he is in the outdoors. We were out fishing for 6 hours and didn’t hear one complaint or have to discipline my son once.

dan's slob carp

The highlights for me was watching my son catch 5 fish all on his own, other then the help I gave him holding onto his belt loop to keep him on shore. Also, watching Dan hook into a slob and running through a third of his spool on the initial run was awesome. All together we caught 8 carp, 1 small cat, and 3 drum. The fishing was marginal at best, but the company was outstanding.. What a great fathers day!

me with another carp (neal's brother luke in background)

Read More »

bass fishing (lake coutny forest preserve, il)

Neal and I headed out for a quick trip to Independence Grove in hopes dropshotting up some decent bass. The weather was overcast early in the morning and we were fighting off an ugly storm moving in from the west. This would be my only fishing trip for the next week due to an upcoming sales meeting with my company in Las Vegas, so I really wanted to bend a rod on some fish. Being early June, I really was surprised at the amount of weed growth that was already taking control of the lake. The weeds were thicker now then they were at the end of last year! We settled on fishing plastics around the deep weed edges in the early morning and switching to some of the deep timber later.

The morning was just awesome for Neal, and he was quickly catching fish after fish. They were just hammering the Berkley hand poured 4 inch worms he was dropshotting. I finally started to catch up by the time we left and I think we caught a total of 14 fish. Here’s the nicest fish landed.

a healthy lake county, il bass

The one that got away….. I’m not going to make up some astronomical number on its size or weight. Typically when people do that to me, I tend not to trust what they are saying. I will tell you this, it was the biggest bass I had ever seen. Mid morning fishing timber with a cotton candy zoom finesse worm on a dropshot I hooked this sea-donkey. I wasn’t working the bait aggressive, I was locating the timber and just shaking the dropshot stationary. I felt a solid tug and set the hook on this slob. I knew from the second it was hooked that this fish had some shoulders. I played it slow only to have the fish spit the hook when it jumped. I felt like I gave it plenty of slack when it came up to jump but it wasn’t meant to be. Just another fish story I guess…..?

Read More »

fly fishing trout (dane county, wi)

a crystal clear dane county stream

Summer is in full swing here. The weeds are tall and the bugs are thick. The creek was flowing a steady pace and the water temps have risen some but the trout are still active. I’ve put my time into getting to know the lay of the land here but am starting to realize that summer isn’t always a fly-fisherman’s friend. The recent rain and constant sun have turned the landscape into a jungle of weeds filled with bugs and all sorts of other nasties. Lets just say that navigating my way to some of my new found spots was going to be downright impossible.

I was forced to fish closer to the easements where there was easier access and more trampled paths through the grass. I believe that the fish closest to the easements have seen a lot more flies, lures, and hooks. These are smarter class of fish (or they have been hooked before). They are quicker to turn there noses up at an inadequately presented flies and are wary of shadows. They also don’t take kindly to loud noises or people splashing through their pools. Despite all that, I was still able to catch some fish but its not the same finding those “uneducated” ones.

a small brown trout

another small brown trout

Caught a handful of browns and one rainbow again. One rainbow seems to be a consistant number for me lately. Fish were caught from the inside turns and the slack sections of the pools. Also sighted a trophy size brown (estimated 20 inches) rolling in a deep pool but wasn’t able to hook up.

wow! a rainbow trout

a colorful brown trout

Read More »

fly fishing trout (rock county, wi)

In my pursuit of trout on the fly I’m finding myself diving head first into the unexplored (at least to me) area of western Wisconsin . Every location and every stream has a certain charm and personality unique to only itself. This Rock county creek is no different.

cool looking rock county creek

The scenery here was wonderful and the water was skinny, fast, and cold. There must have been some deeper water here but I never did find it. I wasn’t able to devote quite as much time to hiking and exploring as I would have liked. Rubber waders and a hot day will kick as tired guys ass. The banks were starting to become overgrown and the flowers were starting to bloom. This place in general seemed to be a little more unaltered. Not sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing. I wouldn’t have minded a little more bank improvements and some extra fish holding structures. On the other hand, the untouched look has some merit too.

streamside

In the first 15 minutes of casting I was able to wrangle a slob brown which really set my expectations high. It was a healthy fish that really put all my skills to the test. The worst part of the battle was the actual landing of the fish. I was forced to jump from a 3 foot weedy bank into the pool I was fishing just to reach the fish. I tried to net him 3 times and just couldn’t reach him as he was thrashing wildly on the surface. I’m sure I spooked every fish for a quarter mile but I was just playing the hand I was dealt. Either way, I got a picture and released the fish!!

a good brown

With all that excitement when I first arrived, the rest of the day turned out to be a real disappointment. I spent the rest of the time sweating while walking from shallow pool to shallow pool. The sun was beating down on me with absolutely zero protection from the sun. I was able to snipe 2 more small browns from some of the creek bends but I felt much of the water here was way to thin to hold fish. Again, maybe I just didn’t make it far enough in to the wilderness but I do see why they have to stock this creek. As a side note, I caught more ticks then I did trout today…

a small brown trout to end the day

Read More »

fly fishing trout (dane county, wi)

This was the second and final trip on my vacation and I was going to make the best of the time I had. I had already done the recon and found some great stretches of water I knew held fish just four days ago. The problem I faced was a major storm front had pushed through the area since the last time I was here. It had rained heavy in the area just 24 hours prior to me arriving. It was just enough to muddy the water and raise the height of the stream by almost a foot. To make matters worse, the wind was blowing strong today and some of those spots I had fished were really exposed to the wind….

a bridge over the creek

My two hour one way drive flew by with day dreams of spotted trout. I finally arrived and started my morning with a decent hike. This was the spot where I had done the best on my previous trip. Upon arrival I began to notice just how different the conditions really were. The stained water and the gale force winds quickly sent me packing. This was after a series of frustrating tangles and botched drifts over the deep muddy pool. This spot was unfishable and I decided to make my way upstream in search of some clear water and some shelter from the wind.

a nice pool

Two access points up river the water was much cleaner. I quickly claimed a nice turn adjacent to the road and started to fish the tail out where it dropped into a deeper pool. About a dozen drifts later and I was setting the hook on a substantial brown. I played the fish up and down though the current before putting the net to her. This happened to be the nicest of all the fish caught and I quickly snapped a photo and released her. I continued to work the bend and was able to pick off a few more dink trout. The longer I stayed, the more infrequent the bites became. I made my way by foot upriver passing almost a half mile of slack skinny water. Time to move on…..

my best brown this year!!

A short drive and a nice hike through a more heavily wooded area brought me to the last spot I fished today. As soon as I saw it I knew it held promise. This turn was so sharp and deep, there had to be fish there. I crept into position wading out to the point and started to cast upstream. I was casting into the shallow riffles upstream and letting the fly swing all the way around the deeper bend in a “u” shape. On my second cast the indicator disappeared and I set the hook. Fish on!! This time I managed a small rainbow!!!

the rare rainbow trout here

another brown

Cast after cast I hooked up with fish after fish. Some were landed and some were lost. I broke off on a fish that must have had the shoulders of a linebacker. Gotta remember to check my line. I must have caught almost 10 fish from this last pool. Overall the day was a huge success, I made the adjustments based upon the conditions that unfolded. I was now ready to go back to work…..

a small brown

Read More »

fly fishing trout (dane county, wi)

This was the first day of vacation for me so I was out fishing while everyone I knew was hard at work. Since I had some extra time I decided to drive out a little further then I normally would. It was a 2 hours ride, but I told myself it would all be worth it if I could just catch some trout. I’ve had that itch to do some fly-fishing since the last time we were fishing the spring steelie run. A month without a fly rod in a guys hand will do funny things to him.

looks nice doesn't it?

I rolled into the city around 8:00am. I took the next 30 minutes to drive all the way up and down the highway checking out the easements and access points. Access is easy here, with all types of water available. The stream starts as a slow trickle and really widens as you get further downstream. The rolling hills and bright green trees made a perfect backdrop for some great trout fishing.

By 8:30am I was out walking the banks. I worked the first series of pools I came to for a good hour before giving up on it. I continued upriver and took a look around. Didn’t find a lot of water that I would call great but did find the entrance to one of the feeder creeks…. Maybe for another day. Got back in the car and drove to the next easement.

a deep pool

My second stop was just one road up river. From the second I pulled in I just knew that this was some better water. The runs and pools were just a little deeper. I made my way downstream. When I would come to a good looking pool I would walk clear around it out away from the stream. This was so I didn’t spook any fish and it allowed me to fish in front of me. The second pool I stopped was a nice fast run bottoming out in a deep pool that had a couple large boulders in it. Looked perfect. My second drift that made it perfectly in between those boulders was rewarded with a strike. One minute later I was netting a beautiful rainbow. Worked this pool for another 35 minutes and moved on.

a small rainbow trout

decent brown trout

The next pool I stopped and fished turned out to be the best spot of the day (go figure, it was the farthest walk from the road). It was the end of the line, right before the border of private land. It was the deepest pool I had seen yet, and I swear it would have been a foot over my head if I were standing in the water. Fast water was just rushing into the head of the pool. I spent close to two hours fishing here, getting to know every drop, turn, crease, and bend. I went 8/12 on hook ups. The only reason I lost those other four was from trying to fight the fish by hand instead of getting the line back on the reel.

one of the better brown trout

The only reason I left this pool was because I was running out of time. I wanted to see some more of the creek but family calls. Up the road I went to my last stop of the day. I had just enough time to pick off a few more trout.. and that’s what I did. In total I caught 11 fish, and released all 11. It was time to go and I had to get back on the road for another 2 hour drive. I spent as much time driving as I did fishing today. Was it worth it…..?

Read More »

fly fishing trout (walworth county, wi)

I arrived at 8:00am on a bright and beautiful spring day. I made the trip for the sole purpose of doing some recon and hopefully catching some fish. The access from the highway was painless getting down to the stream. Once you make it down to the stream there is a nice pool right under the highway easement.

the first pool under the highway access point

I spent 20 minutes just messing around in that first pool with no bites. I decided it was time to explore what this creek had to offer. I started to walk/fish my way down the entire length of the creek. The spring fed creek had crystal clear water. I made way along the bank passing some ultra skinny water stopping to fish some of the deeper bends. No bites

The upper section appeared to have less fish holding structure and the few fish I did sight were pressed deep into the undercut banks. As I made my way downstream I came across many obstacles. Hazards are everywhere. I climbed a mountain of brush, passed through tall thick reeds, and got a wadding boot stuck in the marshy muck that took a couple minutes to free. Forget about wading here because the muck bottom (found in most areas) will swallow you whole. This was hard work!

Once reaching the lower section the obstacles seemed to thin out. The last stretches of seemed to hold the most fish attracting structures. There were man made runs, fish bunkers, and strategically place logs all over the place. I really worked those areas hard and managed to catch a handful of creek chubs for the entire day.

I did spot some trout throughout the day. They were extremely skittish and need to be approached with stealth. I would suggest bringing a fishing buddy if you ever plan to visit here. There were many times throughout my solo fishing trip that I really could have used the assistance of a wing man. Be careful….

Read More »

carp fishing (fox chain of lakes, il)

Today I was meeting up with Neal and Randall for some bank fishing on the fox chain. We were planning on targeting some big carp, cats, and whatever else we could drum up. I pulled into the lot first and had enough time to set up 2 rods before Neal came rolling in. We fished together for almost 30 minutes before I caught the first fish which happed to be a decent crappie. He inhaled a jig and minnow combo on a rod that was sitting on the dock while I was rebaiting a different rod. After about 15 more minutes we decided to move to a different spot where we could really pepper the shoreline with some extra rods.

1st fish of the day is a crappie

fog + wind + rain = fishing in full rain gear

We pulled into the second spot and started to unpack the gear. Randall made it just about that time. Neal and I fished a simple bottom rig made up of an egg sinker behind an oversized swivel and a small live bait hook. We tossed those out and put the rod in a rod holder with a tight line and loose drag. We alternated our baits from minnows to leaches to corn and bread balls. Randall opted for a leach on a jig head and a second rod with a minnow and slip bobber.

Randall didn’t stay too long but was there long enough to catch a healthy young muskie. He caught him on the jig and leach combo right from under a dock he was casting to.

randall with a bonus musky

Neal was the cat fishing king for the day and must have gotten about a half dozen cats. He also lost a nice carp right up on the bank.

the catfish king

I ended up with one crappie three carp and a cat.

fox chain of lakes carp

mirror carp

carp fest

The weather conditions weren’t good. We ended up in our waders and rain coats very early and fished through the scattered showers all day. Despite the rain, we still found a way to catch fish, grill some sausages and brats, and have a great time chilling with some friends. All the fish were released.

Read More »

bass fishing (cook county, il)

Neal was out of town camping with his brother and their girlfriends this particular weekend. I took advantage of the opportunity and took my little boy fishing. Lucas hadn’t been out fishing since the end of the ice season and has been sad every weekend since. At the age of four, I still don’t think he’s quite big enough to be wading in any of those Lake Michigan tributaries (maybe next year?).

6:45 am and we were out the door and on our way. Our destination was a little further then I’d normally like to drive with my son, but a friend had taken me here before and I knew it would be worth it. McDonalds was the first stop, nothing for me but Lucas got hotcakes and a hash brown. Then we stopped for bait, which Lucas really enjoys, and he picked out some lively medium shiners. Eighteen should be plenty, right?

7:25 am we arrive, get the gear out of the car, and get set up. Finally, we are fishing!!! I can say that 55 degrees is a nice temperature as long as there isn’t a consistent strong wind. I took me all of five minutes to realize how cold I was, man how your blood thins quick here in Chicagoland. The wind was blowing straight in our faces, I was so glad we took his winter jacket. After 35 minutes of no fish I could see my son was cold and bored. He had his face tucked into the hood of his winter jacket and hands stuffed deep in his pockets. I needed to focus his attention on something other then just being cold. Time for us to move. Another 30 minutes go by without a fish, at this point Lucas was playing in the rocks. Time to move again.

We settled into a spot on the far opposite side of the pond from where we started. Here the wind was at our backs, we had a raised bank, and even a couple trees to shield us from the wind. Fifteen more minutes go by with no fish and now I’m starting to worry. What happened to all the fish? Was it really that cold? At least Lucas had dug up two worms and a rolly polly bug and gotten his sleeves wet from grabbing minnows.

10:00 am rolled around. As I warmed up so did the fishing. I had just taken my winter hat off when the first bobber went under. I set the hook and passed the rod off to my son. With a couple reminders from dad, about keeping the rod tip up, he lands the first bass of the day! Success!!

lucas with an action shot

bass success

From that point forward it was non stop action until we emptied the minnow bucket. In those last two hours we used all 18 minnows. The best part of the day for me was watching Lucas setting the hook on his own fish and reeling it all the way in with no help. Over a dozen bass caught and the only two fish I caught were the two times we both had a fish on at the same time.

a monster cook county pond bass

Read More »

fly fishing steelhead (lake michigan tributaries, wi)

This was the last trip we made for this years spring steelhead run. Neal and I spent the day with Neal’s uncle Vic. The weather was really starting to warm up and it seemed like a lot of the fish had pulled back out to the main lake. We covered a long stretch of water and our previous trips producing pools were now devoid of all signs of life.

the last spring steelhead

Neal and Vic managed to spot a single pod of fish. They worked them hard as I moved upstream. After an hour upstream I decided it was time to meet back up with the guys. Upon arriving I was greeted by Neal with a photo of our last steelhead of 2010’s spring run. I’m not sure how much longer the fish will be up in the tributaries, but from what I’m seeing it might be time to switch gears. It was a great run but seemed to go by very quick. We caught some awesome fish and learned some valuable lessons this year. How long till the salmon run…?

Read More »

fly fishing steelhead (root river, wi)

An unexpected after work trip; it’s rare I get co-founder Blake out of work at 3 pm. We came up with a quick game plan: a check of the flows suggests that the Root is our best bet. It’s a quick trip north on I-94 and I’m back at the house to gear up and change from a shirt and tie to a pair of shorts and a long sleeved t-shirt. Ahh…it’s like a super hero transformation from office guy to Neal the spawn sack slinger.
I take a quick drive from the home base and roll into the parking lot, the three cars ahead of me all from Illinois. I start putting my waders on and string up my rod. I finish putting the final touches, gravel guards and tying my laces. Blake finally rolls in - a few quick words we determine our next plan of attack. We make the easy hike to the first pool. Blake heads upstream to cast a bugger while I head down to sling some spawn. I try to offer Blake a few spawn sacks, but he refuses on account that he’s turned into a purest, refusing the live bait tactic. I, on the other hand, have no shame. The previous weekend out on the water, we were spanked by spawn slingers.

I begin to cast after cast at a promising brush pile that has created a very nice pool. ( I’ve caught fish here before so I have some confidence). Nothing…I am now frustrated, disappointed, and a bit perturbed. I decide to move, crossing the slow water in front of me. I climb up the opposite bank to gain a better vantage point. With my should- be guide’s eye, I look north towards quarry park. I spot some enemy activity, a tail in the fast water.

As I get closer peering and straining my eyes trying to cut the water, success! I see a bright flash from a hen cutting a red. My attitude has just changed. I feel a lot better with fish in front of me. After two well placed casts: BAAAAM, a hookup! Ahhh that feels good. The fight ensues; she doesn’t know she’s hooked. She’s headed upstream after some string stretching and some rod bending. She darts back and forth across the river; she tires and I can finally gain control of her. Steelhead rugby ensues. (I had told Blake to leave the net behind; that only ensures bad mojo). Finally after some close combat, we land her. With a careful tail grab, Blake assists in the score. She’s well over 30 inches, over 10 lbs: nice hen.

a nice hen steelhead

My hands are shaking a bit. I see now that the other fishermen are paying notice to the action. My vacant fast water is being invaded by the few other fishermen on the river. I quickly post up on that run and re-bait with another spawn sack. Noticing I’ve not stirred up the red, I see more fish flash and porpoise. With a few more surgical casts and BAAAAM, another hookup! Air born acrobatic flips, f—k slack line, she’s off.

Slightly disappointed, I flopped another spawn sack into perfect position. In an instant something pounded the orange colored spawn sack. That smack was a colored up spring buck. He jumps back and forth across the river, through log jams and over and under boulders. I adjust to this circus jumping fool enough to land him. After another rugby event, we land this buck. I put my hands on him, he’s spurting his steelhead juice. I notice the clipped tail fin. That confirms this fish has been through the weir. Good to know his legacy will live on. We snapped a few pics and sent this spring buck on his way.

spring buck steelhead

swim away to fight another day

With my confidence levels reaching an all time high, I slop another spawn sack on. First cast and BOOOOM, another hookup: another steelhead leaps into the unfamiliar air 2 times. It seemed like slow motion, a matter of seconds seemed like ages. But all for naught, she shakes the hook. That final hookup convinces the purest Blake to ask for a spawn sack. I turn to him and laughed, as I reach in my vest to get the terminal gear he needs. The sun is going down in a hurry, and that part of Racine is not a good place to be after dark. We turn our backs on this very productive piece of water and head for the truck. Very good day of after work fishing, one I will not soon forget. Get your strings stretched to all!

Read More »

fly fishing steelhead (root river, wi)

The weather was really starting to warm up the entire week leading up to the weekend. No rain all week and all the snow had been long gone for some time. River flows were very low on the Pike and Oak. The Milwaukee was running over 600cfs and didn’t sound like a very safe number to wade. Looked like the Root was the best based on the numbers.

Normal start time and was fishing island park as the sun rose around 6:40 am. Neal arrived just after me and we started working a nice bend and surrounding stretch river. Couple fingerling browns taken by Neal on a grey leach pattern. Ran into another nice angler who said fish were being taken above the weir but it was shoulder to shoulder fishing. We gave it about an hour and a half, with no fish spotted, before we decided to push north.

small enough to be bait!

Colonial park was packed. Lot was almost full and just barely found parking. We fished till just after lunch with only one hook-up. It was a steelie that threw my hook on his first jump. Talk about disappointing… my only hook-up for the day and it lasted all of 4 seconds.

tiny brown

Yes, there were defiantly people landing fish north of Lincoln park, I helped land 5 for strangers. My problem with the day was that it didn't seem peaceful fishing so jam packed on every run, riffle, and bend. It wasn’t just people concentrated in certain spots, they were everywhere. Just when you would carve out a nice little spot for yourself, here comes Billy Bob and his wife. They sidle up close to you and cast slip bobbers into the tail end of your drift. How many fish can you help them net before you start to feel just a tad upset? Well I’ll tell you... the answer is 2.

Saw no fish released. People must be hungry for steelhead stew. WHAT A SHAME!

Read More »

fly fishing steelhead (lake michigan tributaries, wi)

The beginning of the spring steelhead run (at least for us). Local warm weather combined with four days of rain lead to a massive snow melt. All the rivers in the area reached near flood stages almost a week before we fished. By the time the weekend rolled around only a few of the rivers had stabilized. This made picking a location to fish very easy.

can you tell its the early part of the spring run?

By the time I pulled into the parking lot it was 7:00 and the sun was just starting to rise. Neal had been there long enough to find his way into his waders and boots and already had his rod assembled. I made an effort to get ready as quick as possible trying to avoid the puddles as I took my shoes off and put my waders on. Snow had been falling all morning and it was pretty windy as well. We condensed our gear into Neal’s truck and drove to our launch site.

7:15am We pull in, maybe 4 other cars in the lot. We decided to work our way south this morning. Above the first bend was a group of three guys floating spawn on slip bobbers so we pushed around the bend past the group. We saw some movement in the water but nothing surfaced. Here clarity was poor, water was deep, slow and looked more like chocolate milk. The wakes we saw tempted us into throwing flies into less then desirable water conditions. So with our backs to the wind we started casting. I had a black esl pattern tied on. I varied retrieves from a no drag drift to a fast paced strip retrieve. We worked our way down the river with me casting right behind Neal. We passed a couple of foot bridges and came to a sweet looking run. The water here was thinner and clearer so we stood for a couple minutes just to see if we could spot some fish. Nothing cooking. A couple guys came walking up river and offered a report of no fish caught or spotted down stream. At this point we decided to push back up to the first bend where we at least had seen some signs of life.

The group of spawn floaters had left so we started fishing their run from earlier. Just when it seemed like my toes were frozen a small buck pushed up in front of where Neal was fishing. I stopped casting and watched... just happy to see a fish in the water. Neal made some nice drifts to the fish. Fourth drift to the buck and the line came across the fish and he spooked. He’s gone quicker then he came. A little more then 2 hours and all I’d caught was a head cold.

9:45am. Time for breakfast and a break in a warm truck. Did you know that Wendy’s serves breakfast! Neal went for two of the bacon egg and cheese biscuits with an orange juice. I had a chicken on a biscuit, hash brown and black coffee. We came up with a new game plan over breakfast. No more wasting time fishing the slack, deep, poo-colored water. We were going on a nature walk and we weren’t stopping until we saw good water and sighted fish. After our thirty minute break I felt warm again.

10:15 am. We pulled back in to our access point and we took ten minutes to see if the buck moved back in the last pool we fished. No luck, so we were off on a nature hike. North we went up river through the trees. Thirty minutes of walking and we finally came to some nice looking water. We went down closer to get a better look. We were in luck, we got down to the bank and we sighted at least three nice fish sitting in the pools. There was some deeper water above the run and above the deeper section was a nice gravel bend. This was the best 100 yards of water we had seen yet.

Neal started working the pools and I took the deeper water just ahead of him. It took me 5 minutes to realize that there were fish everywhere. I made a switch to a purple esl with a bead head. On my second cast I stripped the fly and the rod just loaded up and I set the hook. The fight was on! After a few nice aerial displays we landed a nice hen right in the middle of the pool Neal was fishing. Photo time followed by a quick release.

working a fish

nice small hen steelie

I pushed up to the bend and Neal held down his same pool. The bend must have been holding close to ten fish. Right when I started casting I saw a nice hen surface in the deepest section of the bend. I worked it for some time with no success. About that time I saw a huge shadow push up to the head water of the pool. It appeared to be a giant buck. I saw him chasing smaller fish off the gravel bar. There must have been about three smaller fish he was chasing out of there. 15 minutes of perfect drifts passed him before I saw a silver flash in the water and the line just stopped. I’m hooked up again! This fish had a lot bigger shoulders and I played him very gingerly until he got tired. I worked the fish back down stream almost 50 yards during the battle which worked out great because my partner was able to put the bear claws on him. We hoisted him out of the water. What a fish!! Again a couple pictures and a quick release.

omg what a donkey!!

Neal came up to the bend which was still chalked full of fish and tied on a purple fly. It didn’t take long for my buddy to get his turn. The same pool I just scored my fish out of is now home to that giant female I saw when I first got up to the bend. He stayed out of sight and was rewarded with a vicious strike. Neal played the fish down stream just like I had done before and I helped this time landing his fish. What an awesome fish!

neal's turn at a trophy steelhead

The rest of the time we spent taking turns fishing that same bend. One would fish while the other sat up in the tree and watched the action from above. Even though we didn’t catch anything else that day we both got our share of fish. I also got to see a fish give chase to a fly Neal was stripping back. Even though the fish missed the fly, it was cool to see it charge and swipe at the fly.

as fair as fair hooked gets

We came up with a solid plan at breakfast and things seemed to fall into place after that. Stay mobile, fish the type of water your most comfortable with, and spot the fish. Sounds like a winner…

Read More »