Fishing Reports & Newsletter

Wednesday, February 25, 2004

Mondays fishing reminded me of the good old days. I got to the Sandy about 10 AM and had a fish in the first 10 casts.Bonk.Hatchery buck about 8 lbs. Twenty minutes later another Steelhead.Same size.
Knock him out or release him and keep fishhing. Release him. Blue bird day.2 fish in half an hour. I am feeling lucky.No Wind. Nearly perfect.Sharpen hook check leader and corkie. Move 10 feet down river.Fish ON........why do I go fishing in the rain I am asking myself. Native hen comes to hand. I go sit down. My next move is perfect in my mind.I get the fly rod strung with a small pink bunny leech and fish for the next 3 hours without a sniff. Hum maybe that was not the " perfect " move I thought it was. But it felt good tossing the fly rod with my 5 ft Teeny sink tip. Just as I was thinking about going back to the drift rod Whamo....Steelie on. So winter fish don't strike hard ? Think again as this fish almost took the rod out of my hand. I had just finishedmy first of 2 mends when he hit. Boiled under the surface like a summer run.Another native goes back to the Sandy..ok So I fish for 1/2 hour and no more hits so I go back to the top of the run for one last pass. First cast in the shallow top of the run I get snagged up...I always give a easy tug when snagged up so maybe I get my fly back. I tug and the rock tugs back.......Set the hook stupid fishon l land a nice keeper hen......Decision time....I have a good 45 minutes of fishing time left......could I get another ? This one goes back. 10n minutes to go or I will be walking out in the dark and a fish grabs my strip and fall back technique I learned from a guide in Alaska.Works great at the end of the swing. A five lb hatchery fish gets bonked. I am back at the car right at dark soaked in sweat from the long uphill hike with too many clothes and 2 fish. I thought I was really hot untill I talked with a boater who had 7 on Monday.But then there were 2 of them. Could the Sandy broodstock return be underestimated or did I just deserve one of those days ? I have not see a day like that on the Sandy since the late 80's. Nearly everyone who fished on Monday had at least 1 fish. The next rain should bring the bulk of the broodstock fish. Let's hope for light rain and a low freezing level.

Tuesday, February 17, 2004

Sturgeon Fishing has been excellent. We are using fresh smelt and the action is constant. So good I can't get 4 rods in the water before someone has a fish on.Cowlitz is full of smelt. If you don't have fresh smelt stay home. In a month it won't matter.Steelhead Fishing took a huge turn for the better just prior to this unwanted rain event.Sandy Clack and Eagle Creek Broodstock fish FINally started to show. I was getting worried for a while. With the huge return of Spring Chinook this season I will be on the Columbia about 2 weeks earlier than normal this year.The best winter Steelheading is just around the corner on the river. I expect many days with double digit catches if the water conditions permit fishing.As usual I am behind in my Deschutes Trout fly tying schedule.Heavy March rains could overcome this problem......At least I can take folks Sturgeon Fishing if the rivers blow out of their banks. The good news is that the Steelhead I caught in the Clackamas and Sandy Rivers just prior to this storm were in much better condition than the earlier Steelhead.Nice fat Chrome fish.. YEAH !

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