Cold Steel

Monday morning was rainy and wet. But that did not stop Dave and I from meeting in Redmond at 4:00 am to head up to the mouth of the Deschutes to fish for steelhead. The trip was a success. Dave and I both pulled off a first... Dave's first steelhead on the fly, and my first steelhead, period. I got two actually! Hooked two others but they both came un-buttoned. I wont clutter up this entry with too many words, cause the pictures do all the talking. Tight Lines (and violent head-shakes).

A Time to Fish for Bull Trout

As they say, to everything there is a season, And what do yo know! Bull Trout season is rapidly approaching. We are already through the fist week of August. Couple more weeks and Sept. is here, which menas that Oct. is almost here! Ok, so two months is still out there a ways, but I'm getting excited already. I may have to try and think of something to keep me occupied while I wait. Hmmm.... how about sturgeon fishing, oh - and steelheading is heating up on the Lower D. And, with any luck, I might still get a shot at a king (Chinook) this year. It depends on multiple variables, but I am a man of faith. We'll see what labor day is looking like. Anyway, in honor of the up-and-comming fall and winter seasons on the Mrs. (Metolius), I'm posting this picture of a sweetheart of a bully. Come on out to Bend this winter and we'll hit'em up. I've got to get Annika into one of these bad boys this year! Tight Lines!

The $600 Fish

This post is a little late, but I had to throw up (no pun intended) this photo of Annika from our charter out of Depoe last month. The Elg and Craner families came out from Idaho and we all took a salmon charter on that big, salty lake called the Pacific. It was a calm day for the first two hours, but the weather turned and it got nasty real quick. We had several first timers aboard so, needless to say, the water just below the gunnel was a bit more colorful than usual at times. We fished 12 rods for 5 hours with 5 real takedowns and all of two salmon boated, both keepers. Our group was comprised of 8 fishermen and women, and luckily one of the two fish boated was on Annika's rod. Thus we dubbed the 5.5 lb coho the $600.00 fish, which was smoked and turned out to be some of the best I have ever done. The only other action we saw that day was with some mackerels that took a couple baits. Dad hooked a couple, as seen in the photo here, and, considering the slow action of the salmon, was quite pleased with any action at all. When he landed this mack, his teeth started chattering, his eyes got wide and crazy, and he began rubbing his hands together rapidly, making a squirly little squeal with his mouth. He was really excited. It was very strange, yet I found myself fighting the impulse to act the same way when other macks hit lines. Must have been something in the water. All in all, it was a fun experience despite the episodes of temporary insanity and sea sickness. Recent first-hand reports from the coast say that the coho have moved back in along with the cooler water and anglers are putting the smack-down on them. On a side note, while that warmer water was in, anglers were catching Albies as close in as 8 miles in one report I read. And there have been reports of Dorado being caught, mixed in with the Albies out 25 miles or more. Dorado off the Oregon coast! I want in on some of that action. Tight Lines!