Sorry to report that this post will not contain a smörgåsbord of fish pictures. What you see is what you get. It's not that I only caught the one 20 (or so) incher pictured here. It's not that at all! In fact, that day out on the Metolius was every bit as good a day of fishing as the last time i was there, which I claimed to be the best day I have ever had fishing there. Might have been even better. I hooked 5 nice Bull Trout (got pictures of just one so that we could spend more time with wet lines rather than snapping pictures). For whatever reason, I was less on top of my game than I have been in the recent past and lost two nice ones after several minutes of fighting each. Those barb-less hooks just don't want to stick sometimes. The three I did land were nice fish as well, the largest going somewhere in the ball-park of about 23 inches. I'd say 25 inches but I am learning to be conservative when I do not have an instrument with which to document the actual length (i.e. camera, measuring tape, etc.). I can't remember how many whitefish and bows there were - maybe two whitefish and a bow. But all in all, not a bad day at all. I hope they are still hungry by next weekend when, after years of talking about it, my father-in-law, Van Elg, is going to be in town. Perhaps we'll fish. The question is, however, will the Metolius share the love with a complete stranger. My buddy, Bret, has fished with me 5 or 6 times out there - and no love whatsoever. He's hooked his fair share for sure, but alas, The river giveth, and she taketh away. Maybe if I leave my rod at the car for the first hour, and she (the river) knows I am there, but not fishing..... nnnnaw. She just loves me. Does it have anything to do with my faithfulness to the river? Maybe. Does it have anything to do with the many hours I've spent getting to know her? Maybe. Does it have anything to do with the ceremonial Drinking of the Headwaters at the beginning of each season? You bet your wading booties it does! At any rate, it has been a truly great season on the Metolius. I hope we can make it out one more time before all the fish start to move around and spread out before spawning, and then head back down to the big water of the reservoir. There are only a few positive points that come to mind when I think of the Metolius turning off for the summer: 1) It means that spring is here and the beautiful Central Oregon summer is about to begin, and 2) Central Oregon summer means Deschutes River Steelhead - a more than worthy pacifier to hold me over until I can fish for elusive bull trout on the river that taught me how to fly fish - The (Mrs.) Metolius River. Tight Lines!
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Bull Trout Trip VII
Sorry to report that this post will not contain a smörgåsbord of fish pictures. What you see is what you get. It's not that I only caught the one 20 (or so) incher pictured here. It's not that at all! In fact, that day out on the Metolius was every bit as good a day of fishing as the last time i was there, which I claimed to be the best day I have ever had fishing there. Might have been even better. I hooked 5 nice Bull Trout (got pictures of just one so that we could spend more time with wet lines rather than snapping pictures). For whatever reason, I was less on top of my game than I have been in the recent past and lost two nice ones after several minutes of fighting each. Those barb-less hooks just don't want to stick sometimes. The three I did land were nice fish as well, the largest going somewhere in the ball-park of about 23 inches. I'd say 25 inches but I am learning to be conservative when I do not have an instrument with which to document the actual length (i.e. camera, measuring tape, etc.). I can't remember how many whitefish and bows there were - maybe two whitefish and a bow. But all in all, not a bad day at all. I hope they are still hungry by next weekend when, after years of talking about it, my father-in-law, Van Elg, is going to be in town. Perhaps we'll fish. The question is, however, will the Metolius share the love with a complete stranger. My buddy, Bret, has fished with me 5 or 6 times out there - and no love whatsoever. He's hooked his fair share for sure, but alas, The river giveth, and she taketh away. Maybe if I leave my rod at the car for the first hour, and she (the river) knows I am there, but not fishing..... nnnnaw. She just loves me. Does it have anything to do with my faithfulness to the river? Maybe. Does it have anything to do with the many hours I've spent getting to know her? Maybe. Does it have anything to do with the ceremonial Drinking of the Headwaters at the beginning of each season? You bet your wading booties it does! At any rate, it has been a truly great season on the Metolius. I hope we can make it out one more time before all the fish start to move around and spread out before spawning, and then head back down to the big water of the reservoir. There are only a few positive points that come to mind when I think of the Metolius turning off for the summer: 1) It means that spring is here and the beautiful Central Oregon summer is about to begin, and 2) Central Oregon summer means Deschutes River Steelhead - a more than worthy pacifier to hold me over until I can fish for elusive bull trout on the river that taught me how to fly fish - The (Mrs.) Metolius River. Tight Lines!
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2 comments:
I hate to put a damper on your worship of the almighty heathen river god, but if I recall correctly, you did not actually particiate in the ritualistic practice of drinking from the headwaters this year. Based on the better than ever year you have had, I'd have to say that the said practice is nothing more than a fruitless sham. As a side note, I think you should consider a ceremonial drinking from the mouth of the Columbia this year in preparation for your sturgeon trip. If you did, you'd surely catch something, although probably not a fish. Okay, I'm probably just a little bit bitter because I never seem to land those stinkin' bull trout. But we will have to invent some good heathen rituals in preparation for steelhead season on the Deschutes. :)
Oh, but I did partake this year... well not this YEAR, but this season. Annika and I both did. But you are right. It was not in 08. It is an anual thing, but not at the beginning of each year. Rather, at the beginning of each season is when worship of the heathen river goddess takes place. In this season's case, Annika and I visited the head waters around October, fed the chipmunks, and then partook. Drinking from the mouth of the Big C? Yikes! At least I'd get my sodium intake for the decade. As far as rituals for steel season goes - maybe we could intoduce a ritualistic slipping in the mud and falling on our rears.... didn't seem to work for me though.
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