Monday I was unable to get out. Tuesday I hit the river for a couple of hours. Just after I got there, I tripped and face planted in about a foot of water. Water ran into my waders and I was soaked all way to my toes. It was chilly out, about 50 degrees. I thought about leaving, but decided I was there so I should just fish until I get too cold. I hooked one in a soft spot and lost it. As I was walking out, I fished the head of a run where the river bends and hooked into a nice winter holdover buck. It made me feel good, it was a nice little victory since I continued to fish all cold and wet.
Monday's fish
Yesterday (Wednesday), I fished from about 4:00 pm until dark. I fished a sexy little run that I’ve caught fish in recently and hooked a sucker on the second drift. As I’m fishing this run; an older Russian guy, with a thick accent and an odor of cheap booze, starts telling me “That water too fast, no fish there…” I tell him it’s fine, the water is not too fast, I’ll catch steelhead here; I’ve caught several steelhead here recently. He saw me catch the sucker and starts to taunt me in his thick accent, “oh sucker that’s all you catch there”. I tell him, “that was the first sucker I’ve caught this year” (which was true). I continue to fish, the Russian is spouting off; he thinks he’s some kind of expert. An expert fishing a zonker with a spinning rod! All of the sudden a two man pontoon is floating through and it's my friend and guide Brett with a client. I say hello, Brett appologises for floating through the run and says something to the effect of it will rile the fish up and you'll catch one. I tell the Russian this is a good spot for steelhead and that I will catch a trout here. As I say this I hook up. The fish swims in and out of the current and stays below the surface much like a sucker would. The Russian says “another sucker”. I’m concerned he’s right and he’ll continue to harass me. I continue to work the fish in and get it to the surface where it gives a nice head shake and reveals its identity; it was a decent sized steelhead! That shut down that drunk Russian bastard! As I land the fish he walks over and what to know what I caught the fish on. Who’s the expert now? I felt vindicated. I showed him the stonefly I caught the fish on and gave him a couple of stoneflies that I had tied. I tried to kill him with kindness. I walked down river to another good run and started to fish up river. I picked this run apart and found nobody home after working through ¾ of the run. I changed flies and hooked up on the next drift. The fish felt big and angry. It ran up river, then down river, and then went nose down into the current. I worked it back towards the bank and it took off and leaped out of the water, it was a bright chrome HOG. This fish was a real pig, probably the largest fish I’ve caught this spring, if not, close to it. As I was fighting this fish, I saw a guy fishing down river; I yelled down to him and asked him to come up and give me a hand. I wanted to get a picture with this fish. I told the guy, “I know this is one of those fish you just have to get a picture of”. He was kind enough to help me and took a few excellent pictures. Thanks to the mystery photographer for your help. I fought the fish in, every time I got the fish close to the bank it just kept running and running; it did not want to give up. I finally landed the fish for the shot of the day. It started to get dark shortly after I released the hog. I started to work up river towards the car and decided to fish a couple of more spots before I headed out. Nothing at the first spot. At the second spot, I hooked up on the on the third or fourth drift through. I had the fish on for a few seconds before it through the hook. After that I walked out. It was a great day on the river.
This is the fish that shut the Russian down, it had a big head and short stubby tail... kind of weird.
Close up
the pig
