Sometimes I Just Never Learn

Pulled out of the house at 7:30 and headed down the hill to the American River in search of Steelhead. Seems all I do is search for them. Does it ever seem that when your ship comes in, you're going to be at the airport?

Plan A: Use my 6'6" rod with 6lb test to try a new lure I constructed. I got the idea from a fishing magazine I read the other day and placed an order with Cabela's for parts. Got to the river and the guy in the picture below was fishing a little side split of the river. Catch any today? I asked. He held up 4 fingers.

Fighting #5 as I watch

He tried to tell me they were in that little spot right in front of me, but the noise of the river was so loud (and I'm a bit hard of hearing anyway) I couldn't clearly understand what he was saying. I got the idea, though. Don't know if he told me what he was using and I didn't hear him or he didn't tell me. My guess would be the later.

Little Cleo 2/5 oz with Siwash 2/0 hook

Execute Plan A by tying the lure above, onto my rod and have at it. Cast, swing, retrieve. Again, again, and again. Obviously I didn't catch anything.

Plan B: Back to the truck and grab my little Okuma (2# test) and an assortment of stuff. I thought about bringing my fly rod, flies, and waders, but I didn't think I'd need them, thus the title. There was a gazillion guys fishing fly rods up and down the river. A lot of them catching fish. 

OK, back to Plan B. First a #6 bait hook and salmon eggs with a small split shot to get it to the bottom. Snag, break the line, and re-hook, but this time without the split shot. Cast, drift, retrieve. Again, again, and again. Obviously I still didn't catch anything.

Plan C: 1/4 oz Little Cleo with 2 of the 3 treble hooks clipped off. Only one I had in nickle color (same as the 2/5th oz). Cast, drift, retrieve, Again, again, again until it snagged on the bottom and broke the line.

Plan D: Tie on a pink (seems to be a color the steelhead like) crappie jig and fire away. I'm not even going to comment.

Back to Plan A, but this time out in the big part of the river. Cast, never mind, you know the routine. Talked with a guy from down the freeway a ways and he was fishing an egg pattern on a spinning rod. Hey, I could do that except I left all my fly fishing stuff home. Ran into him some time later and he had caught one. OK, I'll bend over and you can kick away. 

By Noon my back was trashed from walking and standing on the rocks and since I left my fly fishing gear at home (need I remind you of the title) I headed to Mick D's for a burger and fries. Gassed up the Silver Bullet (I don't think I ever mentioned the name of my truck) and headed home.

Next time (Maybe next week) I'll take my fly fishing gear. Got some good egg patterns to try.

Till the next adventure.

Mark