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 |
Little Cleo 2/5 oz with Siwash 2/0 hook |
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
Mark
ReplyDeleteWhat a great way to spin the day even if you didn't land fish. I don't have tell you this, but you and I and all the rest of our fellow bloggers have the greatest hobby in the world--fishing!!!! I would hate to know what I would do each day if I didn't have my fishing to keep me occupied. Next to my wife, fishing is my next love. Thanks for sharing the outing today.
A great day, who needs fish.
ReplyDeleteMickey D's fries, oh yah.
Chasing stealhead and coming up empty is still better than a few of my stinker January trips. Throwing for stealhead is never a bad plan. You will surely get them next time. Matt.
ReplyDeleteI gotta' hand it to you, Mark, you don't give up easily. I really wish you could, at least, hook up with one even if you didn't land it. Just to justify the time being spent Steelhead fishing and get the Albatross off your back. Course, you didn't need me to tell you that!
ReplyDeleteDon't be discouraged. Dr. Colin J Kageyama, O.D., author of "What Fish See", said that "In the first year, I went fishing twelve times. I did not get a single bite." He kept at it until, as he relates..."I went steelhead/salmon fishing 83 times. I was able to catch 121 steelhead/salmon in rivers and streams. I caught at least one fish on 56 different days, a 67% success rate."
ReplyDeleteYour persistence is showing through Mark. I rarely make it to plan C.
ReplyDelete