Can't stop fishing!! :)

rippin fish lips · Mar 16, 2013

Been finding my self hitting the water every day for the past 5 weeks, hitting it hard with spoons and spinners. Been out just about every morning, evening, and mid afternoon. Pretty much all day since i get off at 11:30am most of the time, sometimes work will catch me quicker then a fish that has to decide to bite or not. Local trout in town, did a steel trip the other week. Think i am done with winters for now although i still have an itch to go try 1 more time.

I have been giving the big reds a workout lately. I got a few pictures but have been working on less pics and less handling of the fish with a good or better solid respectful release away from rocks. Handling fish is always something that can be practiced. So far the fishing has been good for me this year, and the fly fisherman are are doin good too. Today was the perfect day for march browns, for anyone that is curious.

I guess i could say the big reds have caught me once again.

It's supposed to be sunny tomorrow, so i will most likely go give it another couple hours at the stomping grounds. Met a few fly fisherman today, they walking up and i was the only one in the 300 yard stretch. Invited them into the area because i was about to leave after about 15 more casts, and i knew they would do better then me and wanted to start working from the top above me (fine with me). Nice friendly people. On my way out he told me i was welcome to walk right on up and join them when they were there whenever. Felt good to meet some good people.

So that's what i have been doin lately. Besides Lurkin about

can't get enough of the tug.

eugene1 · Mar 16, 2013

Keep it up bro and you'll soon be catching those awesome early summer runs (and hopefully post up a pic for me)! Looks like there's enough that have passed the falls to make an attempt for them in town finally. I know you like the mac, but don't neglect the Willy either.

Best,

hobster · Mar 17, 2013

Awesome, i envy you. I'm starting to think about the Mac and busting out the fly rod, but i think i'll hit the Slaw one last time since i got one on friday. Should be in great shape to fish with so little rain, and the sun is shining! With all this fishing - soon you'll be spinner guide status

rippin fish lips · Mar 17, 2013

Eugene, i will not neglect the willy this year like i did last year. It's been about 3 years since i have fished it hard enough to pull fish out on the town run. Going to hit it every week here in the next 2 weeks or so, along with the mac. Just can't seam to escape the Gin clear water of the mac, and the ubandance of the trout. It's got me big time. lol. Got a few holes that i will focus on in the willy (hopefully will bring my hook and catch ratio up) by workin a couple holes all season.

Hobster, right now would not be a bad time to bust out that fly rod. Plenty of big healthy natives feedin. Spinner guide status would be awesome! Never know when you will see me and clients slayin fish with spinners! About to go to pioneer pacific to help me with becoming self employed and a part time guide.

Anyways... My report of the last month, will come now. Stay Tuined ladies and Gents!

rippin fish lips · Mar 17, 2013

I love these rivers, love being out on them and becoming one with the environment. My respect for these rivers and fish grow each day i fish it, skunked or not. I am becoming very interested in studying trout's behavior in these river systems, from where and what time of the year they will hold in certain area's.

Pretty much i have been having a great time fishing with friends and doing solo trips in between. Hittin it a few hours there and a few here, i have had moderate success. Fly guys are doing a little better then me, but that is ok.

Started fishing the mac pretty early this year. Feb 1st to be exact. Even though it is early for steelhead, i have been fishing it just as hard as i would in May-june. Don't matter how cold the water is, how high it is, or if the steelhead are in or not. You have to fish hard every trip if you want to be a constant 10%r someday, which i am working on. Trout and steelhead both, and the trout... have to feed anyways. I fish like i practiced in HS basketball, Hard and at 110% every trip out. It's they way i look at it, a game of progression that never ends.

Around feb 20th or so i managed to hoop up with this nasty summer that i wish i would have released for another day. It was a fun fight in a deep pool with a sht ton of logs and branches.

About 2 weeks later, my and my fishin partner Bill decided to get the drifty out.

March 1st. It was a very slow day of fishing, painfully agonizing with little fish activity. 1/4 way through the float i see a nice redside jump, cast at it but couldnt trick the finicky trout.

Half way through the float i ended up hooking another nasty old summer with a 1/6oz rainbow thomas because the water was so clear. Made 1 cast at it, felt a bite, set it, headshaked. Thought it was another nice sized red until it tore off 20 yards of line quicker then i hooked it. Fish was released unharmed.

So after that nasty summer and about 3 hours after that nasty summer. I ended up hooking this big ol fat redside. Pulled some line, did a few jumps for me, and even let me get a pic or two. This fish would be the 3rd Redside of the year, same sized as the first two which i did not get pics of.

1 week ago exact, with 3 other fishing buddies i hooked one of them ellusive 20"+ reds, my last one was at leaberg and was 24" or so. This one i found in an area i have been working for 8 years now. Sadly got it to my feet, went to tail it and it popped off. Best lookin red i have ever seen. Will get him another day...

And here is the best part of fishing feb-march so far... Buddy of mine Jon, He was tired of catching a bunch of cutties, so i told him i would take him over to some of my favorite rainbow/red waterto change it up and see if he could get one of the 20"rs that are about right now.

Well he got lucky enough to get his first spinner fish there after asking me if a number 4 spinner would work in the clear water. I told him yes it probably would because the water is so cold it might pull a big boy from lethargic state to a pissed off state.

So he got out a chart #4 fox. Put some Herring lunker lotion on it and hooked this guy. This was his first fish ever on a spinner and it got him hooked. Now he can't put the spinner down.

20 minutes later, 20 yards down stream from the first one... He found another with some battle marks.

I told him, he should feel very lucky to have caught 2 bull trout in the same area on the Lower River. That is hard to come by, let alone finding bull trout this far down river. Looks like they have found a tolerable habitat to spawn in. This was the only fish that we caught that day besides me hooking a white fish.

I talked to the people doing the trout study on the mac, and they said out of 2,167 rainbows/cuts they caught 2 bull trout in the last two years on this section of the river. and we just found 2 more. Good stuff to know.