S
Socaaron
Active member
Enjoyed a nice day out on the Clackamas yesterday, weather was perfect for fishing.
Decided to hit McIver and rolled in just after park opening. Pretty much had the place to myself except for one other fisherman working down by the island.
So I start working my desired stretch of water which I felt really called for a bobber jig set-up but seeing as I had a Spoon already tied on I start with that. Cast, drift, retrieve, repeat. So I start low and work my way up hoping the worst I'm doing is pushing the fish upstream to the spot I plan on switching to my jig set-up. I'll be the first to admit what I actually know about how to CATCH a steelhead could probably fill a thimble, I've caught them before but either by accident or luck I'm not yet sure
Don't get me wrong I'm well versed in the THEORY of how but practical application is another thing. Like books smarts vs street smarts, and I've yet to meet a steelhead that seems to have read "A complete guide to Steelhead"..lol
But I digress.
So after about a hour or so the gentleman down by the island comes walking up with fish in hand, I take this as a positive sign. That partnered with the fish i've seen rolling through the last few visits I've made to this area had me in high hopes. So I've worked my way upstream to just below the rapids at the head of the seam. No takers on the spoon and I'm feeling good about switching gear but just a few more casts then I'll wade back to the bank....
SOOOOOOOOO down comes a drift boat, I make another cast or so and then pull my line so he can pass through, WHICH HE DOESN"T DO. No he anchors up right at the top of the slot I'm working and proceeds to have his clients(guide boat) run their rigs through the slot I've been fishing. So I'm a little ticked off, I was obviously working that seam and now I can't even cast upstream just straight across severely truncating my drift. I want to go change gear but I'm not going to leave the seam and allow this guy to think he's successfully pushed me off.
Then the worst happens, after about 5-10 casts his client hooks up with a hot fish, leaping and bounding out of the water he quickly plays it and into the net it goes. So I'm standing there feeling like my fish has just been stolen from me, when the boat pulls anchor and drifts over. The client standing in the front looks at me with a big grin and says "Don't that just f@#$ing tick you off" I swallow my ire and reply "yeah just a little bit, but I got all day I figured I could give you ten minutes" the boat continues to edge closer. The guide at this point calls out "hey I got a big favor to ask of you, could you take some pictures of us. I don't have any with the boat" I reply "Sure" but in my head I'm thinking of all the fishy Karma I'm racking up being such a nice polite fellow fisherman, when secretly I'm really annoyed. The client in the front chimes in again "Your gonna p*ss yourself when you see this" I can now see into the boat showing a limit for everyone. I just smile and say "Nice fish" The guide proceeds to set up his phones camera and then try and instruct me on it's use, it's a Galaxy S4...I have the S5.
I snap some pictures and hand his phone back.
(the only redeeming moment for aforementioned guide) He looks at my gear "hey do you have a bobber and jig" Me:"Yes I do and was planning on working it through that seam"
Guide:"Okay good, I'd switch over to that, run about a 3 ft leader and tip your jig with these" as he hands me half a jar of cured coon shrimp.
I know I get it, it's his job to get his clients into fish and I can respect that. And it was mighty nice of him to offer some advice and some bait to boot, I appreciated it(at least the bait part) the jig part was like someone telling you you have a flat tire, pretty sure you already know.
The part that I found completely tackless was anchoring on top of me, and then asking to shoot some pictures of their haul for them.
Point of reference as well they had to have put in at the upper boat ramp and had their limit by the lower ramp, that's not a huge stretch of water.
So onto the title of this here story-
I switched gear(after kicking myself for not doing it ten minutes earlier) and proceeded to work the seam...nada.
Move downstream cast, drift, retrieve. Nada. Decide to try just outside of the seam a little closer in.
Cast, drift, drift, drift, BOBBER DOWN! Set the hook preparing to battle... but instead I hooked this beast...lol
Caught a few more of his friends but that was about it. Still pursuing that elusive Clack steel, or clack anything bigger than a trout if we're being honest.
-Aaron
Decided to hit McIver and rolled in just after park opening. Pretty much had the place to myself except for one other fisherman working down by the island.
So I start working my desired stretch of water which I felt really called for a bobber jig set-up but seeing as I had a Spoon already tied on I start with that. Cast, drift, retrieve, repeat. So I start low and work my way up hoping the worst I'm doing is pushing the fish upstream to the spot I plan on switching to my jig set-up. I'll be the first to admit what I actually know about how to CATCH a steelhead could probably fill a thimble, I've caught them before but either by accident or luck I'm not yet sure
Don't get me wrong I'm well versed in the THEORY of how but practical application is another thing. Like books smarts vs street smarts, and I've yet to meet a steelhead that seems to have read "A complete guide to Steelhead"..lolBut I digress.
So after about a hour or so the gentleman down by the island comes walking up with fish in hand, I take this as a positive sign. That partnered with the fish i've seen rolling through the last few visits I've made to this area had me in high hopes. So I've worked my way upstream to just below the rapids at the head of the seam. No takers on the spoon and I'm feeling good about switching gear but just a few more casts then I'll wade back to the bank....
SOOOOOOOOO down comes a drift boat, I make another cast or so and then pull my line so he can pass through, WHICH HE DOESN"T DO. No he anchors up right at the top of the slot I'm working and proceeds to have his clients(guide boat) run their rigs through the slot I've been fishing. So I'm a little ticked off, I was obviously working that seam and now I can't even cast upstream just straight across severely truncating my drift. I want to go change gear but I'm not going to leave the seam and allow this guy to think he's successfully pushed me off.
Then the worst happens, after about 5-10 casts his client hooks up with a hot fish, leaping and bounding out of the water he quickly plays it and into the net it goes. So I'm standing there feeling like my fish has just been stolen from me, when the boat pulls anchor and drifts over. The client standing in the front looks at me with a big grin and says "Don't that just f@#$ing tick you off" I swallow my ire and reply "yeah just a little bit, but I got all day I figured I could give you ten minutes" the boat continues to edge closer. The guide at this point calls out "hey I got a big favor to ask of you, could you take some pictures of us. I don't have any with the boat" I reply "Sure" but in my head I'm thinking of all the fishy Karma I'm racking up being such a nice polite fellow fisherman, when secretly I'm really annoyed. The client in the front chimes in again "Your gonna p*ss yourself when you see this" I can now see into the boat showing a limit for everyone. I just smile and say "Nice fish" The guide proceeds to set up his phones camera and then try and instruct me on it's use, it's a Galaxy S4...I have the S5.
I snap some pictures and hand his phone back.
(the only redeeming moment for aforementioned guide) He looks at my gear "hey do you have a bobber and jig" Me:"Yes I do and was planning on working it through that seam"
Guide:"Okay good, I'd switch over to that, run about a 3 ft leader and tip your jig with these" as he hands me half a jar of cured coon shrimp.
I know I get it, it's his job to get his clients into fish and I can respect that. And it was mighty nice of him to offer some advice and some bait to boot, I appreciated it(at least the bait part) the jig part was like someone telling you you have a flat tire, pretty sure you already know.
The part that I found completely tackless was anchoring on top of me, and then asking to shoot some pictures of their haul for them.
Point of reference as well they had to have put in at the upper boat ramp and had their limit by the lower ramp, that's not a huge stretch of water.
So onto the title of this here story-
I switched gear(after kicking myself for not doing it ten minutes earlier) and proceeded to work the seam...nada.
Move downstream cast, drift, retrieve. Nada. Decide to try just outside of the seam a little closer in.
Cast, drift, drift, drift, BOBBER DOWN! Set the hook preparing to battle... but instead I hooked this beast...lol
Caught a few more of his friends but that was about it. Still pursuing that elusive Clack steel, or clack anything bigger than a trout if we're being honest.
-Aaron
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