Check out my "gear we use" page for some notes on spring chinook equipment that I use for succesful days on the water.
Yesterday I spent a great day on the lower Umpqua with new friend, Tim Walters (seated on left) and old friend, Frank Moore. Tim works for ODFW and is fairly new to our part of the State. He wanted to learn a little about our Spring Chinook fishery so Frank made arrangements with me to take them out for a day.
We ended the day with five on and one landed. Frank is modeling his "advanced technique" of getting another grab by putting a sandwhich and a drink in his hands.
Fellow salmon fly fisherman, Rob Russell joined us for a bit while we were anchored in the "hog line".
That's remarkable, Dean! We ended up one for five that day, as well, not counting a kelt. We hooked a couple above that hog line and a couple near reach of tide. There were plenty of fish around that day, and I spent the entire weekend wondering if I could have done anything to improve our landings. But our hooks were dangerously sharp. We swung the best flywater, and I managed to get a super skanky kelt right where I was hoping for a king-sized grab. Major anti-climax.
ReplyDeleteThe next day, Saturday, I finally landed a nice one after sitting in that same hogline for 90 minutes. Around 25 pounds, so still not a true Umpqua tyee...coming soon :-)
-RR
Hey Rob,
ReplyDeleteIt was great seeing you on the water! That's awsome that you found some fish, there were several boats around us that didn't get a grab that day. The water is just getting better and better for swinging them big 'ol springer flies! For the next week I'll be hittin' it hard with my fly clients...stay tuned...hopefully I'll be able to find'um some chrome! : )