Duane called on Thursday evening and said that he had gotten a report that the ice had drifted out of the Gift Shop Launch and we could go fishing tomorrow. So at 730 am I met him at the take out point with my truck. We parked it there and took the boat up to the Gift Shop launch. There was another boat there unloading when we arrived. After unloading and launching the boat we watched as the other group of fishermen landed a nice steelhead from the very head of the hole. We should have been a few minutes earlier! We fished our way down river in the drift boat. Duane would control our drift and put the plugs that we had out behind the boat next to
rocks that Duane thought might be holding a fish. We had no activity but the weather was
warming up to the upper 30's and the sun was trying to come out.
We got down to the mouth of Fords Creek when Duane's rod tried to go out of the boat. I grabbed it and set the hook into a solid fish. Duane oared the drift boat out of the main current as I kept the line tight on a wild fish. He set the anchor and I tried to hand him his rod but he said to finish fighting the fish as he grabbed the big landing net. I soon had the fish alongside of the boat and Duane slid the net under her. He quietly announced that the fish had an adipose fin! This fact meant that the fish would have to be returned to the river unharmed. My thoughts of fresh smoked disappeared quickly.A fish meant that there might be others in the same hole so we quickly rebaited the
plugs with a gob of eggs and sent them to work in the current. Duane had to change a treble hook that I bent getting it out of the fish. I didn't check the clock but it was less then 15 minutes when my rod bent over as a fish took the plug. It was a very gentle pickup (not a slashing strike) and as I felt the fish I set the hook to feel a very solid resistance. The
first run was down river and I thought that I would soon have him tangled in the other line as Duane oared the boat out of the main current again. Luck was with me as the fish decided that it was time to go up river and actually swam up a short ways above the boat. It was a much stronger fish then the first one. She made several good runs as I tried to lead her up and into range of Duane's long handled net. I kept the pressure steady and the fish finally came up and I lead her into the net!
I let out a war hoop that could be heard up and down the river! Duane announced that this fish didn't have an adipose fin but that it was "ugly"! He asked whether I wanted to keep him or not. I yell "You Bet"! This one is going into the smoker, ugly or not, it didn't matter!
The plugs were quickly re-baited and back down in the depths of the river looking for another big steelhead. It wasn't long before the rod in my hand felt the gentle pickup of a fish. I lean back and set the hook into yet another big fish. Wahoo! I led this fish back to the boat. It was a very silver fish that acted like a fish fresh from the ocean. It took several minutes to gain control of the fish and I finally led it up alongside of the drift boat for Duane to net. As it slid into the net I caught a glimpse of an adipose fin!!
Darn! This fish had to go back into the river. I snapped a few pictures as the fish stayed in the net and I removed the hooks. She swan away in a hurry as I turned the net over to release her.
The action slowed and we drifted on down stream. That was the extent of the activity for the rest of the day. it was a great float and we finally loaded the boat at 0400pm.
