Tony Buzolich
03-26-2015, 07:51 PM
It's been a while since my last post and I'm getting lots of calls asking what's going on, and wanting to book trips. Unfortunately I've been a bit under the weather and haven't gotten out hardly at all.
Well, enough sitting around in that damn chair growing older by the minute. Today I decided I was going to hook up the boat and go see what's happening. I got to the ramp at a nice time, the sun just starting to glow over the sierras, and I could still see to navigate the shallows. And I mean REALLY shallow.
My one channel that allows me to motor upstream was barely a foot deep with limbs I've never seen before and weeds choking the surface. I trimmed the motor up and proceeded wondering if I was going to come to a dead stop. I continued to move but sluggishly. Weeds had wrapped around the skag of my motor but I was still moving. Finally in some deeper water I stopped to see what was causing this erratic steering. Sure enough a pile of weed the size of a desk. Trim down and it fell off for a quick fix.
I get to one of our usual stating spots and make my first cast and start to retrieve. Strip, strip, and there's nothing. My butt section had separated from the head of my line and I lost the entire leader and fly.
Not a big deal,,,,,,, when you have more leader :( I had taken a friend trout fishing a few weeks before and all I had was some old 8# mono. Uugh! I guess I'll have to be gentle if I hook one. So I put on a new fly and cross my fingers that nothing too big grabs it. It wasn't long before I get my first hook up and I gently bring a nice 3#-4# striper to the boat. Even on 8# test :)
I'm in the shallows now and a few minutes later I get another grab. This one is heavier and I try to not put too much pressure on the leader. This one swims straight at me and heads toward the middle of the river like most bigger fish do. Sure enough the 8# leader isn't close to stopping this fish and pop it goes. Felt good while it lasted.
I tie on another chunk of light leader and move upstream trying to see how far I can go before bottoming out. I get the upper shad hole, start my drift, and on the second cast I hook up again to another nice schoolie. A few quick twists and turns and this one pops me off too. Damn!. I'm mad at myself for leaving my other bag at home.
I rummage through my glove box and by God here's a small spool of 20# flouro. Yahoo, now I can get serious and work my way back toward the shallows again. The sun is getting high and it's time to quit but I want one grab. Just about that time, Bingo, and I've got another hook up to a small schoolie just barely legal.
Perfect, time to go home, and not a bad morning for a couple of hours getting out of that damn chair.
The river is packed thick with salmon smolt but the fish are still eating. Now just watch the shallows.
Tony
Well, enough sitting around in that damn chair growing older by the minute. Today I decided I was going to hook up the boat and go see what's happening. I got to the ramp at a nice time, the sun just starting to glow over the sierras, and I could still see to navigate the shallows. And I mean REALLY shallow.
My one channel that allows me to motor upstream was barely a foot deep with limbs I've never seen before and weeds choking the surface. I trimmed the motor up and proceeded wondering if I was going to come to a dead stop. I continued to move but sluggishly. Weeds had wrapped around the skag of my motor but I was still moving. Finally in some deeper water I stopped to see what was causing this erratic steering. Sure enough a pile of weed the size of a desk. Trim down and it fell off for a quick fix.
I get to one of our usual stating spots and make my first cast and start to retrieve. Strip, strip, and there's nothing. My butt section had separated from the head of my line and I lost the entire leader and fly.
Not a big deal,,,,,,, when you have more leader :( I had taken a friend trout fishing a few weeks before and all I had was some old 8# mono. Uugh! I guess I'll have to be gentle if I hook one. So I put on a new fly and cross my fingers that nothing too big grabs it. It wasn't long before I get my first hook up and I gently bring a nice 3#-4# striper to the boat. Even on 8# test :)
I'm in the shallows now and a few minutes later I get another grab. This one is heavier and I try to not put too much pressure on the leader. This one swims straight at me and heads toward the middle of the river like most bigger fish do. Sure enough the 8# leader isn't close to stopping this fish and pop it goes. Felt good while it lasted.
I tie on another chunk of light leader and move upstream trying to see how far I can go before bottoming out. I get the upper shad hole, start my drift, and on the second cast I hook up again to another nice schoolie. A few quick twists and turns and this one pops me off too. Damn!. I'm mad at myself for leaving my other bag at home.
I rummage through my glove box and by God here's a small spool of 20# flouro. Yahoo, now I can get serious and work my way back toward the shallows again. The sun is getting high and it's time to quit but I want one grab. Just about that time, Bingo, and I've got another hook up to a small schoolie just barely legal.
Perfect, time to go home, and not a bad morning for a couple of hours getting out of that damn chair.
The river is packed thick with salmon smolt but the fish are still eating. Now just watch the shallows.
Tony