Rick J
11-20-2006, 08:17 AM
Well this last weekend was my last shot for fishing due to other commitments for some time. The rain seemed to not be working in my favor - but I gave Bruce a call and we agreed to meet at Benbow on the South Fork Eel to check things out and play around with our spey rods.
I decided to load my pram at the last minute and my single handed stuff.
Got there at 8 and it was pretty low but marginal in color - upstrem slides are playing hell with clarity. Downstream it got worse and the main stem was out. So we decided to head up to the Smith and check things out.
Headed for a nice run a bit upstream from the 101 bridge. It was running very clear but high - water was up in the brush so it made interesting casting - deep wading with brush right behind you - great practice for the perry poke!! We made several passes and noticed a few salmon busting water on the other side. A point of land came out creating a backwater and long seam down from this point and the fish seemed to be on the edge just in the fast water. Bruce wanted to continue his spey practice but I got out my pram and salmon gear (Scott 10 wt HP) with an AIRFLO type 7 shooting head and orange and green comets and rowed across and anchored just in the fast water. (It was about 12:30). I cast across current and let it swing then slow retrieved up through the edge. About 10 minutes into it I had a grab and salmon on - had him on for 5 minutes and he pulled loose. Felt like a heavy fish. Maybe 10 minutes later I hooked another fish - I finally got this one in (Naturally I forgot my net so it was interesting to get this fish boated). Chrome around 20#. Maybe 20 minutes later another grab but no hook up. Then a few casts later another fish - this one was heavy and I rowed to the bank and finally landed him - 35# to 40# and a bit dark.
Lots of boats on the river but not many fish being caught. They rowed right by me and continued to fish so had to play nice and time my casts.
That was it for the day - I fished another hour or so until 4:30. Bruce headed home and I drove into Crescent City for dinner then back to the river- camped in the back of my truck.
Up early and on the water by 7:30 - few fish showing but no grabs until around 8:30. Some rock hoppers came down and were casting out arouond me. Most of the fish were really in the fast water so I rowed out a bit and anchored so my retrieve stayed in the faster water. Within 5 minutes I had a good grab and a heavy head shake. A few casts later - fish on - back to the bank and landed another cookie cutter as the last one from yesterday - 35# to 40#. Back across the river - the rock hoopers were really nice and raised their rods so I could go under them in the slack water. Anchored up and 5 casts later another grab - nobody home. 3 casts and another grab- nobody home. 5 casts later fish on - It was 9:30 by then and this was too much work and anyway I had to head home so back to the bank and landed another cookie cutter 35 to 40# fish. I gotta wonder how many I would have ended up with if I had stayed - the fish sure seemed to be stacked in there.
As an added bonus - both days a bald eagle was hanging around. It went after a swan that flew in - pretty interesting match up! The Eel looked to be in fishable shape on my way home though the upper south fork around Confusion Hill was really blown!
I decided to load my pram at the last minute and my single handed stuff.
Got there at 8 and it was pretty low but marginal in color - upstrem slides are playing hell with clarity. Downstream it got worse and the main stem was out. So we decided to head up to the Smith and check things out.
Headed for a nice run a bit upstream from the 101 bridge. It was running very clear but high - water was up in the brush so it made interesting casting - deep wading with brush right behind you - great practice for the perry poke!! We made several passes and noticed a few salmon busting water on the other side. A point of land came out creating a backwater and long seam down from this point and the fish seemed to be on the edge just in the fast water. Bruce wanted to continue his spey practice but I got out my pram and salmon gear (Scott 10 wt HP) with an AIRFLO type 7 shooting head and orange and green comets and rowed across and anchored just in the fast water. (It was about 12:30). I cast across current and let it swing then slow retrieved up through the edge. About 10 minutes into it I had a grab and salmon on - had him on for 5 minutes and he pulled loose. Felt like a heavy fish. Maybe 10 minutes later I hooked another fish - I finally got this one in (Naturally I forgot my net so it was interesting to get this fish boated). Chrome around 20#. Maybe 20 minutes later another grab but no hook up. Then a few casts later another fish - this one was heavy and I rowed to the bank and finally landed him - 35# to 40# and a bit dark.
Lots of boats on the river but not many fish being caught. They rowed right by me and continued to fish so had to play nice and time my casts.
That was it for the day - I fished another hour or so until 4:30. Bruce headed home and I drove into Crescent City for dinner then back to the river- camped in the back of my truck.
Up early and on the water by 7:30 - few fish showing but no grabs until around 8:30. Some rock hoppers came down and were casting out arouond me. Most of the fish were really in the fast water so I rowed out a bit and anchored so my retrieve stayed in the faster water. Within 5 minutes I had a good grab and a heavy head shake. A few casts later - fish on - back to the bank and landed another cookie cutter as the last one from yesterday - 35# to 40#. Back across the river - the rock hoopers were really nice and raised their rods so I could go under them in the slack water. Anchored up and 5 casts later another grab - nobody home. 3 casts and another grab- nobody home. 5 casts later fish on - It was 9:30 by then and this was too much work and anyway I had to head home so back to the bank and landed another cookie cutter 35 to 40# fish. I gotta wonder how many I would have ended up with if I had stayed - the fish sure seemed to be stacked in there.
As an added bonus - both days a bald eagle was hanging around. It went after a swan that flew in - pretty interesting match up! The Eel looked to be in fishable shape on my way home though the upper south fork around Confusion Hill was really blown!