rogue today

[jbird]

I headed out about 8;30 thismorning to check out a couple new spots I've been thinking about. I found fish at all 3 of the spots I prospected. 4 fish to hand in totality. 1 fish in particular I wanted to share with you guys. I had just entered the run and had made maybe two or three drifts, on the next drift, I was about to lift my rod to mend the line, the indicator went down a moment before, but I am sometimes so slothful on setting the hook I just kinda watched it go down and continued the act of mending. I finish the mend and a LARGE steelie does this deliberate, porpoise like jump just out and up from me. simultaneously, the line gets yanked from my hand and I utter to myself, "I think I've got one" I grapple for the line and come tight to the fish. I have a rediculous amount of line flowing all around me. The fish proceeds to jump in a systimatic circle...first facing up stream, then away from me, then down stream, then comin right at me...at which point I am stumbling backwards stripping line to keep tight. That was the end of the up close and personal stuff, she mustve seen me cause the instant she re-enterd the water she was top fueling downstream. Now to deal with all this loose line in about 2 paniced seconds. Guess what happens to the last loop that came leaping out of the water? you guessed it, right around the reel/rodbutt/hand! somehow I managed to lunge forward and peel it free before the tippet gave out. Whew! fish is on the reel...fish wont stop!!! the pitch of the drag is reaching an octive I rarely hear. Stick the rod under water, there goes the albright knot and backing. Oh man! slow down baby! backing is melting away at an alarming rate. Now hurriedly trudging onto dry land to persue. Fish stops to rest. At this point I cant even see flyline. Its all backing from my reel to where it enters the water waaaaay downstream. I re-enter river to put my rod underwater to encourage her to swim at me. It works and I gain about 15' of backing. Suddenly the fish goes airborne again. I am shocked at how far away this fish has gotten. upon re-entry the fish commenses another reel burning run. I am now pointing the rod at the fish and running as fast as I can manage across the embankment of riverrock. I think I may have been speeking outloud at this point As always, I was very releaved to get a couple wraps of flyline back on the reel. The fish came to hand without much more fanfare.

It wasnt anywhere near my largest rogue fish (she was maybe 8lbs) but certainly one of the most memorable.

Jay

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Must be nice living on the upper Rogue River?

I would say the lower American river is about 20% of what the Rogue is today but it is still close for us.

[MSP]

Nice details Jbird and great fish. You just gotta love those those damn things. You just never know what they are going to do next. Things should be starting on the Trinity real soon, looking forward to getting back up there a few times in the next coming weeks. Keep those reports coming, good reading!

[Hairstacker]

GREAT report Jay!! Love those kind of blow-by-blow style reports -- felt like I was there.