Got there a little after 2:30, a few guys were leaving as I was walking down the path.
I was thinking to myself, "Hm they've probably caught any fish holding on the Burlington side."
Boy was I wrong!!!
Got geared up and headed to the rockpile.
Flyrod first, which is now my new routine.
Two fly setup, egg pattern with another one about 18" behind it.
10 minutes later, at the tail end of my drift...indicator plummets underwater!
FISH ON!! (I think to myself, "Sweet, already???")
I could tell right away it was a big fish, there was no changing the direction of the way this fish was running.
Did the same thing as the one did yesterday, used the current to its advantage and just pumped in the fast-water.
Ran towards me and I got to see it, a nice chromed out Steelhead in the 21-22" range.
Back towards the rapids, zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...........zzzz
Rolled in the current, line goes slack
Oh well...Checked my hooks, knots, line...good to go.
Almost the same drift, no more than 5 minutes later, indicator down...
"Another fish already? Probably just bottom."
I set the hook anyway, and before I knew it a Steelhead was flying out of the water for fish #2 in less than 15 minutes!!
Smaller one, I could tell.
Turned it's head towards me into the calmer water, pulled it towards my feet in the water and tailed it, then used my net to hold it.
Another Steelhead on a fly, awesome!
In the 17" Range
Quick pic and he's off!
Checked my hooks, knots, line...good to go.
Less than 10 minutes after that, indicator down AGAIN...
Now this time I'm almost positive it's just bottom.
I set the hook anyway.
WHAT?! FISH ON AGAIN!!
Felt smaller and lighter, but went into the fast current and I almost had to run downstream for this one!
Pulled him away and saved myself some trouble of running, I could tell it wasn't a Steelhead, but what was it?
Fight was rather lethargic, was it a Laker? In that fast water out there? Can't be..
Got it up to the rocks, a Brown!
He didn't like the sight of me, he made a run back towards the whitewater, I wasn't having it.
Palmed my spool and turned him, brought him back and in the net he goes!
I almost thought he was my Master Angler entry from a distance, but it fell a bit short.
REALLY skinny Male, looks like a toothpick!
20", but probably weighed no more than...2 LBS?
Checked my hooks, knots, line...good to go.
"Should I move downstream? Probably spooked all of the fish from this hole with all that action in such short of time."
Few more drifts I guess.
Sure enough like clockwork, less than 10 minutes later...indicator disappears under the water.
This time it's in shallower water than usual.
I set the hook anyway of course, but I don't keep the tight as I'm 99.99999% sure it was bottom.......
I don't know if that indicator submerging was the fish, or if the fish saw my flies move when I jerked my rod...but..
All of a sudden, as I'm beginning to pick my line off the water to re-cast... my indicator sinks into the water, and SHOOTS away from me!
Oh my, ANOTHER ONE!?!!
I had so much slack line out, I thought I was done for.
The fish didn't even know it was hooked for at least 5 seconds, just long enough for me to reel up my slack line.
Whew, on the reel.
Then the fight starts, and he starts off with a HUGE launch out of the water, way out into the fastest water like it was no problem.
WOW!!! was all I could say. I saw the whole side of this fish, and it was a FAAATTTYYYYY!!
Just like yesterday, it went right into the same spot and held in the current for about 15 minutes.
I was scoping out my path I was going to run in case he'd decide to fall back into the rapids.
Luckily that didn't happen, and he only managed to get close just once.
I palmed my spool and prayed he didn't break me off...couldn't afford to go down those rapids if the hook wasn't secure enough!
He was tiring after a tough battle, and I walked backwards and pulled him over the shallow water where I normally stand and saw just how fat this guy was...holy COW!!!
Got him far enough into the shallower water, jumped on him like white on rice with my net and somehow managed to get him head in first.
I shouted with excitement, this fish was AWESOME!!!
He wasn't nearly as long as I thought at 23", but this thing had some friggin' shoulders!
Kyped out, DARK red color, and did I mention this thing ate a FOOTBALL?
Is this even the same strain as all the other Steelhead or what?
Look at the gill plate
....and the girth on this fish, WOW!!!!Look at the Brown, then look at the Steelhead.....
Obviously that Steelhead is bullying his way into all the food in this area I've got a video of the release as well, he took off on me early but you can still see just how thick this guy was.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0t5EIYABJaY
Be sure to watch in HD!
Less than an hour at the Hole, 3 for 4 all on a flyrod. I call that a perfect day!
I fished until Dark, around 5 PM with no other takes. Lost my 2 producing flies on a snag though, bummer..
Hitting the Hole with Joe most likely Wednesday, we'll hopefully be posting some more fish!
Thanks for the read everyone, it's always a pleasure. Does anyone think that the way I write the descriptions is better than normal paragraphs? What are your thoughts? I think I like the reports better this way, easier to read, no?
COME ON ICE.
