The Skunk is Dead!

This past year or so I have had the great opportunity to fish with Rich and Luke on many separate occasions. Two great fly fisherman and friends. The only problem we have had this year, is the inability to find a good number of fish to catch when we are fishing together. Luke has done well on his own, catching a good number of steelhead and browns already this year. Rich has just started fishing tributaries in the past year and a half, and has already landed a salmon this past fall. But, when ever we get together, the fishing has been less than good. In fact it has really stunk! Many times out it has produced just one fish. And sometimes nothing! A skunk is what we call it. And the only way to get rid of it is to have a great day of fishing.

Well....today was that day! I met Rich at Church street at around 9:30am this morning. We got ready and walked downstream to meet up with Luke, who had already put in an hour or so of fishing. When we saw him coming upstream to meet us, he had a big smile on his face. When I asked if he had a good morning, he quickly replied "it's been a great morning!" We then looked at a few of his photos that included a nice steelhead and brown trout of about 10 lbs. each. He had hooked up with 5 fish and landed 2. A great morning indeed! We both agreed that the water looked perfect and we should all take a walk downstream and find some more fish.

We spent some time drifting some flies through a nice run, but no fish where hooked. We kept moving down untill Luke said he spoted a fish. He decided to let me take some drifts through the run. After a minute or so my indicator dipped and I set up on a fish that went absolutely crazy! It jumped 2 feet out of the water and almost landed on the opposite bank, then peeled of a bunch of line running downstream. Then the fish came back up in the run and shook it's head a few times trying to throw the fly and continued to run around. Finally I worked the fish to the slower water and put a net under her. A super bright female steelhead of about 9 lbs. This was a great way to start my morning! We then spotted two more fish holding in that run, and Rich began working his fly to the fish. He spent a good while at it but wasn't getting any fish to take. I had to leave soon, so as he was picking out a new fly, I stepped in for one last attempt at getting another fish. A few drifts later and I was fast into another good sized trout. But it wasn't a steelhead. It was a big brown of about 10 lbs. or so! I spent a few minutes trying to wrangle this fish close enough to net, and just as I was about to slide the big brown in, he or she popped the fly out. Oh well! That's the way it goes sometimes. I then shook hands and said goodbye, leaving Rich and Luke to catch some trout for themselves.

As soon as I was around the next bend, Rich hooked up with the last fish in the run. He carefully fought and landed his very first lake run steelhead just a few minute later. A beautiful 7 lb. hen fresh from the lake.

Both Rich and Luke gave me a call later that afternoon and said how great it was to fish together and most importantly get rid of that skunk that was hanging around for way too long.

Each day I get to spend on the water is a blessing. And today was no different. I'm just glad I was able to spend it with some friends and catch fish!

All fish took #6 or #8 woolly buggers in black, olive and white dead drifted under a strike indicator.