Post by Mark Patenaude on Oct 16, 2006 9:25:46 GMT -5
I'm f'n tired today. Got up at 4:30 am and was on the water by 6 with a 28 degree air temp to start out with.
The numbers of Kings in the Pike were down substantially from two weeks ago probably due to the snaggers as well as the die off starting. Managed around 10 Kings on the Pike in the am and left for the 15 minute ride North to the Root around noon.
Got to the Root and saw what I expected. A bunch of knuckleheads in camo neoprene waders snagging. Man, if there is one thing that is going to instantly piss me off is seeing that.
I parked at the Weir and check out the sanctuary area, which was stacked with about 400-500 Kings that hadn't made it up the ladder yet. Also saw some good sized Cohos and a few Steelhead mixed in.
I walked down river to a spot that always hold fish and I couldn't believe it when I saw the entire 200 yd. stretch devoid of the knuckleheads. They were all upstream about 100 yds snagging away.
The water had a really heavy stain to it that made it almost impossible to see the fish. I stood in the center of the river so I could work both banks and waited and waited and low and behold I saw about 3 hens blowing out their redds. I drifted over the hens to the males behind and did really well. I also managed one small 20" Steelhead.
The best part of the story was after working this area for around 45 minutes and landing several Kings, the snaggers started to move in on me from downstream. I figured that I had already had enough fun for the day and knew that these guys were going to move directly into my drift. So, I put on 6' 400 grain shooting head witha 4' section of leader and the biggest Spey fly that I had in my box. It was a monster tied on a 4/0 Alec Jackson.
I moved a little further downstream so I was around 60' from the guy who was moving in and started to double haul this huge Spey, which could have been taken for a small trout flying through the air, to send a message to this idiot that if you get any closer you'll be digging this thing out of the side of your head. Needless to say, he didn't even want to get close to it and decided to take out a move somewhere else. I then changed out to a Headbanger Hex and caught a few more.
As anyone who has fished with me knows that I practice the best possible river ettiquette and will gladly give up a productive spot to my fishing partner or to someone who hasn't gotten into any fish yet. I just can't stomach these guys. They always look so proud when they snag and manage to land a skanky fish that has been in the river for a few weeks and has rot all over.
Its useless to call the DNR because they would have to send an Army of C.O.s to ticket/apprehend these idiots.
I'm sure the same thing goes on at the Salmon in N.Y., though I've never fished there.
The upside was, I went back to the Pike and bumped into a smokin' hottie chick in waders, who was in from Montana, and had never fished the runs before. She was standing along the bank staring at a pod of around 15 monster Kings and "not doing it right". She asked for some help and being the fly fishing gentleman that I am, I took the time to "give her a lesson".
Mark
Sorry for the rant...
The numbers of Kings in the Pike were down substantially from two weeks ago probably due to the snaggers as well as the die off starting. Managed around 10 Kings on the Pike in the am and left for the 15 minute ride North to the Root around noon.
Got to the Root and saw what I expected. A bunch of knuckleheads in camo neoprene waders snagging. Man, if there is one thing that is going to instantly piss me off is seeing that.
I parked at the Weir and check out the sanctuary area, which was stacked with about 400-500 Kings that hadn't made it up the ladder yet. Also saw some good sized Cohos and a few Steelhead mixed in.
I walked down river to a spot that always hold fish and I couldn't believe it when I saw the entire 200 yd. stretch devoid of the knuckleheads. They were all upstream about 100 yds snagging away.
The water had a really heavy stain to it that made it almost impossible to see the fish. I stood in the center of the river so I could work both banks and waited and waited and low and behold I saw about 3 hens blowing out their redds. I drifted over the hens to the males behind and did really well. I also managed one small 20" Steelhead.
The best part of the story was after working this area for around 45 minutes and landing several Kings, the snaggers started to move in on me from downstream. I figured that I had already had enough fun for the day and knew that these guys were going to move directly into my drift. So, I put on 6' 400 grain shooting head witha 4' section of leader and the biggest Spey fly that I had in my box. It was a monster tied on a 4/0 Alec Jackson.
I moved a little further downstream so I was around 60' from the guy who was moving in and started to double haul this huge Spey, which could have been taken for a small trout flying through the air, to send a message to this idiot that if you get any closer you'll be digging this thing out of the side of your head. Needless to say, he didn't even want to get close to it and decided to take out a move somewhere else. I then changed out to a Headbanger Hex and caught a few more.
As anyone who has fished with me knows that I practice the best possible river ettiquette and will gladly give up a productive spot to my fishing partner or to someone who hasn't gotten into any fish yet. I just can't stomach these guys. They always look so proud when they snag and manage to land a skanky fish that has been in the river for a few weeks and has rot all over.
Its useless to call the DNR because they would have to send an Army of C.O.s to ticket/apprehend these idiots.
I'm sure the same thing goes on at the Salmon in N.Y., though I've never fished there.
The upside was, I went back to the Pike and bumped into a smokin' hottie chick in waders, who was in from Montana, and had never fished the runs before. She was standing along the bank staring at a pod of around 15 monster Kings and "not doing it right". She asked for some help and being the fly fishing gentleman that I am, I took the time to "give her a lesson".
Mark
Sorry for the rant...
