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Post by cookie3rocks on Jun 10, 2004 20:13:18 GMT -5
I spent 3 1/2 hours in the river today rock hunting (I was being very picky) and one man was fishing just up stream from me and one point I thought "He's not catching anything, why is he still trying?" then I realised, "the same reason I'm here. DUH!" Kinda funny, I found a poor little dead trout on a branch in the water (newly dead, it wasn't gross) and I couldn't help myself. I picked it up and yelled to him "I caught one!" He laughed, but I don't think he thought it was all that funny cookie
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RedwoodRocks
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since March 2003
Posts: 762
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Post by RedwoodRocks on Jun 10, 2004 20:36:40 GMT -5
Trouthunter,
You speak like one of those people afflicated with a disease almost as bad as the rockaholics on this message board.
From another crazy steelheader!
P.S as one of my books on steelhead fishing said "you don't have to be crazy to fish for steelhead, but it helps" LOL> Cal
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bwalters
has rocks in the head
Member since March 2004
Posts: 557
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Post by bwalters on Jun 10, 2004 21:38:26 GMT -5
I don't know what a steelhead is.........but even if it were made of gold, I wouldn't be lookin' for it in Feb in the middle of a river in freezing rain! Are you people NUTS? I love to fish.........when it's warm........when I'm in a boat! Yeah, yeah, I know........I'm just a sissy girl!
BE
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Trouthunter
having dreams about rocks
Member since May 2004
Posts: 63
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Post by Trouthunter on Jun 10, 2004 23:59:50 GMT -5
You don't understand BE. Let me try to explain.
A steelhead is, technically, a rainbow trout that goes out to sea and returns to the rivers to spawn. They range in size from 4-5 punds up to 30+ pounds here in Washington. If you catch one over ten, you're pretty happy, though.
They are, however, so much more than that. They are probably one of the most beautiful things you will ever see. An absolute living work of art. When they first come in to the river they look like they have been dipped in chrome, with a glaze of pink running down the middle and black speckles. They turn into a burnished bluish black towards their backs. As they stay in the rivers, they turn more green/teal on their backs.
When hooked, they fight like runaway freight trains. Sometimes your only option is to run downstream and follow them because your rod, even a hefty 8 weight like mine, just will not turn them around. They easily jump well clear of the water, and they are smart enough to use the current against you. Landing, then releasing unharmed, a steelhead that you have hooked on a fly you tied yourself is truly one of life's great accomplishments. Once you catch one, you will stand in a river daring Mother Nature to kill you just in the hopes of catching another. I don't care which diety you choose as your own, but after you catch a wild steelhead, you'll be that much closer to understanding Him or Her.
Plus, the river is a great place to find rocks. By the way, moved a batch of driveway rock into 120/220 tonight and started another in coarse with the holdbacks from the first load that weren't quite ready. ;D
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RedwoodRocks
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since March 2003
Posts: 762
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Post by RedwoodRocks on Jun 11, 2004 12:17:10 GMT -5
Ditto to what Trouthunter said!
The first time I hooked a steelhead, I tightened the drag because line was flying off my reel. Of course, the line broke. I was used to catching small fish.
On the same trip, I hooked another good steelhead (5 lbs or so). I got the fish really close to the bank before the line broke, I jumped in the water to catch the fish!
Needless to say, hooking big fish is much more challenging than small fish, I was hooked!
In California, the weather isn't quite as severe as Washington. I have caught steelhead in very warm fall weather, which is much more comfortable than fishing in February!
I chose the location of my house based on the only steelhead river in near my work!
But, in general, yes we are crazy!
Cal
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Trouthunter
having dreams about rocks
Member since May 2004
Posts: 63
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Post by Trouthunter on Jun 11, 2004 15:46:00 GMT -5
Crazy just about covers it. On paper it doesn't make any sense. You get wet and frozen and get beat up by the river; drive for hours before dawn, get chased by bees and develop carpal tunnel in your elbow from all the casting, then come home empty-handed about 90% of the time. Not to mention the multiple puncture wounds from flying hooks, the frustration of putting that perfectly tied fly twenty feet up in a tree behind you. I don't know why I do it, but I can't stop.
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bwalters
has rocks in the head
Member since March 2004
Posts: 557
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Post by bwalters on Jun 11, 2004 16:20:30 GMT -5
Sounds like a fun sport/hobby guys! I can even understand your love for it.......except for the cold water part! BRRRRRRRR!
BE
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RedwoodRocks
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since March 2003
Posts: 762
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Post by RedwoodRocks on Jun 12, 2004 21:12:03 GMT -5
When fishing in the wintertime, I tend to look like the Michelin man with thermals, wool shirt, fleece coat and a rain jacket. I wear fleece under my waders, which is essentially a wetsuit.
I actually get very warm while hiking along the river. Getting in the river is actually a bit refreshing.
Of course, at least once a year I fall in, wade too deep, , or the waders develop a hole. Then, it gets mighty cold. But, the hike out of the canyon warms you right up!
Trouthunter, the river from my house is five minutes from the closet spot on the river to fish. I can fish the morning hours and be home for lunch! I don't worry about flooding at my house. The house is about 500 feet above the river. If the river comes up that high, I'll have much bigger worries!
Cal
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Trouthunter
having dreams about rocks
Member since May 2004
Posts: 63
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Post by Trouthunter on Jun 13, 2004 10:56:29 GMT -5
Ahhh - jealousy. I'd lose my job if I lived that close to a good river. The closest river worth fishing for steelhead to me is the South Fork of the Toutle which is 1 1/2 to 2 hours away. In keeping with the theme of this board, however, the river was right in the blast path of Mt. St. Helens some 24 or so years ago (Holy Moses, has it been that long?!?! Geez, am I getting old!). It was totally wiped out and in it's place was a huge channel created by a giant wall of boiling mud and debris that came down the river like a runaway freight train.
Now, to get to the river you hike across fields of rock and gravel where the mud flow came tearing down. Every year the river changes its course in places, leaving the old channel exposed and creating a new one. The ecosystem is healing itself at an astounding pace, considering the unbelievable force of the volcano. Wild steelhead have returned along with the planters; the forest is coming back; elk and deer are everywhere. Pretty amazing stuff.
Hundreds and hundreds of acres of rock fields. I have yet to really begin to explore for the rocks there, but you can bet I'm going to. Field trip, anyone?
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bwalters
has rocks in the head
Member since March 2004
Posts: 557
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Post by bwalters on Jun 13, 2004 13:28:21 GMT -5
Old Thread.........NEW Flood! Our river, the Medina, was just starting to get back down to a good recreational level, when, lo and behold, more storms came thru here last night. Now the river is back up and muddy again, and some folks are stranded because of low water crossings. I rent tubes for the river but so far this season, that's not working out too well. Just too much water! Did y'all get storms last night, Bob? Also, I heard on the news that there was some kind of spill in Salado Creek. What's up with that? BE
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shorty
spending too much on rocks
Member since December 2003
Posts: 392
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Post by shorty on Jun 13, 2004 13:41:56 GMT -5
;D ;D ;D hi all lana nows the time to try out mi walking stick. go out and wack a snake with it hahaha where does all the snakes go when you get a flood. i lived in florida a long time ago . i was a kin and was so scared of them. i hate snakes .. shorty
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bwalters
has rocks in the head
Member since March 2004
Posts: 557
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Post by bwalters on Jun 13, 2004 14:10:01 GMT -5
EEEEEEEK! Shorty, I hate snakes, too! Doesn't matter if they're poisonous or not, they're all DEADLY to me cuz I'll kill myself trying to get away from them! And the snakes around here have been plentiful this year. As far as where they go when it floods, I don't know......and pretty much don't care as long as they don't go where I am!
BE
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Post by sandsman1 on Jun 13, 2004 15:57:05 GMT -5
hey BE i hear they like to move into the house-s on high ground hahahaha im teasin
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bwalters
has rocks in the head
Member since March 2004
Posts: 557
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Post by bwalters on Jun 13, 2004 16:25:33 GMT -5
Yeah, Sandsman, we had one do that after the '02 flood, but not so far this time. My son's cat had been having a really good time with that one until we got home. It was injured but not dead. I almost stepped on the darn thing when I came in the front door. Freaked me out! Couple of weeks ago my son and grandson found a snake in the back yard and killed it. It was a pregnant copperhead! A couple that I work for occassionally have killed 2 snakes in the last 2 weeks.....a water moccassin and a 5' rattlesnake! Like I said.....the snakes are PLENTIFUL down here this year! YUCK!!! Gotta go cuz Llana and a couple of other friends are coming over so we can go down to the river (and hopefully NOT run into any snakes!). BE
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Post by sandsman1 on Jun 13, 2004 19:23:46 GMT -5
WOW and i was kidding id be going off i dont like snakes or spiders,, whats that crittes name that kills snakes a mongose maybe? what ever it is id have acouple for pets if i lived there hahaha, a friend gave me a snake one time that he got down near the railrod tracks it was all black and it was mean, i had it in a fish tank and when ever you got neer the tank it tried to bite ya through the glass well it got out one day and i couldent find it, so i took a big plate and put a whole pieled shrimp on the plate and awile later it came out and got on the plate and ate the shrimp it musta been tired cause when i lookd it was curled up on the plate with a big lump in its body from the shrimp ,so i snuck up on it and put a pot lid over the plate and cought it ,,you know it left soon after that the guy i gave it too said it had a bunch of babys soon after he got it maybe thats why it was so mean it was pregnant
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bwalters
has rocks in the head
Member since March 2004
Posts: 557
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Post by bwalters on Jun 13, 2004 22:10:20 GMT -5
Sandsman, What kind of snake was that supposed to be? Down here, the only BLACK snakes we have are water moccassins. And YES, they are MEAN and very aggressive! Of course, I've never heard of anyone having one as a pet!
Oh, by the way, we're all back safely from the river.....although there was a moment there that I thought that we might lose Llana! I put the group in up river from our little town park to tube down to our park. With some assistance, everyone got out in time to keep from getting sucked under the bridge below the park, but no one could reach Llana. She did manage at the last possible moment to get out of her tube and swim toward the bank. I pulled her out at the bank........and she never lost her glasses or her beer.......but her swimsuit top had to be re-hooked b-4 she could decently walk out of the river! (When Llana reads this, she's probably gonna wanna KILL me for telling off on her)!
But the good news is that we all got home safely! And we had FUN!
BE
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Post by sandsman1 on Jun 13, 2004 22:33:20 GMT -5
hahaha dam i miss all the good stuff---but im glad you all got back safe,, tell llana i got a safety pin for her hahahaha,, i dont know what kind of snake it was it was all black wasent real big maybe a foot and a half long,, but down near the railroad its all swampy i dont even know if we have those kind of snakes around here i just know it was mean, i had two 55gallon fish tanks at the time and one had 5 pirannas in it and i usta feed them live gold fish so i gave them to the snake too it would gobble them up like candy haha
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llanago
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2004
Posts: 1,714
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Post by llanago on Jun 13, 2004 22:43:05 GMT -5
I have serious "tube rash" on the inside of both my elbows! Hurts! And my arms are still tired from fighting that current trying to get to shore. But, I'm alive and kickin'!
I haven't seen a snake in ages. The only one that really freaks me is the water moccassin. I saw a swarm of them in a pond many years ago and they were just like that scene in Lonesome Dove. It literally raised the hair on my neck. We couldn't paddle that little boat away fast enough! I still get chills just thinking about it. The last time I saw a rattlesnake was the last time I went to the Rattlesnake Round-up and that was about 20 ago.
llana
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