An Outing with OFF Guys
One by one they begin to stage and move into the river systems—anglers on brief outings scout low water conditions to familiarize themselves with structure and possible holding areas. Rains come and go, urging small numbers of early run salmon to begin their migration, and, in typically early-run conditions, are trapped when the levels invariable drop again. Each outing, and the slowly cooling conditions, tells the angler that migratory fish are moving more frequently and steadily into the river.
A brief flurry of e-mails and we (a few OFF members) decide to meet up on a river to hit what is likely the beginning of a promising run of fish—hoping more so for an incidental connection with an early steelhead or lake-run brown trout.
As is often the case, this trip too, was punctuated by an auspicious beginning…
We’re going to meet at this parking lot (in the dark it’s more like the camouflaged entrance to the Bat Cave); predictably I miss it so opt for the access point some 1.5 km. downstream. I text the guys…silence…dawn is only 30 minutes away and I make my way to the first holding pool. The phone rings…Trini… “Hey man where are you?” I think to myself, “obviously NOT where you guys are.” Fine, so we plan to meet halfway between our relative access points… “We are going to walk downstream and meet up with you if you are coming our way.”
I fish a couple of runs and holding areas and am rewarded by a small steelhead, and a good sized Chinook that took my offering at the top end of the pool. Fish were moving rapidly that day…pods crashing trough the rapids and skinny water to get to their natal streams while barely holding in the deeper pools…they were on a mission.
A couple of hours of wading and casting to large shadows that were milling about with nervous energy and decided to contact the boys about their progress. “Ok, on my way up river then, I say…” My curiosity about how far down the boys had made their way was rewarded…there they were, comfortably camped out on the walkway about 100 meters downstream of their parking area…I think to myself that this doesn’t at all look like the halfway point!! Nice!! Real dyed-in-the-wool steelheaders here (fully clad in their Simms gear looking like the day it was removed from the box…geeeeezzz), on their asses in the sun, chucking bait…along with about 30 other guys.
Anyway, warm greetings and handshakes all around—was as though I had fished with these guys for a long time. All except for float^drifter—unsociable sot, who wasn’t about to take time away from his snagging activities (which he loosely defines as “float fishing”)…and Dozer, who was busy scoping the "scenery" though he didn't catch their names...
Seriously though…great group of gentlemen who I would share water with anytime!
Simms Catalogue Boys
(Notice how CLEAN and dry their gear is....
...)
RED OCTOBER
Dozer Being the Gentleman Angler
FD put the Wood to Them...
Tank O'mania
Enjoy
CC
