Lazy Day on the Water

As much as I enjoy taking photos of fish and fishing there are days when I lack motivation or commitment to step up to the plate and get the job done.  Yesterday found me and two friends swinging the Salmon River.  The conditions started out ok and ended up being brutal.  40-50 mph winds, temps in the 20's, snow squalls, and a relentless driving cold wind.  Truth be told several times I thought I should get my camera out but that required unzipping my jacket and opening it and myself to the full onslaught of the elements so I passed on more than one occasion.  Maybe it wasn't being lazy but it was a lack of commitment.  Nonetheless my buddy Matt took several pics of me and the one fish I enticed to eat my fly.  He got his first steelhead to hand but he was out of sight when it happened so I wasn't able to get any pics.  Hopefully next time I will persevere and get some more shots. 

Beautiful steelheading conditions.














A handsome Brown Trout that graced us with it's presence.   

One in the hand is worth ............

Made my first steelheading trip of the season the other day. The weather was perfect, perfect for chasing chrome at least.  Mother nature threw clouds, wind, rain and cool and boy did it feel good to be out in the midst of it.    Since they had just dropped the water levels many folks came out of the woodwork to partake.  Finding good swinging water was a bit of an effort but since I was willing to walk it wasn't too bad.  Early in the day I had something happen that blew me away.  One of my flies was waking across the current like 90 degrees and giving off a little wake and a fish came up and sucked on it two or three times.  At first I felt it and when I looked I could see the tail behind my fly and see it getting sucked under.  I never felt any weight so I never set the hook.  It would have been the most amazing thing I'd ever seen on that river, but alas it wasn't to be.  Later after a long walk I found one of my favorite pools open on one side, the side I was on, and on my second pass my fly was pounded.  After three strong runs the hook pulled.  Oh well it happens.  On my next pass another take and I landed one of those stunning bucks that you get to cross paths with too infrequently.  Fishing solo limits the angles and options for photos but I did manage to get a couple of good ones.  In hindsight I wish I'd gotten a measure of it's length or a full body picture.