FisherGrrrl
10-23-2012, 10:51 AM
Two weeks ago, we drove through the night to arrive in Chilliwack BC at 7:00 in the morning. First stop, Freds Tackle for salmon tags and then we headed up river to meet up with Mike at his campground at Thurston Meadows (he had been fishing there for the past couple weeks). For the next two weeks we were going to roam up and down the Vedder River looking for deep holes for big springs and steady drifts for silvery coho. We also decided we would be contestants in two of the Vedder River Fishing Derby’s.
As soon as we got to the campground we geared up and Mike took us to a deep hole he has been fishing over the past week. Since he had already been fishing for two weeks in the area he hooked us up with some bright pink roe and guided us throughout the day to his favourite spots. The river was low and crystal clear resulting from 2 months of no rain to the area. Rumours had it that the fishing had been tough from these conditions so we lightened up on the gear. First day out we were float fishing using 12-14 lb line, a few split shots or egg sinkers, and running about a foot of 8lb fluorocarbon leader line to hopefully be as sneaky of fishermen as we could while still landing a river monster. Then came the secret roe recipe and …. Fish On! We were hooking into Springs for the next three days with the odd lucky coho.
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b189/ambuler44/SAM_0036.jpg
Double Header
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b189/ambuler44/SAM_0037-01.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b189/ambuler44/SAM_0047-01.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b189/ambuler44/SAM_0067-01.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b189/ambuler44/SAM_0077.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b189/ambuler44/SAM_0089.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b189/ambuler44/SAM_0097.jpg
Now we were beginning to feel confident about the upcoming fishing derby’s . The Friday night before the first derby I respooled my G.Loomis centerpin reel and we pre-tied up leaders and were ready for another early morning.
Vedder River Campground Derby Day – Saturday October 6th
Up at 4:30 am and at our “coho spot” by 5:30am we sat in the darkness on the river bank until the sun was bright enough that we could just barely see our floats. We began the competition and second drift in Geoff hooks into the biggest hatchery coho of the trip. He kept fishing but sat pretty all day while Mike and I tried keeping our hopes up with anticipation until the day was getting later and frustration starting taking lead. Finally Mike hooked into a smaller hatchery coho but decided he was going to weigh that one in and call it a day. I however was not having the same luck. With frustration building up it started to seem like everything was going wrong for me as well. My centerpin unspooled itself into a big disaster, the dog drank my coffee, my skeen kept popping, a bird almost pooped on me, and my float was doing nothing other then floating. And I wasn’t sure if the fish just weren’t taking my bait or if my centerpin skills weren’t up to par. But… I kept at it anyways.. and prayed to the Fish Gods.
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b189/ambuler44/SAM_0120.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b189/ambuler44/SAM_0092.jpg
By 1:30 pm I had only an hour and a half until the weigh in closed at 3:00 pm so we decided I needed a completely new spot on the river. We packed everything up and headed up river but with no idea where to go that promised a fish within one hour.
First, we weighed in the fish. Geoff’s coho sat at the top of the list of 90 contestants at 13.4 lbs and Mikes weighed in at 6.6 lbs. Next, we hiked the banks of the Vedder where people were lined up shoulder to shoulder. I squeezed myself in along the banks until someone else would leave and I would squeeze in again, making my way up until I was standing at the top of a pool. I cast my float in the drift over and over again just waiting for it to go down. I kept asking Geoff “how much time is left, how much time is left” as I continuously made sure my roe bag was always in tip top shape and kept my line in the water as much as I could when WHAM! My float took under and I immediately set the hook. I started reeling in the centerpin until I saw this flash of silver and all the other fishermen started yelling out that it was a coho. Finally I landed it, did a couple fist pumps:sHa_shakeshout:, and enjoyed this proud moment of the day
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b189/ambuler44/SAM_0130.jpg
I carried it over to the weigh in station with 10 minutes to spare and my coho got me 2nd place in the derby. Big shout out thanks to Geoff for always having a big juicy piece of skeen ready for me every time I needed it and helping me find this lucky coho. He did “everything he could” to make sure the last hour was as efficient as it could possibly be, and it paid off.
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b189/ambuler44/SAM_0144-01.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b189/ambuler44/SAM_0147.jpg
As soon as we got to the campground we geared up and Mike took us to a deep hole he has been fishing over the past week. Since he had already been fishing for two weeks in the area he hooked us up with some bright pink roe and guided us throughout the day to his favourite spots. The river was low and crystal clear resulting from 2 months of no rain to the area. Rumours had it that the fishing had been tough from these conditions so we lightened up on the gear. First day out we were float fishing using 12-14 lb line, a few split shots or egg sinkers, and running about a foot of 8lb fluorocarbon leader line to hopefully be as sneaky of fishermen as we could while still landing a river monster. Then came the secret roe recipe and …. Fish On! We were hooking into Springs for the next three days with the odd lucky coho.
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b189/ambuler44/SAM_0036.jpg
Double Header
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b189/ambuler44/SAM_0037-01.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b189/ambuler44/SAM_0047-01.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b189/ambuler44/SAM_0067-01.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b189/ambuler44/SAM_0077.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b189/ambuler44/SAM_0089.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b189/ambuler44/SAM_0097.jpg
Now we were beginning to feel confident about the upcoming fishing derby’s . The Friday night before the first derby I respooled my G.Loomis centerpin reel and we pre-tied up leaders and were ready for another early morning.
Vedder River Campground Derby Day – Saturday October 6th
Up at 4:30 am and at our “coho spot” by 5:30am we sat in the darkness on the river bank until the sun was bright enough that we could just barely see our floats. We began the competition and second drift in Geoff hooks into the biggest hatchery coho of the trip. He kept fishing but sat pretty all day while Mike and I tried keeping our hopes up with anticipation until the day was getting later and frustration starting taking lead. Finally Mike hooked into a smaller hatchery coho but decided he was going to weigh that one in and call it a day. I however was not having the same luck. With frustration building up it started to seem like everything was going wrong for me as well. My centerpin unspooled itself into a big disaster, the dog drank my coffee, my skeen kept popping, a bird almost pooped on me, and my float was doing nothing other then floating. And I wasn’t sure if the fish just weren’t taking my bait or if my centerpin skills weren’t up to par. But… I kept at it anyways.. and prayed to the Fish Gods.
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b189/ambuler44/SAM_0120.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b189/ambuler44/SAM_0092.jpg
By 1:30 pm I had only an hour and a half until the weigh in closed at 3:00 pm so we decided I needed a completely new spot on the river. We packed everything up and headed up river but with no idea where to go that promised a fish within one hour.
First, we weighed in the fish. Geoff’s coho sat at the top of the list of 90 contestants at 13.4 lbs and Mikes weighed in at 6.6 lbs. Next, we hiked the banks of the Vedder where people were lined up shoulder to shoulder. I squeezed myself in along the banks until someone else would leave and I would squeeze in again, making my way up until I was standing at the top of a pool. I cast my float in the drift over and over again just waiting for it to go down. I kept asking Geoff “how much time is left, how much time is left” as I continuously made sure my roe bag was always in tip top shape and kept my line in the water as much as I could when WHAM! My float took under and I immediately set the hook. I started reeling in the centerpin until I saw this flash of silver and all the other fishermen started yelling out that it was a coho. Finally I landed it, did a couple fist pumps:sHa_shakeshout:, and enjoyed this proud moment of the day
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b189/ambuler44/SAM_0130.jpg
I carried it over to the weigh in station with 10 minutes to spare and my coho got me 2nd place in the derby. Big shout out thanks to Geoff for always having a big juicy piece of skeen ready for me every time I needed it and helping me find this lucky coho. He did “everything he could” to make sure the last hour was as efficient as it could possibly be, and it paid off.
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b189/ambuler44/SAM_0144-01.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b189/ambuler44/SAM_0147.jpg