Paddled/drifted a full 15 miles of river yesterday, from 2:30 PM till near dark about 9:45. Stopped to fish from gravel bars several times and hooked four salmon, played two of them almost completely out, yet never landed a one.
First was a Chinook, I'd guess in the low 20's, hard fight for 12-15 minutes, lost him trying to beach him. FWIW he was still way too active to mouth grip if I'd had a Boga, though if I'd had a partner with a big net, he was about where we'd try to net him when he came off.
A guy next to me landed a 23 pounder a few minutes later and at dusk a young guy caught one about 35 lbs. He was excited big time, and I think it was his first salmon. Really fun. His brother was sure it was over 40 lbs. I don't think so but didn't say that, of course.
Lost a sockeye in a replay a few minutes after my Chinook, barbless hooks.
Foul hooked a sockeye that fought like a fish three times his size and jumped like crazy, ripping out lne and finally lost that one I'd have released anyway.
If enjoying the outdoors, grooving on nature and appreciating the fishing scenery is your gig, it was a great time. I wanted a fillet for the barby...
Oops, had to post to beat the 30 minute deadline due to a phone call, and now it won't let me edit the title, so padde it remains.
Didn’t even see the sp error, but didn’t
know you could correct subject lines without deleting the topic. Sounds like you had an interesting adventure, too bad about the salmon for the grill.
Update: have now landed several
Three sockeye in the fridge, a couple eaten. Gorgeous paddle upriver this morning early, a place where I can go a mile upstream by using eddies along the shore. Fished off a small island. Hooked and lost a sockeye after about three minutes, then a few minutes later landed two on two consecutive casts. When a bunch of them come by the fishing is fabulous, then somtimes nothing for hours. Two fish limit. Nice paddle back downriver in the swift main current.
Wish you could join me, Jerlfletcher. Would be fun to swap for a southern fishing trip. Snow not all that far vertical above me.