A Day on the Water

April 11, 2023,  Lots of steelhead and fishermen crowded in at Tippy Dam,  Water only had 2 feet visibility was flowing fast at 2700 cubic feet per second and slowly falling.  Water temp was 45 F. Bigger, brighter offerings seemed a good choice. I got a steelhead quickly on a 10mm White Glow Bead painted Half Hat UV Pink.  Other guys were getting more on Jigs tipped with wax worms, Olive Marabou-Rubber Legs in particular .  This style of jig in various colors has become popular at Tippy Dam.   I hooked and broke off a steelhead on a similar...

I put in about noon.  The wide hoop, short handle net is held in a custom cut hole in the back deck, reachable with either hand and is secured to the back of the seat with a bungee cord leash.  All this is completely out of the way when paddling or fishing. The first phragmite grass edge that offered some protection from the wind offered up the first pike on the 8th cast with the flashy 1/0 Chartreuse & Red Great Lakes Jiggy .  She was extremely plump and appeared to be full of eggs.  As happens with many speculative conclusions,...

Experimental Eggs, MopWorms and Stone Flies on a Slotted 4.0mm Slotted Tungsten Bead Jig using the J2060BN #6 hook April 10, 2023 KoreaSun 7010 Standard down eye Dry Fly size #18 Now available in sizes #18 up to to #6 Koreasun 7259BN Barbless Curved XWide, XShort Nymph sizes #6 and #8, These larger sizes are on Straight Eye Trailer Hooks page Now available in sizes #6 down to #18 March 18, 2023 New Sticky Barbless 60 degree Jig Jooks and Barbed Emerger Hooks J2060BL Barbless 60 degree jig hooks, sizes #8, 10, 12, & 14  $3.00 25pack Straight shank, shorter...

There seemed to be steelhead well spread out and many fishermen were getting a few.  No one place or any particular offering getting more than a fish or two.  Fishing under a bobber, I got first big male on 10mm UV Chartreuse bead. This long slender male might be a summer run hatchery stock.  Keeping that big bead on top, I rotated in 3 colors of 8mm point beads without getting another hit.   The second Male took the same 1/32 ounce #4 Tube Jig Olive Marabou pattern that took 4 fish on a mild day in mid January.  Also...

I fished floats with beads, then jigs most of the day without touching a fish Two guys came in Bottom Bouncing Flies below me an hooked 6 or more and landed three steelhead.  I touched one good fish when I tightened up on what felt like a snag and then felt a surge or a head shake right before the hook came loose.  Later I had a solid hit and on the fourth head shake he was off.  The newly tied, very strong leader material broke in the middle somehow.  A 12 inch skipper Steellhead hit on a jerky retrieve...