Steelhead Karma

 In FRESH CATCH

IMG_0251 Elusive, mythological creatures  Fish of a thousand casts. If you’ve been out there in the cold, praying for a tug, you know what I mean.  In fact, I’m sure there are many four letter words that most of us have used one time or another to describe fishing for these fish.  Steelhead are those fish that you’ll drive several hundred miles for, spend countless hours swinging and never touch one.  But, despite being unsuccessful, you find yourself getting up at dawn and driving the same route every chance you to get for the opportunity to lace into the big boy.

Have you ever been discouraged by the reports for the rod hours per steelhead caught?   How about speaking to fellow fly fisherman and getting excited when just one fish is caught?  For these reasons and many others karma can play a huge role in how your time on the water can go.  Karma is defined as the force created by a person’s actions that some people believe causes good or bad things to happen to that person.

DSCN2769I tend to spread “rainbows and unicorn” love wherever I can.  I chat with other fishermen, see how the fishing has been for them.  I give away the flies (including Catch’s Hodson’s Barbie) that I have tied or have the most confidence in.  I will give advice about some places to fish (without giving away my secret spots, of course…).  I believe that one of these days the good that I try to spread will come back tenfold!!!!

There are two types of karma, good and evil.  Some days you wish the latter on the drift boat that runs right through the gut of your swinging run, the guy that low holes you and doesn’t care, or the group of four pontoon boaters that are very adamant and not shy about their feelings that women do not belong on the river.

Can you guess what I’ve been doing with my time so far this November?  It’s only November 13th and I’ve had six full days on the Grand Ronde River.  I’ve met several amazing people as well as a few I’d like to forget.  My latest adventure, just so happened to be my 35th birthday weekend.  I decided to stay on the Ronde by myself after my friends and Britten left.  The day started off great, the sunrise was beautiful, Bogan’s breakfast was hot and delicious.  I was planning on swinging the river by myself when circumstances changed and my friend Bo’s clients cancelled and he was free to fish.  We chose a shorter float and as soon as we hit the water “bobber down.”  We rowed back up the run and we caught another one!  Our day had just started and it couldn’t be better!  We continued down the river and yet again I caught another two steelhead.  Our last run, Bo and I decided to swing.  Bo swung a beautiful native steelhead on Bjorn Ostby’s “Ghost Face Killah”.  Pretty amazing considering the water temp was only 40 degrees. 060

I am fully convinced that Karma played a huge part on my amazing 35th birthday.  The moral of this story….  Play nice with others, respect river etiquette, spread the knowledge and passion that you have for fly fishing and good things will happen!!!

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