Well I knew heading out early Monday morning after staying in Sunday I would encounter some great weather conditions and I knew it would be a little cold ( we had some snow Friday and Saturday ) ... but being from far up north ( Burns Lake ) cold and snow really don't bother me and I was itchin to get out to hunt for my first Vedder River Steelhead.
I was heading out early to the hwy to get to Chilliwack by 7:30 ( opening time at Fred's custom Tackle ) to top up my bait. With coffee in hand and my radio on in the car I heard the call on the radio .... " White out conditions past 232 on Hwy 1. Don't drive unless you have too. " But being the fishing addict I am and being obsessed with getting into my first Vedder River Steelhead I kept going.
It was soon after I hit the early stages of the Fraser Valley I realized it was true ! As I slowly made my way on the highway I thought about turning back on several occasions even hitting Abbotsford where I knew I would stop for gas but the desire within me kept me going. Crazy I know.
When I finally made Chilliwack and the Vedder River ... my first stop today was going to be Lickman Road. Many of my Facebook friends had suggested trying there Monday and following experienced advice I did. What a beautiful sight the river was all dressed in white ... but I will tell you this ... felt soled wading boots in deeper snow makes for some great work hiking and before long hiking down river I could feel my heart pumping good and the pace of my breath increase. It's such a great feeling getting out there and realizing the good exercise I am putting my body through, as I sit here today stiff around the edges, I know this little addition to my fishing addiction will be good for my mind, soul and Body.
As I came to the run I wanted to fish I saw three people standing at the bank already. Really ? I thought to myself ... I thought for sure I would be alone. John, Pat, and Scotty. I walked through the stretch of river and unlike before stopped to talk to each one of them. Turns out they are locals and all know each other. They were quick to offer up jokes at each others expense. When I mentioned to them that this was my fourth time out they were all quick to offer up advice. My guess is all of us being out in the weather we were out in seems like a good platform for passionate fishing discussion. John was an older man probably late 50 early 60. As we talked and I mentioned " Im trying to understand the water ... but as I walk the river I see people fishing EVERY type of water " John made a wise comment ... He said " If you are making a journey ... would you like the flat ground of the prairies or the rocky rugged incline of the mountains ? " wow. What a thing to hear this morning ... fighting the hwy, walking the river banks of the snow covered rocks, working hard to get to the run seeing the beauty of the river in this condition , and then hearing a comment like that from a total stranger .... said with real intensity and passion in his eyes. John ... thanks. And I get it ... the fish like the " walking tempo " waters as holding areas to rest before and after they take on the faster more aggressive water. This is a great place to start to target them. He then went on to talk out the number of fish he caught at this run, the number Pat caught and then talked about Scotty and apparently Scotty cant keep them off the line no matter what he does. Just like all the types of fishing I've encountered there's always just one of " those guys " around and Scotty is one I guess.
The three boys had this run pretty well covered so I made the hike back to the parking lot and decided to hit Yarrow and the Wilson street run just down from the train bridge. This was amazing as I arrived all fresh powder no foot prints. I'll be the first person fishing this run today. Cool. I started casting at the top of the run ... long ... shorter ... short and then down a few steps ... long ... shorter ... short and then down a few steps .... It's like a rhythmic dance and you can't help but feel connected to the RIver ... as if dancing a waltz to the sounds of her ripples and bubbles. This is a great place to empty your mind. I am truly loving it.
About mid way down on a short cast. I saw the magic. My float sunk fast and I went to set the hook. The reel was still on free spool, my fingers too cold with no feeling not applying enough break pressure on the reel, rod guides ices up and reel iced up too. I missed the hook set and the line birds nested a bit ... fish off. Saddened by the missed opportunity, and before frustration set in, I paused for a moment and thought with some of my own wisdom ... this is Stealheading ... this is the romance of it .... few chances .... missed opportunities .... the mystery of the water ... almost a bit like fly fishing I imagine ... It's a beautiful thing to be part of .... I casted into the same area to see if the fish was still there ... but alas, I missed my chance. I fished out the run and decided to hike back to the car and try Lickman one more time ....
As I was gearing up at Lickman and with most of the cars gone .... a truck pulled in and a young guy jumped out .... he yelled out to me " Are we the only one's crazy enough to be out here right now " I laughed and replied " No ... seen lots of guys today " and it's true everywhere I went even the Yarrow run eventually guys would show. Clearly many others are hooked with the Steelhead Fever.
After fishing the run I ran into the same guy " Josh " as we started talking about fishing the river ... his story is ... after two years of trying ... a week back he caught his first Steelhead ... now he doesn't get out as much as he's like too ... he said .... but two years ... we then talked a little about tackle and as I closed the conversation I said " Well it definitely is a pursuit of patience " .... Pursuit of Patience for sure ... and still no Steel ... Well, there's always next weekend.
