Early Season Chrome… Day 2
Trever Adams, the gentleman’s blue-collar fisherman, and Owner/Guide of MEAT WITHOUT FEET… exceptional knowledge of river waters, techniques both new and old, dedicated to providing an awesome experience… we have had some epic adventures and trips! And look forward to many more.
Well Day 2 started the eve of day 1. My good friend and guide Trever and I were talkin story… neither of us had a highlight reel day… but we heard rumors and tales of quality water and fish showing up in various coastal rivers in Oregon and Washington…. Neither of us had plans for Sunday… Hummmm maybe… tempting thoughts of washin the agony of defeat out of our minds and souls… should we? or should we not?
The calculus began… there may have been a cocktail or two consumed in ponderin this question… hummmmm…..
The decision was made… we both put our weak excuses and disappointment aside, the cursory “sure we should probably take care of domestic mundane rigors”. GAME ON LET’S FISH. Trevar rallied another client - another Newbie to steelheadin… fresh from the East Coast ready to put some wood to a chromer.
There was blood lust in my eyes… I needed to redeem myself from the day prior… STILL a great day of fishin and fellowship the day before… but the is something about what the Siegel Boys refer to as NETBOY the title given to the fisherman with the worst day or nets everyone else fish… akin to being the pinhead on a saltwter trip …. DOH I needed to lose that title with a quickness(little did the boys now about the rock incident… YIKES…)
The day started slowly… and the drizzle turned to rain and back to drizzle…a typical PNW winter day. Could it be another day of fishin’ not catchin’… Man, it was a grind the first few hours of tryin’ different presentations… I brought one of my trusty fly rods, a new technique the centerpin… WOW… I defiantly needed to put that down for the day… and spend some quality time at a nearby park…. (and yes I provide multiple comedic moments, again.. with “professional casts”. Picture the Disney short of Goofy Fishin’… ) Yeah that’s was me with the Centerpin.
First Chromer of the year!!
After spending a good portion of the morning retying and pulling wind knots out of my line. The clouds broke the sun came out, and our compadre hooked up! SWEET another quick arial show and the fish runnin’, holdin’ in the current, gettin’ close to the boat then firing off on another mad dash… Trever was calm cool and collected.. and I was the dam netboy again!! I have some videos that I will put up later on YouTube. We were in one of the toughest parts of the river to net a fish.. but after several runs and aerial shows, we got the fish in the net and CELEBRATED.. another new steelhead fisherman was born! What an amazing catch. 2 days of sharing the joy of fishin and the celebration of success on the water!
I was lost in elation and celebration recalling my first steelhead and the first fish for the Siegel Boys, my dad, and others I shared my journey with. What a day…. while I was deep in thought over the events of the last year, fishin’, firsts, and events to come this year it happened… I felt that old familiar tug!! FISH ON… I immediately snapped out of the daze I was in and started workin’ the fish. It was a beauty. Dartin’ all over jumpin’… peelin’ line - all the familiar pleasures of tight lines… and guesswork of will I outmaneuver this majestic fish and land it or will it win the day and brake away… I could hear a buddy from recent trips sayin “Relax, enjoy the moment..” will have to talk story about that line another day… this fish went around the boat to deep water, close to the anchor rope several times, torched my real with a screamin run.. would we have to chase? or could I keep it in this hole… FINALLY got the fish to the net and could breathe and enjoy the moment… On the board for the 2025 early season!
