9-12-03 - Let's go upstream!

Tim S. layin' out yet another of many good casts that day.

Jim K., aka. MS2, lookin' for fish!

Upstream got rather rocky...yes, I slipped and whacked myself good on a boulder...be careful!

Tim S. has Chinny on his line! Some guy with a trout net tries to land it...and of course you can't land a chinny with a trout net!

Another look upriver...gorgeous!

Tim does it again...orange egg patterns seem to be hot this week. MS2 looks on...

Moments away from netting...and well..not netting...MS2 gets caught up in the upper fly and tippet breaks..you know the rest....no fish for Timmy today.

Fly Tyin' with the boys sure beats fishin in the midday sun!

WHOO HOO! Chinook on...the SMOKIN' TAHOE have it in the bag?! NOPE...it gets away!

FAT hooks up too!

FAT Tribe now has the lead with a gorgeous Pinook!

9-12-03 - Canada, Part III - The Day of LOST FISH!

Waters Fished: Garden River
Fish Caught: 0 landed, one on fair
Outing Date: 9-12-03
Weather: Clear & Sunny
Air Temp: 70's dropping to about 40's - 50's at night
Water Temp: Didn't Take it
Water Level: LOW
Water Color: Clear
Fish Species: Pink Salmon, Chinook Salmon, Pinook (Chinook X Pink)
Pattern Fished: All Sorts - hot fly was the Satellite MOE in Orange Roe
Pattern Color: orange was thte ticket
Fishing Quality: Poor but better than yesterday :)

So, after a day of HIKING, maybe we should fish again, right? Well, we head upstream instead of down 'cause a couple fish have been milling around camp in the early morning.

Upstream proves tough...many guys made it out before us so some of the good runs with fish were taken. The rule in a situation like this, keep hiking, you'll find fish.

Upstream was the ticket for Tim...he hooked up with 2 fair Chinooks. The first was lost when some guys downstream offered to net it on a run. First guy missed and almost busted the fish off. Second guy is sitting there and goes "I got it"...whips out a TROUT NET and tries to land a Salmon that's well over 10 lbs?! Um, come on now...of course he broke Tim's fish off.

The second fish went for a long fight...get swimming upstream. We're all watching this go on...every time it looks like the fish has run out of room it just rockets upstream again! Well, MS2 gets in line and ready to net the fish...and as it makes a turn to swim downstream, straight towards Jim, he lowers the net. Somehow he missed, but the upper fly in the two-fly rig catches on the net....tippet pops...no fish for Tim. Jim felt really bad (still does) but in all fairness, that was an honest mistake, ya know?!

We skipped out on Midday fishing, intsead tying flies. All I can say is we had a LOT of fun. Fly swapping each night was a great time too..I hauled in all sorts of good stuff!

Towards afternoon (maybe 4:00 PM) we headed back downstream...finally the fish were moving in a bit. I think most folks at least had one hookup over the evening.

My first came with a Chinook on the Atomic Satellite Moe Fo...in Orange Roe. Put up quite a fight, unfortunately I think it was foul. Regardless, the fly eventually came shooting out of the water towards my fish...FISH OFF or as FAT says, "Air Fish!"

Not to be dismayed, there were more fish in the pool, and I set back at it. My second was also a chinook, definitely fair. Yet somehow this one two escaped. Didn't break off or anything...just the fly got disconnected from the mouth. I think I have to switch all my salmon hooks to Daiichi?!

Rich did far better, topping off the day with a NICE Pinook to put the Fat Tribe back in the game. For over a day I've been sitting in the lead with a 5" fish. I guess now is the time to bring the A game?!

  MP