1st Willamette Steelhead

1st Willamette Steelhead
Willamette Steelhead 2008

Monday, March 29, 2010

With work being quite slow of late, I find myself at home a lot more looking for something to do. So, I guess I should up date my blog.
Had a chance to go fishing on Saturday as part of a get together put on by the Oregon Fishing Forum (OFF). A small number of its members met up at Lookout Reservoir to try the fishing for rainbows, landlocked chinook and whatever else might come to the boat. I was up there last Saturday with friend in my driftboat and the wind about blew us off the lake. Lookout is a very long reservoir on the middle fork of the Willamette River. I've been told that when it is full, it is about 18 miles long. The wind seems to blow up there more often than not. Even a slight breeze and the lake gets quite a chop to it.
Well on Saturday, my brother Nimrod and I put the boat in at about 800 am. It was already windy on the lake. We let the wind blow us north towards the dam as we trolled some small spoons while drifting. I also tried some flashers with a small spoon. We decided to cross the lake to the west shore, but decided against it when we got about to the middle and the waves were crashing us pretty hard. We thought that if it got worse, we would be in big trouble trying to get back later in the day. So we fished along the east shore towards the dam, trying to stay in water a little less windblown. Nothing biting. We turned around and headed back towards the ramp, fighting a pretty strong wind. The waves were a little too big to use my electric trolling motor, so we were working on man power. We got back to the hill that juts out into the lake just before you get to the boat ramp and Nimrod got a good solid take on a small orange dick night spoon. He landed a nice 13 inch cuttbow. Beautiful fish. While I was taking his picture I noticed my rod bouncing. I reeled in a small chinook about 7 inches. So we both got a little action, which really brightened our moods about the whole thing. We fished a little longer in that area with no action. It took about 40 minutes to row the last 100 yards back to ramp against the wind. My back was quite sore when I woke up this morning. Nimrod rowed the last 50 yards I so. I just couldn't go anymore. We called it quits a little before some of the other fishers with bigger boats. I talked to one fellow fisher who lost a passenger overboard. He was ok but wet and cold.
So now I find my self watching the fish count of salmon and steelhead over the Willamette falls. Patiently waiting for them to make there way into my neighborhood. Ok, not so patiently but what can I do? It's supposed to rain all week. I'm hoping to give it week after the rain and then start fishing. A little early for me, but I'm ready to give it a shot. Tight lines to yuns.

2 comments:

  1. Thanks, bro. I had a great time on Saturday!

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  2. It was quite and adventure. Not sure if I'm going up there again until next winter. That wind 2 fishing days in a row was just too much for me.

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