[Vic]

I came to Kalama later tonight and stay overnight.
Went fishing early morning. Between 6am and 7am
one steely tasted my green butt skunk
I saw flash of silver body and feel his strength a couple of seconds.. I was so excited and wandered so didn't set the hook properly and fish spit out my fly
But no strikes in the middle of the day while sun was high.

 

[juro]

Congratulations Vic! Don't forget dusk as well.

Olive wooly buggers are deadly on the Kalama this time of year. Try them in the fast water chute near the foundation hole, dawn and dusk of course.

 

[Vic]

What they doing in fast water?
I usually observe them in holes just below the chutes. Maybe they waitin' for change water level to pass obstructions?

 

[Philster]

Congratulations!!!!

Remeber that doing nothing when a steelhead strikes is usually exactly what you should do! He just came off. Happens all the time even with "proper" hook sets.

 

[NrthFrk16]

Vic-
Plain and simple, it happens. My first ever "hmmm I think that was a fish..." came as I off in Wonderland and looked down and saw my excess line coming off the water and going throw my guides on my rod. And as fast as it started, it stopped.

A year later or two when I hooked my first ever steelied-that I know was a steelhead-I crackered him off. I was soo excited that I pinned the line to my handle on my rod and looked down and reeled in my excess line as fast as I could without paying attention to the fish. The fish ran and with line still held to my rod, I heard POP!! And out came the expletives and threw my rod in the water and kicked the water and just made a huge scene. I was sooo pissed at myself.

A couple weeks later, I hooked another steelhead and managed to bring him to hand.

Hang in there Vic, you'll get your day, and you will never ever forget it!!

 

[juro]

Vic (07-08-2001 11:51 p.m.):
What they doing in fast water?
I usually observe them in holes just below the chutes. Maybe they waitin' for change water level to pass obstructions?

Sorry I was not clear. By 'chute' I meant that rocky run with lots of boulders between the Holy Water and the upper sequence of pools.

While we're on the topic...

Starting at the concrete drain pipe where a dry creek pours in (rainwater?) There are a few small pools above, and a few below. I have hit fish in nearly all of these little pockets at one point over the years. Most consistenly in the boulders that are on the edge of the fast water starting at the pipe. I cross over up above and fish down. You can fish all the way down to the foundation hole, which has a big pool with fish in it more often than not.

The chute I am talking about is that fast water between that deep pool and the holy water. If the fish are sitting behind those rocks and you swim a fly with lots of action (sedge muddler, bunny rat, wooly bugger, etc) at dawn or dusk they will jump on it. I always felt like it was stupid while I was fishing thru that fast stuff and then KABOOM, SPLASH! fish on!

Doesn't work mid-day though.