Quote:
Originally Posted by greeneD76
NewToORFishing Welcome to Ifish! Im sure the "trout" you saw were Steely Smolts. Sandy doesnt have trout. At least non Ive ever heard of.
And just to let you know its an Ifish custom to post a fishin story telling alittle about yourself as an introduction. So how about that story friend?
And as far as Sandy reports, its still abit early. Mostly an early run of Winter Nates, like to one I hooked into last weekend. Doesnt mean you cant go, I know I will be out there on Saturday.
Dave
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Hi Dave (and other Ifishers!):
Well, here goes my intro email...
I was a born fisherman -- got "hooked" early (pun intended!

) -- fishing for perch/crappie/blue gill/crayfish (or "crawdads", as we called them) in a little creek several hundreds of yards from our house in Texas. I advanced to large mouth bass -- both on small farm ponds and large lakes (such as Lake of the Pines) in East Texas and Louisiana -- using top water plugs and my reliable purple worms with white split-tails -- bass killers!!

My largest was a 5+ lb.

, but had many 2 and 3-4 pounders.
Since then I moved during my twenties to Colorado and lived in a cabin on the Blue River, and got interested in fly fishing, as I saw fishermen behind my cabin artistically casting flies. I only had a spinning outfit, so I got a plastic bubble rig and the type flies they were using, and quickly caught a wild rainbow -- about 10" within my first ten casts. I also used my reliable Kastmasters and caught many trout throughout the season.
Moved to CA, and got into Salmon fishing in Monterey Bay. My favorite fishing trip was with my brother-in-laws and father-in-law when we were catching 20-25 pounders left and right on a paid day-trip boat. After we limited quickly, but others were having no luck. The captain said to "keep fishing for the boat" so we did -- who's going to argue with a guy who has been yelling at people all day, especially when he says to keep fishing, which is what we were out there to do?

So, we kept hooking up and measuring against what we'd already caught, and then letting the others slide on down the boat with a low, quick sliding toss. One guy said: "hey, whose fish is that" and I replied, "yours if you want it!"

We caught about 10-15 each and only stopped when the boat hit its limit of two per person.
Recently moved to Portland in August of this year, and started exploring Mt. Hood. My wife and I fished Trillium Lake first, and she hooked and landed the 5lb. 5 oz. beauty in the attached photo on a worm.

She hasn't fished much since as a kid with her family (which used to go to Crater Lake in OR for summer vacations), but now has the fishing bug and goes out with me every time.
We're now rigged up and focusing on Steelhead, having bought spinning rigs and Steelhead poles, jigs, eggs, spinners -- you name it! Sportsman Warehouse and Joe's like us! We recently attended Buzz Ramsey's seminar at Joe's and re-rigged with hi-vis braided line and float rigs with pink worms and bead-headed jigs (marketing works

). We really like the feel of the braided line and the visibility you get for mending the line and seeing your float better with the hi-vis line.
Now we're actively exploring the Sandy (primarily) and the Deschutes (secondarily) for Steelhead, and also have fished the Trask and Wilson down at the coast. Since I'm fishing with my wife, we're finding more easy access places for driving in, rather than long hikes. We've found great places at the parks on the Sandy, as well as at the Hatchery. On the Deschutes we've fished at Trout Creek, up and down past Maupin (all the way to the fish ladders at Sherars Falls) and up to Locked Gate.
I'm addicted -- reading "Floating Fishing for Steelhead" (Dave Vedder), "Steelhead Drift Fishing" (Bill Luch), "Color Guide to Steelhead Drift Fishing" (Bill Herzog), "Deschutes River Boater's Guide", "The Guide Forecast -- Portland Area Boat and Bank Angling Opportunities for Salmon and Steelhead", etc., in my spare time after work. I also tie my own egg loops, etc., rigging up in anticipation.
We hit the rivers (now, lakes earlier) at least every weekend, and sometimes during the week

. We know we are early in the season, and mainly working on technique, enjoying exploring new outdoor places near our new home, and hoping to tie into one of the early steelies before the banks fill up like they did during Salmon season up near the Hatchery!

Shoulder to shoulder, and snaggers, to boot!
Sorry for the long post (or should I say book?

)-- once I got going I kept typing! As you can tell, I love fishing and am absorbed by trying to learn Steelhead fishing in Oregon.
I've enjoyed this site since I found it, as it has an active group of people who like to share their experiences. I will contribute, as well.
Hopefully my next post is with a big grin and a picture of a large Steelhead !


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On another note... regarding the "supposed" jumping trout in my first post re: the Sandy River...
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I've seen many trout in my time, as well as salmon and other fish species. I can't "guarantee" they were trout, but from seeing them jump from about 15 feet away, they sure looked like trout to me. Could have been small steelhead, as I know they look similar and have seen a small native up close, but still think it was another trout species, due to the coloration -- more greenish. Anyhow, that's my two cents -- can't prove cause I didn't land him!