Doesn't anybody hunt?

First I'd like to say deer hunting is the sport of Kings, far superior in any way to chasing stupid fish of any kind, but especially steelhead. Noone seems to be getting it though. We arrived Fri. afternoon and  the crowd around Altmar was incredible. We went to the UFZ because Tuna wanted to see a brown  and suggested I go there(I usually  don't chase them- got other places non-great lakes I like for them)  2 guys fishing below the wire. I expected more. 1 guy quickly left shaking his head. The other guy moved down towards me. He was casting then strip striking about 6-7 times for his retrieve. He hooks a decent brown in the top of the head, gets it in and jams his fingers in the gills to get it on the bank. He then looks over at me and says "buddy, could you get a picture for me?"  I replied," You gotta be s...in' me, you  f...in' snagged it and killed it anyway...  We left.  Both sides of the UFZ were lined up top to bottom.  Went to the barrel and went 1 for 3 to end the day. Next day we  went to the barrel again and had some players but the crowds got overwhelming to say the least. We went and took a hike and things improved dramatically. Fished  a walk-in Sunday morning too, before food poisoning set in. Got it from a place we actually like, too. Think we'll be sticking to a cooler from now on. Steel seemed to move in and out of the faster riffles and only hold on timber. Got one out of a blowdown, but had better luck in the riffles. I was fortunate to fish a new rod. A good friend snagged me a deal from Orvis, and I got a Helios,10' 7 wt. for less than half price. That's still a considerable chunk of change. I couldn't turn down the oversized recoil guides- easy ice removal!  Great rod- single hand speys great, and is a great fish fighter. Best flies were egg sucking nymphs with pink  or blue estaz up front. I tried out some Frog Hair  fluoro tippet and was impressed with its strength and stretch for diameter. I noticed it will deform very quickly if you don't thoroughly wet your knots, but some care and it's very good. I've been using Orvis Mirage, but am getting tired of bad and inconsistent spools. Quality control is non-existent. All in all, even though we got sick, I went into a rage (geez, I got anger issues) , and the river was in parts covered in people, it was a good trip and playing with  some steel was as always, one of the best things there is in life, except deer hunting....
 
Charlie

Nice report.
You didn't try the "pizza" again did you?

Great honest report and good time despite the crowds. Sorry bout gettin sick and seein another snagger in the UFZ- Saw them this summer up there too after Atlantics.

Charlie nice report.... sorry again about the food poisoning.... hopefully the crowds will die down by the time I get up again... thanks for the report and pics....

Charlie, nice report and thanks for the pic's.
Now as for deer hunting a sport for kings.. Well I think the king would sit on his high horse while the pheasants chased the game towards the nobles..
I'm just a squirrel looking for a nut.. Some of us still like to chase and eat natural quarry.

Now a SR saga:
17 years ago I worked a rotating swing shift. Meaning every 3rd week my day off would fall back by a day. I had plenty of week days off (only 2 & 1/2 sat/sun a year) .. I did this for 8 years and most my days off would be on the tribs.
Believe me this after salmon crowd thing started sometime around then, you know when the internet became the norm and Pucker Bush Creek was popular..
I'd get out at 11 pm on a tues and be on the river at first light (o'dark thirty) on weds only to wonder why don't anyone work any more ?

Sure there are open spaces , trails away from the lots to fish but one thing for sure there will always be people fishing the SR and crowds follow the reports..

Make the best of things and keep an open mind..

Have fun fishing while I'm sitting or sleeping by a tree.. lol..

Haven't seen any deer since 7 do have the fishing gear in truck yeee haaa

Had a 4pt broadside at 60yrds on the way out---let him walk---1/2 on steel(fish was over 10 w/ some color)---missed 3 or 4 other hits--they seemed to b short hitting at the very bottom of the drift--crowds were nil.

ORIGINAL: dimebrite

Metal have you become a smart phone instant reporter???? Lol

if he did I give him kudos for proper grammer & spelling,,, unlike our resident Pulitzer Prize winner reporter from NJ...

yyyeeeeeehhhaaahhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!