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Why snag in the zones when you can go downriver and join in the butchery there, and take some out on a rope.
 
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Pretty lively day! I always pay for fish  activity by some negative aspect, like losing a box. Better than falling in (though my camera is water proof).
Field of dreams. I'm always reminded of a string of lights in a used car lot.
I don't know if I'll put up with that scenario again this year. As we've said, you can fit in and not snag anyone, it could be worse, it's not the ballpark, but it's also not nearly as fun as some space and peace to yourself. One Sunday evening circa '84 , during a rare New Joisey blizzard, I went to hang out in small music venue friends of mine ran. The dilapidated school bus out front had Texas plates and the chalkboard said 3 bucks for SRV and Double Trouble. Who? Noone showed and the band was stuck in the rooms upstairs of the old inn. They came down and practiced for an audience of me and the bartender. Stevie even jumped up on my table and played behind his head.  I've had days when I've found big pools with no people and steel in residence.  To me it's about the same kind of feeling. Blessed, privileged,  right place right time. 
     I have real trouble with big steelhead. It's not that I don't know what to do, I just hate the prolonged battles and put the over pressure on almost every time. I use 3x that is around 9 lb. and change. Seems so dam thin when one is on. Glad you had a good day, despite the little stuff. We'll forgive the no pics, you've put up some good ones this season already.
 

Thats why i always used to post about all the great fishing in the DSR 

Nice job.

I think between the two of us e got our yearly limit. We keep getting all those China people will call us snaggers

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  Thats for sure r3G3. great conversation on and off the water. Went this year for the first time with Charlie had a great trip and our catch of the day were a bunch of chubs and a small mouth. Looking forward to my next trip with him and meeting the rest of the crew one day here on the forum. Let the kids with the big egos brag about all the big numbers of fish they caught I think most of us here do it the right way and are sucessful doing it.
  The river means more to me than 40 hook ups a day it is like they said in Happy Gilmore go to your happy place and that for me is the river. Fish or no fish.

Nice fishing guys and no worries . I understand the crowds will come one come all over for salmon, its the chrome / trout I don't want to see get picked on to much.
I don't like going to pucker bush creek or getting up at O'dark thirty to much ..
Maybe the water will come up a bit and open up more opportunities .. Itchin to try some warts
Fish On !!

Well last year I had a guy comment on my pic that twobob posted up with my son and I holding a king in early august. You'd be surprised the amount of folks that peek around these sites... Facebook is another one... Early Steelhead fishing is almost trashed for me. I enjoyed it mostly because of the solitude it use to have in store... Yes you can still find... But nothing like it used to be. I noticed big changes from 98-2004... And the from 2009 to present it has gotten out of hand for me

Andy IMHO the Steel folks have noticeably increased along with the number of fish in the past few years- -don't think they would stick it out ( internet or not) if the numbers went back to the old days.
 When I started ya could walk all along behind your place and see one or two guys between Tressel and where the turn off is for Tressel South, and about a  hundred boats.
 Some of my SECRET May spots where I was generally always alone have guys posted by  them most all day in the past few years.
Just the way it is I guess when the fish numbers up.
Good with the bad   lol.

Started  in the 80s too- was great for a while then crashed -big time crash- think they have done a great job bringing them back.
 Crowds have increased each year IMHO since they have become more abundant and more popular.
It isn't like when several species are there, its just Steel- more and more folks are tuning in.

Dime, your years seem about right.  It was still great down low when Fred and then Mike had the gate, it was getting pretty spotty when Connie was in there, and after that I think we just gave up as the price went up and the catch rate went down.  I'm just glad that whatever was broke got fixed.  And I truly feel bad for DSR if a lot of fish are now running at night and getting through there before dawn.  NOT!
 
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