Monday

my first steelhead.














I caught my first steelhead… It rained on & off for the past few days, so I didn’t expect much, but I figured that with increased water – there’s a chance they might push up the river. I headed out to a familiar river, but to a new spot my friend suggested. As I walked the bank, I see a sizable fish holding in the water and my heart starts to race. I cast and land the fly right on top of the fish and the fish gently glides back into the deeper pool. I can still see the fish moving in and out of the darker pool so I make another desperate cast, and the fly lands right in the branches above the pool … okay, reset. I move further downstream and throw the fly into some pools that look promising … quiet. Then by luck, I spot this fish, behind the edge of the gravel … ready to pounce and push up the river. I make three careful casts and on the third cast I see the fish turn away and I wasn’t sure if the fly was in its mouth …. then the hard tug. I scramble to set the drag and reel in the slack line. So far so good … by this point I am in that half sqat “I’m gonna land this fish no matter what” position. She makes a break downstream and the rod starts to pump. I think “please don’t go under those nasty looking branches on that fallen tree…” I push the rod sideways towards open area and fortunately she follows. She dashes away two or three times then starts to settle down in the shallows. I attempt an awkward motion to net the fish then decide that I’ll just keep the fish in the shallow area. For some reason, even after the fish was landed, my heart continues to race so I release the fish in a hurried fashion. I sit on the bank, have a victory smoke, and think about what just happened. I smile and think “mrlee, this one is for you bro”.

The dead deer was freaky but, it's just all part of the life cycle...






10 comments:

  1. I fished dead deer pool this weekend also. Funny, we are closer then we think.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hey Blake, I'm sure we'll run into each other one of these days. Always enjoying your site.

    ReplyDelete
  3. YES! I know the spot! I know the feeling! Chrome beauty!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Congratulations!!!
    Yoon Hoo,
    Forgot to tell you, I haven't gotten my master degree yet,
    so I have not started my lawyer life.
    I may go to law firm this September or October.
    Before that, I want to visit you guys maybe in Seoul or in US.
    Will you stay in Seoul this June?

    ReplyDelete
  5. 축하 드립니다^^
    가슴의 쿵쾅 거림이 옆에서 듣는것처럼 전해집니다. 저는 이번에 서울에서 3주정도 있다가 내일 돌아갑니다. 항상 즐거운 낚시 하시길 바랍니다

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh Lord..we have another reason to bear with I-have-something-you-don't-have talk form GF. Congrats!!! bro. You rock!

    ReplyDelete
  7. 유승훈씨! 반갑습니다! 잘 지내시죠? 서울에서 같이 뵙고싶었는데, 안타깝게도 일정이 서로 맞지않았네요. Uur Gol Taimen 비디오 보면서 언젠가 꼭 만나보기를 꿈꾸고 있습니다, 참좋은 내용이네요. 중국이든, 몽골이든, 서울이든 곧 뵙기를 바랍니다. 항상 건강하세요.

    Hi Hank. I’ll be in Asia in June with the family, but will probably travel to Beijing for a couple of weeks. Otherwise, I’ll be back and fourth from Seoul & Chicago. Hope to see you again soon.

    영민이형… 나도 “윤호야, 한국에서는 그렇게 casting 해서는 고기 못잡는다” 그소리가 그리워. 형도 언젠가 좀 큰녀석 한번 잡아봐야지? ㅋㅋ

    ReplyDelete
  8. Congratulations.
    nice and it is fantastic.

    ReplyDelete
  9. 조나단형, 이거 잡으러 곧 와야지? 꼭 와.

    ReplyDelete