It's that awkward time of year for me. Summer fishing, primarily for walleye, bass, muskie and pike, is over. Chinook and coho salmon are clogging up the streams near me right now.
"Clogging!?" you gasp.
Yeah, clogging. I don't like fishing for them when they're on their doomed spawning runs. Their bodies are breaking down, they're no good for the table, they aren't actively feeding and I don't like the idea of provoking them into a strike.
So I'm waiting. Waiting for the salmon run to be over. Waiting for the first couple of hard frosts that rid the trees of those colourful leaves you can see in the post below. Waiting for the grey days of November and its cold, wind-driven rains to call my lovely steelhead from Lake Ontario to my local streams.
I'll be there, sipping on a thermos of tea and stomping my feet to keep warm, waiting to greet them.
Oh, how happy we'll be to see each other! They'll dance and cartwheel across the top of the water. My heart, despite its daily dose of slow-down medication, will pound. After our wild fandango, as we rest alongside the bank, I'll admire the sleek, silver beauty with the rose blush along her side. Then, with a quick caress and a murmurred "thank you," I'll watch her slip back into the depths. And hope we'll meet again one day.
13 comments:
When you're through foolin' with the fish, come on down to the (usually) sunny South. We'll go hunt oysters. :)
I hope you have a wonderful time, Frank. Do come back and tell us all about it. And yes, don't forget to bring pictures, please.
That sounds like fun Unique. What kind of bait do they like?
Bhaswati, I'll be going more than once (I hope). I'll take some pics if they cooperate.
Thanks both for stopping by. :)
Your not the kind of guy who takes fingerlings and puts them so close to the camera that your lens is encrusted with fish scales, are you?
This is wonderful written article, the way only a true fisherman can do it. Thanks for sharing this with us.
They aren't fussy about bait, Frank. They'll eat anything that floats by.
Literally. :p
That kind of scares me, Unique--ANYTHING that floats by?
Rich, who told about the fingerling trick?
Thanks Othmar. I appreciate it. :)
Unique, remind me to wear shoes when wading in oyster territory then.
(Scares me too Rich.)
Um...oysters are filter feeders, guys.
So basically... Yeah. Anything as long as it's small enough. But don't get me started on protecting coastal habitats or I'll hijack Frank's blog. :)
Anything that's small enough eh Unique?
Okay. I'd best wear a bathing suit too.
HAHAHAHAHA! Self-deprecating humour is the best eh? Especially if people think I'm kidding....
Uh...
Yeah. Great mind picture to go to sleep on. An oyster with it's jaws clamped.
Oy vey.
Ouch vey too already.
I live in the pacfic northwest where it could be argued the best Steelhead fishing in the world lies at my door step. I have never stepped into that world yet. But the stomping feet with a hot cup of coffee in my hand I have enjoyed many times.
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