The Outdoor Line Forum

Spent a great day yesterday fishing the Hoh river with friends, launched on an upper stretch in picture perfect Hoh conditions, Robbo's boat and Robbo rowing, the stars have lined up for me, my only concern was that he would want to pull plugs for those big saber toothed bucks that hide in the logs up there, normally I would be fine with it.....but, a cold streak on the plug rod had me spooked, looking back I'd have to guess that it has been 3 years since I've landed a fish on a plug, it was an amazing day on the Queets, fishing solo, just anchoring up and thumbing a Dr. Death down a cut bank into a mob players, that is the last time it's worked for me. Last year Rob made it his personal mission to plug one up for me....epic fail, he will remember the numbers better than I, but it has been ugly, I'm actually not having too much trouble getting the bites and even hooking them up, it's the hanging onto them that is giving me some issues, and when I saw the plug rods in the boat I think I actually groaned out loud.
So, we started the day pocket pitching worms with Rob occasionally asking.. "you wanna plug this run" I did my best at acting undecided then would give him the "nah...let's just give this a bit more time.." But, we weren't getting bit, we were fishing well, hitting the good spots with a nada, zip...zero to show for it....Finally I can't put it off any longer, the plugs are going out, ugh . 20 yards of perfect water slides by with no bites, I'm safe as long as my rod does not go off, 40 yards and things are looking good, I can see the tailout now, a nice big rock near the tailout goes by with no bite and I think I have it made.. only about 15' left to fish and I will have it made...and then, yeah, of course, wham!.. left rods is down and and aint coming back up, I grab, it boils, and all we see is big and shiny, a peeler for sure, up river past the big rock..down river past the big rock into the boil behind, then......fish off.. game over.. no mulligan.. no do-over, huh, whodathunkit ? Then we begin to reminisce about all the fish I've lost exactly like that on plugs, 15...20? More? In a row? Really? Now you may not believe this but I honestly don't care that much...but it's making me wonder what the hell? My bow partner for the day Jay Field hooks up in the next glory hole, no problem...fish on, fish landed, textbook stuff.....easy.
We were having fun now, a fish landed, one lost...no one complains about batting .500 in prime time on the Hoh, heck...it's barely even raining, then we find the fish with our worms or wool or squidleys and the party is looking good, Jay lands a dandy, I get a perfect hard fighting hen and it's all good.... I must have looked too happy, 'cause...out come the plug rods...again. The short story is that my side goes off again, and the fish goes nuts, it's on, it's on good....right up until it jumps porpoise style pointing right at the boat and actually spits the hook at that perfect point in the jump.... we just laugh, of course, why would I expect anything else, at this point it is so ridiculous that it really is funny and now the challenge may be to see how long I can go losing these plugged up fish... you know, I think I may have lost another one in there somewhere along the way, but...I honestly don't remember anymore.
I love plugs.
the end
stam

Stam! Nice guest blog!!! Now, if only you had brought your camera.....

Great story Stam, next time you gotta say thanks Robbo, I thought I did something nice for someine without realizing it Anyway, Robbo said you guys had a great time and a pretty good day of fishing as well, we gotta get together on that tuna deal this summer.

Lots of fun on the crick yesterday SS This could get really interesting. I'm trying to get you a metalhawg on a plug and you're trying to see how many you can lose. The clash of two men that don't give a rip on the coast of somewhere beautiful. Pass the beer nuts

Funny story, I remember last years story, WHAT A STREAK! I wouldn't think a guy could do that even if he tried! Uncanny!

Ahh ... the old "Self- Fulfilling Prophecy" trick. Like the "Babe" calling for a home run - dead center, Stam swings for the fences with a Lamiglass and a plug, predicting failure, and is rewarded. At zero for plenty over a couple of seasons, he keeps the streak alive ... the stuff legends are made of.

The way I see it, Stam is a true sportsman and conservationist ... long releasing each plug-caught fish so as to insure no harm comes to the animal; thus setting an example for others to follow. I can see Stam's personal growth and evolving strategy unfold before me as I sit next to him in the bow of Robbo's boat ... which will be to fish plugs without hooks, thus insuring that he'll never, ever, land a fish on a plug.

I had a blast fishing with these guys. It's been some time since I did some real Steelheading - a nice change up from fishing the bay. Any other bunch without quick reactions and superior peripheral vision coulda' got hurt by some of my errant casts and unconventional retrieves. We catch fish; no one gets hurt; everyone gets along nicely ... thanks for a memorable day on the Hoh.

Jay

Jays first steelhead in over a decade squirts out of his hands before it could be blinged by a flash. It bit a plug and he landed it. He starts his own streak

Stam rigs up the mystery lure in search of a pink salmon and instead locks onto some steel. It's not too very often that you'll see Mr. San Juan manning the net on the crick

Hoochie Mamma


Oh yeah baby!

Is that a fish Jay? Nope, it's bottom again

Stam rigs up the mystery lure in search of a pink salmon and instead locks onto some steel. It's not too very often that you'll see Mr. San Juan manning the net on the crick

Not sure if you noticed how each time Jay would reach for the fish I would pull it just out of reach.....I just was not ready to be done yet

yeah, fun day, always enjoy meeting new friends on the river, thanks Jay, I'll try to get up and turn off that black mouth bite in the near future.

stam wrote:

Stam rigs up the mystery lure in search of a pink salmon and instead locks onto some steel. It's not too very often that you'll see Mr. San Juan manning the net on the crick

Not sure if you noticed how each time Jay would reach for the fish I would pull it just out of reach.....I just was not ready to be done yet

yeah, fun day, always enjoy meeting new friends on the river, thanks Jay, I'll try to get up and turn off that black mouth bite in the near future.

I didn't notice ... as I was trying to figure out,(going against years of training and experience), how to net a fish tail first! As for turning off the blackmouth bite ... I don't need any help with that! As long as we don't pull plugs in the saltchuck, I think we may have a shot at a fish or two.

Jay

Sounds like a fun couple days!