New Year, New Adventures

Steelhead Fishing on the Rouge is an exercise in patience. We get up early to claim our spot, place our poles and wait for the sun to rise. We then set the lines with little bells and wait. Oh but it is important to read the river. The water has to be perfect. The fish travel up river to spawn and will run in 3 to 4 feet of water. The water can't be to clear or to muddy - hard to tell in the dark unless you have been paying attention to weather and water levels etc. Our first attempt at Orchard Bar saw no fish. A few hits but no real action. Next time we went to Dunkelburger Bar and I landed two 29" steelhead. Very exciting. I really can't take credit as my "guide" was responsible for all that happened. I skipped a day to sleep and catch up with my chores and went out yesterday but saw no action at all. I found some beautiful agates, a bonus while you wait for the little bell to ring. The real treat was the fresh steelhead for dinner. Delicious! And today I get to try smoked steelhead. Definitely worth the long cold days.