Natureperspective

These are Fish I have caught since moving to the lower Russian River. Not all but some. Heck I didn’t have a digital camera for the first 4 years living here.

My Frst Steelhead

I had lost one the day before catching this 6-8 lber. Little wild fish that swam happily away after I took the photo.

Excuse the blood but this next one I cooked up for a small gathering of friends.  I believe I might have caught this one same week as the first photo:

This Salmon I caught off of gravestone rock just past Villa Grande. I had just nabbed the biggest bass I’d caught all year too the oohs and awes of  a dad and his son. I thought this was another bass. I was more than surprised. 10/20/2008

There’s different theories I have about the river. One is that every season you have to reintroduce yourself to the river before it accepts you. Part of that is that water levels, rainfall, floods, heck a fallen tree, the gravel or sand added to beaches, or some idiot grooming his backyard all changes the river and you have to learn how that will affect the fish migration.

Another theory is you have to ask permission … But its not enough just to ask permission on to catch fish but  HOW to catch the fish. When I went to the local fish and tackle supply store, I told them about all the fish I was seeing migrating up-river. I always assumed that one of the mysteries of fish, especially something like Steelhead, meant that if the fish sees you, then you can’t catch the fish. That goes double when they’re moving through shallows. Heck, they’re supposed to be Moving, non-stop, trying to get to their next safe zone. So even when I saw fish I kinda stayed up-river in deeper holes hoping that my bait would entice them to feed or hit.

Well I told Steve at Kings sport and Tackle shop about all the fish I’ve been seeing but I couldn’t catch any. He told me that sometimes if you float a piece of roe right infront of a steelie you can get them to hit even when they’re moving through. This was permission to attempt to fish the shallows.

Funny thing is I have had BIG hits on bait but I’ve never caught a steelhead over 3lbs on any bait be it roe or worm. Because I was fishing in water between 6 inches to about 1 foot I used mepp spinners and  floating stick baits set up like roe. I started seeing Steelies chasing my lures, usually on the 3rd or 4rth cast towards the fish. I then had my first strike and I fought that fish for 15-20 minutes in rapids and lost it in the net. And then it happened again. And again… I didn’t have my drag set right and my netting was bad being by myself out on a canoe in current. I was learning. Once I started getting the hang of it and as long as my line didn’t snap I started netting them. Next year I think I might do better if conditions are the similar–I hope– In total this past season winter 2008-spring 2009 I lost 6 actual fish on hook (not just hits), and caught 6. One catch was a snag and one fish I didn’t bother taking a picture of cause I had gotten arrogant and it was under 4 lbs. These are those fish:

7lber My one a year I'm allowed to keep:)

4lber or so

My big fish of the year

Biologist might say Salmon. I might say Salmon. But I honestly think it was a Steelie. It swam away happy either way.

Not that big, 3lber maybe but the prettiest fish i've caught on the river. Happily released. Sometime in May.

I only keep one Hatchery Steelie a year and I release all my other fish. I try to follow the rules on the Russian River as best I can — No barbs, bait only november 1st – april 1st, life-jacket on boat,  of the salmonids Only allowed to keep hatchery-steelies. I think its only right to follow these rules even if I think some of them are miss-guided. But what ever it takes to keep the fishery open.

Now that I have a digital camera I will try and take pictures of more of the fish (of okay size) that I catch like the bass and Shad.

The last pictures  I want to share is Not of me catching  Fish but My niece Tessa. We went fishing in Maine on the Kennebec which was a dead river brought back to life through conservation efforts that California should really attempt to emulate. She caught something like 8 smallies, 2 jack perch and a giant blue-gill that day at the age of 6. I was sooooooo very proud of her.

A year later she did catch a hard-head on the Russian River but she seemed bored. If only she could come visit me when I know the river is hot:) Maybe one of these years soon!

Here is my one trout from Pinecrest Lake, thirty miles outside of Yosemite. I had fifty dollars worth of new lures, fish jumping everywhere, probably about 8 strikes total and ended up catching this one on the same lure I used to catch Steelhead on the Russian. I let this pretty guy go for someone else to enjoy.

June 13th 2009 Pinecrest Lake

Interesting Striping on this Smallmouth

First Bass over a pound this summer. And Fat. Must be eating buckets full of Crawfish and Fries

Guided Nicole on a tough day. Her first fish since she was a kid. Nice smallmouth.

Another nice Largemouth in an area that I had only been catching smallmouth. About 1 and half pounds.

My brother's first Smallmouth on the R. River. He caught, three hardheads, one largemouth and 2 smallmouth this day:)

Soj! Pick a fish:

1lb 2 oz Costello

 

 

Hard head 1lb 2 OZ Abbott

 

 

more fish to come (lets hope!):