2008 FIshing Page

Welcome to the 2008 Season! It has started off with a bang for me. Kenny and I headed out to fish with Scott Howell of Scott Howell's Guide service. Ken and I met Scott at the boat ramp at 7:30am it was still a bit dark but other fishermen were launching their boats. As we rigged up I took the water temp and it was 38 degrees. Scott did not want to know the water temp until we finished fishing for the day.. We were side drifting with our single handed rods. It was new to me. Scott taught me how to mend keeping the right line tension in preparation for the take. I tested Scott several times as I snagged not only myself but the motor, net and what ever else was in the boat.. We had even floated over some water that I was not able to fish because I was in tangle mode. I could tell that Scott was a little frustrated with me. But then it clicked and I found my zone! and it was on. Mending like a true veteran I was able to hook three of the largest steelhead of my life. See photos below for proof of two of the fish that I caught and one of the fish that Kenny caught.

Big Chrome! This hen kicked my butt, she made several line buring runs before I was able to pet her

This is Scott and I with my second fish of the day.

Kenny getting in on the action with a cold water fish.

Billy and I took a trip over to the Sandy River in Oregon. We floated from Oxbow Park to Lewis and Clark bridge. The weather on Saturday was partly cloudy and a few spurts of rain. We were about the 6th boat that launched on the river. The Sandy is a glacier fed river and so the clarity is spectacular. Keep in mind this is only true if it is not raining or over about 65 degrees air temp. Wartack and I found several spots that looked to hold fish. On one particular run Wartack was casting bass master style and placed his offering just behind a tree branch that had been bent over during a wind storm. About 3 ' of movement had occurred when a Holy shit rang out from Bill, and then the screaming like a little girl could be heard from the reel. The fish below was a native and approx. 31" long with a girth of approx. 16" what a pig! Chrome bright and full of fight. We only touched one other fish on Saturday.. It was a springer that Wartack estimated in the 25 lb range. Sunday we floated down hitting the same spots that we had seen others fishing the day before... Wartack was on point again and pulled out the second fish. Another Chrome piece of steel. This time we could put the death stick to its head. He was 29" long and had a girth of 15.5" a great trophy for any angler.

The fish of the Sandy are hard fighting fish that pull hard and give awesome flight to the fight. They are thick and have huge shoulders.

Wartack with the Big Hen on the Sandy River.

This time was a hatchery fish that fell to his Rath!

Wartack is a slayer! Fish that is.

Warrtack and I took a trip up to Anchorage Alaska thanks to Karen Billy’s mom. We arrived in Anchorage on the 20^th of June and did not stop fishing until the 29^th of June. As you can see we caught our fair share of fish. Keep in mind that we only took photos of the large ones. Wartack and I shipped home over 175 lbs. of fish and brought home another 50lbs. in the cooler as checked baggage. We met some awesome people from all over the world, Russia, Sweden, Montana and Alaska it’s self. There is so much to do and see that we could not have possibly seen it all in the short trip that we took. It was truly the trip of a life time, and I want to thank Billy, Myrna and Karen for making it possible for me to go.

Until then,

Simms