A Fish Story: The One that Didn't Get Away

                                                          Fishing Steelhead

I start this story off by saying I know I’m not up to par as a fisherman. So you have to take it as someone starting out. I have fished for steelhead three times in my life before. Last year I caught seven or eight steelhead and that could be a fish story.

My friend called me up and said that the steelhead are on the move, and that last year was a good gear and this year was going to be three times better. Now, steelhead is a rainbow trout that goes to the ocean. Adults are generally 20-40 inches in length. They go to the ocean for 1-2 years and cone back to spawn. Most cone from Fish Hatcheries along the Salmon River but they are getting a lot more wild fish. A wild fish is one that spawns on its own in the rivers or creeks.

I got a new rod and reel for steelhead fishing. I got flies, sinkers, hooks and plugs. And you know how it is when you start to buy equipment --- you can just fall into it and never hit the ground.

So the big day comes. There are three of us going fishing. Now Bernie is the leader of this trip. He’s gone all over to fish in little places like Alaska and Africa. Now you are getting a picture of a real fisherman. And if there are fish to catch, Bernie will lead.

Now there is Bud. He is a very good hunter and is just getting out of the house for a few days. He likes to talk a lot and he has been three and done it. So he can go on and on about things. And there is Michael. That's me. I like to show up and put my tine in. I go on the idea that if you put the time in, you will get something out of it. Maybe not great results, but you will get something out of it and go home happy.

Now steelhead fishing is an all-day thing for some of us. It starts before the sun is up and takes til it goes down. Now the first day I do OK in my eyes - - catch two or three. Bernie catches five and that is all you can catches in a day. And he lets some go. Now the second day is a good day, I catch four and start releasing them. We end up catching seven wild fish on our trip.

Bud is not into it yet, so time is slowly for him. One day we are fishing by some other fishermen. Now Bud finds out that they are from his home town. And that the one man was just a year behind him in school. We fish by the him for two days. We are doing all right. They are struggling. Now the second day we are fishing  and we are doing OK. And the people we are fishing by are being very serious about the fishing.

Now Bernie is doing OK. And it is getting to him how uptight the people are by us. So Bernie talks to me about the next fish he hooks---I should net it for him. Now we are talking about how I should net it for him. And then we are talking about how I should net the next fish the wrong way- and that is just between me and him.

So he hooks one. I ask if I can use their net to net Bernie’s new catch. They say that it is OK to use their  net.He gets the fish close and I get the net to my waist. But Bernie says “no," to get the net over my head. (Just to me.) He gets the fish closer and I slam the net down like an ax by the fish. It’s off like a shot in the water a little ways from the bank. Now Bernie is yelling at me to net the fish. And now the other fishermen are all in shock because of the way I’m trying to net the fish. Bud is there too, and is in shock too,and thinking that Bernie is going to blow up about how I’m trying to net this fish. Now the fish is back to shore and Bernie is yelling at me to net it. I get the net over my head again and slam it down again by the fish. Now the fish jumps out of the water and jumps right into the net. Now Bernie and I are in shock because the fish that we weren’t trying to net is in the net.

So all we can do is laugh and laugh. And the other fishermen that are in shock start to laugh too, to see such a sight. Now we are all laughing and there are no more serious fishermen at this hole. And so goes the fishing trip.

By Michael H. Vroman