The trout sure have slowed down--starting to hear the bait guys
are getting all the action. Would have gotten skunked the other day if I
hadn't flipped a flatfish along shoreline cover for perch. No sign of Hex
yet...
A bright spot last week, though--it was windy and I pulled into it to get
back up to the head of my "drift" when my little ultralight tweaked
over--thought I'd snagged bottom! Grabbed it and felt a little struggle out
there, then the line went limp. I started reeling in to beat all hell (wind
blowing me towards the fish) and when I caught up it was only twenty feet
from the boat; did a cutting arc around the boat and then parked underneath
it for three or four minutes. I hadn't even gotten a look at it!
Finally it made a twisting dive, which made my little reel sing; I closed
in on it and it made another great run with its dorsal sticking out of the
water--ran a full thirty feet! Suddenly my drag didn't seem to be working...
The bald eagle that nests up there started circling me, as it does anyone
who hooks a fish--I wonder...is it legal to fish for bald eagle with live
trout?
Slapped that sucker in the net and couldn't believe it--it looked like a
steelhead! measured out at just under sixteen inches, not a record by any
means but definitely one of the finest I've ever boated at Padden (and I've
boated lots)! It was plump...
Funny thing is, a few days later I pick up the STS and they're talking
about how effective flatfish are this time of year...lol
Tight lines!

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