WOW what a trip! Fished with my three sons at the mouth of the Deschutes river starting Friday through Sunday the 5th of October.

Friday was clear skies, no wind (yahoo) and 80 degrees. We caught a jack and the super bright Chinook my son Jim landed. These fish really put up a great fight running away from the boat full speed ahead. They will make your reel howl! Putting them in the net can be a challenge, they just hate nets. Wonder where that came from??

Saturday started out with another great camp breakfast on the Camp Chef griddle at 5:00 AM. Ham, eggs and veggies from son Jim's garden. Wash it down with hot coffee and away we go with great expectations of catching the mighty Columbia river Chinook. On the water and rods down at 6:45AM as the sun was lightening the sky. No early bite this trip like the ones in September. A couple of take downs and first fish in the boat at 8:00 AM was a jack. Then things really got fun. Big fish on the center pole, ran a couple of hundred feet and snap! Lost the whole kit and caboodle, clean break on the main line. This was the first break off in several years since switching to Shimano Tekota reels. Guess it had to happen eventually. Finished the day with 5 adults and one jack by noon. Man what a great day!!

Up Sunday AM to another great breakfast scramble cooked on the griddle. Got on the water about the same time. Started with the same Brads Hot Lava that caught fish Saturday, no takers. Switched up to a Brads Hotter Tamale with a green flasher and got the first fish around 8:30. Managed a couple of more before the bite died around 10:30. Being typical fishermen we wanted just one more, you know how it is. Just one more would make a fish each for the morning before heading home. Hmmmmm what to change up to get that fourth elusive fish. Put on an untried Brads Grocho with a white/uv flasher. Put it on the downrigger, sent it down to 22' and turned around to sit down; BANG fish on, reel screaming. This fish was on fire. It ran like it weighed forty pounds. Finally got it up to the boat after several runs. Now the fun begins. This fish will not go in the net. Twelve minutes elapse with the fish at the side of the boat. Every time we would try to net it it would dive and head for the bottom again. Finally got the opportunity to put it in the net, got it. But wait a second, the fish turned before I could close the net and took a jump like it was going up Niagara Falls. Rats! Pole high Jim reeled like a champion to take up the slack. Miracles of miracles he still had the fish on. All ended well with the 20# hen in the box. What a great conclusion to a dream fishing trip.

Camping, great food and awesome fishing with my three sons......priceless!!!

Tight lines everybody - Alan

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