First Fresh Fish

Date: 6 June

Air Temp: -2 > +2C

Water Temp: 6C

Water height: +13cm

Number of rods: 8

Number of fish caught: 5 (++++kelts)

Biggest fish: 22lbs Michael F

No 30lb+: 0

No 20-29lbs: 1

No 8-19lbs: 5

Grilse: 0

Weather:

Snow blizzard all day, very cold and 25m/sec wind.

Manager’s Comments:

The first fresh fish of the 2018 season!

I must admit I did not hold out much hope of results today. The weather was so brutal. However most of our team went out and late morning we had news that Michael F had landed a brace of stunning, fat, fresh fish from Pump, one at 14lbs and the other 22lbs.

Needless to say this reinvigorated the mood, and further so when Peter W landed an equally lovely fresh 18lber from Lyliok in the afternoon, soon followed by a third fish for Michael, a 15lb overwintered fish. Alan M had a well conditioned overwintered fish further upriver but no one else connected other than kelts.

Snow all but gone

On the subject of kelts (not typically my favourite subject but bear with me), there is a veritable army of kelts heading down river. Lots of well mended fish of all sizes Alan had one enormous fish! Of course the weather and late spring of 2017 made for an awful fishing season but some might have been concerned by the lack of fish being caught through the middle weeks of the season, albeit some very nice fish were landed in early August. Judging by the number of kelts heading out now, I can only conclude that the 2017 run did come in pretty decent numbers but either those fish headed up tributaries or went off the take before the huge water subsided or some such reason for us not getting hold of them. Here’s hoping a good number of these kelts survive to return to Yokanga another year.

Signs of spring

As I am writing this the weather looks to be calming somewhat, but it is still incredibly cold. I fear the water temp will drop tomorrow and the fish will run slower and take less. Bit of a 'baptism of spring fishing fire' for first time salmon fishers Eric and Jake, but wow - they aren’t half casting well now!

PS. Supper was enjoyed by all. Salmon sashimi on the bar (one of Michael’s fresh fish took very deep) then shrimp salad, roast duck leg and chocolate cheesecake and ice cream.

Peter Rippin