Winter Steelheading with my BK7 (Pic Heavy)

[Haze240]

One of the great things about living where I do is the ability to go fishing for Salmon and Steelhead during their seasonal runs. This time of year it's Steelies all the way, so myself and a couple fishing buddies from work decided to wake up at 5:00 one Saturday morning and head up to the Vedder river near Chilliwack, BC. As always, my BK7 accompanied me. Unfortunately for us, the Steelie is a crafty and cunning fish, and we're just dumb men so the only steel I was able to catch was my knife on my Iphone. Enjoy.

This is where I came closest to enticing a nice big Steelie to my line, it broke the surface and turned its chrome belly at me at the last second. That's why they call it fishing and not catching I suppose.

Maxpedition Jumbo versipack makes a great tackle box/bag.

Snowing up the mountain, not too far above us.

Hard to tell but by noon it began pouring, and only rained harder as the afternoon progressed. I found out the difference between water-proof, and water-resistant. A 4-hour downpour was enough to soak every pocket through on my Maxpedition bag. Still, a bad day fishing is better than a good day working right?

 

[Flexxx]

Very cool, nice gear also.

shimano rocks....

 

[Cobra281]

Cool pics ! Looks like a great place to camp

Too bad no fish.

 

[The Warrior]

Be awesome to live in an area like that.

 

[OpKey]

Nice pattern and mods on the 7, I like it. Too bad there were no fish. I was looking forward to some photos of that 7 guttin'em. I love the area you're in. Looks beautiful and I'd love to live anywhere near that. I wish I could escape to something like that on my days off. I think it would make them alot more worth it. Thanks for the pictures.

 

[trailbum]

Great post.
Love the pics.

 

[MikeyJ]

I have yet to make it up into Canada...but believe me when I say it's on the short list for sure! Beautiful country you have up there...color me jealous!

 

[thrillbilly]

awesome looking place! That red rock u have that sweet 7 propped on.....any idea what that is?? cool looking rock whatever it is lol

 

[Brad "the butcher"]

Don't feel bad man, I have been skunked on the vedder steelheading a few times myself.

Once the rain kicked in did the water get all chalky from the claybanks?, I hate that when the visibility cuts to almost nil. You pretty well have fluke out to have a fish see what your offering.

What were you chucking at them? Glo-shrimp or dyed shrimp, colorado blades and small pink worms have worked for me. Sometimes a good chrome or brass spoon.

I really have to strip my bk-9, they look much better shiny and patina'd.

 

[crimsonfalcon07]

That's an awesome patina on that knife. How did you accomplish that? Looks very good with the shiny finish on the bevel.

 

[Bladite]

fishing pole. mmm. nice. one of these years.

 

[Pa_Slasher]

Very cool Becker patina you got there!! And sweet fishing spot too. I just went steelie fishing for the first time this year and I WILL BE BACK is all I have to say!!

 

[One Legged Josh]

Im a steelhead junkie as well. (lake run fish though)

 

[TAGannon]

Nice pics. Thanks for sharing. That 7 looks great!

 

[Rumbrave]

i think that red rock is a big piece of jasper but i'm not sure i would need to have a closer look at it, if it is it's the largest piece of jasper i've ever seen.

awesome looking place! That red rock u have that sweet 7 propped on.....any idea what that is?? cool looking rock whatever it is lol

Haze take a hammer with and break it open may be some gold hidden in those quartz layers

 

[Haze240]

Thanks for the comments guys. The process on how I polished and patina'd the knife can be found here. http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/878929-How-I-Ruined-my-BK7-A-Love-Story-%28pic-heavy%29?highlight=how+ruined+BK7 The knife has gone through alot of kitchen duty too so the blade has lost the mirror polished look and taken on a natural patina that looks very grey and dull for the most part, but shines blue and purple when the light hits it. Not sure if I want to polish it back up, or let it keep the patina.

Brad the Butcher: It was starting to get a little milky lower down, not bad though, but up above boulder hole it was still running pretty clear. Mind you we started up past Allison, and worked our way down through the day, so we were already down near End of the Road when it really started pouring. I was chuckin prawns and pink wool, one friend was trying with a pink worm and another with wool, gooeybobs and cured salmon eggs. Nada on all three presentations. The only fish I heard of being caught that day was a small hatchery on sand shrimp.

One Legged Josh: Great looking fish brother! Come on up to the west coast and you can try for some sea-run steelies!

I'm pretty new to steelheading myself, so I'm learning what works and what doesn't as I go, in that sense no trip is ever a wasted trip. I always feel like I learn something new about the rivers, or the habits of the fish, or just what gear works, what I need, what I don't etc. I've been a saltcaster most of my life, and my freshwater fishing was limited mostly to going for rainbow trout. Now I've gotten back into it pretty seriously and find I enjoy fishing rivers more than dropping a line off the side of a boat.

As far as the red rock goes, I'm not sure what kind of rock it is, but there were more like it scattered around here and there. Lots of quartz, but I'd rather pan for gold than break rocks lol.