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Newby Salmon Adventure
by David Lampe for The Mack Attack, December 01, 2016
You take a farm-grown Iowa boy, teach him how to fish, and you have the makings of a fishing machine. I recently was on a business trip to Richmond, British Columbia to do some warranty work on an RV. Of course I was excited to go here for a couple of reasons. The scenery is second to none, and the opportunity at a chance to fish these great waters is excellent.
When I arrived in Richmond, I was greeted with great hospitality. I was dealing directly with the owner of the RV. After some communication, we got to work and had the job done in a day and a half. Great! Did I mention that the owner liked to fish also? We had an extra day on the trip, and with some small talk, he agreed to hook us up with a little fishing trip.
The next morning we met with John, the owner, and we headed off to do a little fishing. After a short Salmon Adventure a New Experience for This Iowa Flatlander by David Lampe Cookin’ Your Catch Steamin’ Stuff This recipe works well for filets of walleyes, crappies, bass, etc. It will also work for salmon steaks less than an inch and a half thick. For thicker filets or steaks, add about three to four minutes per half-inch. Wrap filets or steaks individually in tin foil and add a teaspoon of olive oil, a pat of butter and sprinkle with lemon pepper. For a little variation, try sprinkling with garlic powder. Fold the edges of the foil tightly to seal in the moisture but leave the tin foil loose around the fish. Put them on a gas grill or in the oven at 400-450 degrees for about six minutes, longer for thicker pieces as mentioned earlier. The steam will cause the package to puff up. Your fish will be moist and tender and melt in your mouth! drive we found ourselves outside of Vancouver, B.C. on the shores of the Vedder river. A short hike and we were ready to start fishing. There were a fair share of other anglers present, but it was far from being crowded. We picked a spot and let her rip. The gear was basic. An eleven foot medium-heavy rod spooled with 40# monofilament, an 8" foam float, 1 ½-ounce pencil lead, and a 3-foot , 20# test, fluorocarbon leader with a #4 octopus hook and a piece of colored wool. It took a few casts to get the feel for the setup, then it wasn’t long, and I was shouting “FISH ON!” I was battling what I thought was Moby Dick himself. Well, it was definitely bigger than any old walleye.
We were fishing for Chum Salmon and Spring Salmon. What a rush! My first fish was a Chum and weighed about 15 pounds. Awesome! I have never battled anything so invigorating. What a pure adrenaline rush. We stayed a while longer and had a few more good battles, but decided to head to a different river in hopes for cleaner fish.
After a short drive, we were at the Stave river, and ready to battle again. I landed two more and decided to try changing things up a bit. My arms were starting to wear out. With a little pre-planning, I managed to bring along a few Mack’s Lure Glo Hooks out of my arsenal. That was an excellent decision on my part. I tied on a red #4 Glo Hook and kaboom! I was battling what ended up to be my biggest Chum of the trip. It weighed in at just over 30 pounds. My arms were severely cramping up. Time for a break... NOT. I kept on fishing and was getting hooked up on just about every cast. Not all off them landed, but it was a great fight to the end.
A few of the other anglers noticed my rod bending more than theirs and they came over for a visit. They were intrigued with the product, one gentleman said it resembled an egg, so I gave them a couple to use and they were grateful.
It was a great experience. I am the rookie salmon fisherman, and I had other seasoned anglers coming up to me, to see what I was using. When the day ended, I needed to take a nap. Man was I tired after all that fun and excitement.
A big thank you to Mack’s for offering such great products. I know I, and others, will be purchasing more in the future. I would also like to thank John, and my boss Dave, for the opportunity like this which I will never forget.
