Today was bible class day for Barb, so I had invited a friend to go fishing. The plan was to leave the house at 11:00am, well my friend "John" calls at 9:00am, said he was stuck in his driveway, and was trying to dig out of the snow, but thought he could make it. Then callled at 10:00, said he was making progress, but would be late and tired, his home in in Anatone, about thirty miles away, and 4000' in elevetion. John called at 11:00am, said he was still stuck and couldn't make it.

My constant fishing partner Barb is at bible class, my fishing friend is stuck in the snow, and I am all primed to get on the water, so I decide to go it alone, it is 12:00am when I get the boat hooked up. Drive upriver to the gravel launch above Buffalo Eddy, get the boat launched and head upriver past Billy Creek, there are many good stretches of water to fish in this area. Pass through several rapids, and take the boat off plane at the start of a beautiful drift on the Idaho side of the river. Point the bow upriver, crank the little Honda, engage the TR-1 Autopilot, apply scent to the Hawg Boss plugs, and get the lines in the water, start a slow back troll, weaving back and forth to cover as much area as possible.

In about thirty minutes, my rod slams down very hard, I take it out of the holder, no hookup, it's amazing how a Steelhead can hit one of these plugs with sticky sharp hooks, and not get hooked. Pull the line in, everything looks okay, so I put the line back out. In a few minutes my rod slams down again so hard the rod holder makes a noise, I grab the rod, a beautiful silver Steelhead comes completly out of the water with a double jump, this is a great fighter, she made eight or nine jumps, was just lucky she didn't throw the plug. Played her until she was tired and on her side, took a self portrait, then slid her back in the water, she was and is a beautiful fish.

Crossed over to the Wash. side on a nice stretch of water, right away got another take down without a hookup. Continued down stream to a point that the water shallows up to five or six feet. BAM another rod rattling take down and no hookup, didn't even pull the line in, figured the plug was alright, the action on the rod looked good, Water is now about four feet deep, I'm about ready to pull in the line in, then the rod slams down again, this time it stuck. Let me tell you, this was another one of those gallant Steelhead that you dream about, I'm not kidding you, she fought so long and hard, that I was beginning to worry that she would be too worn out to survive. I finally played her to the back of the boat. she made a final run, stripping line for about thirty feet, the plug came out and she was free, she had won. This is what makes a Steelhead addict, it such a privilege to fish for them.

At this point I pour a cup of coffee, let the boat drift down the river, and give thanks. Still have a hour of light left, but decide this is all the excitement I need for one day, pack everything away and head for the launch.

Today was overcast, ambient temp. 39*, river temp. 39.7, crystal clear water, and a few wind gusts, the canyon floor is free of snow, can see snow at about 1200' on the canyon walls, and what a beautiful sight it is. Ken

---