And burning it we did!
We waited until 11:45pm to start rigging up the rods and putting glow sticks onto our float. As soon as it was 00:00:01, we started fishing. Happy 2016 Trout Opener!
Honesty, Trout Opener isn't about the catching anymore. I know I can catch them just as well days before and after opener. It is more about observing a tradition with friends and having an excuse to catch up with each other.
But yes, we did catch some Steelhead...err...wait a minute...this is not a trout.
I got excited for a while thinking it was a Madtom species. Upon closer inspection, it was just a Stonecat. But finally I have a decent picture of a Stonecat for my lifelist.
Yes...we did catch some trout...err...Steelhead.
The Steelhead were easy and the action was good. I was more excited to get a good picture of this gravid White Sucker.
Two days later, a friend of mine wanted to get his PB Rainbow Trout. His experience with Rainbow Trout fishing in Italy was quite different, and most of the stocked fish were small with 2kg fish being a good catch. Well, he quickly realize how good Steelhead fishing was in Ontario.
On my second drift at 6am in the morning...
Stefano kept missing the hookset. It wasn't until noon and three spots later when he finally caught some Steelhead.
He also caught his first White Sucker.
The early spring meant lots of spawning activity in the stream already. The stream was filled with beautiful male Creek Chubs and White Suckers.
A male Creek Chub with fighting horns
A male White Sucker with large fins and tubercles on anal and caudal fins
The Steelheading was alright. We caught a dozen of them. With the low water and early spring, it wasn't great. But it was fun fishing with good friends and helping a friend catch his personal best and a new species.
