Club Steelhead weekend

Friday
Jen and I arrived in Brule around 8:30pm, dropped off some stuff at the cabin, and went in to Twin Gables for supper since we saw Bob's truck there.  We found them (Anderson, Mother Feiker, Ben, Ryan, and Andy) in the back bar, watching the Twins-Yankees game.  Ben had pictures of the steelhead he caught earlier in the day and it was a very nice one at that.  Jen and I bellied up to the bar and ordered supper and watched the game.  We also chatted with Dee, the owner, and met her boyfriend during the commercial breaks.

After watching the Twins lose, we headed to the Kro-bar to see what was happening. 
I ran into a few more friends that I knew and did some catching up with them (Joe, Ash, Grizzly, Buzzy, and Shane).  It was great to see them and rib each other a little and share what little intel we had gathered on the current steelhead situation.

We (Mother Feiker, Ben, Andy, and myself) head back to the cabin after closing the bar down and went to bed around 3am.

Saturday
We were up and getting ready to go to Twin Gables about 7:30am or so, and there it was...about a 1/4" of show on the ground.  Jen and I were excited by the fresh snow and were actually looking forward to spending the day in it.  It really made the bright colored leaves pop even more. 

After breakfast headed back to the cabin to get ready for fishing for the day.  The plan was that we park at two different landings and walk in opposite directions to where the other was parked, making our fishing groups smaller.  Jen, Andy, and myself in one truck, Mother Feiker, Anderson, and Ben in the other truck.  This was Jens first time going Steelhead fishing and it was no warm up to it, the weather and water was in full "normalcy" as far as steelhead weather goes.  There was  no easing her into it.  For the record the river was 42 degrees, air temp started around 31 and the high for the day was around the low 40's and our guides kept freezing up all day.  It was cold, and windy, leaves of red and orange and yellows were floating in the low clear river, and it was beautiful.

For some reason, I couldn't stay on my feet this weekend.  I fell three different times, so I was nursing a sore knee and elbow, but the back feels more aligned then when I started the day.  Go figure!  And today is the best my back has felt in a week.  Guess I should fall on my ass more often when my back is feeling crappy.   

Andy tagged into a colorful steelhead with bright red on it, and it broke off quickly.  He also got a strike in the same area before that.  When it happened, Jen was resting on the bank and got to watch the 15- seconds of excitement right in front of her and got to see the steelhead in the water racing around. 

We crossed paths with the boys half way through for a bit, had some beef sticks for lunch.  Anderson caught a 22" steelhead out the same area that Andy fought his. Anderson's was a bright chrome steelie, fresh from the lake.

Near the end of the day, Jen did get a strike, but that was it for her.

We warmed up back at the cabin and Tony was there making a feast for the cold hungry crew.  Ham, wild rice, cranberry sauce, salmon dip, mashed potatoes.  It was a full holiday meal!

Joining us for dinner were Jay (who also caught a couple steelhead that day), also two of Tony's friends from the area, Troy and Rick.  Then, Mike from the Fly Angler and his buddy joined up for some food and friendly conversation.

Around 10pm Mother Feiker, Ben, and myself headed for the Kro to see what local characters were out and about.  Anderson joined us later after Rick left the cabin.  I chatted with Dee's boyfriend about our day and his recent bow hunting experiences while he checked ID's at the door.  The Bugs were in full swing rocking the house.  Over the years, that band has definitely improved.

Sunday

We ran into Mike and his buddy at Twin Gables for breakfast, as well as Big Dog and Greg Lonke.  We shared some status reports and predictions for the day along with a couple of laughs.  After breakfast, the boys headed off fishing while Jen and I headed over to Duluth to spend the afternoon with Chad and Sarah, before heading home for the Twins game.  It had been a while since I was there last so we thought it was a good time to do that before I get into my "serious" steelhead hunting mode over the next  three or four weekends to come.

Jen did say that even though the weather was less then ideal, and didn't catch anything, that she had fun and might even do it again.  I had a great time with her as well as seeing all my old and new friends.