Fishing in the Snow

Indiana - December 22, 2009

Snow falling on the creek

Al Bernicky and I made yet another trip to Indiana for Steelhead. We were met there by Rich Delaney. This time it was snowing when we left and it kept snowing all day long. The snow made the creek very scenic. Before I ran off to my spot, I stopped to take a few photos of the snow settling on the trees and brush.

A Holiday Traveler

I got to my spot and began to set up both steelhead rods. I heard a faint noise in the water behind me and turned around to see an Otter coming out of the water and scampering up the bank into some downed trees. I couldn't get the camera out of the bag quick enough before he was deep in his hiding place. He played peek-a-boo a couple times before he was gone for good. Later on, Rich found me and told me he had seen it a little upstream from where I was still fishing.

There's an Otter in there somewhere

Fishing was painfully slow. If it wasn't for the snow enhancing the beauty of the creek, I would have given up a lot earlier. It took a few hours before I hooked my first fish on a spinner. It came up just enough for me to see it a was a good one and then broke off.

Al gets a fish close before it breaks off

Al showed up later on and hooked a massive fish. I was a little down stream so I grabbed the camera and raced over to him just in time for the fish to swim under a log and break off.

A difficult and dense trail

I stuck it out in that spot a while longer as did Rich. I saw his bobber go down as he was drifting bait, but he missed the fish. I briefly hooked another one later on before losing it almost immediately.

Rich waits for a fish to hit

After that I gave up. I found Al fishing near the entrance point and sure enough he tied into another good fish. This was his second hook-up of the day.

Al fights a big Steelhead

I got the camera out of the bag again and started shooting. I was able to get a few shots of the fish as it came up before it broke off.

Als fish comes up one last time before it breaks off

That was all it took for Al to call it quits too. Fishing was terrible, but we got to see the creek at it best thanks to the snow.

The one that got away