This past weekend marked the annual trip to Pulaski to chase Salmon River steelhead, for members of CVTU and Mianus TU chapters. 22 anglers braved the cold of the season’s first polar vortex, to cast for “Chromes” in one of the best steelhead rivers in the lower 48. The chapters occupied 5 of the 6 Douglaston Salmon Run lodges with the Douglaston River Lodge serving as party central for evening festivities. Our intrepid members were up bright and early both Saturday and Sunday to stake out the best runs and pools on the river, hoping to ensure a catch for all. With the help of John Hildenbrand and Mike Fatse, this “newbie” landed a chrome and hooked up another for an epic pull, but inevitable hook spit. Many others “got into fish” giving them stories to tell their families at next week’s Thanksgiving dinner.
The whole event was organized by our lead steelheader Dave Surowiecki, and he deserves our gratitude and thanks for doing a fantastic job herding cats and getting us all in our lodges warm and safe. Though I missed it, I understand that Dave gave a very educational presentation on how to fish for steelhead on the Salmon at our Friday night get together. Saturday’s BBQ and pot-luck was a blast with a plethora of great food and beverage. Fish stories were flying around the DRL kitchen, while the dining room table was crowded with fly-tyers whipping up patterns to replace all those lost to the river bottom.
Pictures of the trip are going up on the gallery page on CVTU.org, and many of us that attended can’t wait to go back. The Pulaski steelhead trip is becoming one of the most anticipated chapter events of the year. If you want more details or just like to listen to fish stories about the “monster chrome” that got away, be sure to attend our next chapter meeting on Wednesday, December 11, 7:00 pm at the Stony Hill Fire Department in Bethel.
Tight lines,
Mark McBeth