As time went along, George and his grandson experimented with different combinations of colored yarn, and eventually they came up with what became known as the Campbell River Special. This was a four-color combination of white, pink, red and fluorescent green yarn that took fish consistently where ever they tried it. With the four colors blended together with an old toothbrush, they way it was tied and trimmed it pulsed in the water and moved along like something alive.
  There were advantages to fishing with yarn that were immediately apparent. Each cast was a presentation of a fresh lure compared to roe which had to be constantly replenished. And with no more continual 'baiting-up', actual fishing time was greatly increased. It was a lot more comfortable fishing in winter conditions without having to handle roe, too, so anglers could stay out longer.
  But even though the change from bait to yarn offered advantages, it didn't replace the skills necessary to consistently take fish. Fishermen still had to be able to read the water, and know how to fish it properly.
  George points out that the most important thing in fishing for winter steelhead remains finshing the runs and holes at the proper depth, and that's something that will never change.
  You read a river by reading your float," George says, "and that's not a talent acquired easily.
  "A lot of beginning fishermen expect their gear to do all the work for them. Graphite rods, styrofoam floats, monofilament lines are all fine, but none of them replace knowing how to read a river, and being able to concentrate on what you're doing.
  "You have to be right on the ball the whole time you're float fishing", says George. "It's like sighting down a rifle barrel. You have to be ready for the slightest touch.
  With winter steelhead there isn't going to be any big strike, unless you're fishing with lures. With float fishing, the fish will often take with just a slight touch, and you can't afford to miss it."\par
  This was an advantage with the old style Avon and Silex reels. The slightest touch on the line was immediately transmitted to the anglers' fingertips where they rested on the rim of the reel controlling the drag. With the new levelwind reels, even though they are easier to cast and far faster on the retrieve, this advantage is lost.
  And that means the steelheaders' old standbys, experience and a keen sense of observation, are just as necessary as ever. The rivers may change and the equipment may get more sophisticated, but it's still never going to be easy to become a top steelheader.
  "The Vedder has changed a lot," George recalls. "In the old days there was a run of very large steelhead that used to come in between the 1st and 15th of January. They are pretty well all gone now --fished out, I suppose.
  "There was a run of steelhead that used to come in a little later on that we called the California run. They were a lighter colored fish with almost brown backs, and they were very strong. When hooked they'd jump once to see which direction it was to the Pacific Ocean, then they'd head for it and there was no stopping them.
  "There was a big run of spring salmon in June and July that are pretty well gone, too.
  "But nothing has changed the river like the hatchery," he says. "It's brought back the fish, it's true, but it's also brought out a lot of new fisherman.
  "But that’s O.K.,"smiles George as he stretches out by the wood heater in his living room. "The cold northeasters and a bit of snow soon thins 'em out, and after all, the river has been changing for a long, long time. I remember when the when the very first derby was held on the Vedder. At the awards presentation, Dr. Baker, a fine steelheader from Seattle, was asked to say a few words. I remember how he said that first derby represented the beginning of the end of the river.
  "It's true there have been a lot of changes on the river, and there's no doubt there'll be more, but I know one thing for sure. I wouldn't have stayed all these years if it hadn't been for the Vedder and its fish."
  Visiting George Friskey, you get the feeling the various logging outfits he worked for over the years were lucky to have had him. He shows me a handmade folding gaff he devised, and it's a testimonial to fine craftsmanship.
  His perfectly kept shotguns illustrate his respect and care for all things well made, and he's still got the very first glass rod he ever owned, a gift from his daughter in 1942. He shows me a hand-crafted yarn dispenser he's presently having patented, and it demonstrates a remarkable sense of creativity and ingenuity.
  But mostly, as I watch his steady 76-year old fingers working at the bits of bright-colored yarn as he shows me how to tie a Campbell River Special, I am reminded that George Friskey remains a steelheading pioneer, as proud of the men he taught to fish as he is of any of his life's accomplishments.

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