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 Steelhead: A Wild Ride For Chrome
Posted by jinxed247 on April 12, 2008
I knew that I wasn't going to have to work today so the night before I called up my brother to see if he wanted to try for some steelhead by my house. I have been absolutely hammering them since the first of April and with warmer weather and higher waters, I knew that they would be moving up hard. I tied up a bunch of brown and black stone flies as well as some brown wooly bugger flies for the next days fly fishing adventure. My brother arrived at 6am and we drove around the bend to the stream that has proven to be both a blessing and a curse. We initially start at a dam that starts out the fishable portion of the stream and my brother immediately has a hookup! We hadn't even been there for five minutes and we have a fish on. The steelhead jumped and arched through the air. I could see the fish underwater shaking its head furiously as it tried to free itself from the number 12 brown stonefly that I had tied the night before. Well after a few more jumps and twists it had almost completely wrapped itself in my brothers tippet. Finally, the inevitable happens and his line snaps. We just shrugged our shoulders and started all over again. I had a quick take and release and then my brother hooked up into an absolute monster chrome steelhead. Its head looked about as big as a basketball when it breached briefly and
took off down stream and then we were off to the races. My brother had not worn his waders so he handed his pole off to me so that I could follow the fish downstream and out of the overgrown brush along the bank. We approach a crazy looking white water section where the footing got non-existent. I was about to tell my brother that I couldn't follow it anymore because of the footing when I fell straight on my butt and into the current! It was like a scene out of A River Runs through It. I held the rod high as I slipped downstream and tried to find my footing. I finally found it but by that time it was too late. The fish had broken off on some branches and that was the end of that. Everything on me was soaked. Oh well. We re-rigged up and went a little just below the dam into the faster current and fished the tail water. The rest was a blur. It was one fish on and off for the rest of the day. I lost count of how many steelhead we battled but I do know that we only managed to land four of them (all mine!! sorry bro!). Seems like as fast as we could throw in our stoneflies and egg patterns we would have a fish on. What an unreal outing. I must say that as much as I had fun catching those chrome I don't think that I would care to repeat that ride down the river. Well, maybe if I would have landed it!
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Re: Steelhead: A Wild Ride For Chrome
by jeremy on April 12, 2008 http://www.fliesandfins.com | | Yo - though I have never met you or your brother; it seems as though I kinda know ya .. after reading all the fish tales of your adventures through the years .. anyway, i always like the stories of you and your brother fly fishing together ... this one, in particular, is classic ... love the fact that he hooked a monster steelie but his waders were garbage, so he hands the rod to you and you try to finish the battle only to get taken for a steelhead sleigh ride down river ... would have been cool if you landed it, but ya know what .. in the end, not landing it might have been better .. as I am sure you guys will be talking about that fish for years to come .. and, of course, it's size will grow with every passing year .. and there is no picture to disprove that it wasn't a solid 25 pounds and 40+ inches! .... Also, I enjoy the candid brotherly competition "I lost count of how many steelhead we battled but I do know that we only managed to land four of them (all mine!! sorry bro!)." ... I laughed when I read that! Awesome stuff .. I have to boys that are very close in age .. and I hope that fly fishing for the two of them, can be half of what it is for you and your brother.... Very cool that fly fishing seems to be a component on the "glue" that holds you and your brother together ... ultimately, that is all that matters and all its about .... great work guys! great fish tale! ... |
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Re: Steelhead: A Wild Ride For Chrome
by jinxed247 on April 12, 2008 http://www.jumpcut.com/flyfishing247 | Thanks Jeremy for posting that. I went again this morning and the water was way higher and dirty but still plenty of fish. I hooked into an absolute monster chrome that not only took me deep into my backing but snapped it in two!! I couldn't believe it.
Anyways, even though I haven't met any of you guys either it seems like I know most of you through your fishtales and adventures. Thanks again for a awesome site!! |
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Re: Steelhead: A Wild Ride For Chrome
by joey on April 14, 2008 http://www.laterallinemedia.com | | Nice Story Jinxed, you are having a good spring. That ride down the river must have been pretty wild. Nice looking fish. |
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