A couple weeks back… I had let my fly swing at the end of my high-stick presentation in preparation for a roll cast forward. Not only does this make roll casting easier but I have caught more than a few fish on the “swing” when euro nymphing for trout.
I had been trying to connect with a chinook to give my new 12wt a “field test.” As I went to cast I felt resistance. “Damn - I’ve let it swing too long and it’s now snagged on one of the many branches or rock jams.” As I tugged in a half-hearted attempt to free it, I was surprised to see the surface boil and silver thrash about. In contrast to the colored-up salmon that I had been seeing I realized it was a “ghost” - a summer steelhead!?
I was quite surprised at this incidental catch. Having put it in many, many days over multiple summers fly fishing here, I had never seen any summer steelhead and figured I never would.
While it put up the best fight it could, rolling on the surface with multiple head shakes, it was severely under-matched against a 12wt.
Not your conventional steelhead fly pattern:
Seeing the clipped adipose (another surprise!), I pulled out my tape measure I carry to confirm legal size and harvested it. It cut a rich orange. I prepared some of the fillets with garlic lemon butter and they were delicious.
Very happy to check off not only my first summer steelhead but also my first steelhead on a fly!
I had been trying to connect with a chinook to give my new 12wt a “field test.” As I went to cast I felt resistance. “Damn - I’ve let it swing too long and it’s now snagged on one of the many branches or rock jams.” As I tugged in a half-hearted attempt to free it, I was surprised to see the surface boil and silver thrash about. In contrast to the colored-up salmon that I had been seeing I realized it was a “ghost” - a summer steelhead!?
I was quite surprised at this incidental catch. Having put it in many, many days over multiple summers fly fishing here, I had never seen any summer steelhead and figured I never would.
While it put up the best fight it could, rolling on the surface with multiple head shakes, it was severely under-matched against a 12wt.
Not your conventional steelhead fly pattern:
Seeing the clipped adipose (another surprise!), I pulled out my tape measure I carry to confirm legal size and harvested it. It cut a rich orange. I prepared some of the fillets with garlic lemon butter and they were delicious.
Very happy to check off not only my first summer steelhead but also my first steelhead on a fly!
