Last week I was fishing the South Umpqua above Days ck.
I'm fishing with a Yellow Sally X on a 2x long #12.
Third cast I hooked a nice size trout, then it was off.
A few more casts as I moved down stream I hooked a nice RB of about 10".
I didn't take a close look at this fat little trout, just ran my hand down to the fly a release it.
Down stream a little more I had a larger trout flash at my fly as I was stripping in to recast.
I made another cast and a nice long drift over where that trout flashed at me, nothing.
The current sucks my dry under and I strip in again and that bigger trout flashed my fly again.
While the fly is still under water I let it drift back through the pocket that trout was in and pow he hits my fly hard and we are hooked up.
What a great fight on my 3wt.
I get this 19" hatchery steelhead in and give it the bonk.
My question is. Has this hatchery steelhead been to sea or this it a resident from being released from the hatchery last spring.
I figure to be 19" it had to be in the river one summer and a winter, maybe?
The hatchery is in Canyonville about 10 miles down stream from where I caught is fish.
We eat this fish that evening and it was real good, the flesh was not bright pink like a sea run.
The fish right out of the river was dime bright.
Anyway that was my second steelhead on a fly.
I'm fishing with a Yellow Sally X on a 2x long #12.
Third cast I hooked a nice size trout, then it was off.
A few more casts as I moved down stream I hooked a nice RB of about 10".
I didn't take a close look at this fat little trout, just ran my hand down to the fly a release it.
Down stream a little more I had a larger trout flash at my fly as I was stripping in to recast.
I made another cast and a nice long drift over where that trout flashed at me, nothing.
The current sucks my dry under and I strip in again and that bigger trout flashed my fly again.
While the fly is still under water I let it drift back through the pocket that trout was in and pow he hits my fly hard and we are hooked up.
What a great fight on my 3wt.
I get this 19" hatchery steelhead in and give it the bonk.
My question is. Has this hatchery steelhead been to sea or this it a resident from being released from the hatchery last spring.
I figure to be 19" it had to be in the river one summer and a winter, maybe?
The hatchery is in Canyonville about 10 miles down stream from where I caught is fish.
We eat this fish that evening and it was real good, the flesh was not bright pink like a sea run.
The fish right out of the river was dime bright.
Anyway that was my second steelhead on a fly.
