coastalcutty
Steelhead
I'll try to keep my cool next time! Thanks for the tips
It finally happened, almost
- Thread starter coastalcutty
- Start date
coastalcutty
Steelhead
Good idea!
Ok, so I’m by myself. I get one on the swing what seems to be a good fish. Next thing you know my line is jammed in the reel. I guess there was some slack that bound the tight line and it wasn’t coming free. Now the shit show really began. Luckily I was on a big bar with lots of room to jaunt up and down. I ended up taking the spool off of the reel while trying to keep a tight but not too tight line on the fish. Somehow I got the line free and the reel back on and the fish in. 20+ lb
charles sullivan
Life of the Party
100% this!
Hooking one is really where time and effort needs to be spent. Every fish hooked is a huge improvement early on.
Pictures are not necessary. Half of my most memorable encounters were of fish not landed. Half of the others were never photographed.
Coastalcutty,
Just an addendum about losing fish. I went fishing yesterday and hooked a couple fish. One a nice bull trout, and the other a pretty sporty steelhead. Couple good runs, not into the backing though, and 5 jumps. And all was going well. As I was leading it toward the rocks and beach, it came free. No slack line, no head shakes, just sometimes they come off the hook. You won't land them all. It's just the way it is.
Just an addendum about losing fish. I went fishing yesterday and hooked a couple fish. One a nice bull trout, and the other a pretty sporty steelhead. Couple good runs, not into the backing though, and 5 jumps. And all was going well. As I was leading it toward the rocks and beach, it came free. No slack line, no head shakes, just sometimes they come off the hook. You won't land them all. It's just the way it is.
fishbadger
Smolt
Yeah, that's a big fish. Been a couple years since I caught one with a wrist like that, and I've caught a few.
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fishbadger
Smolt
You have him in the shallows, and the runs are getting less authoritative. Get in calf-deep water and get about a rod's length of line out the tip top, and grab your leader about a foot or two above the fly (somehow without high-sticking and busting your rod). Hold the leader straight above the fish's head with a little tension so that it slightly turns the fish sideways, then grab him by the wrist with your other hand (holding your rod with your third hand, or chuck it on the bank, or whatever). Then you can pop the fly out (or usually a spoon in my case, sorry guys), oogle over him, and let him go. That little tension, holding the fish's head at water surface level, and not allowing him to get vertical, is all you need. He can thrash around all he wants, but will usually stay hooked, and won't bash his head on a rock. If he comes unhooked without a picture, so what. Don't go in less than 12 inches of water and the fish is safe. This works in the boat as well, and you can do it with surprisingly big fish. If you use a reasonable leader, it won't break, because the whole weight of the fish isn't involved, just a little tension. #NoNets. Good luck!
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JACKspASS
Life of the Party
You'll remember that fish forever, the grey ghost of a silhouette before bolting into the history books. I've caught hundreds and even a couple 20+ and the 7lb chromer from the Sky in mid December of '96 when I was 15yrs old still haunts me, one jump clear out of the water with Mt Haystack in the background and a bare hook returned to sender. I would trade 50 steelhead for another go-round in the time machine
Congrats! I echo all the other good words of wisdom and encouragement that the others give. And one you one more that my dad used a lot, but not for fishing "Bet you won't do that again." 
Ok, one more steelhead specific one...you already said it- "He had one more run." They always have one more! You'll get more experienced with that. And even when they don't, just assume they might.
You'll always remember that one. And you'll really appreciate the fact that YOU got yourself onto that fish. That's the ultimate feeling for me. Some of my best trips are when conditions sucked and I somehow got a fish to at least play the game. Well done!
Ok, one more steelhead specific one...you already said it- "He had one more run." They always have one more! You'll get more experienced with that. And even when they don't, just assume they might.
You'll always remember that one. And you'll really appreciate the fact that YOU got yourself onto that fish. That's the ultimate feeling for me. Some of my best trips are when conditions sucked and I somehow got a fish to at least play the game. Well done!
coastalcutty
Steelhead
Well, it happened again! This time with a much larger fish, probably 12 lbs or so I'm guessing.
It was strange, he didn't fight almost at all, I basically reeled it right to me, I had him at a rods length of line and waited for my buddy to come over. It was a somewhat steep bank, I was knee deep but directly in front was 5 or 6 feet, and slick rock, not much space to work. The fish came up, and rolled on his side, then just under the surface, maybe twice. My buddy was just downstream. I swept the fish over so he could tail it. As soon as that fish was touched he took off downstream, all the way to my backing without stopping. I got a couple cranks of the reel, then one huge head shake near the top of the rapid downstream and he was gone.
I knew it had more, it barely fought, like I said. Landing these buggers is a challenge! If we had a net it would have been game over. What a rush! I kept my cool this time (barely).
What do you do if you know they have more juice but they're just sitting there? It was strange
It was strange, he didn't fight almost at all, I basically reeled it right to me, I had him at a rods length of line and waited for my buddy to come over. It was a somewhat steep bank, I was knee deep but directly in front was 5 or 6 feet, and slick rock, not much space to work. The fish came up, and rolled on his side, then just under the surface, maybe twice. My buddy was just downstream. I swept the fish over so he could tail it. As soon as that fish was touched he took off downstream, all the way to my backing without stopping. I got a couple cranks of the reel, then one huge head shake near the top of the rapid downstream and he was gone.
I knew it had more, it barely fought, like I said. Landing these buggers is a challenge! If we had a net it would have been game over. What a rush! I kept my cool this time (barely).
What do you do if you know they have more juice but they're just sitting there? It was strange
That was my Friday encounter, pretty much to a T. They are just annoyed until they realize what's up, then they get pissed. Don't expect them to be done until a good number of minutes have gone by.
My strategy is to make sure I have control of the line, be prepared, expecting them to run. I usually have a net. Rod out at an angle, get the fish above me, drift fish down, scoop from behind and under. If it has more, it either hits the net, or I'm in position for more. Sometimes it just works out for head first.
Sometimes the fish win, actually about half the time this year.
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Coastalcutty,
A rod's length of line is too short, IMO, and good things almost never happen under such circumstances. I think 2 to 3 rod lengths are better for absorbing whatever is gonna' happen when the fish realizes that being hooked up is not a great idea. When I have a fish on a short line, I use something less than the maximum pressure my rod can deliver, and just sort of "nag 'em to death," only not really to death since we're talking CNR fishing here. I've had that work many times. As for taking off to your backing and then a head shake and gone, well, that's completely outa' your control. Have I mentioned that ya' can't land them all?
A rod's length of line is too short, IMO, and good things almost never happen under such circumstances. I think 2 to 3 rod lengths are better for absorbing whatever is gonna' happen when the fish realizes that being hooked up is not a great idea. When I have a fish on a short line, I use something less than the maximum pressure my rod can deliver, and just sort of "nag 'em to death," only not really to death since we're talking CNR fishing here. I've had that work many times. As for taking off to your backing and then a head shake and gone, well, that's completely outa' your control. Have I mentioned that ya' can't land them all?
I'm a head first net man myself. I've had too many launches off the rim of the net to do it from behind. And it's easier when alone.
Having said that...yep, sometimes just have to line it up and go for it when they least suspect it.
As for them dogging it. Some just don't know they're hooked. I've had some luck smacking the end of my rod to send vibrations to piss them off. Or had a buddy wave his arms to spook them. Of course, you never know where they're gonna go. That's why we love em!
Having said that...yep, sometimes just have to line it up and go for it when they least suspect it.
As for them dogging it. Some just don't know they're hooked. I've had some luck smacking the end of my rod to send vibrations to piss them off. Or had a buddy wave his arms to spook them. Of course, you never know where they're gonna go. That's why we love em!
^This^
^This too^. Fish can't swim backwards.
coastalcutty
Steelhead
What do you mean nag them to death?
How do you land them with 20 or 30 feet of line off the reel?
coastalcutty
Steelhead
I think I'll look into a net. Any recommendations?I'm a head first net man myself. I've had too many launches off the rim of the net to do it from behind. And it's easier when alone.
Having said that...yep, sometimes just have to line it up and go for it when they least suspect it.
As for them dogging it. Some just don't know they're hooked. I've had some luck smacking the end of my rod to send vibrations to piss them off. Or had a buddy wave his arms to spook them. Of course, you never know where they're gonna go. That's why we love em!
Man, spooking him when he was right there seems insane, but of course I couldn't tire him if he didn't want to fight.
Keeping a lot of pressure on to slowly tire them out.
You don't land them with that much line out. I meant to play them out and tire them with more line out. That extra line can cushion the shock of sudden moves they make on that short line, reducing the likelihood of throwing the hook. Yeah, at some point you'll have the fish on a short line, but it's best if they're tired out when that happens.