Went out to the Methow yesterday with my Dad. We fished the lower river in a hole I'd rather not mention. It contained mostly pocket water with a deep run at the downstream end. I was using a Tandem nymph setup with a Brown #6 Kaufmans stone with a mostly white glo-bug behind it on a 9 pound leader. All of this was being casted on my 6 weight with floating line. I hooked one steelhead (the 2nd Steelhead of the year for me) about midway through the pocket water on the stonefly nymph. It surfaced, where I saw it's thick shoulders and brilliant red stripe. This was a big fish. It then preceeded to sprint downstream and I followed, stumbling the whole way. I had control over the fish most of the way, as it darted behind rocks and into the shallows on the opposite bank. I looked downstream and I saw the rolling, rock filled riffle downstream, that the Steelhead was heading for. This was not good. I continued to run after it until the fish stopped behind a rock. This was a bad situation for me, and just as I started to attempt to turn the fish from behind the rock and force it downstream into the calm run below, my line broke with a snap, all that remained was my indicator, now in the tree behind me. I beileve I yelled more profanity yesterday then I have used in the last 6 months, seeing as how I haven't managed to land a Steelhead in 3 years of fishing for them.....

The Quadfather

3/7/2010 8:00:00 PM

Ouch!

fear_no_fish

3/7/2010 9:01:00 PM

haha way to spice it up, your dad told me about this today(its derus btw)
Sooner or later your catch one (i think) but on the bright side at least it wasnt your faulty hook sets

MotoBoat

3/8/2010 11:25:00 AM

As crushing a blow as is the ending of your report, it paints a vivid picture of the challenge and excitement you were dealing with. I have fly fished for steelhead and never hooked one. Comparing your story to mine, I would take yours over and over again. One day you will land one, and I will hook one!!

chinookslammer

3/8/2010 12:37:00 PM

Great story! I too share your pain in steelhead experiences. Just wondering what the water flow and clarity was like. Thanks for any info.

SAPIplate

3/8/2010 3:28:00 PM

Lol. Thanks. I hope I land one evetually (and I hope you hook one Moto). I've only ever brought two steelhead to hand in my entire fishing career.

Chinook, the water was crystal clear with complete visability and it was running somewhere in the neighborhood of 450 cfs that day.

derus, there wasn't any faulty hookset this time. When I saw my indicator go under and it's broad tail break the surface, I set the hook like the fist of an angry god.

fear_no_fish

3/8/2010 6:37:00 PM

Haha well maybe you finally learned how to set the hook
i guess we will find out this chum season

gregsalmon123

2/21/2012 8:20:00 PM

Bobber fishing

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