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If it was always easy, it wouldn't be rewarding. If anyone could do it, it wouldn't be special.
June 22nd- 5:10 AM- 1:30PM
Upon catching my first steelhead just a couple day ago, I find myself packed up and heading back to promising water on the Skykomish river. I was greeted by an abundance of wildlife- several deer and an elk crossed the shallow portions of the river intermittently throughout the day. It was a pleasant reminder that I was nowhere near a bustling metropolis or the demands of such a place. Freedom is in the air when I'm out on the water.
The kings were rolling in the deep water again, I brought no such gear to target pools such as the one they were holding in. C&R of course for kings, unfortunately- but the tug is the drug. If I only cared about eating fish, I would buy it at the store and not spend a small fortune and countless hours on gear and knowledge. I managed to catch 5 or so small cutts and bows on a size 3 vibrax. Some unfortunately were hooked in the gills or eyes; a large siwash isn't meant for 5 inch trout. Its a shame those little guys hit such large spinners.
Steelhead fishing can be very trivial on the brain. Seeing all sorts of water that held no (aggressive) fish towards the hardware I hurled, I had no choice but to cover water. By cover water, I mean over a mile of riverbank- I scaled it up on maps later! Doing so took over eight hours, with no fish to show for it.
The next portion is all 100% truth, no fabrication of details here. The coincidences are quite strange concerning the final set of events.
I began working a logjam along the far side of the river, paralleled by a stretch of quick moving, relatively deep water creating a seam. It looked very fishy, and I said to myself, "theres gotta be a fish in there. If I hook one though, it's gonna take me right into the logs and break me off. Oh well, gotta try."
So I did, I fished it for 20 minutes or so, working almost the entire log pile. I then said to myself, "man, I've fished for eight hours in promising water, I think there would have been one aggressive fish that would've hit my gear...."
I was cut off by a heavy thump on my line. "...... like that one!" It was the most ridiculously perfect timing I've ever seen. Hookset in, and heavy head shakes followed. She was not happy, and immediately showed my drag what an angry female steelhead was capable of.
The drag screamed harder than I've ever experienced before. I lost sight of the fish, unknowing where it had gone. It exploded on the surface 20 yards away, leaping high into the air. It then took off downstream where it came from, and did what any smart steelhead would've done against an improperly set drag. I had no control over this heavy fish, and it took me into the logs before jumping once more and snapping the line against an abrasive limb.
It felt like a championship defeat. 8 hours of effort, and a failure in the end. The day ended, and I packed it up.
There's a drive experienced when steelhead fishing unparalleled by any other sport fish. I've caught the bug and there is no medication to treat it, thankfully. May your lines run chrome and your heart be captured by the fish of a thousand casts.
Tight lines!
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