Dear Torrey - Questions and Answers?
Dear Torrey-
I do a lot of steelhead fishing on the Salmon River in
Dave
Dave-
Don’t feel bad about your landing ratio, even the best steelheaders lose plenty. I’d say 30% is respectable, and if you hit the 50% mark you are doing an awesome job landing them. It also depends on the type of water you are fishing- your landing success will be better in pools and worse in fast runs & pocket water. Playing steelhead is a very interactive task requiring constant adjustment in rod angle, position & pressure.
Here are what I consider the basics of playing large fish on relatively light tackle:
-Try to remember to set the hook as soon as you know or think a fish is on your line, people often seem to forget to do this. Everything happens so fast with steelhead, they are often off & running at the same moment you realize you have one. In that case, all you can do is palm the reel a little to increase the pressure to drive the hook all the way in,and then back off and let them run & do their thing.
-Try not to give any slack line- if they run at you faster than you can retrieve the line, drop your rod tip to the water, the current will pull the slack out and keep light pressure on the fish until you get your line back on the reel.
-One of the real keys is knowing when to apply maximum pressure & when not to- let the fish run when it wants to go or pulls hard, but when it stops put some real pressure on it. Back off on the pressure also when they are doing violent head shakes or you are liable to pop the hook out or even break them off. Keep the fish moving, you should either be gaining or losing line. As long as you stay connected and keep them swimming around, they will tire themselves out.
-If the fish is relatively close, say 30 feet or so, use side pressure with the rod tip just above the water- it will give you the ability to move big fish even with a light rod. Because fish swim with a side to side motion, pressuring them at this low angle tires them faster & makes it harder for them to resist your pull.
-When the steelhead are farther away and you are unsure of where potential bottom snags are, keep your rod tip up, it helps keep the line off the snags. Go back to side pressure when they are once again in close & clear of snags.
-Fish can only swim in whatever direction their head is pointing, so if you can control their head, you can control where they go. Use pressure from either the left or right side, depending upon where you want them to run. If they go left, use pressure from the right. If they go right, use pressure from the left. Make them work for every inch of line they take.
-Stay as close to the fish as possible, preferably across stream or even slightly below. When they get downstream from you at more than a 45 degree angle, you are at a real disadvantage. When you are across from them or below them, they have to fight you AND the current.
-It helps to have a nice big, long handled landing net- if not just beach them. With proper side pressure, once they are somewhat tired you can often make them swim right up onto the shoreline. If using the net, once the fish is over the net, drop your rod tip to allow them to go into it- I’ve seen steelhead use the pressure on them to catapult out of the net. The best is to try to lead them head first into the net.
-Use high quality hooks- my landing ratio skyrocketed when Tiemco hooks first became available & I switched to them. The old style hooks had long, dull points & overly large barbs that made it hard to sink the hook in to the bend. Tiemco, Daiichi, Mustad Signature Series and other modern high-carbon hooks are superior products with very sharp points, small barbs & strong wire.
-Longer rods are better shock absorbers as well as superior for line control when fishing, whether dead-drifting or swinging. This will help both to keep the hook in their mouth, as well as to prevent break-offs Use at least a 10 foot rod for steelhead, in fact I’m currently using a Hardy Demon 11’ #7 and find it excellent for playing them.
Hope this helps,
Torrey
Dear Torrey-
If you were going to go streamer fishing where the water flows are high and a little off color and you know the fish are close to the banks. What would be your approach to catching them? this is assuming that you are a wade fisherman and cant get out far enough to cast towards the bank. Say you had to stand on the bank or just in front of it.
Dave
Dave-
This is a common situation after a rain, especially on the Housy. As you mentioned, the fish are near the banks- at least that is where the catchable ones are in that situation. The slower current near the bank makes a comfortable spot for them to hold, and the reduced water clarity makes them feel safe from predators.
The classic mistake I see many anglers make is immediately wading out up to at least their knees, then throwing out into the faster water. At this point, most of the trout they had a shot at catching are now spooked won’t bite for a while, and they are now fishing in low percentage water (too fast).
The correct approach is to stay on the bank if possible, or go ankle deep if necessary, and then roll cast your streamer across or down & across. I have caught many large trout in inches of water near the bank under these conditions. Ironically, I often use less weight to get down in high water, because I’m typically targeting the slower, shallower water near the bank. Often just a weighted streamer is enough, or maybe one modest sized split shot a little above it.
Focus on the current seams between slow & fast water, as trout are masters at using the current to conserve energy & bring them food. They prefer to lie in a slower current and use the nearby faster current to deliver the food to them.
I will also often go bigger & gaudier, especially if the water is murky- it helps them find the fly. No need to go light on your tippet, I usually put on the heaviest I have with me, somewhere in the 0x-2x range.
Torrey