23 replies to this topic

[easternshores]

So... I've been fly fishing a single tributary quite a bit lately in hopes of catching a steelhead. Still counting my casts one at a time. I haven't reached a thousand casts yet. Also grieving about all the flies I've lost thus far. But I think it's worth it because I did hook up on two VERY large steelhead that shot a blinding beam of chrome before getting unhooked. I say VERY large because I couldn't even move the fish away from a log jam with my rod without worrying about my rod breaking or tippet snapping. The steelies were cunning. After a few minutes of fighting they immediately jetted into the log jam and I lost both fish in the same pile of wood.

So much for worrying about my tippet snapping, the log jams shredded right through my 6lb fluoro. Do any of you guys have issues using heavier fluoro with larger diameters, without spooking the fish? I'm thinking of going up to 8 or 10lb fluoro.

Meanwhile, this little beauty came out to play:

http://i1275.photobu...rout/Brown2.jpg
http://i1275.photobu...rout/Brown3.jpg

Released wet and unharmed to spawn another day.

Enjoy!

[dsukh]

Great catch! Beautiful fish

[GoWithTheFloat]

Beauty brown . Way to keep at it. Hope I manage to get my first this season as well.
Is that a bead or egg fly pattern?

[FISHCHRIS]

oh nice brown , sounds like the steel are giving you some trouble but you will put it all together soon enough, sounds like you have been putting in a lot of effort just keep at it and it will pay off

[FishingNoob]

Very well done! I don't quite understand why everyone loves steel. They big ones don't look that nice imho. I'd take a brown over a steelhead any day. Then again, I shouldn't be picky...

[Sebastian]

Great looking fish! Congrats!

[easternshores]

Fishingnoob,

Part of me wants to catch a steelhead just to add to the list of species I have caught. Also, from the single brown I caught this fall and the two steelies I've managed to hook, I have to say that the steelhead have MUCH more fight in them.

Having said all this, I do agree with you that brown trout look fantastic. I am much more mesmerized by the red and brown spots of a brown trout (as I am of brookies and their blue and rod spots) than a clean slab of chrome.

[ChaseChrome]

Nice fish...nicely handled too...KUDOS...Great to see someone who knows how to treat our dwindling resources...

cc

[CJR]

Nice fish...nicely handled too...KUDOS...Great to see someone who knows how to treat our dwindling resources...

cc

X2.

Also congrats, great fish!

[FishingNoob]

Fishingnoob,

Part of me wants to catch a steelhead just to add to the list of species I have caught. Also, from the single brown I caught this fall and the two steelies I've managed to hook, I have to say that the steelhead have MUCH more fight in them.

Having said all this, I do agree with you that brown trout look fantastic. I am much more mesmerized by the red and brown spots of a brown trout (as I am of brookies and their blue and rod spots) than a clean slab of chrome.

I've never caught either fish so I can't talk about the fight personally... Who knows what the future holds for us chrome virgins...

[Brian]

Beauty Brown...nice catch

[LogJam]

So... I've been fly fishing a single tributary quite a bit lately in hopes of catching a steelhead. Still counting my casts one at a time. I haven't reached a thousand casts yet. Also grieving about all the flies I've lost thus far. But I think it's worth it because I did hook up on two VERY large steelhead that shot a blinding beam of chrome before getting unhooked. I say VERY large because I couldn't even move the fish away from a log jam with my rod without worrying about my rod breaking or tippet snapping. The steelies were cunning. After a few minutes of fighting they immediately jetted into the log jam and I lost both fish in the same pile of wood.

So much for worrying about my tippet snapping, the log jams shredded right through my 6lb fluoro. Do any of you guys have issues using heavier fluoro with larger diameters, without spooking the fish? I'm thinking of going up to 8 or 10lb fluoro.

Meanwhile, this little beauty came out to play:

http://i1275.photobu...rout/Brown2.jpg
http://i1275.photobu...rout/Brown3.jpg

Released wet and unharmed to spawn another day.

Enjoy!

when it comes to line, i always go big.... lol. i run a 15lbs tough game as main, and use a 12 lbs suffex floro leader! it has worked wonders for me, i landed alot of fish up north with it, huge carp in the summer, and lots of "boots" from the lake O tribs. i find it works well for me. some may say that its a bit to much, but i dont mind, i land fish with it, and i also can pull them around when they think they can run. only thing i have broken off on was a huge salmon, only the 12lbs broke tho. never my main line. i dont feel safe using 8-10 lbs leaders. lol

[NADO]

Beauty Brown! Browns are great for the photo shoot, but when it comes to high flying steel, nothing can beat the fight!

As for the leader dilemma there are a few variables involved. #1 how long is your rod and #2 is the water stained. If the water is stained I will often go to 8lb fluro, ive never went to 10 as thats pretty thick and rigid but if the water is stained enough you can go a bit higher in your leader strength. The other thing about the leaders is the tougher the leader the more the fish will be able to feel the leader. With that said if you have a nice long rod you should be able to put the breaks on a steelhead with 6 or 8lb leader with little problems. Sure there are some steel that are hell bent on going into that log jam and there is nothing you can do to stop them but alot of the time if you just clamp right down on your reel and angle your rod the right way you should be able to turn them.

Hope that helps, some of the fly guys should be able to give better advice as im sure it is a bit different with fly fishing than float fishing.

[salmotrutta]

Oooh nice brownie!

[salmotrutta]

Very well done! I don't quite understand why everyone loves steel. They big ones don't look that nice imho. I'd take a brown over a steelhead any day. Then again, I shouldn't be picky...

Some lake run browns are very ugly, they can get very dark in parts, have mold all over them, short caudal peduncles and bulbous heads, they can be quite disproportionate.

Chrome are loved for many reasons including their look, fighting capacity, aggressiveness, majestic aerials, and the fact that you can target them almost year round.

When it comes to resident fish on the other hand, I've always thought resident browns looked spectacular and fought harder than resident bows, I never really target resident bows. Resident browns seem apt to take flight the moment you set that hook, whereas lake run browns are known for pig-dogging like lakers.

[GoodenTight]

LB test is completely relative to quality of line.

Example.

my 6lb maxima flurocarbon leaders snap 10x to 1 of my 5lb drennan flurocarbon ones. Explain that? The drennan spool was about 3x the price.

quality trumps all.

[NiagaraSteel]

Beauty brown. When i first started fly fishing my biggest challenge was tying a clinch knot in microscopic tippet... Lost lots of flys that way.

[troutddicted]

Great fish, quite the football.

[AnglerAnonymous]

Beautiful fish, Were you using a strike indicator and shot on your line with the roe pattern?

[easternshores]

No strike indicator, I had two split shots on the leader to get the egg pattern down.