When in Rome...

[fishmonger]

... do as the Romans! I've been chasing winter steelhead on the flyrods, with one 16"er to show for a lot of effort. I work with a guy that is very successful with a spinning rod. So, I got myself a 7' medium action UglyStick, an Okima spinning reel spolled up with 10 lb test, and some 1/8 oz jigs. Yesterday we went to the White Salmon River. It was 11 degrees when I left the house, but water levels are finally down, and the sun was out. I have high hopes...

This is the first run I cast in:
http://www.myfishingpictures.com/img/090404.JPG (http://www.myfishingpictures.com/?p=90404&c=500&z=1)

5 drifts along the far wall, and:
http://www.myfishingpictures.com/img/090403.JPG (http://www.myfishingpictures.com/?p=90403&c=500&z=1)

A nice 11 lb buck steelhead.
http://www.myfishingpictures.com/img/090407.JPG (http://www.myfishingpictures.com/?p=90407&c=500&z=1)

A couple hours later we went downstream to another spot. It is a steep climb down a goat trail into a gorge, but the water looks incredible:
http://www.myfishingpictures.com/img/090557.JPG (http://www.myfishingpictures.com/?p=90557&c=500&z=1)

I spotted a fish holding on the right bank here:
http://www.myfishingpictures.com/img/090405.JPG (http://www.myfishingpictures.com/?p=90405&c=500&z=1)

A quick cast over it's lie, and wham!
http://www.myfishingpictures.com/img/090406.JPG (http://www.myfishingpictures.com/?p=90406&c=500&z=1)

A nice 6 lb hen:
http://www.myfishingpictures.com/img/090408.JPG (http://www.myfishingpictures.com/?p=90408&c=500&z=1)

Cold weather, two mountain goat climbs, and spinning gear = double my number of steelhead caught. I'd rather fish with the long rod, but I do like actually catching something once in a while. My smile should last for quite a while :D

FM

[skibum]

I told you if you fished long enough, while it's cold enough, you'd finally catch one, or two..

Sweet Fish :D

[Loopdawg]

What a beautiful stream. Thanks for showing the pics. I love the color on that first fish.

Congrats!

[chuckwagon]

Nice job Mark!
Awesome scenery to boot.
You know what they say,"You gotta do what you gotta do!"
As long as that rods bent. 7' or 9' foot no matter!

Trey
CW

[S.Trutta]

Sweet fish man, that first buck has some incredible color. Do you guys have a spring run of steelhead there? I heard you mention the winter fish and the summer run but didnt hear you mention the spring. In michigan April-mid may is the best run of steelies and they are in the rivers in full force. I know what you mean about the steelies being tough customers, days on end on the water sometimes without a single hookup. When you do get one though, there is nothing better. Keep up the good work and keep the reports coming!!

Rich

[mattbowers]

Awesome picks, i really enjoyed them....good job.

[fishmonger]

Well, another sucessful day today, this time on the Hood River. I fished all day with my Spey rod, but didn't hook any fish. I met a good guy on the river spin casting plugs, and I switched to the UglyStick late in the afternoon, for a quick walk upstream to finish the day. I started casting a jig and bobber setup, but nothing doing there. It was getting to be pretty late, and just for kicks put on a silver/green Kastmaster. I was casting up against a wall on the far side of the river, letting my lure sink and drift, then reeling very slow. I had seen 3 fish in 2 days in this very deep hole, and I figured there had to be some steelies laying deep in the dark green waters. My new friend Chris was fishing below me near the tailout. I cast at the wall, let it sink, and started my retrieve. This pool has lots of big boils and back-eddy action, so a lot of slack gets picked up in the drift/drop of the lure. I made a few turns of the reel handle, and before I knew it, my line was ripping downstream. Right in front of Chris, the fish made it's first jump, a high, crashing, belly flop of a jump. It proceeded to go totally bonkers, peeling off line at will, cartwheeling here and there, running up to the head of the pool, and back down to the tailout again.

http://www.myfishingpictures.com/img/092313.JPG (http://www.myfishingpictures.com/?p=92313&c=500&z=1)


After about 10 minutes of reel screaming and leaps, interspersed with my hooting, this beautiful hen came to hand. It was, by far, the funnest fish I've caught in many years. It turned out to be a 10 lb wild Steelhead, chrome fresh from the Pacific. Chris snapped a couple of pics, a little back and forth resuscitation in the current, and away it finned into the depths. We both just stood there and laughed for a few minutes, before we were able to think about fishing again.

http://www.myfishingpictures.com/img/092312.JPG (http://www.myfishingpictures.com/?p=92312&c=500&z=1)

Oregon is incredible!

FM

[S.Trutta]

sweet fish....nothing like a fresh chromer!!! Keep the pics coming.....its getting me ready for the spring run in Michigan. I hope I can sneak away for a few days here and make the trip up there.

[skibum]

You dawg ;) Nice!!!! Hey you free for the bbq this weekend, and some fishing???

[Joe Cronley]

Is that some new thing from Orvis? Those guys are all marketing. Good stuff but it's probably just another fly rod fad, like Boron or those reels with the cantilevered seats.

[mediaven]

Great photos and narrative. Keep them coming!

Those of us who are computer-bound appreciate the reporting (and are a little envious!)

The big smile says it all.....