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I had too many break offs on 6x the day before, so I switched to 5x, and caught a 16 inch redside. Then the next morning, same spot, I hooked up this steelhead on a big October caddis nymph.
The fish was pretty calm, like she wasn’t sure she was hooked. She just stayed put on the bottom for a while, then moved slowly upstream. I thought I might have a big sucker. Then she got worried, and ran out and back a few times. Then she went cruising down river. She wasn’t out in the fast water, but I tried to pull her over to shore. I really wanted to see what she was and which nymph was eaten. I watched as the backing went out the rod tip. Then I started working her back upstream as I followed downstream. I was fortunate there was no fast water downstream for her to escape over. No brush to wrap. I got her in close again, saw that she was an unclipped steelhead, and she was on the big caddis pupa. Like a lot of steelhead, she got spooked when her fins touched bottom, and she bolted for deeper water, this time jumping, and rolling at the surface. I just gave her light pressure, and was glad for the 5x and the soft rod. I didn’t want to over play her, but the water has cooled off now and I also didn’t want to leave the fly in her. One more time back to shallow water, another bolt for midstream. Then another time back to shallow water, and I lucked out with a good tail grab. A quick pic and she unhooked nicely.
The fish was pretty calm, like she wasn’t sure she was hooked. She just stayed put on the bottom for a while, then moved slowly upstream. I thought I might have a big sucker. Then she got worried, and ran out and back a few times. Then she went cruising down river. She wasn’t out in the fast water, but I tried to pull her over to shore. I really wanted to see what she was and which nymph was eaten. I watched as the backing went out the rod tip. Then I started working her back upstream as I followed downstream. I was fortunate there was no fast water downstream for her to escape over. No brush to wrap. I got her in close again, saw that she was an unclipped steelhead, and she was on the big caddis pupa. Like a lot of steelhead, she got spooked when her fins touched bottom, and she bolted for deeper water, this time jumping, and rolling at the surface. I just gave her light pressure, and was glad for the 5x and the soft rod. I didn’t want to over play her, but the water has cooled off now and I also didn’t want to leave the fly in her. One more time back to shallow water, another bolt for midstream. Then another time back to shallow water, and I lucked out with a good tail grab. A quick pic and she unhooked nicely.
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