42" Wild Steelhead

Wow, ridiculous fish. Just a dream buck. Fish is dripping water and in prime fighting shape. I'm sure it dislocated his shoulder kicking off into the depths.

Way more valuable than gold!

If you like this fish help protect that watershed.

http://alerts.nativefishsociety.org...he-exceptional-waters-of-the-north-fork-smith

Never thought I'd desire to go fish steelhead in California, but I could change my mind!

Klickrolf said:

Never thought I'd desire to go fish steelhead in California, but I could change my mind!

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Yeah, there are no steelhead here, stay away

Robert Engleheart said:

Yeah, there are no steelhead here, stay away

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how's the weather?

Klickrolf said:

how's the weather?

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Gradually warming up, 68 right now, 35 last night. Just drove home from MIL's funeral in North Bend last Friday and that was cold! All rivers blown, lower Sac about 4' below flood and chocolate, with all the snowpack future prospects are bleak. Dams are releasing maximum flows in anticipation of melting snow, so even the tailwaters are blown.
Hoping to hit Oregon after next weeks forecast rain, if a window ever shows. According to Dreamflows the upper Rogue, North U and Sandy are all just getting into shape and now rain forecast for at least a week beginning the 4th.

All rivers blown yeah right, that's what I'd say too but it doesn't mean I believe you.

Magnificent fish! Smith River Steelhead and Salmon fishery is famous-the place gets crowded I hear.

Smith is the first in of all the north coast rivers

Nice, Robert,, nice!

Man that thing would have died for sure if it was a Washington steelhead.

What a brute! I have never seen a sea run steelhead that shape. Must have had a lot of food and not a lot of range to get that chubby.

typhoon said:

What a brute! I have never seen a sea run steelhead that shape. Must have had a lot of food and not a lot of range to get that chubby.

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Impressive steelhead to be sure. Makes one wonder how many of this size simply slip on by each season. Maybe I missed it in the link, but did the lady catch it?

freestoneangler said:

Impressive steelhead to be sure. Makes one wonder how many of this size simply slip on by each season. Maybe I missed it in the link, but did the lady catch it?

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Yes she did; on gear.
http://www.kiene.com/forums/showthread.php?39077-42-inch-wild-Smith-River-Steelhead

Jonathan Tachell said:

Man that thing would have died for sure if it was a Washington steelhead.

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Word! The picture would have been of this fish on someone's BBQ.

Jonathan Tachell said:

Man that thing would have died for sure if it was a Washington steelhead.

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Why do you say that? There's no more retention of wild steelhead allowed in the state.

Cruik said:

Why do you say that? There's no more retention of wild steelhead allowed in the state.

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I said that because the subject picture is a California wild steelhead being held out of the water for a picture. Washington state is one of very few and possibly the only state where it is illegal to remove a wild steelhead from the water. It was a joke because the WDFW and some think if a fish is lifted out of the water for 10 seconds that fish is destined to perish.