What fishy kicks the most ass on a fly? I have no salt experience and assume the winner comes from the sea. In fresh water, steelhead and carpe' are hard to beat, but I've never fished for atlantics or S. American sea run species, yet. Dorado’s sound like they take you for a ride..........??????
Panhandle
i caught a king today that i'd say wins that contest for me. other than that, chums
(for fresh water in this state)
(for fresh water in this state)
I've caught steelhead, kings, silvers and good sized trout. IMO, without any doubt, the most ass kicking fish that I've ever caught on a fly has gotta be buck chums!!
Don
Don
I went chum fishing today and I pretty much got my ass handed to me multiple times. They would run WAY into my backing and make many jumps, I was unable to stop them a few times. By the time I left I had sore arms and a bleeding nuckle (still am a rookie at fighting big fish on fly rods) but it made for a super fun time.
Jake
Jake
steelies. i cant even count the number of metalheads that have had me stumbling over myself chasing them down the bank to try to gain line on them. second to steelies, chums. not huge runners, but theyl hold their ground and fight the whole damn time. maybe its the anticipation factor before hooking into a 10+lb mass of hot chrome and the fight that insues thereafter that make the fight so killer, but i kno for sure that the few fish that have left my hands shaking and adrenaline pumping for hours after the fight have all been steelhead. my hats off to them.
waterside,
the trout bum
waterside,
the trout bum
Kings are brutal at the onset, but if you can handle the first run or two they are dead weight. Coho are the most acrobatic that I've had on. Chum are just tough bastards and I love to fish for them. I think that sometimes you are dragging them in before they realize they are hooked, but once they know they are not moving under their own power they will bolt, bury, shake. I think that the fight in a similar size between the three the chum fights more consistently and for a longer time.
Broad sided pompano are pretty burlie too, caught a few of them and others while in Pensacola. There are others from the gulf coast, but for salmon, I like them all but chum are just plain tough.
Broad sided pompano are pretty burlie too, caught a few of them and others while in Pensacola. There are others from the gulf coast, but for salmon, I like them all but chum are just plain tough.
Silvers in the salt are silver bullets and Buck Salty Chums are STRONG FAST FISH, like he said, knuckle busters and real-reel and rod testers!
But over all, Steelhead are my favorite fish to fight, more exciting and unpredictable.
This chummy tore me a new one last year on a 6wt :
But over all, Steelhead are my favorite fish to fight, more exciting and unpredictable.
This chummy tore me a new one last year on a 6wt :
Attachments
Warm salt water fish are the strongest in my experience. I've spent some time in Mexico and was completely blown away by the strength of the fish. Pound for pound I don't think there is any comparison in cold water, salt or fresh. I haven't fought that many steelhead, maybe 50 or so, and all but a handful were 12lbs or under, but I think some of the warm salt species could tow around 1.5-2x their weight in steelhead. Bonito and yellowtail were very strong for their size. I got my ass handed to me by 2 yellowtail. They were like hooking a car that was driving by.
I only fish big fish. And boy I tell you, fresh chrome bright chum fight like pissed off steelie's. I got into a pool last year that was one of my best days on the water since I started fly fishing. It was bad ass. Im going to that hole tomorrow and see if there in. I freaking cant wait.
Trevally-- 5lb fish overpowers an 8wt. Heck, a 2lb fish is a handful an 8wt. That 40lb+ fish that swam by within a rod's length last time I was home? Fuggedaboutit... Fun stuff :thumb:
Fun:
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Trouble:
![Image]()
Holy shizzle:
![Image]()
Almost as big as they get (sorry for the dead fish shot):
![Image]()
Unfortunately, none of the above is me. :beathead:
**edit: also include any tuna species. 5lb fish = 10wt
Fun:
Trouble:
Holy shizzle:
Almost as big as they get (sorry for the dead fish shot):
Unfortunately, none of the above is me. :beathead:
**edit: also include any tuna species. 5lb fish = 10wt
best fighting fish that I've caught has been a rainbow trout, easily... Followed by salty pinks... SOckeye fight pretty good too but rainbows still fight the best hands down.
personal criteria here are smokin runs into the backing with quality cork drag saltwater reels and rods of sufficient size to match the game fish as they are all going to be released.
small fish, 2-15#s, bones on a flat
medium fish, 20-30#s, travelly, dorado, tuna
large fish, 50#>, tarpon on the clear water flats
BIG fish, 100#>, tarpon again, yellow fin tuna and finally bill fish in all their flavors
fresh water fish seem great until you get the saltwater habit, after that your entire mindset shifts gears.
small fish, 2-15#s, bones on a flat
medium fish, 20-30#s, travelly, dorado, tuna
large fish, 50#>, tarpon on the clear water flats
BIG fish, 100#>, tarpon again, yellow fin tuna and finally bill fish in all their flavors
fresh water fish seem great until you get the saltwater habit, after that your entire mindset shifts gears.
I would agree that warm saltwater fish far outfight any freshwater fish, pound for pound (or perhaps even pound for two or three pounds).
For any of us, we can only comment on the best fighting fish we have fought, and have no way to accurately comment on fish we have not fought ... which makes this kind of debate fun ...
For any of us, we can only comment on the best fighting fish we have fought, and have no way to accurately comment on fish we have not fought ... which makes this kind of debate fun ...
Sticking to my experience in Washington (2003-2008) for my answers:
1) Massive wild Sauk River Steelhead buck in March 2006. Wild runs way upstream followed by lightening fast runs downstream into the next pool. I was praying just to get my fly line back onto the reel. I almost had a heart attack when I landed him and saw the double stripe on his thick flank.
2) Thirteen pound wild chinook caught from the beach on my 6wt on a stormy morning. By far the largest salmon I've ever landed in the saltwater on the fly. It pounded the fly and tore into my backing multiple times, all I could do was hold on until it started to tire out. No leaping, but the power and stamina of the fish was amazing. Blackmouth can be tossed in here too (3 pounds or bigger).
3) Any of the dozens of silvers larger than 5 pounds I've caught from the beach in the saltwater. This fishery is now my favorite locally. Feeding silvers pound your fly, freak out on the hook-up, jump up to 6-7 times before you can control them, and have an unpredictability that always keeps you guessing and your heart pounding. Large silvers in the lower rivers are great too when they are on the bite.
4) The few 20 inch coastal cutthroat I have landed in the saltwater. Not the largest fish, but they have amazing power and are so stubborn. The bigger cutthroat don't jump as much as the smaller ones, but they fight you from the bottom and can be really tough to bring in. Seeing one of these in prime colors is like opening a treasure chest and gazing on the gold coins and jewels.
5) The newly arrived chum salmon, fresh and ready to fight (forever). My best experience was in late October 2006 on the Sky, when the river was dropping and I found a pod of exceptionally bright aggressive chum. They were taking on the swing, and every time I set the hook they would go airborne 2-4 feet up (hooked in the mouth mind you) on a series of jumps (one jumped 4 times in a row). I really wish I could have filmed those fish it was so chaotic (20 pounds of flying chum doing bellyflops).
6) Rainbow trout from the SF Skykomish or Elwha (a tie). These wild rainbows should be used for all hatchery steelhead stocks. They are miniature steelhead and fight with such passion it is amazing. During a fight they spend half the time in leaping in the air and the rest pulling out line. Tear down the Elwha dams so some will become steelhead!
Sadly there is little opportunity in Washington for chinook in the rivers, and wild steelhead and even native silvers are fading into memory on this side of the Sound. I hope we will still be able to fish for these 20 years from now.
1) Massive wild Sauk River Steelhead buck in March 2006. Wild runs way upstream followed by lightening fast runs downstream into the next pool. I was praying just to get my fly line back onto the reel. I almost had a heart attack when I landed him and saw the double stripe on his thick flank.
2) Thirteen pound wild chinook caught from the beach on my 6wt on a stormy morning. By far the largest salmon I've ever landed in the saltwater on the fly. It pounded the fly and tore into my backing multiple times, all I could do was hold on until it started to tire out. No leaping, but the power and stamina of the fish was amazing. Blackmouth can be tossed in here too (3 pounds or bigger).
3) Any of the dozens of silvers larger than 5 pounds I've caught from the beach in the saltwater. This fishery is now my favorite locally. Feeding silvers pound your fly, freak out on the hook-up, jump up to 6-7 times before you can control them, and have an unpredictability that always keeps you guessing and your heart pounding. Large silvers in the lower rivers are great too when they are on the bite.
4) The few 20 inch coastal cutthroat I have landed in the saltwater. Not the largest fish, but they have amazing power and are so stubborn. The bigger cutthroat don't jump as much as the smaller ones, but they fight you from the bottom and can be really tough to bring in. Seeing one of these in prime colors is like opening a treasure chest and gazing on the gold coins and jewels.
5) The newly arrived chum salmon, fresh and ready to fight (forever). My best experience was in late October 2006 on the Sky, when the river was dropping and I found a pod of exceptionally bright aggressive chum. They were taking on the swing, and every time I set the hook they would go airborne 2-4 feet up (hooked in the mouth mind you) on a series of jumps (one jumped 4 times in a row). I really wish I could have filmed those fish it was so chaotic (20 pounds of flying chum doing bellyflops).
6) Rainbow trout from the SF Skykomish or Elwha (a tie). These wild rainbows should be used for all hatchery steelhead stocks. They are miniature steelhead and fight with such passion it is amazing. During a fight they spend half the time in leaping in the air and the rest pulling out line. Tear down the Elwha dams so some will become steelhead!
Sadly there is little opportunity in Washington for chinook in the rivers, and wild steelhead and even native silvers are fading into memory on this side of the Sound. I hope we will still be able to fish for these 20 years from now.
One of the hardest fighting fish I've ever caught are fresh searun arctic char. You hit one around 5lbs and it will smoke you. I think chums pull hard but I usually use 30lb maxima and a 8 or 9wt for them. I really have not been that impressed with their fight, even dime fish from tidewater. When Chums darken up they fight long but not as crazy IMO.
I think steelhead are not the hardest fighting fish out there but probably are more fun to fight than most other fish.
I think steelhead are not the hardest fighting fish out there but probably are more fun to fight than most other fish.
20 inch rainbows on the bow river downstream of calgary AB. I have caught 80lb tarpon and big yellowfin tuna which fight like crazy....but, you know it so you are prepared for it. But a simple 20 inch rainbow on a big fast moving western river on a simple 5wt medium action rod.....its always a mind blower as you run up and down the river trying not to have that "monster" break off.
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