Had a great day!!

Paul Downes

Member
Messages
959
Location
Westphalia, Michigan
I got in the habit years ago of going steelhead fishing on my b'day. I flailed the water with a spinner for a few min. and had one follow. Switched to a fly and hooked up on the first cast! Lost that one when he took me into a log jam. Hooked and landed another a few min. later 27" Moved to another spot and whacked one with a spinner. On the way out spotted a pod of males tending a female and dropped a fly in front of them. First cast again!! fought that one for 10 min. and had to give chase down stream. Finally lost him when the hook pulled out just as I went to net him. Beautiful sunny afternoon and had the whole stream to myself. Going back soon and going to fire up the smoker.:thumb::thumb:
 
Larry, I was 15 miles down the road from my house on Prarie creek. I'm about 5 miles from the Grand river which is chock full of steelhead but the water was a might high. To think I used to drive all the way up North.:D
 
Larry, all the fish I saw or caught were winter-over fish. I heard that some nice silvers were being caught on the Grand near my house. Of course when I went out yesterday we got skunked. It seems the cold front that came through put them down. I haven't seen much in the way of beds yet.

Ray, steelhead are lake or ocean run rainbow trout. They are born in the streams and then migrate out into big water for several years and return to the stream to spawn. Unlike salmon, they do not die after spawning, but will return to the lake for another go around. There are specific strains of this fish that have been planted in the great lakes. I like to catch them because you get one heck of a fight out of some of them. (must be the Irish in me) I've had some fish peel off 100 yards of line several times before bringing them to net. Sometimes you have to chase them down stream.
 
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