That was a great report but am I the only one that's
wonders how you caught a steelhead above the falls. I thought sure
someone would ask this question or maybe I just missed something. You were
fishing on the South Fork of the Snoqualmie, right?
Chuck
>From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Reply-To:
[EMAIL PROTECTED] >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>Subject: Re: Main Snoqualmie Report >Date: Mon, 27 Sep 2004 06:47:10
-0700 > >Outstanding report Mark! > >K > > >On Sep 26,
2004, at 9:46 PM, Mark Steudel wrote: > >>After a late breakfast I
threw all my fishing gear and and decided >>on a game >>plan. If
the main snoq was too high, I'd head up and hit the south >>fork. If
>>fishing was slow on the S. Fork, I'd head to rattlesnake and dredge
>>up some >>fish with wooly buggers. >> >>I started out
with two nymph rig. Large size 12 bh pheasant tail, >>and a size
>>16 bh gold ribbed hares ear. About 15 minutes in, I picked up a
>>small white >>fish. I moved farther up the river and picked up
another white >>fish. After >>about an hour I decided that I would
hike up to a favorite spot >>abo! ut 15 >>minutes up stream from
where I was. >> >>I found a small channel in between an island and
the main land, >>that was >>about 14 feet wide, nice and deep. On
my second cast in I picked up >>a 13 - >>14" sea run, lots and
lots of power, I brought it in and released >>it back >>into the
river. I picked up a few more white fish, some 4 inches >>long, some
>>12 inches long. >> >>Still using a two nymph rig, I decided
to add a little split shot >>to get it >>down fast. My first cast in
I saw the strike indicator go under, >>not the >>small taps of
white fish but like it caught something big ... like >>a big
>>rock. I lifted up gingerly so as not to embed it very deeply into
>>whatever >>rock or branch I had caught. All of a sudden the
bottom took off >>to the >>other side of the channel. My reel
screamed and as soon as the >>fish pa! used, >>I tighted up the
drag. I tried to pull it's head into the main >>current to >>get it
to my side of the channel. It slowly gave way. It suddenly >>decided
>>that it liked where it was and charged off to the other side of the
>>river. >>POP! my 5x tippet broke and the remaining fly line and
rubber >>banded into my >>face. Standing there with fly line
wrapped around my head, I just >>looked at >>where I lost that
fish. >> >>I untangled myself from the fly line. Looked into my fly
box and >>found a >>size 16 bh soft hackle gold ribbed nymph,
attached it with some 5x >>as a >>dropper again. I picked up some
small native cutthroats and some >>more white >>fish. Looking into
the water I could see small whitefish feeding >>off the >>bottom.
Casting again to the far side of the channel, I watched the >>orange
>>strike indicator drift by. Wa! tching it bob under a few times I set
>>the hook. >>Ooof! Feels like I got the bottom. Then I start to
feel the head >>shakes ... >>whoa another big one. This time I
start praying that I at least get >>to see >>it before it snaps off
my fly. The fish charges into the center of >>the >>channel and
hunkers down on the bottom. I slowly apply pressure >>trying to
>>maneuver it into the slower water. As soon as it gets close to me
>>it >>splashes and dives again to the center of the channel. I try
again >>to wade >>down stream, trying to get a better angle on its
head. This goes on >>for >>about 15 minutes. I pull it close to me,
it decides it doesn't like >>the slow >>water and dives back to the
main channel. Finally it seemed tired. >>I knelt >>down in the
water and pulled it in close. Oh man! A gorgeous 27" >>steelhead!
>>My first steelhead ever! ! I reach inside its toothy mouth and pull
>>out the >>small nymph, marveling that I was able to keep this
large fish >>attached to >>my line with this tiny fly. I held the
fish in the current until it >>regained >>its strength. >>
>>Wow what a day. I think I ended up with 7 white fish, 2 native
>>cutthroat, 1 >>Sea run cutthroat, and my first steelhead. If you
want to see a >>picture of >>it: http://www.steudel.org The top one
is the steelhead the bottom >>is the >>src. >> >>Mark
>> >>PS The steelhead was a hatchery fish. >> >> >
