buckhunter14

Thank-you Pygmy.

I talk to several guys on the river and they drive 2-3 hours one way to get to the river and it makes me realize how fortunate I am to live within 30 minutes of two great tribs.

I have never fished for Steel on the fly. I have watched a few guys do it successfully but most of the guys I watch just seem to have troubles and when they do hook-up it is like they are chasing the fish down-river rather than fighting it.

On the other hand, have you ever used a centerpin? I fished with a good friend of mine the other day and it looks very fun (though hard to cast). I am looking into purchasing one, any input on them?

I couldn't imagine 30 hook-ups in a day. Our best day (two guys fishing) was 22 hook-ups. That was in about 6 hours though.

I don't like to keep hens unless I am in need of eggs. Although, every male I catch goes in the smoker. Can't beat it as far as smoked fish goes.

Thanks for the reply!

Pygmy

Yes, I agree that steelhead is el supremo when smoked....

In 1994, I had myprocedure down PAT, with the help of an elderly friend of mine, who made the best smoked fish I have ever had...

Then I burned my house down smoking steelheads..But THAT's another story.......

I haven't had any experience with the centerpin outfits...Just regular spinning and fly gear..They certainly look INTERESTING, tho...

Phil from Maine

I have no idea on what you mean by a centerpin outfit.. Fill me in on this could you?

SRBowman

Awsome fish man!! I actually belive that steelehead are a trout and a close relative of the rainbow. thats what the MN DNR site says anyways, and they actually put them together as a group.

Phil from Maine

I think stealheads and rainbows are in fact the same thing with the exception that more commonly that stealheads normally run to salt water and then back to spawn.. Something like landlock and atlantic salmon, only difference in them is landlock was locked in land for so long that they do not run to saltwater to grow and then come back... That's about the way I see it anyways..

Pygmy

Phil is correct...Technically, steelheads are simply rainbow trout that live and feed in saltwater and return to freshwater rivers to spawn...

West coast steelheads strains have been transplanted into the Great Lakes, and now live in the big lakes and run up the feeder streams as do transplanted pacific salmon....

Regular rainbows do the same thing in many lakes, such as New York's Finger lakes, but they are not considered steelheads, although they may be genetically similar....

buckhunter14

A centerpin is pretty much a "free-spool" fly-rod that uses regular (monofilament) line. It is very great for drift river fishing. You can get exteremly long drifts and handle fish very well. I recently watched a guy hook, fight, and land a fish that took his presentation probably over 60 yards away from him.

Not a great explanation but if you Google it you may get better results