Steelheader69

Actually, the conditions you're talking about happens most of the winter here in the Pacific Northwest of the USA. Alot of stained water. The key is to use a bigger/puffier fly. You don't need BRIGHT, but bigger in profile. For steelhead, we'll use (and don't faint) a size 2/0-4/0 salmon hook wrapped with marabou and other materials. I've had much success hitting some of the back water (slower) and even some heavier water with these bigger flies. Have had days where other anglers have went home and landed some nice Steelhead. I'd give you details on flies, but not sure how my flies would work over there. But I will say that I will also "plunk" eggs/shrimp in high water like this. Plunking is a form of using a heavy weight and letting the bait sit near the bottom until a fish comes along. In high water, the bait won't drift away, and stays in one place. But, since we're talking fly fishing I won't go into detail on techniques. [ 01. July 2003, 09:04 AM: Message edited by: Steelheader69 ]

I'm actually good friends with one of the West Coast US Power Pro reps. So, I get alot of free line (doesn't help you much though lol). But, I will say this much about hook pulls. Alot of times I put a mono shock tippet at end of line. Has helped quite a few loss fish days. Also, if you go straight powerpro to the hook, remember to give a light hookset. Too many people do the standard "Over the shoulder" hooksets with this line. You're in the running off the getgo of straightening that hook if you do that. Have been using it for awhile now. It's my preferred mainline on my rods. I will use a mono leader though (and on my plug rods I always put a 4' mono section to plug knotted in). Helped stop the fish from bending the hook out on me.

I know plenty of links, but have no idea what they have in the UK. I assume most are the simple "pontoon boat" style craft. They are more an oversized kickboat. The one's I run are true whitewater grade catarafts. Have been running them since they first came out on the market for whitewatering (about 5-8 years before they came into fishing). I do know a few owners of these companies. In fact, I may become a rep for one of the better companies. But they manufacturer their boats here in WA. I assume most of the boats you'll find in the UK may be of "US origin", but are more then likely coming out of Korea or China. It all depends on what you want out of this boat. Do you want a replacement over a floattube? Then, you can get by with about any of them. But, if you want basically a little one man boat, then you have to step up to the higher end boats (which is probably cheaper to buy a small boat in the UK because of freight charges to send them to the UK). If you have any questions, let me know. I'm glad to help. [ 20. June 2003, 09:38 PM: Message edited by: Steelheader69 ]

I misread the posts above, luckily I reread and checked the link. Here's where I misread. I thought for a second that you guys meant a steelhead couldn't spawn in a lake of that size. LOL. I was going to say, a steelhead will transpire just about any sized river to spawn, as long as their's enough river for them to make it up (near drought conditions will keep them out). I know there are a couple streams I fish for steelhead that you literally have to creep up, and drop your line straight down so not to spook the steelhead (creek is only maybe 4' wide at widest near mouth). So they can spawn about anywhere. But, then I reread. Noticed that they are pretty much stocked up there. Like has been said above. WAY too small to even be considered a steelhead raising area. Plus, has to spawn into a river trib to get any sort of distinction to be a steelhead. Size isn't the only factor (have caught landlocked rainbows that were in excess of 8#'s in remote lakes). The thing is that you can plant a steelhead strain of fish anywhere. It takes it running to deep water to fatten up a few years and coming back to a river to spawn to make it a steelhead. Lake size has alot to do with it as well. Not many get the size of the Great Lakes. Now, you add a couple thousand of the lake shown, and some depth, then its a maybe. But even the rainbows out of Lake Illiama, which is a good sized lake in Alaska, still only call their river spawning fish "rainbow trout".

Oh, forgot to add about the signature. Yeah, been running them along time. Actually, I've been running them probably longer then about 95% of the fishing community. Mostly because I have been running them since they're experimental days for whitewatering back in the mid 80's. Didn't become fishing boats until very late 80's/early90's. Always have a fondness for them (especially running whitewater). Only way to fish, especially for flyfishing. On gear fishing, sometimes better to run an actual driftboat for running plugs.

I've only fished the GL's a handful of times, and everyone I talked to said they were from Skamania strains, and from what I've heard and read in books here (some books over 50 years old) that Skamania's have been sent that way for years. Maybe they stopped planting them in #'s and went with more a local stock of fish to keep stocks somewhat "Native". It's funny about what a "Steelhead" is. I've always been taught, even in school (since the Steelhead is our state fish) that they are anadromadous fish. Which is a sea run fish. In Alaska, they have both situations (fish that spawn like "Steelhead" in the PNW, and "Steelhead" in the GL's). All the fish that come from the Ocean to spawn in rivers are called Steelhead, and all the fish that come from Lakes to spawn in rivers are called Rainbow Trout. And their "Rainbows" from the lake reach Steelhead size (up and over 20#'s). They even change colors as well. I was curious which Western Biologists called them Steelhead? I know quite a few here, and most distinguish the fish by where their natal waters are they come from. They never commented on the GL fish, but have commented on the Lake Illiama fish which are considered rainbows. Must be the size of the water, Lake Illiama is huge, but nowhere near the size of the GL's.

You guys hit it on the head. I live in Steelhead country. In fact, I live where the Great Lakes got all their original stock (They recieved Skamania stock from Washington state that started their runs). A true Steelhead is simply a searun rainbow trout. And NO, they don't need a lake at all to spawn. In fact, the majority of steelhead spawn in rivers that DON'T feed into lakes. Most spawn in rivers. But some to go into lakes, but rarely. Actually, there has always been a question though. I should dig down and actually do a search. But thought the Great Lakes were freshwater. So technically, they would be large rainbows (though they came from Skamania Steelhead stock). Like Lake Illiama in Alaska, they support HUGE fish, but they are Rainbow trout, since they don't migrate to the sea, they migrate down into the rivers to spawn, then go back into the lake. One of these days I need to check that out. I fished those rivers on the GL, and looks like an ocean to me (the lakes that is). But never asked about water content. Oh well, one of these days. [ 14. June 2003, 08:58 AM: Message edited by: Steelheader69 ]

I guess just a ploy. I'd have to see/catch one to compare though. I know up in Alaska, they have some big lakes that have Rainbows that never go out to salt, and still get in the upper teen, lower 20# range. They fight and look just like a steelhead. But they are natural fish, not genetic altering.

Didn't realize they had a run of Steelhead in the UK. I can see where it's possible (since it's only a sea run rainbow trout) but never heard of it. Are they a native fish, or a planted fish?