Steelhead, Rainbow, brown trout, centrepins, in USA and UK

[ANDREW PAUL]

Four or five years ago I was introduced to float fishing with a centrepin for steelhead by a guide I hired for a day drift boat trip. Being the skeptical snooty fly fisherman I used to be, I cringed at the thought of using a bobber (float) and egg sacks fishing for Trout/Steelhead. With being intrigued with this fly looking reel that spun on bearings with no drag I shut my mouth, swallowed my ‘fly pride’ and learn this most productive way to catch Steelhead with great success. I’ve been discussing float making with Budgie and we thought it would good to post this thread to compare ideas and methods that may differ or have in common with float fishing techniques.

[ANDREW PAUL]

My equipment: For Steelhead

Rods: 13’ Damon Cat Creek Lt. Centrepin rods line rating 2-10lbs

Centrepin reels: Young’s Heritage, Leeds Magnum Blue, Adcock Stanton’s (1silver, 1 black)

Line: 30lb backing Cortland, 8lb mainline Ande’s

Leader: 2lb-6lb Drennon

Floats: Balsa made by me, 2inch – 4 inch bodies (in length)

Round shot: BB1, BB2, BB3, and BB4

Hooks: size 10 or 12 Blackbird

[Leon Roskilly]

Andrew,

 

Have a look at: http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/authors/leon08.htm

 

Tight Lines - leon

[Dick Dastardly]

Nice link Leon that was just the sort of thing that I hoped people would post for Andrew.It suprised me how similar his aproach for Steel head was to our traditional trotting.He sent me some pictures of the floats he uses and the fish he catchs.I will post them for you all to see.

[Dick Dastardly]

Here is a couple of Andys pictures,great looking fish and great looking water.

 

 

His floats arnt that different to our Avons are they.

 

 

Great fish,are Steelheads the same as Rainbow trout?

 

 

A classic reel.What is it you call thar style of rod Andrew is it a "Mooching" rod or is that something different?

 

 

I think we definately need an AN fish in here!

[ANDREW PAUL]

Thanks Leon very impressive artical the more info the better!

[Leon Roskilly]

BUDGIE:

Here is a couple of Andys pictures

Here's a collection of larger stick floats from my collection.

 

 

I resort to these when I'm fishing at a distance and having difficult seeing normal floats.

 

(I've included 3 'normal' floats on the left)

 

One spot I use these larger floats is where a river enters into a lake and the current runs out to an island where a lot of the larger fish, carp and bream mostly, can be picked up. (That's if I can trot past the roach shoals and still have some bait left on the hook!)

 

Interestingly, these big floats don't have much of a 'stick', the weight needed to cock them seems to give me the control I need.

 

(ps I expect that I'll be hooking a few trout to around 6lb when grayling fishing at Timsbury on Sunday)

 

Tight Lines - leon

 

[ 11. February 2005, 06:04 PM: Message edited by: Leon Roskilly ]

[Randy]

Hello Andrew,

 

I usually fish the Lake Erie tribs of "Steelhead Alley" and I've been using a centrepin for about ten years now. I was first exposed to fishing with a pin while fishing along side a Canadian who was hooking fish after fish. After a while of watching this and becoming very curious I approach him and began to pick his brain. The following spring I drove up to the Oak and bought my first pin and haven't looke back since. All of my fly gear except for the vice and materials all went into the closet and is now collecting dust.

 

My gear of choice is a custom made G. Loomis IMX 13' , Islander Steelheader (gold anodizing), Ashima 10.5# resin impregnated line, My leaders are usually 4-6# flouro. I also make my own floats and the ones you have pictured are really nice floats. Have you ever fished the Oak for those big brusier browns?

 

I'm part of the Questoutdoors staff and back in November of 2003 we did a shor video called Centerpin 101. A freind of mine who is also on the staff hosted the video. I have a few cameio shots of me casting and fighting a fish. I've also done a few demo's of the wallis cast and a short article on float making.

 

It's good to see another fellow steelheader here on the board. I thought I may have been the only one here.

 

Over the past two seasons I've found myself using spawn less and less and drifting yarn flies and nymphs more. I have just as much success with the flies as I do the bait, especially for lake run trout and salmon.

 

I don't want to step on any toes here but if you are curious check out the questoutdoors web site. There are some informative articles on float fishing and the forum is pretty informative also. There are a few guys from the UK that post on it. Most of the guys on the board like to hear what pinners from the UK have to say about floatfishing since this is where the whole centrepin technique started.

 

And again. I really like this site and I've found a ton of information in the short amount of time I've been posting here.

 

Randy

 

http://www.questoutdoors.net

[ANDREW PAUL]

To answer Budgie’s question. Steelhead are essentially rainbow trout, just different strains that are primarily ocean run fish that migrate back to fresh water rivers to spawn then back to the ocean or die. Unlike the domestic rainbow strains that are fresh water breed who are lake or stream residents. Although I fish them in the tributaries of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie, those ocean strains where stocked in the 1970’s (still stocked today but we also have nature reproduction) in those giant fresh water lakes providing an awesome fishery. I’ve included a link about the Salmon river in New York where if fish, it explains types of fish stocked and the different strains.

 

Here is the web link: fishusa.com/FishSalmonRiver/riv...ishing.asp#fish

[ANDREW PAUL]

Hey there Randy, last year was my first year fishing the tribs of Erie (steelhead alley), yes I’ve used yarn flies with success there but not so much on the Salmon, Oswego Rivers or the Sandy’s. Anyway Centerpin 101, I own a copy!