How do you deal with it?

I sit here on the couch and can't get the fish I lost today out of my mind. Fishing a southern oregon creek today I hit a nice little native right off the bat during mid day. I move spots switch rivers and end up at the same hole about 2 hours later. About an hour before sunset my bobber sinks in the shallow riffle. I set the hook and and the rod begins to bounce. As the fish breaks the water and begins to thrash I see that this is without a doubt the largest steelhead I have hooked. To my suprise it comes up into the hole for me to fight. I fight it for about 5 min in the hole and it's staying deep. It runs up to the top of the hole and begins it's way through the rapids into the next hole. I can't get up to the next hole from the bank so I finally coax it back down several minutes later. The fish is staying deep and not giving me any advantage. I begin to make my move to bring it up and slide it into the shallows. As I do i see its head and part of its body and am just completely amazed. The fish has other plans as it takes another run and heads for the rapid it came from. Trying to turn it's head I realize there is no chance as it is going down into the next hole. I jump on the creek with my sweatpants and crocs on and am slip sliding my way down the creek in water up to my stomach. After I get down there about 30 yards something is wrong. I can feel the fish there but it has me on the side of or underneath a rock. I continue to wade out as far as possible to slip my line over the rock but to no avail. I stand there waste deep hopeless while my line is cut about two inches below my swivel and my heart sinks. There is no doubt in my mind this fish was over 20 pounds. I was under gunned and the fish played me.

So to my point. How do i stop replaying and thinking about this fish!! It's got me going crazy

Hook another

I think it's gonna be a while before I get another chance at a fish like that.

Only time will take the sting away but any fish on the end of your line will help distract you until the pain subsides :thumb:

You don't.

fishing_mission said:

I jump on the creek with my sweatpants and crocs

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There will be more big fish in your future! I'm a fan of your footwear and your dedication, so go forth with confidence next time.

eugene1 said:

I'm a fan of your footwear and your dedication.

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ha ha yeah usually everyone hates on my crocs but I where them pretty much everywhere


I think I'm moving up to 15 lb flouro for the rest of the season

I got an old thread for ya!

I feel the same way...

I catch steelhead in various conditions, including low/clear, with 15 lb flourocarbon, so it definitely works just fine. I know people that have caught 100 times more steelhead than me say lower pound test produces more bites, but until I stop catching fish on 15, I'm gonna use it! Because what you describe will happen less

troutmasta said:

Hook another

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Yup

It's about the ride and not the destination. . Landing it is icing but hooking a 20lb steelhead is a benchmark not easily or likely for most. Get back on the river and you'll hit another!

If you landed every fish you caught I don't think fishing would be nearly as much fun. I also think fluro is really over used, UG is plenty clear under water. Here is a review I did for bioline, and for comparison I used ultra green. For those who don't like to click links here is a picture:



Also I think that the action of a bait or jig is just as important, if not more then the actual item color. A thicker line will push more water and float differently, less naturally....Really there is no need to go over 12, and most occasions I am at 8lb...In the few rivers I fish that maintain a green color in the holes I will run 10lb...

Bad luck fishing_mission. I think most of us have a story about the one that got away. Your story did remind me of this tho.

You will never get over it. It's the big one that got away. But it does make fishing more exciting because when you hook the next big one there will be that wee bit of anxiety you'll have as you work the fish. I always remember the big chinook I lost on the Nehalem right by the 101 bridge. It was September 1998, I can still see that fish on it's side and the last head shake it made. I remember that fish more than any fish I have landed. As the years go by, I am now glad I had that experience, and now laugh about how that fish kicked my but! It's a great memory.

Here's the one that didn't get away

Whenever they get behind a rock and hold tight, I do the unthinkable and give the fish lots of slack, most of the time they think they are free and move out, you can loose some if they are not hooked well but it keeps them from cutting the line in half.

We have all lost that big fish, I just say better have fought a little then not at all. I would rather loose 10 fish and had the excitement then to stand there all day and not get a bite. I remember the ones I lost more then the one I caught.

Yogidabear said:

Whenever they get behind a rock and hold tight, I do the unthinkable and give the fish lots of slack, most of the time they think they are free and move out, you can loose some if they are not hooked well but it keeps them from cutting the line in half.

We have all lost that big fish, I just say better have fought a little then not at all. I would rather loose 10 fish and had the excitement then to stand there all day and not get a bite. I remember the ones I lost more then the one I caught.

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2nd that.



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IT WILL HAUNT YOU FOR AS LONG AS YOU ARE ALIVE. You will never get over it trust me. The image you saw when you saw its head/shoulders/colors, Rosy cheek nad kiped jaw if it was a buck will bever leave your head. You will have nightmares forever!

I just sit and think of what i could have done better (if possible).

You tell yourself "that's steelheading" and move on.

I have lost at least 3 over the years that were in the 20 pound class. It happens and it sucks, but I have managed to land 3 or so that were in the high teens. Just keep fishing...