Another error in judgment

[ChezJfrey]

So, for the last several outings, I've been chasing steelhead I can see in some fairly shallow tailouts. I've been playing ninja, out of sight, more delicate offerings, even tried some flies on a swing across...nada. They can either see me, or they're just a bit too uncomfortable in their shallow, glassy lie to take a bite.

After several hours today, with nothing to show, I decided to resume tossing hardware to fish I can't see. Found a short bit of whitewater that has a V shaped bit of chop afterward where it deepens out to about 4 feet with obvious rocky lies to create the chop. I choose a heavier-than-normal spoon as I think I've not been good at getting down to them and fling it out. Enters the chop, starts to swing a bit, feel it wobbling a bit, chink a rock, then <bump>. Set the hook? Yes, fish on!

A few seconds later, a steelhead leaps to the air...that's what I'm talking about! It is aiming upstream and I'm inclined to just sit and watch it run upstream with pressure on the rod. It gets to the tailout above the whitewater and really takes off...line is just flying away from my spool. After about 8-10 seconds, POP...my line recoils back. Oh no, not again?!!!

I reel in to find one of my treble hooks bent at 90 degrees. Freakin' bent my hook out while taking line! Now I put these spoons together and most of them have some beefy siwash hooks, but I also have a few with some Mustad #4 trebles and this was one of them. What an idiot...only the second steelhead I've actually hooked and I'm still at zero banked.

I'm getting a little frustrated at these continual 'lessons' I have to learn. LOL

 

[troutdude]

So sorry man. It's the learning curve of life. And it can be pretty steep at times...especially in chrome country.

 

[Thuggin4Life]

Thats why its called fishing. You get to do some catching soon. maybe a few more lessons and you be a full fledged metal head!

 

[halibuthitman]

with the steel a fisherman has to learn to just love that first 30 seconds, often its all we get... hmmmm loosen that drag my friend.. good job with the spoon!

 

[Raincatcher]

Lesson or not it still has that dreaded sinking feeling when you realize there is only a fleeting memory on the end of your line. Keep at it,your determination will overcome the learning curve soon enough...and then you will learn even more.

 

[cddunn]

Chez- It sounds like you've been making a heck of a lot of progress over the course of the last year or so. There ain't much left to do but bank 'em and bonk 'em.

 

[ChezJfrey]

Chez- It sounds like you've been making a heck of a lot of progress over the course of the last year or so. There ain't much left to do but bank 'em and bonk 'em.

That's actually what I'm thinking too. Though obviously a disappointment, I will say that after abandoning sight fishing for the day, choosing a new bit of water and getting a hookup on my first cast in the new spot is a confidence boost; makes me believe I can do this again, but with a better outcome of course I'm going to head back at some point and give it another go with some reinforced gear and a touch lighter on the drag.

 

[C_Run]

makes me believe I can do this again, but with a better outcome of course I'm going to head back at some point and give it another go with some reinforced gear and a touch lighter on the drag.

Good attitude. Don't give up.

 

[Drew9870]

Try Matzuo hooks on your hardware, strong and sharp, if you like Siwash, you can't go wrong with a Sickle, always match a strong hook with heavier line.

There's nothing worse than losing a fish to on of our own errors, like a weak knot or hook, I'll test a 12lb test knot with almost a 15lb pull, it is a choice to lose fish to bad hooks or knots.

We'll be expecting photos with your next report .

 

[halibuthitman]

good advice above, but make sure to check your sickles in a fly vise.. the two largest steel in my life were lost to snapped sickles... on a loose drag even-

 

[cddunn]

That's actually what I'm thinking too. Though obviously a disappointment, I will say that after abandoning sight fishing for the day, choosing a new bit of water and getting a hookup on my first cast in the new spot is a confidence boost; makes me believe I can do this again, but with a better outcome of course I'm going to head back at some point and give it another go with some reinforced gear and a touch lighter on the drag.

Hopefully you'll skip that little stage where you'll catch natives, and then let them go.

 

[Kevinb5688]

I do a lot of lure fishing for steelies and it took me forgeting my normal fishing rod to get past my "learning curve.
All i had was my bass rod with 20lb test. I went 4-4 that day. So now my steelhead lure rod is 7 foot, with 20 lb flourocarbin, and of course, sharp strong hooks. Actually since the switch i am 16-16 according to past years tag. ( hopefully i didn't jinks myself ). Lol