Huge Umpqua Steelhead

[eat, sleep, fish]

The South Umpqua River apparently is saving its best for last.

LaPine resident Evan Smith caught a 26-pound wild winter steelhead Monday while side-drifting pink yarn from the driftboat of guide Casey Malepsy, a Shady Cove native.

Update
Here's another picture of the fish that Evan sent me.



Definitely shows of the huge fish much better.

 

[RunWithSasquatch]

Built like a chinook, it looks weird.

 

[JeannaJigs]

Holy crap! That's all I got...that's a pig

 

[RunWithSasquatch]

Holy crap! That's all I got...that's a pig

Yeah, its a tank, big ol shoulers on it.

 

[eat, sleep, fish]

It's in extremely nice shape for this time of year as well.

 

[drewjpeterson]

That's insane! Photoshop?? hehehe....

 

[mgdguy]

Wow! :shock:

 

[Noahk]

Wow. Good to know that thing will continue it's gene pool! I hope it wasn't too worn out from the fight.

 

[Throbbit _Shane]

I knew i should of stopped at the south umpqua last weekend lol

If i caught that on the rogue id be eating it LOL

 

[JeannaJigs]

No way could I kill a fish like that, legal or not. It's the fish of a lifetime, and will pass it's genes on hopefully for several more generations. Unlike salmon, steelhead don't die...that fish is an absolute tank.

 

[jathrtn]

Holy sh%&!!!!!!! that thing is a beast.

 

[eat, sleep, fish]

No way could I kill a fish like that, legal or not. It's the fish of a lifetime, and will pass it's genes on hopefully for several more generations. Unlike salmon, steelhead don't die...that fish is an absolute tank.

That's not exactly true. While a good percentage of female steelhead make repeat spawning runs, only a very very small percentage of males do. Most males use all their energy to spawn with multiple females.

 

[Yohan]

That dude has some really long arms :lol:

 

[RunWithSasquatch]

Yeah, he is long arming that fish a bit, still a chunk though.

Makes it look like it should be a 30 some odd pounder.... 26lbs is huge though, but fish in that class are caught every year up and down the Pacific NW.

 

[brandon4455]

That's not exactly true. While a good percentage of female steelhead make repeat spawning runs, only a very very small percentage of males do. Most males use all their energy to spawn with multiple females.

well, maybe he passed his genes on to multiple females eggs then. even better lol

 

[Sgrunig90]

Looks a bit photoshopped. Holding a 26lb like that... uhh...Dude doesn't look like a bodybuilder to me. I am not sure a lot of us could hold an alive 26lb fish like that straight out.

Looks also a bit bigger than 26 lbs, also the depth of it looks wrong. If his arms where bent then the fish should look closer to his body...

idk.

If there was other pictures might believe it. Hard to believe there is only one picture of the a fish like that....

 

[troutdude]

Dear EatSleepFish,

It is my OFFicial honor as the unOFFcial Mayor of OFFsville, to dub thee the Steelhead King! That thing ain't a tank, it's an Aircraft Carrier!!!

 

[eat, sleep, fish]

Looks a bit photoshopped. Holding a 26lb like that... uhh...Dude doesn't look like a bodybuilder to me. I am not sure a lot of us could hold an alive 26lb fish like that straight out.

Looks also a bit bigger than 26 lbs, also the depth of it looks wrong. If his arms where bent then the fish should look closer to his body...

idk.

If there was other pictures might believe it. Hard to believe there is only one picture of the a fish like that....

It does look a bit weird to me as well. And who knows there may be other pictures out there. The Mailtribune may have just chose that one to run in the paper, and it sure would be nice to see the other pictures if they're out there.

 

[Modest_Man]

I see no signs of photoshop, the guy is just holding it funny. He's got his arms bent 90 degrees at the elbows (probably since that thing weighs a ton...). First if you don't have a photo now-a-days people don't believe it, then you DO have a photo and people yell Photoshop.

Next time I catch a nice fish I'll have it fin me a statement about itself, but then people will probably just want it notarized.

 

[RunWithSasquatch]

I see no signs of photoshop, the guy is just holding it funny. He's got his arms bent 90 degrees at the elbows (probably since that thing weighs a ton...). First if you don't have a photo now-a-days people don't believe it, then you DO have a photo and people yell Photoshop.

Next time I catch a nice fish I'll have it fin me a statement about itself, but then people will probably just want it notarized.

I dont think anyone is going over the top about disputing the fact of this photo. It just looks weird. The girth doesn't match the length, to my eye. Its built like a football chinook.