Steelhead Stalkers in action

[Admin]

Inspired by OFFers catching steellhead, I grabbed my gear and headed toward the known hole under the bridge. Water was a little bit high but clear. No anglers, no fish... After tossing my spinners for several hours I realized why there were no anglers, they probably realized that there was no fish here way before I got here. :lol:

I spotted a dead fish in the water covered by ... caddis fly larvae? I decided to try them as bait, but the result was the same. Well, if there is no fish, it doesn't matter what you fish with, the result will be the same.

While I was goofing around, two anglers appeared, they looked very familiar. That's right, famous Steelhead Stalkers. I moved closer to them, just in case, these guys catch fish even when there is no fish. :lol: Maybe it will rub off on me? :lol:

Probably I didn't move close enough. Fish kept ignoring me. But not them. :think:

The guys were kind enough to give me some of their "deadly jigs" and advice how to fish with them (i never fished with jigs before), so next time I go to the river I'm gonna try jigging.

 

[steelhead_stalkers]

Good to see you out on the water! It was a very slow day out there with how perfect the water was. Not a good sign and I think we are going to stick a fork in it for this year! There are some good native rivers to fish and also great fishing this month in Southern Oregon. We ended up hooking 4 today but fished way to hard for those fish. White was the secret color for the day.

 

[Thuggin4Life]

Nice good to see someone catching fishing. Always good to bump into a fellow member.

 

[Cohosanders]

Cool story Anatoliy!!! and nice looking fish SS:clap: I love fishing a hole for hours w/no fish and then someone comes along and Whammo!!!!! It just would not be fishing w/out days like that. Fishing jigs is a blast especially when you catch one on your own hand tied or a friends hand tied:clap:

 

[steelheadstalker31]

It was nice to meet you Anatoliy. I'm sure we will be seeing you on the water again. I was very surprised that I was able to hook that fish. We had worked that hole over hard in the morning got nothing. I got lucky and decided to try something white because I saw that dead fish that you took pictures of and thought there might be more than one dead fish in the river right now, and generally as a fish decomposes its flesh is white when it washes down the river, and fish love to eat it. So, it might be a good color to go too late in the year like this.

 

[Outdoor_Myers]

boy its not good to show up the admin lol kidding but good job guys!

 

[fishnquest]

I know the feeling, Anatoliy. Interesting story. You tried what was eating the fish. They tried perhaps what the fish were eating. We gotta learn to think like a fish.

 

[Mike123]

Man wish I coulda found a bright fish like that today... I must have seen over a dozen spawning steelhead, and not a single decent fish in the NF.

 

[Admin]

You tried what was eating the fish.

I believe that larvae don't eat fish, they are vegetarians.

Anyway, the jigs were burning a hole in my pocket so it wont be a surprise to hear that I went back to the river. I always wondered how jigs look underwater, what do they look like to fish. Today I found the answer to this question.

Fish were not as enthusiastic about the jigs as I was and completely ignored me and my jigs. After several hours of tossing jigs I spotted a bug (I believe it is a stone fly. Am I correct? ). I caught a lot of trout on this fly, trout just adore it, so I decided to check if steelhead would like it.

Do steelhead like stone fly?

Unfortunately I got snagged, and when I got my line out of the water, a hook was still there, but it was empty. I lost my precious fly and the answer to my question with it. I was searching for an answer but I got a question instead.

What happened to this poor fish?

With my peripheral vision I noticed the head of a fish appear from under the water. Slowly, so i would not spook the fish, I reached for my camera, but the fish didn't get scared and kept limping toward me, and her head was missing part of its flesh. What could the reason be? A bite? A motor?

[video=youtube;-IktaK0lfa0]

P.S. Someone forgot a net on the bank, which I picked up when leaving, so if you are the owner, PM me

 

[steelhead_stalkers]

That is awesome! I need a camera like that. Thanks for the short video. Don't be discouraged there are not many fish around or in that hole for some reason. Seems like the run may be over already! :shock:

I think I will tie up another shrimp-white candy jig for my next outing, that looks sick under water!! :dance:

 

[simpsoti]

You see quite a few fish in the holding pens with their heads beat up like that, I always assumed it was from bonking around in the ladders of hitting the grates etc, but its weird to see one downriver. I think my season on the Alsea is done. Just in time for the bass fishing to start up!

 

[Thuggin4Life]

Nice video's man. I tried jig fishing this year and I will be geared up for next season for sure. Wierd situation with the fish. Should have made it bite soemthing and taken it home.

 

[steelhead_stalkers]

I think its a fungus they get maybe and they eventually die. I have seen salmon with the same markings. To bad for it but it had a hole punch so the hatchery spawned it before it got sick. It did its job.

 

[mgdguy]

It almost looks like that fish is coming over to you on purpose :shock: 'HELP ME!' :lol:

 

[bigsteel]

thats a nice underwater jig video!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!looks like molld on his head to me i saw one like that at the hatchery and the guy told me it was mold....