BC Steelhead VideoHi Speed Only
Extra bag fees, airport BS, some gate cowboy harassing me about my rods, cold rain, wet snow, busted boats, white water, bears, high water, and low water and on and on, the list of obstacle to catching steelhead is endless. One of my buddies missed the eddy above a class 4 rapid and ran it in his pontoon boat (water about 10 times bigger than the rapid in the video). I ripped my boat wide open portaging around that same rapid. We were in the middle of a 30 mile float. So I had to finish with 3 out of 4 inflated. However, none of it matters once you hook into your first BC steelhead. One tug and you forget all of it. That tug is sometimes hard to come by. After 2 days without a fish I was at my end. I was not the only one but I expect more from the river. I felt I had paid my dues. I was a man stuck in the steelhead doldrums.
I broke free of my buddies and paddled down stream alone. I could not take seeing another fish landed by someone other than me. I found some great looking water about a half mile down stream from the rest of the group. It was not until my third time working the run that I actually hooked a fish. By that time I had been there by myself for over 2 hours.
I was at the frustration point and while my fly was swinging across the bucket my thoughts drifted. Why did I come here? Maybe I am not that good? Maybe I am not swinging the fly right? Maybe I am not deep enough? Then I looked up at mountains that were just breaking free of the clouds, snow capped and beautiful. I was trying to appreciate the moment. My line came tight at the end of my drift and my thoughts snapped back. “Damn it snagged again”, I thought. I gave it a couple of swift pulls and it pulled back, hard. Line poured off my reel and I was into my first BC fish. It turned out to be a gigantic hen. I held her up to my out stretched arm. She measured from sternum to fingertips, about 34 inches I would later find out. By that time one of my buddies had passed but was too far down river for a picture. It did not matter life was good again. The steelhead funk was not uncommon on this trip. When you travel thousands of miles and you go a day or so without landing a fish you start to get funkafide. You can see it in your friends too. You hook a fish and they are excited for you but their excitement is mitigated by the amount time between their last fish. You can’t help it. The steelhead are in your brain and you need more.
Hard core! soooo sweet! 30 miles of river in pontoon boats – nothing but big huge wild steelies – certainly makes my east coast steelhead adventures look like a walk in the park. NOT TO MENTION THOSE FISH! – that’s the end of the line – the pinnacle of steelheading – it simply can not get any better than that. period. i wanna go next year – i can handle the steelhead funk – as long as there is one of those BC steelies for me at some point throughout the trek.
Awesome story, great video. I could almost feel the damp chill.
Thanks guys. Now I am trying to work but I can stop watching the video! I want to go back!!!
That is some serious steel….Looks lke a great time. You definately earned those fish. Great video as well it is not easy to get those shots. Now I want to see the steel from Idaho. Keep em comin’
j-
Awesome!
Great trip boys and thanks for sharing it with us! It helps the east coast boys get a good look at the difference between east coast steel and west coast. Again thanks for sharing! Kyle
That is very sweet, I love that top fish with the double stripe, and its cool to know that tells you that they’ve spawned more than once
Nice work
Austin
The tug IS a drug…and I need a mainline!!!
Sign me up for next year!
Nate
Sounds like heaven on earth to me! That top fish is humoungous not to metion very cool looking.
Just a phenomenal odyessy. Always dreamed of a BC steel trip. Kranes and I are always plotting and scheming a way to do this trip. Great footage and killer chrome. The Steel funk can be hard to shake, the only comfort is that it only takes one “tug” to chase the nasties away. Well done Jason. I hope to throw some line around with you this winter!
wow that looks amazing….1 day i will be in B.C
what river were you fishing?
anyone know wha river was producing those huge steelhead?? 30 miles worth of runs is heaven
sweet vid and nice fish boys!