DSR 10/22-10/24

[BLACKGHOST1]

I took a short trip to the DSR with a friend of mine last week and all I can say is WOW!!!. These fish are awesome!!! Dr. Dave, I feel your addiction! I can't wait to get back up there. Thursday was the magical day for me. We booked Loren Williams for the day. Thanks Loren for a great day of fishing and sharing your knowledge and teaching me how to locate and fish to these beauties! I saw Brookie at the hotel and again on Thursday. Nice to see you up there Brookie, I hope you had good fishing on Friday. Here are some photos.

[AaronJasper]

That brown is absolutely stunning.

Also, the first steelhead might be wild. The pectoral fins and adipose fin are intact. nice job on the steelhead... great fun isn't it?

[Nymphmeister]

I'm jealous. It's addictive, isn't it?

[Dave]

Mike! WOW, love this post, and CONGRATS! Hats off to your guide too, cheers Loren!

I knew you'd be hooked! Those fish are absolutely gorgeous. How were the battles, and the acrobatic leaps! Do tell about the ones that spooled you all the way into your backing, and then kept hauling down stream! The "one's that got away" are always great stories.

I'm still convinced that there's no better fight than a fresh fall steelhead. One always hears about great fights from Tuna, and Tarpon, but if you correlate weight into the equation, then I would wager that the Steelhead is the ultimate dueling partner. Take a Tarpon, weighing anywhere from 60-200 pounds. They take a long time to land (I think up to an hour or more). Now imagine a steelhead that big??? Yikes.

A few months ago there was a debate on the "most beautiful fish". Many said spawning brown trout. Some said native stream brookie, but I have two answers:
1. fresh DIME BRIGHT female steelhead
2. Winter/spring male steelhead.

Why? Take a look at picture #1: what a stunning specimen, perfect! It is so bright that it is "hyper" silver. What a beauty.

Now for my other answer, Winter/spring steelhead: nothing more beautiful than a male steelhead with bright red cheeks, and a huge kype.

Mike, awesome report, and I welcome you to the world of STEELHEAD MADNESS! Keep up the good work!

When are you going back up? ? ?

[BLACKGHOST1]

Aaron: you are absolutely right, it is great fun! I agree, that brown is stunning and that first steelhead was perfect from head to tail. That was the first one I landed that day.

Torrey: yes it is addictive. I can't stop thinking about the trip and all the ones that got away.

Dr Dave: I don't know where to begin to describe the battles with these magnificent fish. I don't think words would do it justice, you have to experience first hand the power and speed of these fish and your heart racing a hundred miles an hour as the drag sings and the line peels off your reel at and unbelievable rate and as you run after them hoping they don't break off or the hook pulls out.

Unfortunately,I didn't get any great acrobatics. I got three speedsters and one of them (the male in one of the pics) gave me two small jumps. I had five fish on for about five minutes or so and landed three of them and the other two the hook pulled out. I hooked up with another five and one broke me off and the hook pulled out of the others, all within about five seconds or so. That was in two and a half days of fishing.

I agree that these fish are absolutely stunning. If you look close you can just make out a hint of pink on the gill plate. They are even more beautiful in person.

I am trying to go back around mid to late November.

[AaronJasper]

Thank god for lower gas prices!

[alanb_ct]

I finally got to see the pictures on the forum. Wow! Your grin says it all. Glad the trip worked out so well for you. We've come a long way from our trip at the Wild River Inn circa 1992, right?

[BLACKGHOST1]

The Wild River Inn. I couldn't remember the name of the place. Yeah, it was a great trip for me. I'm still smiling.

You gotta go up there if you get the chance Al. Once you hook one and they take off, it is like nothing you have ever experienced before!!!

Mike

[Nymphmeister]

I think Steelhead are my all-time favorite fish to catch. They fight like they are scared shitless, and their speed & jumps are nothing short of amazing. Catching them on light tackle is the ultimate IMHO.

[pulaskinaut]

Nice pictures! There is nothing like a fall steelhead. Everytime you hook one they just go crazy and they beat you over and over untill sometimes you land a few. You had a great trip!
How fortunate we are to have this tremendous fishery.