Son's First Fly Rod Steelhead

[Bruce Litton]

Matt said, "If you told me a year ago I'd catch a steelhead on a fly rod, I never would have believed it," so I guess it's best I didn't say so! His weighed about 7 pounds. The next day, I caught one about four pounds by looping an Estaz egg into a tail out, as soon as light enough to legally fish. Salmon River.

Matt said he prefers the 8 wt rod of the guide 1st day, DSR, but I don't. I just don't really know or not yet if I can hold a big one on my 6 wt. We hooked up on a few others and the losses weren't due to the light rods. Seems I can, but even with 6-pound tippet, if you hook a 15-pound steelhead, you need some power in the butt...so... Matt was using a 9 ft 5 wt the second day...maybe I'll buy him an 8 for next year.

Salmon runs were real bad this year. And steelhead fishing has been so slow the DSR river walker told us at noon Matt's fish was the only one on the DSR! Steelhead are super-sensory, and for all we know, maybe they can sense there's just not so many salmon eggs to feast on this year.