3-28-11...Another Steelhead trip

So.....This is Buck...He was the first fish I have caught to successfully break one of my fly rods....



My first fish of the day. That's right, my beloved Beualah 7/8 wt switch...the tip is now in three pieces...but I landed the fish. As I was taking the pics, to ad insult to injury as my rod layed there in pieces, he milted all over my leg...Ahhhh...the life of a steelheader.




Thankfully I always bring two rods North with me. So I broke out the 9ft 6wt for the rest of the day. It felt a little like throwing around a twig, but I hooked up on another seven fish. Unfortunetly I was only able to fully land with photos two of those fish. I hooked and beached a monster hen, as I moved toward her she slid of the stones and back into the water, snapping my 6lb tippet and taking my fly with her. It happens, part of the game...





Dustin, my fishing partner and friend...after many skunked trips finally was awarded a beauty of a fish at the end of the day.





At this point in the game I am now beginning to consider myself a winter steelheader. I'm not sure what criteria needs to be met in order to consider yourself an actual steelheader. It seems as though it is an elite title awarded only to anglers tough enough to brave the harsh winter conditions to actually catch these beautiful fish. I have spent my winter chasing, catching multiple winter species, tying flies, exposing myself to the winter elements, learning to spey cast, learning high stick nymphing techniques, buying a switch rod, getting wet a few times, broke a rod, many suicide trips up and back in a day and reading anything I can on Great Lakes Tributary fishing. If I haven't won the title yet, then I'm not what else I need to do. I'm taking it anyway...

Everyone got on fish, got home safe and had fun. This might be my last Steelhead trip of the season, as warm water is right around the corner....Get Hooked...