Of Long Summer Days on the Rivers…

[brownster145]

No question, I love fishing alpine lakes. The serenity and relaxation that I find in a day of hiking, fishing, and lounging around a primative camp is unlike that which I’ve found in anything else.

But in recent years I’ve found a new passion in steelhead fishing. The challenge of locating, hooking, and doing battle with these tremendous anadramous rainbows is, well, again, unlike that which I’ve found in anything else (fishing-wise).

Winter is the stereotyped steelhead season–the vision of a half-frozen fisherman waste-deep in icy water clutching a drift rod and hoping desperately to detect the subtle bite of a fish epitomizes steelheading.

But there exists a much tamer variety of steelhead fishing: that of summer steelhead fishing. Warm temperatures, long days, and low and clear streams are the mode here. And this is how I’ve spent much of my time through the months of June, July, August, and September in recent years.

The streams I fish are not popular rivers with prolific runs of steelhead and “hatchery holes” that draw hordes of fishermen, but, rather, rural or even semi-mountainous streams with small but quality runs of fish. Such streams provide plenty of opportunity for hiking and solitude, and catching a steelhead under such circumstances is, in my mind, the most satisfying way to do it.

I’m usually lucky to catch one fish in a trip, but every once in awhile I’ll have one of those days to remember. Yesterday was such a day.

I hooked and landed three very aggressive and aerobatic fish, all over 10 lbs. Two were hatchery fish, both dispatched for the barbeque, and the other was a native, happily released.

Here is a taste of summer steelheading:

If anyone is interested in trying a “different” sort of summer trout fishing, feel free to ask questions. I’m no expert, but I’ll try my best to help. One caveat though… I share the philosophy of a very wise and well-known steelheader: how to–always; where to–never. 😀

Happy fishing,

Andrew

[Anonymous]

steelheading and rivers seem to flow into ones blood, they always ran through our lives…

http://www.alpinequest.com/nfkphotoessay.htm

McPil

[Author]

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