Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum
Fishing in British Columbia => General Discussion => Topic started by: frozensalmon on October 05, 2011, 10:47:54 PM
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why do everyone want to catch a steelhead? does it fight just better than other salmons? or something else? beautiful? hard to find?
personally never caught one
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i never caught one either . i believe since steelhead are more rare compared to other fish species , anglers look to them as the "ultimate fish" to catch . i personally dont care too much for steelhead fishing , and would rather fish other salmon . the taste "just a little different than a rainbow trout" my friend says .
ive asked the same question to myself for sometime
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well internet infomation said that rainbow and steelhead are actually the same except the fact rainbow trout never leave fresh water and steelhead goes out in ocean, they both can respawn a couple of times
ocean difference makes steelhead grow much biiger size than rainbows. normmaly rainbow size is not as large as steelhead
and I think steelhead do look more beautiful than the other salmon
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You will understand when you catch one.
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With the amount of people on the vedder doing it now, its lost much of its appeal. fishing smaller wild rivers for a handful of fish is far more rewarding...Steelhead on the vedder on average fight terribly
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Anybody can catch salmon..
Good thread..
why do everyone want to catch a steelhead? does it fight just better than other salmons? or something else? beautiful? hard to find?
personally never caught one
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My boss asked me that about fishing in general... why i get up at 3:30 in the morning and drive 100kms, using up all my gas to spend all day fishing in the rain and come home empty handed?....FOR THE LOVE OF IT! Steelheading is not for everybody...Cold Weather, Frozen hands and guides...getting stuck in snow....coming home skunked 7 out 10 tens times....
its either in your blood or it ain't.
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You will understand when you catch one.
That's the truth. You can't understand until you do the hunt. x2
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You guys are right, you should probably just stick to salmon. Steelhead are too hard to catch, you won't like it. ;D
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With the amount of people on the vedder doing it now, its lost much of its appeal. fishing smaller wild rivers for a handful of fish is far more rewarding...Steelhead on the vedder on average fight terribly
Hopefully those comments will discourage the masses from fishing the Vedder steelhead this year.... ;)
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Hopefully those comments will discourage the masses from fishing the Vedder steelhead this year.... ;)
Well, I guess we are allowed to dream ;) Some of the best looking fish I have seen, hard to find and usually put up a great fight. Less anglers on the river and keeps flossers off the river. Just to name a few reasons ;D
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Well, I guess we are allowed to dream ;) Some of the best looking fish I have seen, hard to find and usually put up a great fight. Less anglers on the river and keeps flossers off the river. Just to name a few reasons ;D
Not if you watch the clown show at KW...pretty much year round now
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It's a challenge. When young any fish would do then you start to look for that dream heavy weight fish. After that you start to look for the rare hard to find pray. Locally stealhead is the rare hard to find pray.
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i wouldnt say steelhead are hard to catch if you know where to look. for me i just love having no crowds and no snaggers and its the real fisherman out, a specail brea called steelheaders. and knowing a couple of my runs will be untouched all day, when salmon season like now they get fished not much but they do, and ill take the snow over the damp rainy fall weather anyday. I just love that feeling of waiting for your float to dive while fishing a nice cold morning with nobody insight then boom float down a bright big fish on. also with salmon i hate when guys see you with a fish on and they literally come running over and fish two feet beside you when steelhead its rare to see more then 20 people all day.
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why do everyone want to catch a steelhead? does it fight just better than other salmons? or something else? beautiful? hard to find?
Because it is the closest to hunting, where finding the prey is 90% of the thrill.
When you find where it hides, steelhead is fairly easy to catch. They are quite gullible actually and will fall for just about anything shiny or tasty looking.
Salmon fishing (except to a certain extent coho fishing) is really not fishing at all. It is intercepting migrating fish which are on a spawning mission. I still do it for the meat, but with each passing year the appeal diminishes. Steelhead and trout fishing, on the other hand, is becoming more and more my kind of thing.
When you try steelheading and get skunked 10 times in a row only to catch your first fish on the 11th outing (after the proverbial 1000 casts), you will understand the appeal.
Any person who fishes for steelhead the same way they fish for salmon is either an unenlightened beginner or an incurable meat-head. I'll help the former; God help the latter.
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its rare to see more then 20 people all day.
LOL! you must be fishing in the closed area steelie-slayer :D
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I have fished hard my whole life.
Caught 40lbs plus springs in ocean and fraser.
A hand full of coho over 20lbs.
And all I have to say is give me a spey rod on a river up north and a 14lbs plus steel and NOTHING comes close.
Josh
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Because heroin is bad for you....Why isn't the problem,it's when.where and how....(http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r79/Spoonman_05/PC270215-1.jpg)
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Salmon fishing (except to a certain extent coho fishing) is really not fishing at all. It is intercepting migrating fish which are on a spawning mission. I still do it for the meat, but with each passing year the appeal diminishes. Steelhead and trout fishing, on the other hand, is becoming more and more my kind of thing.
I am not sure how intercepting a steelhead on a spawning mission is different from intercepting any other fish on a spawning mission, but I do understand why steelheading is so exciting. With a fraction of the fish returning as even the rarest salmon species, they are simply more challenging to locate. They fight every bit as good as a coho with even more aerial displays. They will run you like a big fresh chum, sending you scrambling after to avoid being spooled, and they taste as good as any salmon (sockeye and perhaps red spring excepted). One thing that makes them a more desirable quarry is that, unlike a salmon, they are not necessarily at the end of their life cycle and many will mend after spawning and return to the sea, a few will return a second or even third time. Many will enter the rivers well before they are ready to spawn and they continue to eat while they wait. These are just a few reasons why they are so sought after.
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Coming from someone who has never fished for them, but really wants to, my opinion is IT'S A GIANT RAINBOW TROUT! Who doesnt want to fish a oversized fish? My first fish ever was a 10 inch rainbow, and he put up an aquitaine fight. Low drag and quite a few runs. I can't imagine a steelheads fight.
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Not if you watch the clown show at KW...pretty much year round now
Don't notice, never fish down there. Also, people are much more friendly, I get tired of "No speak english" and "is that a chinook or a coho", just a nice change from gong show to quite and peacefull :)
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I am not sure how intercepting a steelhead on a spawning mission is different from intercepting any other fish on a spawning mission, but I do understand why steelheading is so exciting. With a fraction of the fish returning as even the rarest salmon species, they are simply more challenging to locate. They fight every bit as good as a coho with even more aerial displays. They will run you like a big fresh chum, sending you scrambling after to avoid being spooled, and they taste as good as any salmon (sockeye and perhaps red spring excepted). One thing that makes them a more desirable quarry is that, unlike a salmon, they are not necessarily at the end of their life cycle and many will mend after spawning and return to the sea, a few will return a second or even third time. Many will enter the rivers well before they are ready to spawn and they continue to eat while they wait. These are just a few reasons why they are so sought after.
You answered your own question.
Most salmon are almost dead once they are on their spawning grounds (all of them die after spawning).
On the other hand, most steelhead return to the ocean after spawning and are chrome before they spawn.
I would say the majority of them return multiple times to spawn.
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You answered your own question.
Most salmon are almost dead once they are on their spawning grounds (all of them die after spawning).
On the other hand, most steelhead return to the ocean after spawning and are chrome before they spawn.
I would say the majority of them return multiple times to spawn.
Actually I'd say "minority" return to spawn more than once.
Lots of them don't make it back after the first time.
They are weak and are easy prey + hungry and are easy catch.
Most steelhead are of the same size in a particular river but some are bigger.
Those above average specimens are return spawners.
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I guess I was being optimistic when I said that "most" return.
http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/species-especes/salmon-saumon/facts-infos/steel-arc-eng.htm
Steelhead live up to nine years and spend between one and three years in freshwater before smolting and entering the ocean. After spawning, many adult steelhead return to the sea and some (up to 20 per cent, mostly females) return to freshwater after recuperation to spawn a second time – unlike other Pacific salmon which die after their first and only spawning. Some individuals can spawn many times and those that repeat spawn are referred to as “kelts”.
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Reason 1, less people fish for them.
Reason 2, they are hard to catch.
Reason 3, when its -15, everything is covered in snow, its dead quiet and your freezing, a bar of chrome warms you up and puts a smile on your face.
They are easy to catch, tough to find, and they are the most rewarding fish. They bite everything at some time or another, and nothing at all some days. You could say they have personalities. The ultimate game fish.
I like being alone when I'm fishing... and cold, wet, winter days keeps it that way.
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You will understand when you catch one.
thats really all that needs to be said, i fish for steelhead all year round on some remote rivers where i rarely see anyone, paradise....belive me, it never gets old or stale and i fish almost everyday. ;D ...holmes*
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Lets see some pics?
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Why Steelhead? Because I CAN!
(http://gallery.fishbc.com/albums/Tracks/WhiteWaterFish_On.jpg)
(http://gallery.fishbc.com/albums/Tracks/Consolation_2.jpg)
(http://gallery.fishbc.com/albums/Tracks/Good_Doe.jpg)
(http://gallery.fishbc.com/albums/Tracks/IN_Doe.jpg)
(http://gallery.fishbc.com/albums/Tracks/Bigger_Bullet.jpg)
Hi, my name is Matt, and I am Seriously Addicted to Steelhead. NO "program" or "cure" required! LOL!
Cheers,
Nog
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Dude,seen all your pics last year.I want to see holmes pics.
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ya i'll throw some up when i get a sec Dennis.... ;) holmes*
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Yah man-some Gold River Steel. :P
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Salmon fishing is a gong show stationery meat fest. Steelheading on the other hand, when you trek miles for an illusive prey of awesome fighting quality for its size, blending in with nature, the river, the rain, wind, snow, forest & mountain, it is a way of life no meat festers can fathom. ;) That is why steelheading is addictive even you can be skunked often.
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here ya go, not all from the gold dennis, but all from north of Campbell River.... ;D ....holmes*
(http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj61/sorellio/079.jpg)
(http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj61/sorellio/034.jpg)
(http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj61/sorellio/steelhead2.jpg)
(http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj61/sorellio/stuff/034.jpg)
(http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj61/sorellio/stuff/158-1-1.jpg)
(http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj61/sorellio/stuff/053-1.jpg)
(http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj61/sorellio/stuff/steelhead2010-1.jpg)
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yep u got it, its a way of life and its what i live for, bring on winter ;D .....holmes*
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Used to fish the Gold back in its heyday! Thanks for the pics!
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(http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e16/Currieartworks/IMGP0693.jpg)
(http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e16/Currieartworks/13-3.jpg)
(http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e16/Currieartworks/IMGP7552.jpg)
(http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e16/Currieartworks/IMGP5553.jpg)
(http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e16/Currieartworks/IMGP5552.jpg)
I like getting them on the fly. To me there is nothing like it.
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me too snapper, but im not too fussy, i'll take em however i can get em... ;) ;D ....holmes*