by JD on January 29, 2010
Well, it’s winter and that means those of us in the masochistic, semi-antisocial, diabolically obsessed society of incurable lunatics (also known as “steelheaders”) are going to be our most unproductive selves in terms of real world activities. If you love a steelheader, it’s best to set him or her free for the next couple months — don’t try to intervene — it will only exacerbate the situation.
Now, in case you’re one of the aforementioned inflicted souls and you happen to be stuck in your office cubicle, 100 miles from the nearest steelhead, take a look at the following photos. Like therapy, they may just help you to get through the days until you next set foot in green water…or, come to think of it…they may cause you to do a swan dive out the window. Well, in any case, read on with caution! [click to continue…]
by JD on January 18, 2010
You’ve gotta love the drift boat! It’s the almost indestructible, go-anywhere fishing machine that you can launch just about any place and… [click to continue…]
by JD on December 9, 2009
Let’s face it, there are times when steelhead just go off the bite. Maybe they’re getting pounded by boats or are reacting to a something like a sudden change in barometric pressure. Whatever the reason for the lull, you can sometimes turn stale fish back on by showing them a little something different.
One of our favorite old tricks under these circumstances is side-drifting with F7 Flatfish. I know, sounds kinda crazy, but it works!
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by JD on February 12, 2009
Not two casts into the day on the American River, side-drifting for steelhead, one of my clients (name withheld by request) hooked and landed this nice…er…hen near Rossmoor Bar.
Now, we’ve hooked some strange things on the American River over the years, but ladies undergarments may just take the cake.
After the photo session, a discussion regarding the regulations governing sport-caught lingerie ensued. While the DFG regs booklet had no entries on the subject, we opted to do the right thing — release the bra so that maybe another angler might someday also have the pleasure…
by JD on January 27, 2009
While roe will always be the number one bait for steelhead, the Poor Man’s Glo Bug (aka “yarn tie” or “yarnie”) will hold its own in most drift fishing situations.
Really, what’s not to like? They look great underwater and have an almost translucent look to ‘em. Poor Man’s Glo Bugs also hold scent very well and drift in an extremely natural way. PMGBs are super simple and easy to tie — and you can do it right on the river bank. Here’s how:
Start with several 3-4 inch strands of Glo Bug yarn:
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by JD on December 26, 2008
Winter’s here, it’s raining and…suddenly, out of nowhere… I’ve got a huge steelhead jones. Here are some pics from my upcoming coffee table book on steelhead fishing to get your juices flowing…
Why do I fish for steelhead? So I can see them up close...
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by JD on September 8, 2008
I almost cried the day I heard that STORM Pee Wee Warts were going to be discontinued. Though small, those little babies packed a mean punch when it came to pulling plugs for steelhead. [click to continue…]
by JD on September 3, 2008
I love old fishing photos…there’s just something so cool about seeing how the boys used to do things back in the day.
This has always been one of my favorites. No breathable waders or high modulus graphite. No super lines or $300 spinning reels…just some wool trousers and a sweet pencil thin mustache!
Erne St. Clarie of Portland, OR hooked this beast of a king (53 pounds!) sometime back in the 50′s on 6-pound test and it took him 3 hours to land it. Awesome!
