Okay steelhead junkies, hang onto your hats… here are 10 massive steelhead that will make your heads spin!
Nick English with his massive, jaw-dropping and and well-publicized 37-pound beast caught on the Kispiox River in British Columbia.
Andrew Fairclouth, right, with guide Gill McKean, hooked “Moby” on a fly in BC’s Kitimat River. While Moby was not weighed prior to release, he was very likely in the mid 30’s. Using Sturdy’s Weight Formula (length x girth squared x .00133), which was developed for Dean River steelhead, you get an amazing 35.8 pounds. The Skeena/Kispiox Formula (length x girth squared divided by 775) designed to estimate the weight of the extra girthy fish those drainages are prone to produce, gives you 34.8 pounds.
In either case, Fairclouth’s steelhead would eclipse the fish long accepted as the world fly rod record of 33 pounds, set by Karl Mauser in 1963. Read the incredible story of “Moby” HERE.
The current IGFA All-Tackle World Record Steelhead was caught while salmon trolling in the salt!
Chuck Etwart caught his 36-pound steelhead onOctober 5, 1954 in the Kispiox River.
This massive dark buck was caught and released by Jeff Wissing (left) on the upper Quinault River with guide George Rose (right) in 2004. It measured 46 inches, with a 24 inch girth and weighed approx. 35 pounds!
On October 8, 1962, Karl Massuer listened to his beloved San Francisco Giants defeat the New York Yankees in Game 4 of the World Series on the radio and then went out and caught this 33-pound World Record Fly-Caught steelhead on the Kispiox River. A pretty dang good day!
By the way, the starting pitchers that game were Juan Marichal and Whitey Ford, respectively… neither of whom got a decision. The winning pitcher that game? None other than Don Larsen…who had thrown the only Perfect Game in World Series history as a member of the Yankees on October 8, 1956!
All I know about this leviathan is that it measured 44 inches by 24 inches, which using the steelhead weight formula, comes out at 32 freaking pounds! WOW!
Peter Harrison of Port Hadlock, WA shows off the enormous 44-inch, 29.5-pound wild steelhead buck he caught in Washington’s Hoh River on a spey rod. The mammoth steelie created quite a fuss in angling circles for a couple reasons… First off, it’s huge (duh!). It was weighed almost 24 hours after it was caught, so it was most likely a 30 plus pounder alive. Secondly it was a wild fish that was killed…
Read more about it HERE.
This obese chunkier of a steelhead got released by a client of guide Gill McKean of West Coast Fishing Adventures (left)while fishing a yarn ball under a float in BC’s Kitimat River. Estimated weight: 30 pounds!
On October 1st, 1985, Clay Carter beached an enormous steelhead at lower Patch on the Kispiox River in BC. He quickly measured the fish and let it go (So awesome!). Using length and girth measurements, the fish was estimated to weigh 37 pounds!
A fiberglass replica of Clay’s prize catch is on display just inside the Pioneer Saloon dining room. in Ketchum. A photo of the memorable moment hangs just outside the grill. Clay’s close friends and the Pioneer Saloon are proud to keep alive the memory of this gracious sportsman.
Daniel M Zivanich says
THEY SAY THERE’S ONLY ONE THING BETTER THAN CATCHING AND RELEASING A STEELHEAD AND I THINK MOST OF US KNOW WHAT THAT IS, BUT ANYMORE I’M NOT SO SURE.
Nick martinovic jr. says
My father nick martinovic sr. Lived in Vancouver bc. He was a founding member of the streamers rod and reel steelhead club in 1967. He caught and killed 56 20 pound or over steelhead in his life time! 3 of those fish were over 29 pounds. none made 30 pounds.the tyee steelhead! Amazing but true. Many fisherman never catch one fish over 20 pounds!
JD says
WOW!!!!!
Tom Lester says
In October of 1986, I caught a 38.5 inch, 25″ girth steelhead at Spences Bridge on the Thompson river. The fish was witnessed by 5-6 people who independently took measurements and submitted them to Dave Narver, Director of Fisheries for the province of B.C. Ron Ptolemy, provincial fisheries biologist using a standard regression formula determined the fish to weight just shy of 31 pounds. Caught on a 6 weight fly rod/reel combo. The fish was safely released to hopefully contribute to the gene pool in the population. The fish was chronicled by Tom Woods in the magazine, Salmon Trout and Steelhead, 1986 or early 1987.
JD says
Wow what a fish!!!
William Johnson says
Sadly fishing on the Kispiox river will never ever be what it once was due to first nation taking steelhead to replace the Chinook & Coho salmon that have declined to extremely low levels.
Steven Sidhu says
I get pump every time I see this … Thanks for sharing. I was watching several steelhead u-tube videos last night and man o man I get pumped . Have all your ebooks and my favorite is THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO STEAHEAD BANK FISHING!! What a great read!!! Thanks JD and hang in there … Best regards to you and family!
JD says
Thanks, Steven! Really appreciate it!!!
RDW says
Go to western rivers in Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia – steelhead trout get up to 25 kg or 55 lbs. Steelhead trout have been protected since 1994 via US State Dept./Russian Steelhead Project. It is a catch/release scientific data project. Guides are part of project. Interesting to note is the Russian Govt. considers catch/release fly fishing for steelhead trout a scientific endeavor, e.g. measure, scale sample, note colors, size, weight, mouth, etc. I believe The Fly Shop in Redding, CA sponsors these trips, but pricey $$$$.
Roger Brott says
Try fishing the hydro canals in the South island if New-Zealand.Trout up to 43lb have been caught.
JD says
Wow…yeah I have seen some of those pics. Crazy!
Shane Shearer says
Klamath forever NorCal
Kathleen Jacobs says
I caught one that was 28 lbs. The boat owner did not tell me what I caught, but once back at the dock the entire community came out to see it. I was a novice. First time on the Columbia for fishing. 2001.
JD says
WOW!
Jake says
Olympic pen! Where the big ones lays !!! Home sweet home
mickey bland says
why is it that the hoe river in western Washington is claiming a 29 lbr the world record.
Bob Aynes says
Yeah my uncle back in the early 70,s caught a 32 -10 that held the Washington state record for over 10 years
JD says
Wow huge!!
Larry Moe says
Are you JD Love ?
JD says
Larry, no JD Richey in CA. JD Love lives on the Olympic Peninsula.
mickey bland says
if that 42lb world record steel head was not a Salmon the taxidermist should not have painted it like one it has the tail of a king chinook. steel head have much smaller spots and no silver on the tail as a chinook dose.
Kent Brown says
Do you know: “The California State Record-“Steelhead” (27lb-4oz) was caught on a “Silver Hilton” Fly, on “The Smith River” (12-22-1976) by: Robert Halley. I have a photo….somewhere ?
I was a Photographer-Outdoor Writer for: The Del Norte Triplicate Newspaper (Crescent City) and a Professional Fishing Guide & Outfitter (20 years).
JD says
Kent, that is really cool!
Mark Wakeman says
He actually caught it on a puff ball at Woodfuff just above the mouth of Rowdy Cr. My buddy was there. I was fly fishing at the Bailey Hole. A guy named Gus Lian caught a 24-25 lb. Silver on a fly that day out of Bailey. It was weighed at Saxton’s Tackle.
JD says
Woah cool!
Bill says
Looks like we need to take a trip to the Kispiox!
Brian manning says
Bad ass every one of them