FishwithJD

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Talk about kicking off the career in style…His first steelhead: A 25-pounder!

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Quit while you're ahead, brother! It's gonna be tough to top this one!


Would you believe that this 25.9-pound, 40 1/4x 26-inch steelhead was the first one ever for Mick here? He caught the jumbo hatchery beast while side-drifting Pautzke’s cured eggs in Northwestern Washington with our pal guide Bill “Swanny” Swann.

That’s the good news.

The bad news is it’s probably time for Mick to take up golf…table tennis…antiquing…cubist painting…French cooking…whatever. Because, when you start your steelhead fishing career off with a fish like that, there’s really nowhere to go but down…

Steelhead planted in Northern California Lake

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Photo: www.siliconeer.com



Here’s one from the “things you don’t hear every day” file: A small lake in Nor Cal was recently planted with trout…but not your typical power goo-slurping, nub-finned variety. No sir, Mill Creek Lake was recently stocked with steelhead.

The small lake in Mendocino County is the second water in the state planted with native steelhead trout under new environmental mandates. On Jan. 11, the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) planted Mill Creek Lake with steelhead trout that were raised at Warm Springs Fish Hatchery. A total of 15,000 fish will be planted in the lake over a five- to six-month period.Click here to read more…

Plugging for Steelhead 101

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Now that side-drifting’s all the rage for steelhead, pulling plugs is rapidly becoming a lost art.

Not too many years ago, most steelheaders who fished from boats backtrolled wigglers like Hot Shots and Wiggle Warts. Then, side-drifting eggs got popular – thanks in part, to some schmuck who wrote an entire book on the subject – and a lot of anglers…well…pulled the plug on plug pulling.

There’s no denying that drifting eggs will almost always produce more steelhead than any other method, but pulling plugs does have its moments. They can be a real day saver in high, off-colored conditions but also often yield spectacular results when things are low and clear as well.

In tight quarters, you can sometimes put a plug into a spot that no bait drifter could reach – and, generally speaking, plugs also give you your best shot at a really, really big fish. In addition, plugging is a cool way to get people who maybe can’t wade or cast all that well – kids or older folks – into some steelies.

But all of that’s really just a bonus.

Click here to read more…

How to Tie Yarn Balls for Steelhead

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Lately, my wife’s been saying maybe I should have married yarn instead of her

I the January 2011 issue of Salmon Trout Steelheader Magazine, I wrote an article called the “Ultimate Steelhead Bait,” which highlights why yarn eggs are a wonderful tool for those of us addicted to chasing anadramous rainbows. I also talked about how to fish them. Well, here’s kind of the companion piece… how to tie the little buggers!

Yarn Selection

For steelhead fishing, I like pinks and oranges, sometimes mixed with white and/or a little chartreuse. It’s going to be different everywhere you fish, so go ahead and experiment on your local creeks. Half the fun of making Yarnies is trying out new color combinations.

There are several yarn manufacturers out there and I mostly use the UV stuff put out by Steelhead Stalkers and Glo Bug Yarn by the Bug Shop in Anderson, CA. Overall, I think Steelhead Stalkers makes the better product, but I do like some of the colors the Bug Shop has, so I often mix and match. Anyway, I’ll show you the way I do it with each brand.

Tying a Yarnie

First off, you’ll need some bad-ass scissors for making yarnies. Most folks say to buy the fancy fly tying variety, but I really prefer this style. They’re sharp as hell, spring loaded and you don’t have to mash your fingers into the rings, which is a lot more comfortable in the long run. This pair is made by Fiskars and my wife buys them at the fabric store.

Save yourself a lot of trouble and drop $20 for a really good pair of scissors!

Okay, starting with a Yarnie made from Steelhead Stalkers’ yarn, cut two or three 1- to 2-inch strands (it’s super thick and “fluffy,” so you don’t need a lot).

It doesn’t take much Steelhead Stalkers yarn to make a yarnie

Next, stack it like a furry ice cream sandwich…

A little pinch between your cheek and gums…kidding of course!

Next take some thread…either Miracle Thread, or better yet, Ghost Cocoon, and make 10 very tight wraps in the middle of the yarn and break the tag end off…

Make sure the wraps are tight!!

What you end up with is a little butterfly looking critter. Ah, isn’t he cute?

While this would probably catch a fish, there’s some trimming yet to be done!

Now, squeeze one of the “wings” tight and trim it in a half-circle…

Making the half circle…here’s where the sharp scisssors come in handy!

Flip it over and do the same thing to the other side. When you’re done, the yarnie starts taking shape. Fluff it out at this point…

Almost there…

Okay, now take the “fluffed-out” Yarnie and trim any mohawks and wild hairs and you’re done…

A few last clips…

Glo Bug Yarn version

Before we get into rigging, here’s a quick version of how to tie a yarnie with Glo Bug or similar yarn…

Use at least 4 strands of Glo Bug Yarn because of its skinnier diameter

Wrap 10 tight ones with the thread in the middle

Now, fold all 8 strands together, pinching the “elbow” tight with your thumb and finger

Same deal, cut the loose ends in a half-circle. But don’t cut the other side!

Fluff all the loose ends out…

Use your thumb as a guide and trim, trim, trim until you get a nice round(ish) ball…

The only bummer is how much material is wasted with this method…

Rigging

Rigging a yarn ball is simple…you can add it to your bait loop if you’d like, but for drift fishing, I prefer to run the hook right through the center of the “bait,” and push it up tight against the hook’s eye. Next, add a small Fish Pill to the back end and you’re in business!

Where legal, add some scent and you’re really got an effective steelie weapon! Shy away from the sticky and gel-based ones and stick to oils or straight liquids. The night before I fish, I’ll throw my yarnies in a small Zip-Loc with a couple squirts of Mike’s Salmon Egg or Shrimp Glo Scent or Pro Cure’s Sand Shrimp oil. The yarn will absorb some of the scent and then, as it washes out, you can add a dab or two when needed throughout the day. You can also mush up some roe or loose eggs and dip your yarn in the juice… they milk just like the “real” thing.

Mmmm…steelhead food!

Hopefully, this is the end result of all that cuttin’ & fluffin!

More Steelhead Techniques

The kid’s first-ever steelie!

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Took Coop down to the ol’ backyard late yesterday evening for a quick plug pulling session and he managed to go 2 for 2 on small steelies, the first two of his young steelheading career. Not the biggest fish in terms of weight, but so huge in other ways!

I knew there were decent numbers of these little “egg-eater” size fish around and I figured they’d be the perfect size for a 4-year-old. Though the little fish were pretty scrappy on kokanee rods, the little dude was able to crank ’em in all by himself. He was stoked! But not nearly as much as dad…

We were only out for an hour and the problem now is convincing him you don’t catch a couple steelies every time out!