Post by ShadowCaster on Dec 19, 2011 11:23:48 GMT 8
In a fragment of an ancient Greek poem, Archilocus of Paros parse the world this way : “The Fox knows many things, but the Hedgehog knows one big thing.” The fox meets life with diversity and eclecticism. He is skeptical and adaptive, tolerant of the ambiguities of existence, an ironist. The hedgehog on the other hand, is a creature of system, his view of life resolutely informed by some elemental faith. A hedgehog is preeminently a believer, an enthusiast trusting to the long haul. In fly fishing, salmon and steelhead anglers are inclined to be hedgehogs. They know the 'one big thing', whatever you wish to call it; any unyielding devotion to purpose, the righteousness of a calling , a faith in their own spiritual invulnerability. Fly fishing for Salmon and Steelhead calls for brute determination stoked by faith so deep that it can't be told from instinct; a disposition perfectly suited to the anadromous fish themselves, fixed single-mindedly upon their own insistencies till death. Salmon and Steelhead too know the one big thing.
<<Beautiful Colors of A Juvenile Trinity Steelhead>>
I hence have the notion that my fly fishing experience must be fortified with pursuit of the elusive Steelhead.
<<Wading Waist Deep on the Trinity, Casting and Swing For Steelhead >>
I fished the winter Steelhead run on the Trinity River located in Northern California for 3 days in mid December of 2011. The Trinity River starts at over 8000ft in the Trinity Alps, and winds its way down to Trinity Lake, formed by Trinity dam. The lake is about 30 miles long and has over 300 miles of jagged fingered alpine shoreline. Trinity Lake then empties its water into Lewiston Lake created by Lewiston Dam, a long narrow 7 mile lake that will remind you of a big spring creek; it actually has a current running through it. Below Lewiston dam is the new head waters of the famous Trinity River where Steelhead, King & Coho Salmon migrates each year.
<<The Trinity at Sunrise>>
<<Hookup with a 6lb Steelhead on the Trinity>>
<<Casting In Front Of My Dream Retirement Home....>>
So what exactly is a Steelhead? Steelhead are the same species of fish as the Rainbow trout. The difference between a Steelhead and a Rainbow is that the Steelhead is anadromous (ocean going). Of the Pacific salmonids, the Steelhead is held in the highest esteem amongst fly anglers.
<<A Nice 7lb Steelhead>>
This is because not only is the Steelhead an extremely good fighting fish but also because these fish are relatively few in number. Some fly fishermen refer to these fish as The Fish of a Thousand Casts because of the time it takes to hook one of these fish.
<<A Beautiful 7lb Trinity Buck Steelhead that grabbed my #10 Golden Stonefly>>
<<The Unmistakeable Hooked Jaw of a Buck Steelhead>>
There are two main runs, the Winter Steelhead and the Summer Steelhead. The Trinity have both Winter and Summer run fish. Unlike most salmon, steelhead can survive spawning, and can spawn in multiple years. Both Summer and Winter run steelhead spawn in the spring.
<<Another 6lb Male Fully Decked Out In Its spawning colors>>
Like their name suggests, Summer Steelhead begin migrating to their natal streams during the Summer months. This migration may take place as early as May and may last until late fall/early winter. Winter Steelhead begin their migration in late November with some fish continuing to migrate well into Spring. Steelheading in Winter tends to be tougher as the fishes are less active due to low water temperature, and compounded by the harsh temperature and climate conditions that the anglers have to deal with.
<<Morning Snow In The Trinity Valley>>
<<A Beautiful Winter Morning Scene On The Trinity>>
The morning temperatures are typically -3 to -1 Deg Centigrade and does not go beyond 7 Dec C even at mid-day. Water temperature seldom exceeds 6 to 7 Deg C. Some feeder ponds along the Trinity were also seen to be frozen solid. Hence, Winter Steelhead would not be a appealing pursuit for the faint hearted!
<<Ice Forming On My Rod Guides Within Minutes >>
<<A Pond Beside The Rive That Was Frozen Solid>>
Unlike the other Pacific Salmonids, steelhead are not pre-programmed to die after spawning and may live to spawn multiple times. One of the reason that Steelhead migrates in Winter is possibly to de-conflict from the big Salmon runs during Summer and Autumn. By Winter, all the Salmon would have completed their spawning and are withering away. I witnessed hundreds of spawned out King Salmon littering the river beds of the Trinity. The few surviving ones swam like zombies, awaiting their inevitable end after a hard 130 mile swim up-river and battling rivals for the best spawning grounds.
<<A Dying King Salmon. Click Link To Play Video>>
After the Steelhead eggs have been deposited in the spring, the fry emerge in summer and may spend the next 1 to 3 years in fresh water prior to migrating to the ocean.
The adult Trinity steelhead tend to be between six to ten pounds in size. Coupled with the casting conditions on the river, a #6 or #7 weight rod is required. Leaders should be 9-12 feet plus about 2-3 feet of 2x or 1x tippet. Traditional Trinity patterns that still prove productive are Silver Hilton, and the Golden Stone fly nymph rubber-legs in size 8 to 12.
<<My First Adult Steelhead Landed on the 3rd Day, A Nice 7 pound Male!>>
There are also juvenile Steelhead that had spent only 1-2 years out in the ocean that return to the river. These juvenile fish proves to be a lot of fun on lighter tackle. There is also a healthy population of Brown Trout on the Trinity that will readily take a swinging Steelhead fly.
<<An Energetic Juvenile Steelhead>>
<<A Trinity Brown Trout That Took A Steelhead Fly>>
The Trinity is also one of the rare river that one stands the chance of getting a Steelhead by drifting a dry fly. There are prolific hatches on the Trinity. Even in the bitterly cold winter, I witnessed several hatches of big callibaetis as big as #12. I was told that they get as big as #8 in Summer and Fall.
<<A Winter Callibaetis Hatch On The Trinity>>
The traditional fly fishing technique for steelhead, borrowed from British Atlantic salmon traditions, is titled “the wade and wet-fly swing,” or simply “swinging flies” : Cast down and across stream and then allow the fly to drag back to your side of the river. Take a step downstream and repeat. Continue the step-cast-step-cast pattern until the pool or run is covered from head to tail. This translate to a lot of casting, tempered by discipline and perseverance, the demand of which amplified by the chilly and wet winter conditions.
<<Casting & Swinging A Fly. Click Link To Play Video>>
<<Wading & Swinging Fly On Beautiful Waters On The Trinity>>
This technique allows you to cover the water thoroughly and with all due speed, giving every fish within casting range at least one chance to see the fly.
<<Swinging Fly......>>
Steelheading on the Trinity is all about covering lots of water in the quest for active, fly-chasing fish. In most waters you won’t see the fish so you simply fish the water. Steelheading thus rewards those who enjoy the fishing & casting as much or more than the catching. Despite its inherent simplicity the wet-fly swing allows ample room for practiced skill to prevail over a common flogging of the water. The critical skills include casting, line control (or “fly control”), and reading water. This latter category usually proves critical. My guide Kit Kreick from the Trinity Fly Shop, managed by Herb & Patty Burton was outstanding in reading water and had several decades of experience on the river to know every boulder and riffle. Herb had been instrumental in conserving the fish habitat on the Trinity for the last 3 to 4 decades and probably knows the river better than anyone there. Kit had been guiding on the Trinity with Herb for the last 16 years and was taught the art of fly fishing by his grandfarther on the Kern.
<<My Guide Kit Preparing A Welcomed Hot Lunch>>
Steelhead can be particularly hard to catch, not necessarily because they won’t pursue a properly presented fly, but because you’re searching for a needle in a haystack. 99.99999 percent of the water is empty, and you’re trying to find that one fish that will take your offering. The reality is that many fly fisherman go years without success. Like most things however, once you consider the variables and process the information more carefully you can improve your chances of success. Certainly, a good guide is imperative for a Steelhead novice like myself; and I could not have found a better and more experienced guide than Kit and Herb on the Trinity. Even then, fly fishing for Steelhead still calls for lots of perseverance and hard work.
<<Casting on the Trinity In Morning Fog>>
<<Fly Fishing For Steelhead Calls for Patience and Perseverance>>
Ironically, the swing fly technique, which I personally find enjoyable and satisfying, seems to be forsaken by most fly fishers today for the split shot and bobber method of dead drifting nymphs. For the 3 days that I was on the Trinity, every other fly anglers on the waters were fishing with a bobber. It was also telling that of all the guide services that I had contacted around the Trinity and Redding area, only 1 specializes in Swinging for Steelheads. I suspect the reason is possibly more a case about economics. The Bobber method involves one lobbing (notice I avoid the word “casting”) a weighted nymph plus heavy split shots with a cork or plastic float (bobber) attached to the fly line, all these done with the anglers standing comfortably in the drift boat instead of wading. Fly Fishing guides will certainly be able to get a broader base of “bobble” clients than the more traditional hedgehogs clients that prefer to Swing. It is not surprising that the Swing specialist guide that I had the privilege to fish with has 95% repeat business while other guides fishes with a broader clientel. It looks like Trinity Fly Shop might be the last bastion for the Swing technique on the Trinity. Both Herb and Kit are proponents of the “Swing Fly” method for Trinity Steelheads. Kit told me in his own words that if he was ever caught fishing a bobber for Steelhead, his grandfather will rise from the grave and knock his head with a big stick!
<<Fighting A Bull-Dogging Adult Steelhead>>
My 3 days of Steelheading experience on the Trinity was a humbling one. Firstly, my wading and cold temperature gear was found wanting on the first day despite Herb kindly loaning me his personal fleece and wool cap. Gortex waders are great every where else but they are the pits in bitter cold winter river! I was shivering throughout the 7 hours on the water despite a base layer, 2 sets of fleece under the waders and a Gortex outer jacket. Once again, Herb, the owner of Trinity Fly Shop graciously loan me his personal neoprene waders for the 2nd an 3rd day, which kept me toasty and comfortable.
<<A Cold Morning On The Trinity>>
The Swing Fly method on the other hand was very therapeutic for me. Prior to this trip, I had spent the last 12 months working hard on a key event as part of my professional work. The focus required on Swinging flies on all the current seams and riffles on the Trinity allow me to totally desolve myself into nature and fly fishing, two of my personal solace in life after my family and friends. It was a welcome respite after a solid year of high pace work; a complete restoration of the soul.
<<Swinging Fly For Steelhead Calls for 100% Focus And Concentration>>
<<A Beautiful & Therapeutic Scene On The Trinity>>
While I was elated to be able to land 2 adult Steelheads, the most memorable part of the trip was that of the dedication and focus needed for Steelheading, and the fraternity and friendship forged among steelheaders, especially those steelheaders that still treasure the traditional way of catching this majestic fish, because even Norman Maclean agreed that “.....nobody who did not know how to fish would be allowed to disgrace a fish by catching him...”. I am haunted by the Steelheads of the Trinity.
