A “steelheaders” story.

They say that catching your first large steelhead swinging flies is almost always hard. Well, my first on the Clearwater was extra hard. Very cold and clear without wind with very low water in late November. Lots of steelhead around, but so slow and so gentle on the take that someone new to this like me just could not detect what was going on most of the time.

Jake put me on lots of fish that I figured out later were not “the bottom” and I’m sure with more experience it would have been a pretty productive day. Had a couple chances early in the day but never came all the way together. Then, at the last stop of the day, a gentle take at the very end of a long swing and ‘YES”, fish on. This steelhead did not really want to run as the water was so cold, about 33 degrees. Ice chunks occasionally floating by. However as I grabbed the reel handle for the first time in probably 20 minutes the reel was completely frozen. Jake ran out into the water from the bank where he was watching. Worked the reel while I fought the fish until it was finally busted loose. Fish still on, ok we are good. I reeled the fish in a bit and that was going well but when the junction of the shooting line and the spey head met the tip of the rod there was so much ice build up there that I could no longer strip in through the guides. I suppose, again with more experience, I would have figured out a safe way to “de-ice” that junction without losing the fish but in the end Jake and I came up with a workable solution. We basically “Tankara” style brought this nice hen in with me walking up stream guiding the fish in to shore where Jake was finally able to tail her. She got really pissed with that maneuver but was landed safely.

So a successful story of an unusual situation with a very creative solution that worked. Thanks Jake. Looking forward to going out with you again sometime, maybe when it’s at least a little warmer.

Adam Reynolds MD Boise ID.

Iced over???

Despite the cold it was still possible to land fish.