Seems we work for the same company..thanks for the heads up.

Well, I finally got to it, and even if this is buried and long ago gone South, I have to commend Bill on this piece it is one article that really connected with me and shared my feelings exactly. Bill, thanks for speaking for some of us who have been thinking about this for a long time and the hopes that others less enlightened will come to the conclusion that more, faster and at any expense to your fellow angler is a black eye to our pursuits and one day they will learn sportsmanship and help the very fish they angle for.

I think Bill has a great point that we all should appreciate every fish we catch and that it is not about the numbers.

I think that there is more to side drifting than Bill states in his article.
Side drifting is where everyone must work as a team in order to be effective, but what do I know because I'm just a drooling 'more more more' fisherman as Bill would call me.

Rudy

While I agree that it's not solely about the numbers, certainly the numbers can change a good day into an incredible one.

The working-as-a-team concept of fishing is a too-populated picture for this old boy. I'll just move to that "it ain't all about the numbers" spot.

Still waiting for the mail man.......I hope the story is as exciting as everyone is making it out to be

Since this came up again, I have to say the smolt catchingest thing there is, is a Dick Night spoon. I won't even think of using them in the Sky, cast after cast you can pull in an aggressive smolt with a hook sticking out of it's eye. Side drifting I rarely get smolts.

I'm still waiting to run across The General. I know we fish some of the same waters. I can't believe some jackass called him a dinosaur. The dude is icon.

It was a good read, but depressing. Actually sounded like Bill was depressed when he wrote it. If anyone has Herzog's address, let me know. I'll send him one used sunlamp, a coupon for wellbutrin, and some anti wrinkle cream so he can feel young again.

Or I'll just pitch in for a lap dance. Anyone ever see a sad man with a stripper on his lap?

I have always enjoyed Herzoggs writing, but I didnt agree with him on this one. I used to fish plugs, and hung a lot of fish deep. I switched to single siwash hooks, and that seemed to help. Also it became difficult to find a spot to run my plugs as the rivers became more crowded. Side drifting is a difficult technique to master for the oarsman. Down here in Califonia we too use number 4 hooks, but only in the single set up. The smaller hooks tend to snag the bottom less due to the lighter weight. I do agree it is simple for the people sitting up front. As you get better at doing it (running the boat) , you will usually see the bite on the guys rod, before he feels it. We have to face the fact the generation X people want it all, they want it now, and they dont want to have to work for it. To me the article came off more as a pissed off rant than anything. Permission granted to flame away.

BTW Happy Birthday Double Haul , you old fart!!

I don't read STS, so I have no idea what Herzog wrote. But I do recall the many and substantive contributions of Ltl Cleo to this BB in times gone by. I for one miss your posts. You fish waters and employ techniques, that even tho you aren't fly fishing, thoroughly intrigued me enough to scout around a little in your territory . . . and cast a LtlCleo spoon to some homeward bound coho. I hope you'll stick around here a while.

Sincerely,

Salmo g.

Thanks little bro, although I taught you how to become a steelheader, you still teach me a thing or two.

Bill is good people. Just don't get him started on tales of 20 lb. bull trout from the upper Carbon on live rats.........you need thick gloves or they'll bite your arse when you put them on the hook!

In all the fishing rags i subscribe to, I look forward to the Generals articles the most. "Sand, Ants and Nisqually" article was a riot.
Ive witnessed the smolt toss many times on the Sky, especially in early June. Like others, im sick of the constant roar of sleds going back and forth doing the sidedrift thing. No wonder fishing sucks for brats in the lower reaches, few fish and tons of sleds rolling bait for the few aggressive ones. Makes sense...

Mixed feelings about "The Read".I won't comment on this one.No wait I will.Double 4's are smolt killers so I'm not gonna guide any more but I will sell lots of double 4's and cheaters/corkies for living??????.I like the old school part of it,but under stand the new era also.I'm confused.Good luck,
STRIKE ZONE

Everyone loves steelhead and I include myself as one that does.

Because of all the reasons previously stated:

Gear guys dont like fly guys who dont like drifters, and sledders that dont like drifters, bankies not liking either drifters or sledders, and boat guys not liking bankies... (reason 1)

Lack of steelhead and declining populations of native and hatchery fish alike (reason 2)

witnessing countless unsportsmanlike occurances, cant even go into details because of potential death threats (reason 3)

tweekers breaking into cars at every given chance (reason 4)

and finally: when your on a river and you catch a fish nearly everyone else that hasnt caugth a fish (statistically, thats 90% of everyone else) is pissed off at you for catching that fish. (reason 5)

Oh, and the kicker.... by design, the WDFW&P closes most rivers at the best times, then gives you a hassle 50% of the time they check you, even if you havent caught a fish.

So, to negotiate my way around all the tensions, help conserve some of the stock, I have taken myself out of the chase for steel.

I think I will pick it up again in the future, but just cant justify getting out there right now...

sold my sled, sold my driftboat, and sold all my bankie gear...

Just the salt for me for the next few years... I can choose to fish in a crowd of boats, or fish somewhere that nobody is fishing, troll, mooch, cast, and nobody gets pissed.

Even the people at the docks are relatively friendly...

I still respect each and every person that chooses to go out and chase steel rockets, just fed up with tension...

Oh, one other thing... Bill is a rockstar, great fisherman and person...

Hey guys,
Been a lurker for a week or two. Just wanted to say this seems like a group of knowlegeble anglers. However, this "General Zog" article has inspired me to finally register. The ol' Zogster's got some decent points. You probably should'nt wantonly kill smolts. That's bad. You probably shouldn't call someone a dinasour if they rightfully had a set of plugs out. That's rude. Steelhead fishing should not be about catching every fish in the river. That's greedy.
However, I feel it is completely asinine to consider sidedrifting a method that is tailor made for slobbering idiots. Is sidedrifting for the people in the front seat easier than plug fishing? Drift fishing on the anchor? Bobberdogging? Superplugspoonifying? No. How is holding a plug rod 'the right way to do things' as opposed to accurately casting small baits on light line in a fast paced teamwork type scenario? I'll put it another way. I've had people fall asleep while pulling plugs but never while sidedrifting. While I do enjoy pulling plugs, you tell me which technique is better suited for drooling morons.
I guide a bit here in northern california. When sidedrifting, success is hugely dependent how well you oar the lines. However, if the front seaters can't cast accurately in a consistent manner, then the boat will most likely struggle. Yes, one does occasionally latch on to a poorly cast bait, but pin point casting means more, more, more fish for my slobbering moron clients (just kidding, clients!).
When sidedrifting is done well, it represents well oiled machine. In my opinion, sidedrifting as a team is the most difficult technique to master for steelhead out there today. If you don't think so, we may be talking about different things alltogether!
I'd like to address the dead smolt issue here as well. What bill describes is awful. I would not be able to look myself in the mirror if this was the scenario I saw take place. I have a feeling that double hook rigs are the culprit. I don't understand why this setup is so prevelant in the Washington/Oregon neck of the woods. I usually sidedrift bait on a single 4 or 2 Gami with a fishpill. I don't miss many bites and my hookup to land percentage usually hovers between 70 to 90%. I feel this is a pretty accepable ratio. I also can count on one hand the number of smolts my boat has hooked and brought to hand this season. The ones that do come to the boat are usually hooked in the lips, not down the throat. In my experience, fishing hardware, like Bill likes to do so passionately, has accounted for more smolt deaths than bait fishing has in my steelhead career.
Anyways, Bill comes across a little like sour grapes to me.

Glad you dropped a line. Well put.

Rudy

Side drifting is my favorite, I disagree with anyone who thinks the front seaters are equal participants. Even it the guy on the tiller or sticks does not set me up perfectly I can still get to the seams if I cast well enough. I have seen really good scenarios and really bad ones, when side drifting. I am by no means an expert on any of this but pulling plugs is all the guy rowing pushing the fish back, and it is the anglers job to not pick up the rod to quickly?" not sure if that is equal participation. To each his own I suppose

You're right. To each his own. I will not begrudge anyone the method of fishing they enjoy within legal limits. Isn't than what fishing is all about? Enjoying ones self?
As far as front seaters being equal participants, again you're right, they're not. But when are front seaters ever equal participants? However, out of any steelhead technique done from a boat, sidedrifting demands the most out of the people in the front.