I've just got real serious about going after steelies( Got the fever) But the problem I'm having is in fast water if I'm not fishing from the boat I can't seem to turn the fish and had a couple I've broke off because I was almost spooled. Was wondering if anyone had some advise on how I can better turn a fish from the bank. Thanx for any info and tight lines.
Kevin

This happened to me last year. It happened to be the first steelhead I ever hooked. It spooled me after I ran as far as I could and ended up inwater nearly to the top of my waders. Unfortunately, it hasn't happened again.

The advice I got from this board was to try free spooling it. The idea is to fool the fish into thinking it's loose and doesn't have to keep bolting which gives you just enough leverage to get it turned.

A guide I was out with also suggested diving the tip of your rod in the water when all else fails. Supposed to get more resistance from the line that's now under water.

Bruce

Kevin,

It can be a tricky situation but the solution really depends on what kind of gear you have and what kind of hole you have immediately below the fast water.

If the water below smooths out into a long, unobstructed run with room to follow......let em'run! this will expend that initial energy in the fish and will subsequently be easier to control and land. If you can't follow the fish but the run below is open and unobstructed, freespool line or a tip under the water are your best options. I landed the biggest steelhead of my life (24 1/2 lbs.) on 6lb. test (yes it's true!) using the "tip underwater" method. I thought I was screwed but it worked enough to turn the fish. The rest of the battle played out without any crisis.

If the water below your fast water is nasty with snags/rocks and you can't follow, then your best option is to avoid the water alltogether(not likely) or use heavy gear that can horse the fish the direction you want. This is not very sporting but is sometimes the only avenue to fish the water you describe.

Good luck next time.

The free spool method lets line bow below the fish. the fish feels resistance coming from downstream and should usually swim against the resistance. Butthen there is nothing usual about steelhead.

Free spooling is not as easy as it sounds when you have a fish taking off for the ocean and it doesn't always work when they have a full head of steam. The best way I've found that nearly always works is to get the rod straight out from you and stick the tip in the water. I've found they nearly always turn when you do this.

Ditto on the above. If the fish is running downstream I point my rod butt slightly upstream with the tip in the water (making the rod into a giant letter 'C'). This maximizes the work done by the rod relative to the line and can usually stop a fish if your not completely undergeared.

I free spool as a last resort. It does work, the few times I've done it, the fish has turned by himself and come back upstream. But on more than one occassion the slack line has snagged on the bottom or wrapped around a rock and I wound up reeling in a bunch of frayed line.

Sometimes, when I'm tuckered out from chasing a dozen or two kings halfway to Timbuktu, I try to trick them into going upstream right when I first hook them. I give them just enough slack so I can run like hell downstream just far enough to get below them. I still end up chasing 90% them downstream, but usually not as far. I also get a higher % landed this way too if they don't get off before I tighten up- the hook tends to set better,and I spend less time fighting them from below me.

Fish tend to resist preasure so apply preasur from down stream causing the fish to work against you and the current reducing the fighting time. By the way who ever said point the fighting butt up stream to make a C. Have you ever read a book called "Noodlin Salmon and Steelhead"

I have fished the Cowlitz blue creek Fast water for years, and I always drop the tip in the drink when I get one of those down stream torpedos, seems to turn them around for me, more than not.
I'm not really sure about the guys that hook a fish up at the top of the drift, and then run all the way down to the tale out yelling (fish on coming down) only to stand at the end of the line with no place to go?
It seems better to me to try and stay up higher, so I can bring it in at the middle or end of the drift before going over the tale out.
I'm not slamming anyone's technique's just my opinon. Fish.

I agree that free spooling is a last resort. I also disagree on pointing the rod slightly upstream and dropping the tip in the water. The first thing that should be tried is pointing the rod downstream and then hard into the bank. You are trying to work that fish out of the current he is using to run with.

The trick I always use is to lighten up on the thumb pressure and move the rod closer to the fish, when the fish turns the direction I don't want it to go. The fish usually turns and holds in the current. I continue this until the fish either swims upstream or tires. You must use a baitcasting reel with a direct drive to pull this off. Once the fish has left the hole you have two options 1) horse it back upstream 2) try the slack line trick. It is usually to late by the time the fish has left the hole to do anything except get lucky bringing it back up. If the fish is foul hooked you have will have no control.

Give it a try it works great for me.

I'm with Smilesforu on this one. The best technique I've seen is to back way off the pressure when the fish starts to run hard out of the pool. I guess it's kind of a 'modified free spool' though you still have pressure on the fish so the hook doesn't fall out or the line end up wrapped on the bottom.

I know this advice is counter to every voice in your head (if you're not hearing voices when you're steelheading, you will soon) which is screaming "Do something! Do something! He's going over!!! Turn the fish! Run after it!!" . (Prayer follows, then foul language when Some Bad Thing happens.)

Time and again I've seen good fishermen -- both gear and fly -- use the Gentle Touch successfully. They start out the fight with lighter drags than most use, and then if the first run is looking like trouble they back off on the thumb till the line is just tight to the fish. The fish's run peters out, then stops and, as Smilesforu said, they then hold in the current and catch their breath (so to speak).

Then the miracle happens: this same (hot) fish, who isn't tired at all since you haven't really done a whole lot to him, is then coaxed back up stream under a little more pressure than before -- kind of like leading an eager dog that's straining at a leash (but not lunging). If the fish starts to go berzerk, back off then tighten up when it calms down.

When the fish gets back up parallel to you, start tightening down on the thumb/ drag and working the fish against the current by holding the rod low to the water and forcing the fish to fight the current. (This is tougher on the fish than holding the rod high over your head.)

I've done this enough myself to know it works, too, but it takes real self-control during the initial 10 seconds of the fight. One glorious day, my buddy Slick and I had a double going. Both fish were 50-75 yards downstream in heavy water. We didn't fancy a big sprint and then trying to wade back up to reclaim our glorious 50 feet of holding water (two boats were in view above us and this was not a well-mannered river). We stood our ground and coached each other to ease up and not hurry the job.

As we gently, gently moved our fish back up towards us one of the drift boats floated by. The obligatory 'How are ya doin'?' got asked of us. (How do you think we are doing?! We've got two fish on. We're in heaven!!) Being a bit of a wise guy, I said 'Lousy! We've been trolling for otters all day and don't even have a bite yet.' (Well, we eventually landed those fish and kept our choice spot, but the looks from those guys in the other boat told us that they had us pegged for Grade A, #1 a**holes. I don't necessarily recommend THAT particular reply, but the Gentle Touch does work.)


[This message has been edited by Snagly (edited 12-10-1999).]

Hey all these ideas work but practice makes perfect. I free spool always i never use my drag i just dont believe in it. If a fish heads down on me i take most all the tention off allow just enough to keep the hooks in. But watch the river and the slices theres always a rock or something for them to hide behind. When your fish passes by a rock that pervides a slice tighten down on him and and they will usually turn and rest in the slice. But if you keep him to tight they will put there body broad side to the current and now they got the advantage. But hey if you dont loose a few you wouldnt have a story to tell. Ive been fishing since i could hold a pole and all the ideas people gave have worked it all depends on the circumstances . If you ever fished the solduc from the bank youv'e had them run on ya .. Hey good luck

just want to thank fish and the rest of you for the tips (underwater with that tip)*L* on turning them dang steelies in fast water..