Steelhead with Katie and Colin

 Late Winter, Clearwater 2024

Katie has a love/hate relationship with steelhead. She loves that they're big and challenging. She hates that it's almost always cold when you fish for them. Last year, despite her best attempts, they eluded her. After a successful trip with Jason this year, Katie was getting the itch again, despite the cold. So we started planning a trip; stocking up on wool socks, heated socks, gloves and all the necessities for a human that would rather be hibernating. 

Colin, a fellow big fish junkie would also be joining us. Colin had never fished this river and was eager to learn some new water.

It had been 2 weeks since my last trip, and the fish were now higher in the system, placing them in a couple of my favorite fly fishing spots. We rolled up to the river and found that no one was in the "fly bucket" or the "corner hole" directly below it. Score!

I showed Colin where to cast in the corner hole and Katie and I walked up to the fly bucket. As Katie and I slid down the embankment to the river, the sweet sound of a fish porpoising caught our attention. Then another, and another yet again. All 3 were in different spots in the run; a promising sign, for sure. I placed Katie on the best rock and on her 2nd or 3rd cast I watched her bobber dive and jerk a couple times. 

"Honey, honey, fish!" I yelled and pointed as the steelhead jerked on the end of her line. 

Katie set the hook but nothing came back.

"Darn! Im surprised that one didn't stick," I added.

I slid in upstream of the prime water she was fishing and focused on a small chute on the far side of the river where I occasionally pick up fish. BAM! My indicator shot upstream and I set the hook, feeling the dance of a steelhead on my line. I quietly looked downstream at Katie, who was intently watching her own stuff. My fish thrashed on the surface near her and she looked upstream to see my guilty smile. Katie grabbed the net and assisted me in landing the fish. 

  

A few casts later, Katie hooked up, easing the guilt I had been feeling. I love catching fish, but nothing makes me more happy than seeing my friends and family catch fish. 

The fish was a giant unclipped female. Katie was jazzed, especially after several days of no fish last year. Now I just needed to get Colin onto a fish and I could relax. 

"I wonder how Colin is doing downstream?" I questioned after we sent the big fish on its way.

"You should see if he wants to come up here and try. My hands are absolutely frozen!" Katie added as she squeezed her battery powered hand warmers. "I'm going to sit down and try to warm up."

"O-kay." I said hesitantly, knowing Colin would probably waste no time in catching a fish up here.

Colin came up and stood on Katie's rock, and like I imagined, he was hooked up in short order. It was obvious there was a pile of fish in here today. 

 

The fish rocketed out of Colins hands back into the water after a picture. Katie still wasn't warmed up yet so she told Colin to get another one. Colin wasn't bashful and climbed back onto the rock. He was into another fish in a matter of minutes. 

"Dang, this is fun!" Colin said as we released his second fish. "F*** yeah! This is way better than Pyramid!" Referring to Pyramid Lake, Nevada where Colin has fished many times.

Katie still wasn't warmed up and was enjoying how excited Colin was to catch these fish. "This is entertaining," she giggled.

Colin continued fishing and ended up landing a few more before the day was over. He was definitely hooked and the pressure was off me now.

The next morning, Colin and I tried a spot lower on the river. The water was a bit high and the clarity off downstream. By 10 am we were back upstream with Katie and decided to try the corner hole, for some other anglers were actually in the fly bucket. 

The corner hole holds a ton of fish but it is deep and harbors a few funky current seams that can ruin a good drift. Regardless, we would figure out how to pull some fish out. We prospected the hole for a while before I tied into the first fish.  

I was now up to 3 split shot to ensure I was getting deep enough. The cast was difficult and the seam I wanted was on the far side of the river. To get the proper drift I also had to make some funky mends at just the right time. When done right, everything would go perfect, and the results started to show. There it is, this drift will get a fish... The indicator slowed and bobbed through the best water. BOOOOM! I set the hook on another fish. 

I got Katie into position and explained exactly what I was doing. A short time later, she grabbed one. Katie has always been a great student and being observant has helped her catch more fish. 

 

Colin grabbed the next fish at the bottom section of the run. 

Before the day was over, Colin and I each caught a couple more fish, finishing another decent day on the water. 

On our last morning, we found ourselves again at the corner hole and the fly bucket, alternating to keep both spots occupied. As usual, the early morning was a bit slow but by mid-morning we started catching fish.

The sun even started shining! Katie was standing on the good rock in the fly bucket getting some decent drifts. Like a lizard, fueled by the sunshine and warmth, Katie's casts dramatically improved and after 15 minutes of the sun on her she was casting all the way across the river.

Her renewed energy paid off and she hooked up; catching her 3rd fish of the trip. 

I grabbed another some time later.

Colin stayed down in the corner hole and began to really figure things out. 

"I set my stuff way deeper. This is the 3rd hook-up from that small area near the tail-out." He said as we landed another fish for him.

"It surprises me that it's that deep. If it's working, keep it up!"

Colin's next fish was a beaut! A large colored up male.

We fished hard that morning until Katie and I had to head home. Colin was going to stay another couple days and I had no doubt, he would land many more fish.

It had been a fun and productive trip for us, tipping Katie's steelhead scale once again in the "favorable" direction. Upon Colin's return and the stories he told, his last couple days were "extremely" productive. I believe it's safe to say, we created a steelhead monster in Colin!