I like to think I have a pretty good handle on most fishing techniques. Through experience and learning from others I’ve been lucky to learn a lot over the years. One thing I’ve never really put any time into is Steelheading. Two years ago I went down to fish a few of the tributaries of Lake Ontario on Opening day. It just wasn’t my thing. Way to many people and when you did hook up with a fish it was tired and beat up from the spawn. I just wasn’t a fan of that.
I was told that it was way better in the late Fall when no one is around due to hunting and the colder weather. Fresh off the lake fish with loads of spunk. I decided to give it another try.
I was basically being guided by a friend of mine, Adam. Adam has spent years fishing tributaries and I’d say is as good at it as anyone I’ve ever known. Though I did have all the proper gear I was fairly green at reading water and all the other tricks of the Steelheading trade. I was an eager student.
We hit a few different creeks on the day but our real success came from what Adam called “Frog Water”. Basically it’s a slower moving water area versus the riffles and rapids of other areas of the creek. I preferred this area as it was very obvious when your float dropped.
Adam got us started with a coloured up “domestic” rainbow as he called it.
Seeing that beautiful trout had me psyched up! It didn’t take long for my float to drop and the battle was on.
Adam hand landed this beauty for me.
The heat was off so it was time to have some fun!
We took turns landing fish for each other. With the rain we didn’t break out the camera for every fish but here are some highlights.
Adam is a master with his Pin reel and 13 foot pole.
I learned a ton on this day. Reading water is the biggest part of it. Thanks a ton for the experience!
Maybe some more steelheading in the future for me, it’s a great alternative to the “same old same old” of the Fall time.
