Fresh Steelhead on the Lower American River!!!!

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Here is a photo of local Sacramento boy Mark Kranhold who lives very near the river and fishes it a lot with his brother Scott.

Mark is a wonderful guy and a real good fly fisher.

He caught this spectacular wild Steelhead swinging a wet fly on a Spey rod in the Lower American River.

**I hope to catch a fish like that before I die or get to screwed up to fish.

Thanks for sending me the photo Mark............you are the man.

[David Lee]

There aren't any words ..... !!!!!

D.~

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

I know what you mean David.................exactly.

Ureal that fish of that quality are swimming in our river!!!!!!!!!

[Ed Wahl]

I'm stunned.

What a fish!

Kind of renews the faith a bit.

Ed

[aaron]

Nicely done Mark, if anyone deserves a fish like that it's you.

[NCL]

Mark,

Nice fish and the rod works like a dream.

Mitch

[Jed Peters]

Any other reports out of the A? How's it been fishing out of the boats? I've got a trip planned for next friday w/ Keith.....

[k.hanley]

Mark that's a real prize. Per-fec-to! Steel beauty at it's best.
Cheers, Ken

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

We had a local drift boat guide in near closing yesterday who had two nice adult fish to the boat with his clients on the Lower A.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Here is the report of what Mark Kranhold was swinging yesterday for that nice American River Steelhead:

__________________________________________________ ___________________

"Hey Bill, Got her on a 6wt Spey rod, Skagit head, throwing 10' of T-11 with only a 2 1/2 to 3 ' leader.

The fly was just a black rabbit strip leach I tied up with just a little nub of fuschia rabbit for the tail on size 1 Owner Mosquito hook.

It had bead chain eyes with 4 to 5 wraps of .020 lead wire, overall length was about 3 inches. Mark"

__________________________________________________ ______________________


It is amazing that the Lower American River has Steelhead in it almost all year round now but there are some prime months.

Sept/Oct is my favorite time for fall Half-pounders

Jan/Feb for bigger size winter Steelhead - now!!!!

March/April/May for wild spring-run adults and more Half-pounders.



Then we have Stripers spring and summer plus Shad in the spring.....


**We are very lucky to have this river right here in town.....most just need to put in more days so they can get lucky and get bonded too.

[Mark Kranhold]

Hey thanks guys. I think i was just in the right place at the right time. I do need to say that Bill and the Kiene's staff have gave me great pointers over the years in learning flyfishing. Thanks again.

[WinterrunRon]

That is one of the nicest, freshest, cleanest, brightest, healthiest, most beautiful... oh nevermind, others are right... words just can't describe. Congratulations, that would be an awesome fish from any river in the world! =D>

[Don Powell]

Way to go, Mark!
It was fun talking to you today at Kiene's- you are a dedicated angler and truly deserving!
(In these challenging times of significant environmental changes, it is so refreshing to realize that steelhead adapt and survive)
Dedicated anglers remain so because of the hope of momentarily capturing exactly the thrill you just did...
Kudos!

[STEELIES/26c3]

That's too funny~

I had just lost a nice lil chrome hen when across the river, I heard a very enthusiastic, WOO HOO. I spotted the red hoodie and the bent rod but never got to see the fish landed...

Isn't the internet amazing~;)

Congrats Mark! That's my name 2
M

[Smitty Fish]

[QUOTE=fyshhead;92298]Hey thanks guys. I think i was just in the right place at the right time. I do need to say that Bill and the Kiene's staff have gave me great pointers over the years in learning flyfishing. Thanks again.[/QUO With a fish like that,. Who needs the sun! Nice fish Mark!!!!! Maybe today it will be my turn. Tide up some fly's last night,. Hopefully one of them will work. :unibrow: See you on the river.

[Fats]

That is one of the nicest, freshest, cleanest, brightest, healthiest, most beautiful... oh nevermind, others are right... words just can't describe. Congratulations, that would be an awesome fish from any river in the world! =D>

What he said!

[flyguy1]

I have to give my brother (mark) all the props in the world for landing that beauty. I helped him land it and have never seem him stress while fighting a fish like he did with this one. Before he hooked the fish he snagged up on a weed patch and bent his hook. Instead of changing the fly he bent the hook back. Low and behold he hooks that fish. He was so worried that the fish was going to straighten the hook out, but it did not. He kept turning the fish and putting just enough pressure on it to get it in. As a matter of fact I heard one guy on the shore comment several times how great of a job he did a turning the fish and keeping it out the weed several times. At one point we thought we had the fish and I went to tail it and it saw me and swam right at me. I started to back peddle to get out of the way of the line and took a little dip in the water. I told Mark that I was not going to be responsible for losing a fish like that. He would have disowned me as a brother and never let me live it down. Great job Mark.

Scott

[FlyReelFisher]

What a beautiful fish!

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Mark Kranhold gave me one of the leeches he tied to catch that big Steelhead.

I have it at the shop if you want to see it.

[Jed Peters]

Hopefully Keith is up to speed--lookign forward to Friday!

[STEELIES/26c3]

Hey Guy and Scott~

Nice meeting you on the river today.

I got the big (0) but it was good to get out, downriver and away from the upriver chaos...

Tight Lines

Mark

[Jed Peters]

Lucked out early this morning with a nice dime bright hen....6 more little dinks and a good sized one throughout the day. Fun stuff!

Oh yeah, and the "Sucker King" of the sacramento valley hooked me up on three golden bonefish!

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

I just like to look at this photo once and a while..............good fish porn.

Get out there and you could hook one too.

Lucky that Mark's brother Scott was there with his camera on his cell phone!!!!

[Adam Grace]

An awesome steelhead caught anywhere, but even better since it was caught on the American!

[Mark Kranhold]

I got the fight of that fish on HD video from a guy that was just walkin in to fish. The fish gods were looking out for me that day. Or maybe it was good karma for all the trash i pick up on my way out of a fishing spot. Either way, thank the fish gods. Need to show you guys, but its a masive file so i will have to find out a way. Maybe youtube? Any suggestions?

[aaron]

i prefer vimeo to youtube.