Oregon Chromer

[John H]

I lucked into a pretty nice swinger today on Oregon’s north coast. About 35” and only a few miles from the reach of tide so a very nice fish. Everything you could want from a winter steelhead fishing experience. I have had my share of fishless swinging days so maybe I was due for something to come my way. This one will bring me back for sure. If I get some other trip photos I will post on the photo page when I get home. Hopefully some luck will come your way this winter as well.



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[Pvillarr]

I lucked into a pretty nice swinger today on Oregon’s north coast. About 35” and only a few miles from the reach of tide so a very nice fish. Everything you could want from a winter steelhead fishing experience. I have had my share of fishless swinging days so maybe I was due for something to come my way. This one will bring me back for sure. If I get some other trip photos I will post on the photo page when I get home. Hopefully some luck will come your way this winter as well.



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Beautiful fish!

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

If anyone deserves that fish it it John......I double clicked on the picture and it went full screen.



I get very emotional looking at that amazing creature....so wild, so fresh from the salt.


I use to chase winter Steelhead but now I am mostly a Fall kind of Steelheader.

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I started fishing for steelhead in the lower American river 60 years ago with nightcrawler worms.

I made my own spinning rod with the help of the folks at Edwoldts Rod & Reel Repair.

I used the same spinning reel that Lefty and Mark sosin used for Bonefish, the Shakespeare President.

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I think that Spey fishing has rejuvenated classic Steelheading in North America.

It is almost a cult now.....a good cult and wonderful for our sport.

[Smitty Fish]

That’s a nice piece of Metal! Thanks for sharing.

[BumpBailey]

Beautiful fish!!! Bright as a brand new dime!

[BS]

Nice fish John.:cool::cool:

Beautiful, just friggin' beautiful.:cool::cool:

I'd trade 100 "larger than rats" from Pyramid for just one of those. :p:p

An "on the scene report" too !!! :):)

Get some more for us to ogle over !!! :D:D


Once again.........................


Envious Bob :p:p

[MThompson]

Beautiful fish John. You certainly cover alot of ground. And here I am sitting on my ass at home. Hope you get some more..

[Mark Kranhold]

Solid steel!!! Congrats on that beauty!

[Trouter925]

sweet success. Nice fish there! Waiting my turn. Hopefully after this storm window we've got rolling through this week.

[John H]

Thanks for all the comments. I had one on today and the line to the trailing hook broke so the fish was lost . It jumped in front of me so I had a good look. Losing fish you never see is hard to take so it is nice to see them. If that trailing hook had broken off yesterday it would have been very disappointing. Years of therapy would have been required to recover from that trauma. Seriously. I am haunted by the good steelhead I have lost. I lost one about four years ago right where I lost the one today. That spot holds some good and bad memories for me but it does hold fish so I will be back.

[hwchubb]

Oh, that’s right. That’s what a bright steelhead looks like. I’d almost forgotten - and I’m even closer to forgetting what it feels like when one like that comes tight, both in the rod and the chest...

Beautiful fish!

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

For me it is very exciting to just be near someone on the coast who has hooked a true wild, fresh sea run Rainbow trout, the Steelhead.

Some of my most vivid memories are when my angling partner, next to me, hooked one of those explosive fish, back in the day.

Some of the battles on the lower end of the Gualala river were extremely violent and exciting to just witness in person.

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~40 years ago? Chris Pasley and I got to fishing the Dean river together every day on foot for two weeks camping with Joe Shirshac.

Chris caught about 4 to 1 of ours on average due to his special ability to do thing right I guess.

These were the most violent, powerful steelhead I ever witness myself.

We caught many on dry flies......hard to believe they came up to dead drifted large Royal Wulffs like giant trout?

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Vertan guide Mike McCune told me he lives to fish for large fresh run winter Steelhead.

I think Spey fishing saved fly fishing for wild winter Steelhead.

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All you need to do is hook one fresh wild Steelhead, close to the ocean, for a good run and a jump or two to get addicted.

[Mr T]

ooooooh thats a purty fish there.

Really jealous and happy for you!

[Mr T]

Just looked again and noted the flare on the hackle- hell even the fly was excited over that fish!

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

I had to go back twice now to look at that beauty........real Steelhead porn.

[Mark Kranhold]

I had to go back twice now to look at that beauty........real Steelhead porn.

Hey Bill is there a way to add likes and laughs emoji to someone’s post? Would love to give you a laugh and John a BIG thumbs up on his post.

[Jcolin]

Gorgeous steelhead, congrats JohnH. Thats why we spend a lot of fishless days swinging in the winter in hopes of connecting with a fish like that! Still Hoping for a good winter fish to hand this season, broke one off early when they opened the river down here last month and thats been it for me, despite putting in as many hours as possible.

[pvsprme]

Gorgeous fish, I’m sure you earned it. I was lucky enough to fish the Northern Oregon coast rivers in late ‘60-70’s. They are special fish. Well done!