Ron Mott's first Steelhead on a fly..............

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Lower American River - 2/12/06

Ron is a very serious angler who has recently move to fly fishing with the help of Jeff Putnam.

The reality is that Ron was already a "commando angler" so it was not much of a job to get him converted.

[Jasonh]

Congratulations Ron! That is one hec of a steelhead. Many people fish for steelhead for years without landing a fish of that quality. Pictures like that make me anxious to get back to sac and get on the river.

Jason Hartwick

[Jasonh]

Congratulations Ron! That is one hec of a steelhead. Many people fish for steelhead for years without landing a fish of that quality. Pictures like that make me anxious to get back to sac and get on the river.

Jason Hartwick

[Jasonh]

Congratulations Ron! That is one hec of a steelhead. Many people fish for steelhead for years without landing a fish of that quality. Pictures like that make me anxious to get back to sac and get on the river.

Jason Hartwick

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

JasonH,

What is that.....a 'tripple take'???

Isn't that a sexy fish?

Like MSP says, "ya won't know, if ya don't go?"

[OregonSalmon]

That's a steelhead eh? That is the type of fish I've been trying to hook for 39 years? I know now that I will need a larger skillet...and more skill.

[WinterrunRon]

JasonH, Thansks and you should be on the water too! What's keeping you?
JasonH, Thansks and you should be on the water too! What's keeping you?
JasonH, Thansks and you should be on the water too! What's keeping you?

Bill, I thought for sure you would have an exciting story to share with all of us about your first sext steelhead on a fly or a similar story.

OregonSalmon, something tells me you have met plenty of steelhead face to face.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

My first Steelhead on a fly?

I think it was around 1965? I was working at Sports Unlimited and had gotten a new Berkley "Parametric" 8' #6 fiber glass fly rod with a Pflueger 1494 Medalist fly reel and a new Cortland Peach 444 line. I had gotten some Cortland flies tied in Kenya called the 'Shellback' nymph in size 12 which was a wet fly that looked a lot like the caddis in the river.

They had lowered the river to either 500 or 750 cfs for some reason. Maybe to put in the fish screens at Nimbus? I had caught trout, bass, panfish and shad on a fly rod before this but no Steelhead.

I was above Watt Avenue Bridge up in those clay banks which were exposed in the low water. I could actually wade across the river in many places. I was come down stream with some line out below me. I saw some fish taking caddis from the surface late in the day in September I believe.

I did not have any idea what to do because I had no one to help me. I just cast across downstream to where I saw some fish feeding and I hooked a fish about 4 pounds that was very wild. It ran and jumped a lot.

After landing and released it I vowed to never spin-fish again. It was like talking to God or something close. I caught one other fish about 18 inches then it got too dark to fish.

I think I like all fish that run and jump?

[OregonSalmon]

Winterrunron,
O.K. I lied. In my defense this is a fishing bulletin board so it is mandatory to tell a lie now and then. If it was a clamming board I would never lie. Razor clams bring the truth out in me.

Kiene,
Great story. I recall a great day of fishing with you and Brian on the Pit. You were an incredible trooper since you had a strained knee at the time. I will go to hell for making fun of your pained walk up the canyon wall. I am paying for it here on Earth splitting and stacking wood. I'm achin' like the old dog at my feet. In the immortal words of Danny Glover in "Lethal Weapon": "I'm too old for this s#it".

[WinterrunRon]

It's apparent to me after reviewing my reply, whenever I'm up at 5am, fishing until dark (we quit stripers about 3pm, took the boat home and dawned our waders to fish for steelhead around the first island down from the hatchery until 0'dark-thirty for zero takes [see report under Stripers Forum]), I shouldn't type replys at 11pm the same day because I can't TYPE FOR BEANS when I'm tired!

My apologies to all the great keyboardists out there for my typographical errors (I really do know how to spell thanks and sexy)...

Great story, Mr. Kiene. I knew you had one. But you didn't say anything about the barametric pressure, water temperature or wind direction that day in '65. I mean, who tells a fishing story from 40 years ago without recalling and sharing such critical elements? After all, it was ONLY 40 years ago!

In reality... I'm impressed, Sir. What a memory!

Ron