Indicator steelheading

[DonCooksey]

OK, here is a new form of fishing, at least for me.

I fished below the hatchery on the AR most of the day today without directly hooking any fish, but I did hook one indirectly that was an interesting experience. While drifting nymphs, I noticed something bright orange moving upstream toward me. It turned out to be a big bobber, and the way it was moving around, I just knew it had to be attached to a fish. The water was so murky, that I could not see the fish, but I knew something was there. I know, I know, I should have left it alone, but I couldn't resist drifting my nymphs down to it - sort of like sight fishing, but with and indicator on the fish! Perfect for murky water. Well, I hooked something, but it did not feel like a fish - it gave when I pulled on it, and it turned out to be a long section of mono that was hooked to the fish and attached to the bobber. I pulled it in and was able to unhook my nymph from a swivel that was in the middle of the old line. I could not reach the bobber, however, so I started to haul the line in hand-over-hand until the fish realized that something was up and took off with a big splash - exposing a huge tail fin. Must have been at least 10 lbs. The old hook was somewhere in his tail end and is probably still there, but the line broke off at or near the hook, and I retrieved it and the bobber. The bobber was a big double-tapered cylindrical thing about 3 inches long with lead in the bottom end of it. That must have created quite a drag and workout as that poor fish had worked his way upstream. I only hope that he had not dragged that around for too long. So that is my indicator steelhead story. Saw quite a few fish today, but they all ignored my fly selections.

[Jgoding]

Lol nice story! I wish I could have indicators attached to all the fish out there so I would if I'm wasting my time or not!!

[fineandfar]

pulled a blaze orange "bobber" the size of my fist out of the Rogue about a week ago. wanted to post photos of that thing and the yarn I use and end the debate right there. strike indicator - bobber. I do think the term "strike indicator" is a little haughty, but you damn well know the difference when you pull one of those jobbies from the river.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

They use big giant bobbers or floats from Orgeon up to British Columbia for Steelhead and Salmon on conventional tackle.

I did not think it had caught on around here but maybe it has??

[jbird]

I hope thats a center pin reel and not a fly reel pictured on the cover

[fineandfar]

that totally is a fly reel!

I find that a lot of conventional fishing catalogs use fly fishing "lifestyle" photos in their ads. Trying to sell the mystique of fishing I guess.

[jbird]

I'm pretty sure its a center pin.

http://www.customfishingtackle.com/center_pin_reels.htm

Believe it or not, as much alike as they look. Center pin and flyreels have nothing in common regarding techniques theyre designed for.

Very popular north of the border.

J

[WinterrunRon]

Hey, Don,

I think my friend and I were talking to you in the parking lot. After you shared your story, I mentioned that I saw a duck fly past me a few feet off the deck with a bobber/indicator on its butt and 20 or so feet of mono trailing behind. Was that you?

And, on a separate occasion, another friend landed a fish with an orange piece of circular plastic imbedded around its body badly cutting into its flesh. Must have been stuck there for a couple of years as the fish had grown around it similar to a cable or rope around a tree trunk. Looked incredibly painful, like the embedded colar wounds you see on dogs on Animal Planet. He cut it loose, I photographed the fish and printed the photos. Gave them to the DFG at Nimbus so they can share with the many bus loads of kids that visit, the devestating effects river trash can have on wildlife.

I would have done the same with the flying duck but I'm not that fast on the draw with a pocket digital!

Hope you had a safe flight if that was you I met.

Ron

[DonCooksey]

Ron: Yes, that was me in the parking lot. Hope you guys had better luck. My subsequent flight out of Sac was delayed for a long time, along with many others (air traffic control problems, apparently), so I posted the story while killing time (and beers ) in the bar. Should have stayed and fished for a couple more hours, although the beer helped when it came to the pretty severe turbulence we encountered over the mountains in southern California. I knew something was up when the pilot came over the intercom and said rather loudly: "The flight attendants will take their seats AT THIS TIME. I repeat, AT THIS TIME!" It was just like an amusement park ride...

Now I wish I had kept the float as a souvenir but dumped it instead in the hatchery parking lot trash barrel along with the several yards of line that were attached to the fish.

J: I've never seen those center-pin reels before. How are they used? Do they cast with them? Do they hang down like a fly reel? I especially like the one with gold spokes.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

That is a center pin reel that they use for float fishing for Steelhead in British Columbia.