fall steelhead , "how to "

[lonehunter]

[#0000a0][font "Tahoma"][size 2]Steelhead ... What more can be said. It's truly an experience all by itself. During the fall and spring, fresh steelhead on the rod can "dust" even the most experienced fly angler in the first 5 seconds of the fight. From 20 to 200 feet of line in under 10 seconds with three 4 foot high jumps on the way, folks, that is what dreams are made of.[/size][/font] RIVER DRIFT FISHING TECHNIQUES FOR STEELHEAD, SALMON & TROUT[/#0000a0]




Adult Male Steelhead.




Adult Female Steelhead.

[#009900]Identification Characteristics:[/#009900] [ul] [li]Head blunt, jaw short - does not extend past the eye [li]Distinct dark spots on dorsal fin [li]Square-shaped tail fin with radiating pattern of spots [li]Often has reddish stripe along sides, gill cover reddish [li]Length up to 45 inches [/li][/ul]







[#009900]Spawn Timing:[/#009900] [ul] [li]Late March through early June [/li][/ul]

Drift fishing is easy, fun and effective. The technique has gained popularity over the years as more and more streams across the country are supporting trout, steelhead and salmon runs. Whether a beginner or a more experienced angler, this can help you become even more successful using this method of fishing. Typical drift fishing waters consist of a series of pools and rapids, with the pools (drifts) holding feeding, resting or migrating fish. Drift lures fished through these pool areas, with the drift fishing technique, will often produce excellent results.

The basic drift fishing technique consists of casting across and slightly upstream, and then allowing your drift bobber and accompanying sinker to drift naturally downstream in the current, the sinker gently bouncing along the bottom. When your lure has drifted back near the bank, it is reeled in and another cast and drift made.

There are scores of ways to add weight ahead of a drift bobber. Pencil lead, either solid or hollow core, is the most popular and has proved both economical and easy to use.

Solid pencil lead is best fastened to your line using a Lead Cinch which consists of a three-way swivel and a length of surgical tubing. Your main line is tied to one end of the swivel, leader and bobber to the other end and a section of pencil lead inserted into the Lead Cinch. If the lead becomes snagged, it will pull away from the tubing and your drift bobber and Lead Cinch can be retrieved.

Hollow pencil lead is best fastened by crimping it to a short leader dropped from a barrel swivel as shown in the illustrations. If this lead becomes snagged, a sharp pull will free the lead from the dropper leader and your drift bobber, leader and swivel can be reclaimed.

Pencil lead comes in coils or long sections so you can cut off the desired amount. Most lead available through sport shops comes in diameters of 1/8, 3/16 and 1/4 inch, with 3/16 the most popular size for average fishing conditions and stream flows.

One of the big tricks to successful drift fishing is to select just the right amount of weight for the water you are fishing. A weight that's too heavy will snag easily while one that's too light will not keep your drift bobber near the bottom where the fish are. The ideal weight is one that results in a tap-tap-skip action as it makes regular contact with the bottom and then rises a bit before hitting again. Experienced drift anglers usually begin working an unknown drift with a 2 1/2 to 3 inch piece of pencil lead and then, after making a drift or two, shorten it until the drift feels just right with that tap-tap-skip action.

LEAD TIP: Your pencil lead should always hang straight, as a bent or crooked piece of lead will often result in twisting or tangling of your line.

With the lead rigged, you now are ready to add a drift bobber to your hook and leader. Depending on the particular rivers you fish, you will want main line testing anywhere from 8 to 20 pounds. Leader lengths should be from 18 to 24 inches, with the longer leaders selected for low or clear water drifting and the shorter lengths for average water conditions.

BOBBER TIP: bobbers will fish better if a small, round bead is added between the bobber and the hook. The bead acts as a tiny ball bearing and allows the bobber to spin more freely, giving it improved action. A bead will also keep your hook straight out behind the bobber, allowing better fish-hooking capability.

Successful drift fishing requires that your line be close to the bottom. Hence it is important to use a heavier line than you would ordinarily select for lake fishing as it will have to take the added bottom-scraping abrasion that comes with drifting. We recommend that you use a premium quality, monofilament line.

There are three instinctive reasons a fish bites a drift bobber: It's either hungry, protecting its territory or curious. Although strikes can be hard, they're often almost imperceptible. Some fish will only lightly mouth a bobber and this kind of "take" is very difficult to discern from the lure's ordinary bottom tapping. Many fish are lost or not hooked simply because the angler just can't detect these soft pickups. There are, however, two things you can do which will help you nab these light-biters: Use super-sharp hooks and add some yarn below your bobber.

Sharp hooks are critical no matter what kind of fishing you do, but they become even more important when trying to hook light-biting fish while drift fishing. A fish will have a great deal of difficulty getting a sticky-sharp hook out if its mouth without it catching somewhere. Once a sharp point catches, every move the fish makes to expel it will only drive it deeper and you will feel a harder "take" as the fish attempts to throw it.

Yarn is your second edge for hooking light-biters. The addition of a tuft of colorful yarn just ahead of your hook and below the drift bobber will add color contrast to your lure, plus make it very difficult for a fish to spit out the hook. Once taken, the yarn can become tangled in the fish's teeth and every effort to get rid of the lure will send another signal to you to set the hook. NOTE: when using yarn, always make sure it's not so long that it covers or interferes with the hook point.

Any momentary slowing or stopping of a drifted lure, slack line or a tap that shouldn't be there should be answered by setting the hook HARD. In drift fishing, if you're in doubt, always set the hook!
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