04-06-2009, 11:49 AM
Good point and it definitely makes sense, I never really considered that they actually are hatchery fish that just didn't get clipped. I brought a friend from out of state up to the Yankee Fork during Memorial day weekend in 2007 and while we were goofing around catching stocker Rainbows in the dredge ponds, we saw a pair of Steelhead in one of the connecting streams. Got to figure that those were definitely wild fish since there's no hatchery up on the Yankee Fork.
I was fishing in one hole on the Salmon below the Yankee Fork two weekends ago when a guy and his son showed up and started fishing more or less in the same spot I was in. That's one of the interesting dynamics of Steelhead fishing and I know it turns a lot of anglers off. I didn't really mind because I'd already caught a couple fish plus I love to see when a father is out trying to teach his young son how to fish. The guy proceeded to catch 4 fish in about 30 minutes, which was pretty impressive considering how many hours I've logged on that river historically and couldn't even catch one fish let alone 4. He did end up having to release 3 out of the 4 because the adipose fin was still intact.
What's interesting about that whole fish for Steelhead where ever you want mentality is that in general, the fish are all typically migrating towards the hatchery.
I don't know that any one hole in particular is any better than another, as long as you're patient, there will be fish swimming by you eventually. I don't suppose you could convince the mob that are all lined up along the shore at Sunbeam that there's any truth to it though!
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I was fishing in one hole on the Salmon below the Yankee Fork two weekends ago when a guy and his son showed up and started fishing more or less in the same spot I was in. That's one of the interesting dynamics of Steelhead fishing and I know it turns a lot of anglers off. I didn't really mind because I'd already caught a couple fish plus I love to see when a father is out trying to teach his young son how to fish. The guy proceeded to catch 4 fish in about 30 minutes, which was pretty impressive considering how many hours I've logged on that river historically and couldn't even catch one fish let alone 4. He did end up having to release 3 out of the 4 because the adipose fin was still intact.
What's interesting about that whole fish for Steelhead where ever you want mentality is that in general, the fish are all typically migrating towards the hatchery.
I don't know that any one hole in particular is any better than another, as long as you're patient, there will be fish swimming by you eventually. I don't suppose you could convince the mob that are all lined up along the shore at Sunbeam that there's any truth to it though!
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