Making the Switch for Steelhead

Steelhead on the switch! I recently acquired a new switch rod from rugged creek and finally got to try it out. I decided to launch the drift boat in one of my local rivers and motor up stream. We had to get out and walk the boat up for some shallow and fast running rapids, the rest of the way up to the falls was smooth. Once to the border line of where fishing is permitted, we drifted our way back down the river. Again fishing out of my Hyde drift boat was just the cats meow! So comfortable, roomy, and just a real treat to fish out of, for the first time I got to fish from the front of the boat and what a great spot to be. I can not wait to get out in it more throughout the winter. What a great day we had, with recent rain the river was up and had some colour to her, and usually the bite can be tough on this spring fed watershed. What a peaceful day drifting down river and fishing both banks with tonnes of fallen down trees and all kinds of other structure. With dirty water it would be hard to get them to see our bait, it's a deep river and is usually gin clear. Deciding to try some bright yarn flies, I went to my favourite first and tied two chunks of yarn side by side to make it a bit more bulky. Cut around my fingertips to make a nice round shape and fluffed it out to make a nice bright fuzz ball. After a couple runs my buddy pointed out a tree and said it is a good winter hole, and second drift through my indicator barely moved. As instincts kick in I set the hook and to my surprise a great hook set into some huge headshakes. A nice 29 buck steelhead came thrashing to the top of the water. What a fight! Some really good runs and we finally get it to the boat, couple quick pictures and back into the net for a quick revival. After noticing some nicks in my line from that monstrous brawl, I re-rigged up to make sure I don't lose any fish. A little further down in the stretch was a nice drift with some good lumber at the surface. With a cast placing my set up above the woodwork and drifting down into it, about 3 feet behind the pocket another strike. A smaller buck but still full of energy comes flying out of the water. This fish ran straight at us, stripping line to catch up, and lots of headshakes. The new switch rod has great backbone to fight it out with the big boys and is still lots of fun for the smaller ones too. New Brodin nets with the Ghost plastic mesh worked great landing fish and perfect for them to rest in to catch there breathe for good safe releases. Indicator set ups with the switch rod is a very productive tool for winter steelheading. For all the centerpin guys, like myself, this is a great way to get into fly fishing and it will just come natural to most float fishermen. You just can not beat tricking trout into eating something homemade like yarn flies or nymphs, and it's a lot of fun tying something you think may fool fish, bringing the artsy/creative side out of the angler.