CRAZY EARLY STEELHEAD FISHING

Beautiful crazy Steelhead on the Deschutes

Early Season Steelheading Can Be Spectacular on the Deschutes

By Guide Evan Unti

There is only one reason to hit the river ahead of the main run and that is simply hooking into a "crazy fish." A "crazy fish" is one that has no set agenda during the fight and makes you question your fish fighting abilities and the integrity of your equipment. If you have ever been fortunate enough to run into a fish of this nature than you know that the addiction grows with each encounter. Most of these "crazy fish" I have run into I have not landed because at no point in the fight did I ever feel I had control, I was at the mercy of the fish.

Yesterday I ran into one of these fish and to date, it was the best one I have encountered on any river. The take was like that of a mid-september hatchery fish, light like a blade of grass brushing along the fly. Initially I thought that is was just some debris but I let the loop slide through my fingers since I hadn't had a touch in awhile. The line came tight to the reel and just stopped. Literally nothing happened like hanging up on a rock. I decided to jerk up on the road because I was now thoroughly convinced I had snagged up. In the blink of an eye, as I raised the rod tip, my line took off into the backing. "Holy &$#@." I am looking down stream trying to decipher where the hell this fish was. Out of the corner of my eye I see some splashing on the far side of the river. I turn my head just in time to see this leviathon jump 5 feet out of the water. It took a second before I realized that this was my fish. I panic and start reeling like a mad dog trying to catch up to the fish. Within seconds it begins launching out of the water a hundred yards downstream of me. "What the hell is this fish doing" I think as line starts peeling off the reel again. At this poing my fly line must have looked like Zorro's signature Z in the water. I didn't know if I should reel or just hang tight. Finally I start cranking again and low and behold the fish is now way up river and still on the others side and begins cartwheeling back down stream yet again. I know this fish is big and I so badly want to see it up close, so I start putting the wood to it in a feeble attempt to gain control and in one last F-you it bombs out of the water and I see the fly shoot out of its mouth and come hurling back at me. A string of curse words promptly follow, echoing off the canyon walls.

Once I regained composure I noticed how badly my hands were shaking. "Man that was awesome" I scream. That fish was impressive and the reason that year after year I pursue these amazing creatures to just experience that shaking in the hands that lets me know I still love this sport. If you haven't hooked a "crazy fish" start scheduling some early season time and be ready for the shakes.