Thanks for that, Hyde-N-S....
And BTW, I don't normally promote or bluster about technique because I know everyone has their own approach and I know that steelhead are equal opportunity employers and there are lots of different ways to catch them, but this trip confirmed a suspicion I've had for a couple of years about a piece of gear that a steelhead fishermen might strongly want to consider having in his tackle box when fishing low, clear water....
I speak of a No. 6 Gamakatsu Octopus hook.......
They're small and unobtrusive, yes, but more to the point, if you hang one up on a rock or a branch you can apply moderate pressure on the mainline (by wrapping it around your arm and walking backwards against the snag) and the No. 6's will straighten out , or at least bend enough to pop free. At which point, you just take your needle nose pliers, bend them back to proper shape, and cast back into the river and continue fishing...
This little quirk comes in handy....it turns steelhead fishing into a really enjoyable exercise because you never (or seldom) have to tie a new rig....you just pull the bent hook free, bend it back into shape, then resume fishing....with zero worries that the re-bent hook will cost you a fish (as long as the hook is still sticky SHARP)
This week, I fished all day Monday, dawn to dark, and all day Tuesday, dawn to dark. I stumbled into a deep canyon both days, fished major rock gardens, made Kamikaze casts into piles of trees. And although I marched into the canyon with over a dozen pre-tied leaders, for two solid days of fishing, 4 fish to the beach, I used ONE hook and ONE leader....
Anyone who steelhead fishes and knows the drill of snagging up, will say: Really???
I first tried this up in Alaska where each hole has 10 - 50 fish---C&R all day with double digit hook ups but the fish hide in the trees. Same report: Snag on wood, Hook straightens out, get the hook back, bend it back to shape, cast out, hook a fish and put it on the beach....
The other part I should mention: I'm using 12 lb Seaguar Fluoro mainline and 12 lb Seaguar leader. There's no swivel used----I'm using a blood knot to tie the leader to the mainline and for weight, I'm using one or two split-shot (this low clear water, remember?) And the No. 6 Gammy. I have also used 12 lb Seaguar and 8 lb Maxima Chameleon leader and that was strong enough to bend the hook as well...
Very nice fishing for 2 days, same hook, same set up, and never had to re-tie but still managed to put fish on the beach when the magic moment came ....
Thought I'd mention that part of the trip...
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