by Tim Delamatter

Created on: September 21, 2009   Last Updated: September 24, 2009

Steelhead and fly fishing has gone on since the 1800's. It started out with little more than string and some bugs with a hook, or twisted horse hair on a hook. Now it has become a multi-million dollar business for owners of lodges, river charter captains, and the government agents who make sure no one keeps too many wild steelheads.

One thing you need to realize about steelhead trout, yes they are just rainbows who find their way to the ocean and become bigger. Although there is a lad in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan who just caught a 46 pound lake rainbow. Typically however if you catch something which looks like a rainbow trout, fights like Tyson in his prime, and is over eight pounds you have a steelhead.

In 1997 Southern California steelhead were named as endangered from the Santa Maria river to the US/Mexico border. This is still in effect, so if you happen to find yourself in that range, please do not keep or even catch these magnificent fish. Here in Canada, where I live and the last World Record steelie was caught, the new record is a couple pounds bigger, we can't keep our steelie's either. There are some rivers which allow you to keep steelhead, but there are big-time restrictions on size, gender, and what parts of the river they may be kept.

1. Fishing Pole

To be properly prepared you need a 12-15 foot rod and preferably 7-12 lb test. Your rod also needs to be equipped with either sinking line, or a floating line depending on what you're using and where you're fishing. The best way to be sure about the line, is go to the bait shop near where you're fishing and ask. This is usually the best thing to do regardless because they have seen and heard what is working that particular day

2. Bait/Flys

Steelhead's are related to salmon so what you use to catch them you can use for steelhead, this being fly's such as the Woolly Bugger, Kaufman's stone, or some salmon roe on a hook. The most important thing when deciding which fly to use for steelhead, is to know what the fish are eating. Get something close to their common food, and chances are you will be in for a great day of fishing.

I.E. of this: I was fishing one of my favorite sock-eye spots earlier this year, and there was a fly-fisherman beside me (I'm a bottom bouncer but that's another story) and he kept bringing in steelheads. I would see him fight a fish, bring it on shore and then calmly return it to the river. I thought for sure he was crazy, as I wanted to bring home some sock-eye for the grill,

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