10 lb Steelhead on Size 18 Zebra Midge

[goby]

Yesterday I was fishing the Trinity for trout. I had a large Rubberlegs, followed by a size 18 zebra midge.

To my shock I hooked something huge. But it didn't really fight. It was more like reeling in a truck tire. I reeled it in, and to my surprise, it was the biggest steelhead of my life.

But it wasn't my awesome fishing that hooked him. He was foul hooked on the side with my little nymph. :(

And for such a huge fish, he didn't fight at all. I figured that he must have just mated, or was ready to go down stream. So I pulled and pulled and finally the midge came out.

For some reason that are lots of crazy steelhead around. I saw 2 that were just jumping and jumping. And I saw 2 that were selectively feeding on really small dries and emerges.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

With low flows the Trinity River can have good insect hatches and feeding fish, trout & steelhead, this time of year, just like the Lower Yuba River.

[goby]

Bill, last week I fished and I had sun, snow, rain, and hail on the Trinity. My best dry fly fishing was when it hailed. It was amazing. I hooked a 5 lb fish on a stimulator. I only had it on for about 10 seconds, but it was pretty amazing.

You'd think it wouldn't work, with all the rain and hail, but when you throw a dry is pretty obvious to the fish and the fisherman that it's a dry. It was a great fishing experience, and my fly fishing rain jacket worked great.

[GreggH]

How much cooler would this report be with a picture. Most phones have camera's!!! Anyway, nice fish...........

[goby]

How much cooler would this report be with a picture. Most phones have camera's!!! Anyway, nice fish...........

You're right, but how terrible would it have been to have dropped a $650.00 iPhone.

But I think I'm going to start taking my $50.00 digital camera while I fish.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Being old and prone to falling in I have a water proof phone and camera.....

[Scott V]

Being old and prone to falling in I have a water proof phone and camera.....

Yeah we have to carry Bill from hole to hole since he is sooooo old, but we love him and would do it for him anytime.