11-1 SS Spey Rod

Catching steelhead with a spey rod... There is a technique and will learn about it. Our flyfishing correspondent Josh Mills has a good friend named Ryan and Josh was very interested in coaching his buddy on the techniques of using a spey rod so that you can set the hook. Only Josh would know that there is a specific way to handle your rod when going after a steelhead. Let's listen in on his adventure. " Coaching Ryan through and trying to get him going using a spey rod and he is very excited about it and one of his focal points is to try and learn how to be a proficient steelhead fishermen using spey casting. Last year we took a day and spent it on the Grande Ronde River and he had a couple of fish give him a few tugs. But he never connected. We went out this last Saturday fishing the Snake River and the Grande Ronde. We were working through the day and he was getting better and all day long I just said to myself, man how I'd like Ryan to get into a fish. He was casting and sometimes got frustrated because he is a competitive guy. We are in the last run of the day. I haven't hooked up all day and he hasn't hooked up all day. I'm down below and I am staring at my line as it goes through the swing and all of a sudden I hear this, fish fish fish. I looked back just in time to see that Ryan's rod was doubled over. With a spey rod, you want to sweep to the side. You do not want to go straight up like you are trout setting. He did that and went straight up over his head trying to get tension on the fish but the fish swam right at him and spit the hook. Let's just say there are a few choice words floating around the canyons of the Snake River near the Grande Ronde mouth. I felt bad for Ryan but I'm sure that sooner or later he will catch a fish.