I was thinking about great-fighting fish this weekend after catching a really hot steelead on the coast. I think the best fighting fish I ever landed was a 32 inch wild Deschutes River summer steelhead I hooked in July 2000. The fish hit a #4 spinner I was swinging through a deep current seam around 3 in the afternoon on a sunny day. The fish jumped well clear of the water several times, then screamed downriver for what seemed like a full minute. My Shimano Stradic made a high pitched whine I'd not heard before, nor have I since. I remember looking at my reel during that first run and wondering if it would lock up... it didn't. The fish made a total of 7 water-clearing, sparkling jumps and made 3 of those 100 yard freight train-like runs where I didn't have a prayer of stopping it. I was very relieved and excited when I finally landed the silvery buck, since all during the fight, I expected to lose it. After photographing and releasing it, I remember shaking and giggling like a schoolgirl, I was so stunned and exhilerated by the power and wreckless abandon of that fish!

I'm curious to hear other member's stories about really hot fish!