Getting alittle wet is a small price to pay when you are going 3 for 7 bank fishing. Nice fish.

It's so long ago it's hard to remember, but there might have been a time when I didn't care if I got wet...

float,

actually I hook way more fish bank fishing than boat fishing. Mavsled was down talking bank fishers the other day, and I tell you what mav if I hike a mile and a half a day and cover the water as I go, I catch more fish than a drift boat or a sled will catch in the same area. We have a 17'6" wooldridge and only use it when I need to(like fishing the skagit, or on other big streams that have limited bank access)when steelhead fishing that is. For salmon fishing I think sleds and driftboats give you a BIG advantage and our sled gets most of its use in the lower rivers fishing for kings and silvers or trolling the lakes for trout. I love to wade two miles of river. Start at a point and get picked up down river, Kinda like floating it, except your walking it. If you cover the water and hit every possible lie you WILL catch steelies while bank fishing, people who fish one hole all day, will not. Unless you are fishing a terminal(hatchery area) but I shy away from those areas because I hate combat fishing. I will fish them if there is absalutly no where else to fish and that usually means once ot twice a year.

Curtis

I'm with you on that Curtis. I learn more banking it too. . .better way to crawl all over the holding water and fish secondary and tertiary lies. When I boat it I usually hit the money spots and skip the in betweens (for better or worse, whatever). Like you say, bigger water and big hole fishing are different. Anyways keep up the good work and keep posting (and keep whacking those hatchery fish!). By the looks of your pix I don't know if anybody has the credence to give you much advice as of late,

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Curtis,

You are wise beyond your years about the art of Steelheading.