30lb Hoh Ironhead, "The rest of the story".

I got this today, thought I would pass it on to those who are interested.
Not trying get this Sh!t going anymore than it allready has, just thought this would help answer all the questions everyone had.......
Not the first or last of it's kind to get a wood shampoo and take a dirt nap. And now, "The rest of the story". Rod


Subject: Big Fish
> Date: Tue, 24 Feb 2009 16:05:34 -0800
>
> Dear Friends and Fellow Fishermen,
>
> As some of you may already have heard, last week, on Friday, 20 February I
> was out fishing on the Hoh River with Shirley. It was a wonderfully clear
> day, the temperature a little below freezing and a herd of elk were grazing
> in a Riverside pasture. The river was running exceptionally low and clear
> and we were swinging flies through some attractive water. I was using my
> 15-foot Spey rod, Shirley was using her eight-weight, single-handed rod.
>
> There had been little action but I had seen one good-sized fish roll a
> little ahead of me and, for a brief few seconds, I had hooked into what
> appeared to be a 12-pound or 15-pound fish. At around 2 PM I was swinging my
> fly through some good-looking water and something that I can only describe
> as a lightning bolt hit my whole body. Suddenly my Ross reel was screaming
> at a decibel level usually reserved for Rolling Stone concerts. In a couple
> of heartbeats 200 yards of line had disappeared from my reel as the fish
> headed for Alaska. I told myself not to panic, but my whole body was
> shaking; I knew that if I could survive the first round I would at least
> have some chance of getting the fish to the bank. For the next 30 minutes I
> battled the fish, standing at times chest deep in the middle of the river on
> a submerged bar.
>
> At this point I had not seen the fish, but eventually I managed to make it
> back to the river bank and was able to stand on dry ground. At that time the
> fish exploded into the air, executing three cartwheels. I couldn't believe
> my eyes, the fish was almost 4 feet in length. I had never seen a steelhead
> like it. After 45 minutes of battling the fish I managed to beach it gently.
> My intention was to let it go, having first measured the fish, but it was
> bleeding quite heavily from the gills. As it seemed likely not survive the
> ordeal, and because it was the fish of a lifetime, I decided to take the
> fish. In 10 years of fishing Washington state rivers this is the first fish
> I have ever taken, of any kind, from a river.
>
> At this point, several boats appeared, heading down river. In one of the
> boats was my good friend and mentor, Jim Kerr; with him in his boat was a
> state biologist, who measured the fish and took some fish scales. A couple
> of other boats arrived and had spring scales with them, and we weighed the
> fish. One set of scales said 31 pounds and the other said 32 pounds. The
> fish was dragged for about a mile through the forest to our parked car and
> then taken to Olympic Sporting Goods in Forks. We weighed the fish on their
> scales and it registered 31-1/2 pounds.
>
> As many of you already know, there is a formula for estimating the weight of
> a fish. In essence you square the girth of the fish and then multiply that
> by its length and divide by 800.. My fish was 44 inches in length with a
> girth of 23-1/2 inches. That would result in a fish weighing 30.38 pounds.
> It was not until the following day, 23 hours after the fish had been caught,
> that I managed to get the fish to a State-accredited set of scales, at Key
> City Fish Company in Port Townsend. The fish had obviously lost a little
> weight due to loss of fluids and bleeding, but it still weighed 29.5 pounds
> at that point.
>
> I have subsequently contacted the International Game Fish Association to
> check on records for fly-caught steelhead. It turns out that the existing
> world record for 8 kg tippet is a 28-pound fish caught by Chuck Stephens on
> the Skeena River on 20 October 1985, 24 years ago. I am now in the process
> of submitting my fish of last week as the new world record. On further
> research it also appears that this would also be the largest steelhead ever
> caught on a fly rod for all tippet classes.
>
> Hopefully you all enjoyed the story and the pictures. Many people got to see
> the fish before I dropped it off at a local taxidermist. One state biologist
> confided in me that he was 62 years old and had personally caught over 5000
> steelhead and that this was the biggest steelhead he had ever seen in his
> life. Another chap simply shook me by the hand, looked me in the eye and
> said, "This isn't the fish of a lifetime, it's the fish of a thousand
> lifetimes."
>
> I guess English Pete got lucky.
>
> Best regards
>
> Peter
>

IMGP0067.jpgFISH ON.jpg
IMGP0078.jpg REDO.jpg
IMGP0080.jpg THE FISH OF A THOUSAND LIFETIMES.jpg
IMGP0087.jpg WHAT A FISH.jpg
IMGP0093.jpg ALAS BLEEDING.jpg2.jpg

Awsome story Peter your pics did not work.

As you know there has been a lot of talk about this story on this board and another one, I am glad you posted and can defend your decision.

*cough*

:[censored]:

*cough*

I'm not going to sit here and flame you.
However I'm sure some point down the road you will feel remorse....
As far as a 45 minute battle, that's absurd. I witnessed a 25 pound steelhead get landed in under 5 minutes. Nonetheless congrats on a fish of 5 lifetimes....

anyway you can get those pics to work parquito?

I've seen fish bleeding that swam off pretty fine.... Well they at least swam off with a chance........

bummer !

8 kg tippet range. What is that like 20 # line?

Looks to me like those pics were in an email...they're not in the post, just the names of them from the email.

I'd like to see 'em, too.

Fish on...

Todd

I am sure that this is the Rated G version of many of our Rated R sentiments on this topic.....

Be curious to see the specimen however

err...

Wow.


Bummer

Wow! / Bummer!

Wow....

Another fish taken from the Hoh, that didn't get a chance to spawn...
Bleeding or not, a fish bleeding still has a chance of spawning. However killing a fish insures that it wont. What a shame!

Peter- please gofuckyourself, you moron idiot stupid retard dumbass loser asshole fool dumb jerk jackass imbecile douchebag retarded fag fucktard tool dipshit ass dickhead douche dork bitch gay tard faggot [censored] dolt dummy dick wanker twat [censored] prick bush noob ignorant [censored] douche bag asshat nerd annoying shithead dumb ass george w. bush bastard [censored] cretin clueless simpleton poser none of us enjoyed your "tale"

Jason Young

Wow lol, this is getting good

Peter,

Consider this open letter. The Hoh River is chronically underescaped and cannot withstand a kill fishery. You clearly knew this, but through your selfishness, you decided it was ok for you to overplay a fish to the point that it was bleading from the gills (this happens when fish are severely overplayed). Then, rather than release it, you decided to kill it in yet another ridiculous selfish act. Now you send out a letter for all of us to read trying to defend you despicable action. Well, let this post serve to call you on your attempt to decieve yourself and the rest of us. You and everyone else here know that what you did was unnecessary and selfish, and at the expense of a resource you claim to cherish. From a fellow flyfisherman, who fishes the Hoh, know this: I now know what you look like and if I ever see you on the river, it will not be pleasant.

Sincerely,
TWB

I don't see any middle ground on the Wild Fish Issue, You either pratice catch and release or you don't.

He stated that he intended to release the fish, perhaps I am reading to much into this email that is attributed to him. However, there is no sorrow expersed about the death of the magnicifent fish.

Just, it was bleeding, and lucky me I will be in a record book. Fuckthat,

And to the mods sorry about the profanity, I am just [censored] pissed

the truly sad thing about this isn't that a guy killed a fish of a lifetime. but the fact that so many people out there still see it as ok to do it.

I have never knowingly killed a native steelhead and I never will no matter what size the fish is. I wonder if everyone that is flameing this guy can honestly say that ? I took a guided trip a few years ago on a river in Oregon that allows harvest of native fish and the guide was shocked that I wouldn't kill a small 12 pound nate . I know for a fact this guide would have ZERO problem killing the biggest of nates. And when no one is looking can you look yourself's in the face and say a world record fish is going back???? I would bet most ( of course not all ) of the guys out there on the river .and even on here and other boards who like to jump on a band wagon and give there often under educated 2 cents. can't look in the glare of a 30 pound chromer nate and let it go knowing it is perfectly legal to kill it...

this is a world record fish that is out of the gene pool it's to late for that fish but what about tomorows 30 lb fish can we educate enough guys to get the next one back in the gene pool ? Our time would be better spent trying to find out how we can educate other guys on the river's that allow native harvest to let there's go instead of bickering about this dead fish.

Maybe a T-shirt program like the no snagging ones here in Oregon??

that fish wouldnt have been a "bleeder" unless it was picked up by the gills like shown in the photo. Ive had hundreds of fly/caught swung salmon, char, and steelhead and have had a big whoppin 0...count that ZERO bleeders!

have to agree on the 45 min right as absurd...it may have been on the line that long but ive landed 25lb chum on a 7wt in fast water in less than 10 min. ...after a while you gotta use some force and land the fish. especially with 8kg tippet or whatever

I call horshite - that fish is way to clean for "...bleeding quite heavily from the gills"
where's the blood?
In any picture where the gills have been cut you'll see some, usually copious amounts of blood on the fish.
This just sucks, and that explanation doesn't cut it, because none would.
World - F'n Record - schmuck.

"I now know what you look like and if I ever see you on the river, it will not be pleasant. " from twb..

Brave words over the internet! this guy at least posted a pic of the fish and is saying basically this was the fish of a lifetime and a world record and hey I knwo its not the right thing to do but I killed it. he's at least coming out and owning it .. you on the other hand have a fake who knows who you are moniker on an internet site and now want to make random threats. you threaten me and then try to meet me on a river you'll have your hands full ! lets hope peter is nicer then me. for your sake . If its me I am asking every fly fisherman I see if they know you just to take you up on the offer!

Nothing gets my blood boiling like an idiot who wants to be a hero and make threats over the internet. I dont know whats worse killing a nate or beeing an A*s the nate killing was a one time deal you beeing an A*S wont go away until someone call's you on it....

salmon jeff. thanks for making it clear that you are an ass too.

Maybe it's just me and the dude's I fish with but world record or not I've never seen a wild fish bonked....take that back i bonked my first steelhead in 94 at the encouragement of a buddy. I didn't know better back then. I think we all know better now.
We all know a dude here on the board who caught the state record Coho this fall and let it go because he had already punched his fish that day. Not exactly the same thing but close.
If you visit this board specifically you know to release wild steelhead and to play fish as quickly as possible to the bank for a revival and release.
There's plenty of guides who have no problem bonking wild fish. I'm glad there are also plenty who make it clear that wild fish swim away in their boats.

Its not just you myself and all of my fishing buddies share the same ethic, "release all wild fish" I am really suprised by the amount of people who are willing to kill a native fish, especially over on cryfish.

Salmon Jeff don't kid urself, if your fighting skills are as good as your spelling then god help us... (Pun intended)
Jason y.... I'm referring to you calling the guy out as "Getting good".
I already stated my opinion on what i think of this nimrod, <----
Bleeding or not, killing a fish ensures it wont spawn..

thats a darn nice fish.. to bad it was killed for what??? a mount !! you could have taken a picture and had a fake one made.. That big boy could have shot his wad on alot of eggs... What a waste..

If it was a bleeder, it had nothing to do with where it was hooked...

But how the fish was handled .

The smile on your face says it all....so congrats.

Mf

I'm trying to wrap my head around a swung fly on tight line causing a heavy bleeder. I guess it's possible but it seems really unlikely. I'm guessing "landing trauma",

fb

I would have absolutely no problem letting a fish like that go.
If your beliefs are true regarding not killing wild fish, you would let that thing swim and hope for the best, not drag it a mile to your car. I can't imagine how that would feel.

If you look close, you can see the fly. Not a bleeder. Lame.

You said douch bag twice. But a lovely collection of adjectives. Some verbs too.

look at the fishes snout you can see a pink fly...bleeder? no way

why is it legal to retain wild fish on that river? Not to many places that it can be done anymore and with good reason. This whole debacle could have been avoided if the WDFW would step up and not allow wild steelhead to be tagged.

It does look like it is hooked in the nose, being that I float fish most of the time, I catch most of my fish in that same area and I have never seen a bleeder.

But I have never seen a 30+lb steelhead either!

Well, Jason...I guess we all know where you stand!

I think that the "rest" of the "rest of the story" is still being waited to tell...BN, remember that there were other folks there.

Fish on...

Todd

You suck. Every fly flucker that trys to one up me I spit on. Face. Red.

+1
Landing w/ Gorilla Gill Grip.

They are tough fish!!!! Big grin in photo?????

I cant wait to here the rest of the rest of the story, I hope it contradicts what was said earlier, some of these guys are ruthless, but I have a bag of popcorn ready to go in the microwave so bring it on!

45 minutes..mebbe hooked in the dorsal mouth?

If it would be possible to land a 30+ pound fish on a barbie rod, i am sure you could do it in under 45 mins.....
There is no way, that you could play a fish out for that long. You manhandling the fish by the gills, is what f*ed it up and for that you should be manhandled by the juggler.


Go jump off a cliff.

What a throughly disgusting picture! Yeah nice DEAD fish!

agreed...

so i must be a hufe asshole too?

it's late, I'm tired. And I'm sick of Peter's BS:

Sorry Sir Peter ... knighted "sir" for your conservation efforts. A crock all round from what I've been told my witnesses on scene.

45 minutes to land a mortally bleeding fish, my ass.

Hope you get your glory with your "world record" ... I've seen many a fish landed bigger on the bugrod. Not the biggest by a long shot.

But if that's what turns your crank, so be it.