[patagonia]

Ok... for someone new to the whole float fishing for steelhead thing I had a question. Is their really that much of an advantage to using roe or can you get the same results with artificials... in my first season ive landed one on roe and one on a pink worm... not a big fan of the sticky rebaiting roe but if its that much better it might be worth it. having no real experience i was wondering what those of u who have been in the game for a while thought...

 

[marko]

IMO patagonia I have seen and had just as good a result with both. Don't forget raw shrimp and
you could always use sent on wool ties or gooies....

:beerchug: Marko

 

[spey]

I have the most luck with artificials. Probably because i use them 75% of the time. Howver, it is hard to beat fresh roe.

 

[Hook Set]

If you don't like the sticky mess of roe use roe bags. Reduces the mess and it lasts way longer.

 

[Krypto-Limitkiller-Sanderson]

Roe is waaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyy over rated :2cents:

 

[Pat AV]

Bait is flat out deadly, there is a reason bait bans are used as a fisheries management tool.......

 

[Bent Rod]

I agree Krypto ROE is way over rated. Lets brainstorm here, what do Steelhead eat most in the Ocean, cephlapods man cephlapods :thumbup:.

 

[fishing4salmon]

if you don't want to get a sticky hand, just bring a towel with you. Roe is the way to go

 

[rln]

ask those that frequent this board if roe is over rated on streams like the Cheakamus. I doubt they would agree with any statements claiming otherwise.

 

[Bent Rod]

Bait is flat out deadly, there is a reason bait bans are used as a fisheries management tool.......

Not trying to bash you Pat, this is directed at the people in charge of making the rules and regs.

I would love to see a case where a bait ban has done anything in regards to conservation aside from dividing anglers and making us less effective at pressuring govt to DO THINGS that actually conserve and protect Steelhead.

Vancouver Island and Sea to Sky rivers are perfect examples of bait bans resulting in PISS ALL in helping fish.

Then you have the thriving Chilliwack river with it's hordes of devlish bait thugs(sarcasm) and studies showing bait moratality as low as 1%, the same as it is for other lures and flies.

There is an argument that a bait ban adresses the issue of repeat captures, but in my findings fishing over stacked fish is much more responsible for recapture, take the Spences Bridge "fly cushions" for instance.
Certainly a late season spot closure would adress this type of issue on many rivers if indeed it is an issue.

As another testament to the power of artificials and metal lures, I know many of the best steelheaders on this planet who never use roe and catch a plethora of Steelhead. They also recapture many fish, well because they know where they live.

I think roe use has its place in allowing starting anglers to have confidence in what they are using, we all know confidence is a huge part of success in Steelheading.

Roe as the be all end all of catching Steelhead is more and old school mentality and more and more with new innovations we are seeing less bait boxes and more artificial and less messy alternatives and you still have the 10% catching all the fish.

But to the original poster, use whatever it takes to make you confident you will catch steelhead, just do not get caught up in the belief that you need some special roe cure to catch steelhead.
Simply put, spend copius amounts of time in one area of river, prefferably a productive one and observe anglers who ARE catching steelhead. Then fish the spots where you see fish caught, relegiously, this will be your ticket to success. Roe bags, prawns, pink worms, wool and jensen egg, spinner, jigs, it really dosen't matter in fact just having a different offering is sometimes the greatest lure of all.

Good luck.

RLN, those fish only like swung flies at the end of 2 handed rods, anything less is below them ;D.
Their NEW BREED Steelhead, JK folks.

 

[rln]

Rod
my post is more to the fact that you can go to the Cheakamus right now and see evidence that some one has been fishing roe on the Cheakamus even though it is closed to doing so for most of us. Even though I am sure the person or persons doing so are legally allowed to do so by nature of birth right, should they really be doing so on such small populations of wild steelhead?

 

[fishortho]

I think Rod hit the nail on the head. 10% of fishers catch 90% of the fish!...It is about the same everywhere you go. If you understand the habits of steelhead, keep accurate data on ALL fish caught (yours & others) paying particular attn. to water height,clarity, & temperature as well as the month of the year, you will soon see some definite patterns in habits and the kind of structure and water speed and depths these fish seek out.
Roe is a bit over rated and certainly is NOT the "go to" for a lot of steelheaders. Sure it works, but I have said before, most trout are pretty stupid(there is a reason many wild fish get recaptured several times/season.
You will soon learn what the "perfect roe water" is as well as the perfect water for blades,jigs,wool ties and flies.
Once you have those basics mastered, you will quickly move into the 10% catagory.
Too many fishers thrash a body of water in the wrong place then wonder why someone steps in and hits a fish on the first cast.....Most of the time, when you learn thru experience and data where these spots are and apply the above, you will catch more fish!.........Ortho 8)

 

[HOOK]

I would have to agree that roe is over-rated because every single one of my steelies has come on artificials. And i really dislike using roe or roe bags because its just a pain to carry that bait bow around. I also like not having to re-bait all the time which means just a little less fishing then when your fishing artificials. :thumbup: To be honest all my fish but one has come on the same wool tie :thumbup:

 

[ribolovac]

I'm no experianced steelheader,but as this being my first season I've never used roe only artificials and most of them made by me,I'm happy to say hooked into a lot of fish.
I totally agree with Rod by the way. :thumbup:

 

[patagonia]

Thanks for the reply Rod... it does seem to make sense, like they say in fly fishing presentation is everything and the offering is second... I was out today and had another fish on the pink worm... maybe as you were saying the worm imitates a squid like creature that the steelhead feed on in the ocean as well as the dew worm???? I usually fish more off the pocket water and am guessing that roe is best suited for those long smooth slow runs.... the worm seems to give the undulating almost jig like effect in the faster water

 

[curmudgeon]

I moved to the Island in the early 90's from the mainland. On the mainland, I fished roe on a regular basis. On the Island, I fish the Cowichan regularly.

Several years after I arrived, they established an Island wide bait ban. I keep very detailed fishing logs and haven't noticed any drop in fish hooked or landed since going strictly to artificial and fly. If anything, my numbers have gone up. That is probably due to knowing the local rivers better.

I don't think roe makes a big difference to the fish. It may make a big difference to the angler as confidence is a real key to success. I still disagree with an Island Wide bait ban. It was based on flawed studies on hooking mortality of bass in lakes. When the studies were challenged, fisheries managers trotted out the belief that bait caught more fish (no scientific data supplied) and hence led to higher mortality rates.

Does roe catch more fish? I don't think so. But mishandling fish will increase fish mortality.

 

[fishing4salmon]

some people say salmon and steelhead doesn't have smelling scence. is that true??

 

[Krypto-Limitkiller-Sanderson]

No, completly false. Salmon and steelhead have an amazing sense of smell, I believe they can smell into the parts per billion.

 

[STLHDR]

No, completly false. Salmon and steelhead have an amazing sense of smell, I believe they can smell into the parts per billion.

Isnt it humans parts per thousand, dogs parts per million, and fish parts per billion?

 

[Nuggy]

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