Many anglers feel that drift fishing is the best way to catch
steelhead trout. This technique does have a high success rate - but so do others.
None the less, I was browsing Amazon.com the other day and came across this book called,
Steelhead & Salmon Drift-Fishing Secrets.
The book caught my attention because it focused on
steelhead fishing in the Northwest. Most of the books I checked out in the past focused on regions further east.
So in an effort to make sure my readers always have the best trout fishing resources, I bought the book and decided to check it out for myself. And I have to say I was quite impressed with the quality of information in this 96-page book.
The author took a no-nonsense approach to sharing valuable
steelheading tips and secrets. I like that. As much as I love hearing people's stories, when it comes to learning new fishing tips, I like to cut to the chase and get straight to relevant information.
The book covered everything from basic trout anatomy to cleaning and filleting your catch. Chapters in between told what equipment to buy, how to set it up, and how to use it. Several different fishing techniques were described in detail as well when to use them, and when not to.
One of the most challenging aspects of
steelhead fishing is knowing when you have a fish at the end of your line and should set the hook. The book did a nice job of explaining the different ways to tell if you have a
steelhead trout checking out your offering (or bait).
In addition to these topics, it also does a better job on teaching you how to read a river than any other book I've seen. This is important because it helps you know where to find fish. There were tons of photos to help illustrate differences in water
current, pools, etc.
Although many of the topics covered in this book are advanced, I would highly recommend this book for beginners too. All of the pictures and basic information about trout anatomy, reading rivers, and more make this a beneficial book for any experience level.
And even though this book is geared toward fishing the Northwest - I'm certain that many of the fishing techniques could be applied to other geographic regions. If you're serious about
steelhead fishing, you'll want to add this book to your library.
By the way, I did get a new fishing tip out of the book. It's really a tip on caring for your gear. But the tip could improve your success rate in catching more trout.
I've mentioned in my
trout fishing eBook that trout have a great sense of smell and that you should always be careful in handling your bait to reduce
human smell transferring to it. While this is second nature for many anglers, many of us tend to overlook odors on our fishing line.
Monofilament is porous and holds odors really well - and this too can be a problem in turning fish off.
The Drift-fishing book suggested that you store your extra line in zip-lock bags to further protect it from odors transferring to it. This tip would really help line stored in your garage or back of car.
I thought that was a nice little fishing tip and wanted to share it with you.
Labels: drift fishing, Steelhead fishing, Steelhead Trout
