I made it up to the Milwaukee River this past weekend and was glad to see a few steelhead get hooked and even showed a couple the boots. Saturday morning just as the sun was climbing over the horizon my friend Bret set the hook into a small steelhead dead drifting an egg pattern. These fish that return after only one year in the big lake usually weigh around 2-5 lbs and can be good fun if your fishing six or seven weight rods. I have noticed over the past few years that these fish tend to show up earlier than the two year fish. More than half of the steelhead I’ve caught or seen caught in October in southern Wisconsin have been one year fish.
But then again one of my biggest steelhead was caught late October of last year, so that doesn’t mean the big one isn’t out there early in the run. About twenty minutes after Bret released his fish he set the hook into another one. Only this time seconds after his line came tight a chrome steelhead erupted from the pool below him. As soon as the fun began it had ended. The hook came free and the fish got away. After resting the pool for a few minutes we rotated spots and I began to swing my orange bunny strip right below the riffles. It took a little while, but eventually a steelhead grabbed my fly and made a good run, and the first time it rolled toward me the hook came out. At the next spot I was able to make it happen when a 8 lb chromer took my fly on the go mid swing! Those are my favorite takes. By the time you realize you have a bite the fish has already peeled 50 ft of line off your reel! It looks as though the best of fall fishing is about to begin.
Once you get your hand around that tail all those fishless days vanish
It’s always tough to find solitude on Wisconsin’s tributaries during peak run times, but it’s not that bad when the guys who show up at your spot are your buddies. When we ran into Adam and Karsten we did what good friends should do, and all shared the run like civilized people.
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