Kathy McGovern and
Greg Defoe fished the Salmon River with guide Greg Liu in the Fall of '97
when a big bright steelie just couldn't be handled. So spring came, and
novice Kathy was back to fish over spawners.
Thought the water was mid level, Kathy's slim build made wading difficult and she depended on the old trusty folstaf. The fish were on the redds but even with polaroids surface riffles made sighting 60%. Being in relatively fast current made the drifts tough. The best angle was almost straight downstream. Accuracy was imperitive. Though Kathy was a relative newcomer to the game, she used her head. When the fish moved slightly, or to one side or another, instead of stripping out line, or reeling some in, she moved. This simple technique kept her fly where she wanted it.
The steelies were there, acouple of bucks and the hen, but hooking them solid with a downstream drift isn't easy. Kathy missed acouple of hits, then left a fly in one of the males. She was getting the hang of it thought.
Finally a solid strike,
a good jump and an upstream run. Greg Liu, world-wide, experience guide
that he is springs into action. Well, maybe, slowly walks, is more like
it. Knowing Kathy's odds of success would drop dramatically if the steelhead
gets downstream of her and she has to follow quickly, he slowly walks slightly
above the redd, to keep the fish upstream from Kathy.
And playing it's part according to the script, the steelie stayed upsteam. A strong 7 minute fight, with Kathy playing gingerly, only having to wade a few feet, getting advise from the 2 Gregs, and it was in the net.
Thirty-one and a half inches. About eleven pounds.
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