Thursday
Mar042010
March Slab of the Month Entry: Oregon Steelhead
Thursday, March 4, 2010 at 12:04AM 
Photos Courtesy of Mike Davidchik
Brian Chou's coastal buck ain't the only one with a low hanging jaw...
tagged Oregon, slab of the month, steelhead in Contests
Oregon, slab of the month, steelhead in Contests
Reader Comments (71)
Careful, Chromeseeker.
"It is dangerous to be right in matters where established men are wrong." - Voltaire
WOW huge fish in a spawning trib, lets all drop down for a BJ.
someone's always a hater- one badass fish man Congrats!
Awsome fish dude !! Great job !!!
I spent a day last winter fishing with Brian and his wife Dawn. I was impressed not only by their angling and casting abilities but by their humility as well.
Short of casting to fish on redds I have a hard time finding any ethical shortcomings in catching a fish with some color to it. In fact, I've seen a whole lot of hero shots on the intertubes a whole hell of a lot darker than the one that Mr. Chou is holding without a fucking peep from the peanut gallery.
And just as a reminder, anadromous fish are only back in the sweetwater to get their hump on. Technically that makes every Steelhead and Salmon river a "spawning trib" doesn't it?
We need to adjust our attitudes and remember that fishing is supposed to be enjoyable. Oh yeah, and we're the only ones that care about it anyway.
And haters, check out the second pic. Looks like Chou knows how to land a fish real fucking quick judging by the bend in that rod.
And sorry, almost forgot, nice fish Brian!
Oh ya, how silly of us to be impressed by a fish that may be better than any we ever catch...
Not trying to insult Mr. Chou, just trying to insight some thinking and how we all should act while fishing for a species threatened by so many things. I am sure he is a fine angler and can respect my concern for wild steelhead in the northwest. We are all learning every day we are on the river. It is sometimes better to bring attention to issues in a very direct and hostile manner, it sure does get attention. I don't visit this site often, but if there has been other Wild Steelhead darker than this exploited for some personal glory that is a shame. I have seen many publications and writers showing off dark fish and I am sick of it. As far as all anadramous fish being in a "spawning trib" it sure is different being 5 miles from tidewater than many miles from the salt. It's like you at the beginning of the marathon as opposed to you at mile 20 of said marathon, GET IT?? Could you service multiple ladies after mile 20?? I truely enjoy every moment I am on the water and do not need any one else to justifly what I do. I just feel it's irresponsible for any angler to put a picture of such a beast on the web for all to see and drool over, wanting to duplicate, likely by any means nessesary. I still would rather catch a 12 lb sea liced chromer, CS
Chrome,
This fish was caught 9000 feet from the bay, just above tidewater. The spawning water exists well upstream. Wild winter steelhead often come in turning. I've seen equally dark fish with sea lice. The fishery is open, and is fair.
Brian... NICE FISH!! That is a slab indeed!
Chromeseeker... since you're into insight, try this on: once a steelhead hits the fresh water on a spawning run, it's not like they're going to be gaining any more energy. You catching a fish chrome bright out of the salt takes just as much energy out of the fish as someone catching it farther upstream, you just take the steam out of them earlier. They've got one tank of gas - and if they burn it up dicking around with you at the begining, that's just that much less energy they have to make it 20 miles upstream to service the ladies.
You've got just as good of chance of gill hooking or exhausting a fish as someone further up river. A fish as just as dead 5 miles from the salt as it is 20 miles. If you care so much about protecting and preserving wild steelhead, why don't you take all your fly rods and break them in half - or better yet, give them to me. Stop catching them if you love them so much.
You, sir, are a hypocrite in the worst of ways.
P.S. That fish was chrome bright straight out of the salt at some point... where the fuck were you???
hmmm... maybe that fish wasn't chrome bright straight out of the salt at some point (thank you Andy). I stand corrected.
Luckily, Chromeseeker, you were too busy on your soapbox to risk accidentally hooking anything other than your 12 pound sea liced chromer.
To be perfectly honest, that fish isn't even that dark. Yea, it has some rouge on to keep the ladies wet, but come on man.
Brian, thanks for sharing. Hell of a fish.
great fish.
i too would way rather catch a 12lb dime bright sea lice infested fish.
I can tell most of you are not steelheaders. on the CA coast that is a spawner.
once again, great fish regardless.
Ungodly big beautiful fish Brian.
The haters are envious, and try to step on your trophy to make themselves a little taller. Sad and pathetic.
dld i am not sure if you are a steelheader? you obviously haven't ever caught winter run fish atleast. chromeseeker stop, i think the fishing public has spoke we don't like you your kind
That fish is a dandy!!!
Nice steelhead. Anywhere.
About the color. Color on a steelhead is a secondary sexual characteristic, presumably to attract members of the opposite sex and let them know the colored fish is ready, or not, to mate. Chou's steelhead is beginning to color up and is not in full on spawning dress for most areas of the steelhead's range. If it has actually begun to spawn, which I don't think it has, it hasn't had any competition and isn't showing any of the usual signs of wear.
Steelhead that are a short time from spawning can and do begin to express color even before entering freshwater, but most enter weeks or more away from actual spawning and are still ocean chrome when they hit freshwater. And while steelhead enter rivers with only one tank of gas, so to speak, it contains plenty of energy to entertain an angler or two with hookups. Injury from a bad hook placement and just plain poor fish handling are far more deleterious to the fish than the energy expended being played and landed. And it's the same energy whether the fish is caught in tidewater or 20 or 100 miles upstream. After a multi-thousand mile ocean migration, it should be apparent that these fish are made to swim.
Nice fish. Oregon, eh?
Sg
Once again, did I just go over to the Drake board?
Seeing this fish means I can skip going to church today. Great fish, Mr. Chou.
Super hot just like all my women. Hole in one!!!!!!
That's a hog man!
Congrats!
What a beaut!