All Around Angler

This story brought to you from Brennan “Brick” Ingram who is writing in from his new home a few hundred miles from us….I hope you like the arrangement, Bricker.


Brick’s pops, Slammin’ Randy Ingram….

I finally got a chance to get out and try my hand at some eastside steelheading the other day. To my surprise the tributary rivers I fished were ridiculously small. All being about half the size of (most PacNW small rivers) if not smaller, making my traditional casting gear near worthless on extremely short casts.



Using yarnie and eggs along with spinners I attacked the water as I would any other river “being able to read water is always key, if you can (do that) you can catch fish anywhere”.

After wading numerous times across the tiny stream to get better angles on the runs we came across a very swift boily looking hole. (I sent you a pic of the hole) The day earlier while scouting I remember telling my dad “there’s no way in hell a fish would sit in that”. About two casts into the hole later I found out otherwise.



I flipped my eggs out on drift and as soon as my line had tension, the old familiar tug came on the other end. Completely of balance by the area the fish hooked I yelled at my pops “FISH ON!”



Within seconds the fish had taken me to the bottom of the 30ft run and I got a glimpse of her. Holy shit was all I could think as I saw one of if not the biggest slabs of steel I have ever hooked in my life!

As it crossed down to the next run with line screaming off my reel like I hooked a 50lb nook, the fish came completely aerial, at least 3-4ft completely out of the water. Very Very conservative estimates would put the fish around 14-15lbs. My dad got the camera as I ran across the rapid with my heart nearly pounding out of my chest. I found my line caught around a brush clump in the middle of the river.



I finally got it undone when the fish rolled again and hooked me up on another small limb “Pink” (it popped out). As fast as the fish hit it was gone. Breaking 10lb maxima ultragreen like it was going out of style.


I have never been owned by any fish like that in my entire life and I can’t stop thinking of ways I could have altered the outcome, but experiences like this are what keep me in the game of bank fishing salmon/steelhead.


Looking back on it now I’m stoked I was able to hook a fish on my first outing ever out here, let alone crossing paths with such a monster. Hopefully I can get out again soon and get some pictures this time.



Brennan “The Brick” Ingram
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