# Skam?



## rbarta (Aug 20, 2011)

After the nice rain we received in the Eastern UP, decided it was time to hit the trout streams again. I arrived out to the stream a littler later than planned due to work but that didn't hinder the fishing at all. Slipped into my waders and began the hike through the thick brush down to the water. Stepped up the the first hole and flicked out the trusty old panther martin and with that first cast landed a nice 13 inch brookie.

After unhooking and releasing that brookie I casted a few more times in that same hole with no avail. I walked my way above the hole to where there is a long run with tree right down the center, a fish heaven I thought to myself. Casted a handful of times then decided to change spinners because it looked like too good of a place to not hold a fish.

So the next cast with the different spinner, it was slammed by what i thought was a big brown due to the shear strength. But not long after that was the fish airborne, revealing it was not a large brown but a steelhead instead. As you could imagine on a 6' ultralight and 4 pound test it wasn't going to be easy. After about 5 minutes of log dodging and acrobatic jumps, I managed to get the fish to shore. Took a few quick pictures then let it swim away to be caught by someone else. It was by far the largest fish I have caught while small stream trout fishing measure at just over 30 inches. After the shock of what had happened, I was left wondered if that steelhead was a drop back from the spring spawn that has held over longer due to the cooler water temps or if it was a summer run. So my question is what are your opinions on this. It was caught on an unmentionable that drains into Lake Huron. 

The rest of the trip went equally as well catching a couple more small rainbows in comparison, 4 more brookies over 12 and a limit kept between 8-11 for the pan. This will be one of those trips that will not be soon forgotten! Let me know what you guys think about skam or drop back. Tight Lines!


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## wdf73 (Sep 14, 2009)

rbarta said:


> After the nice rain we received in the Eastern UP, decided it was time to hit the trout streams again. I arrived out to the stream a littler later than planned due to work but that didn't hinder the fishing at all. Slipped into my waders and began the hike through the thick brush down to the water. Stepped up the the first hole and flicked out the trusty old panther martin and with that first cast landed a nice 13 inch brookie.
> 
> After unhooking and releasing that brookie I casted a few more times in that same hole with no avail. I walked my way above the hole to where there is a long run with tree right down the center, a fish heaven I thought to myself. Casted a handful of times then decided to change spinners because it looked like too good of a place to not hold a fish.
> 
> ...


Wow; you are cruel! Here I am stuck in the LP for a month yet! Those are awesome fish. I am going with summer run on the steel. I'm not too much of an expert on summer fish, but I would say it's too bright to have been in the river long.


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## twenkes (Oct 22, 2011)

I'm gonna say skam as well. Good looking fish Eddie 


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## beer and nuts (Jan 2, 2001)

Looks like a skam bullet!


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## cruiseplanner1 (Aug 6, 2012)

Nice pictures. I catch some of the in the Sturgeon river also during August. They will leave lakes as they warm and get into rivers and creeks about this time as they are colder and have a lot of available feed.


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## someone11 (Mar 15, 2009)

Only way to tell skam is genetics. Looks like it may be one but who knows. Didnt think they released any skams in the UP.


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## Blaketrout (Feb 9, 2000)

Hard to tell. The spring run was so late this year there could very easily be dropbacks around still. I've heard of a few fresh steelhead caught out of cool Lake Huron tribs recently as well. Not too unusual for winter runs to start up in mid August. Especially with the cooler than normal summer and rain.


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## Mr Burgundy (Nov 19, 2009)

Those ate some dandys. Nice pics bro


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

That smaller Rainbow in the last pic makes me think there is natural reproduction of Steelhead in that river. Nice fishing! Those are great Specs, too. Not sure if that large fish is a Skam, but definitely a Steelhead. They tend to stray quite a bit, and it wouldn't surprise me if some Skams have found their way into lake Superior, and spawned successfully there.


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## Robert Holmes (Oct 13, 2008)

someone11 said:


> Only way to tell skam is genetics. Looks like it may be one but who knows. Didnt think they released any skams in the UP.


They do migrate but you are right it is difficult to tell for certain. Shortly after Indiana started planting them I caught a 12 pound skamania in Lake Huron. I presented it to a DNR fisheries biologist that took scale samples, counted fin rays, and took pictures. It was later to be determined to be the first documented skamania taken from Lake Huron. I have caught them in Cheboygan, Petoskey, and in the UP. If The fisherman is on the stretch of water that I am thinking a couple of more have been caught there last week.


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## ausable_steelhead (Sep 30, 2002)

I'm leaning towards a later spring fish. Likely a recent DB, that just finished digging. The fact it has all its fins, plus they're all large and full. Every skam I've landed this summer has been clipped somehow; every single one. Some don't have a clip, but this fish is too skinny for me. The summer fish this year are about as stout as I've saw them. Very quality fish this summer...


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