# Fred Trost & Jim Bedford, Winter Steelheading



## concentroutin (Jan 7, 2014)

Thanks for posting that, Trout King. Good stuff when it is this cold out!


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

Riverdude said:


> Let me tell you a story about Jim Bedford.
> I'll set the seen.
> Early 1990's
> Spring run steelhead.
> ...


I'll play Devil's Advocate, here. 

A very long time ago, the guy who turned me on to Steelhead fishing (thanks for the 1000th time, John), and who knew Jim, showed me a method to get a Steelhead on, that was... unusual. We had a largish Buck Steelhead guarding a redd, that just wouldn't bite. So, my friend handed me a Colorado Spinner, and we put it on my line, and moved slightly downstream of the redd. We waited a few minutes, and my Friend told me to toss the spinner upstream, and just let it flutter down to rest in the redd. It took a few casts to get it right, but when it happened, he advised me to just leave the spinner lying there, and eventually that Buck would get irked, and would move it off the redd. It took a few minutes (basically a lifetime), but that fish sure did slide over, and pick that shiny spinner up in its mouth - at which point I yanked and set the hook, and caught him. 

I'm not defending Jim Bedford, as I wasn't on the scene. But I have used this method to catch Steelhead a few times - although not in a couple decades. I've had Jim (and his LCC class) fish through spots I was already fishing, more than a few times. They hit, and move on, hammering the water with casted spinners. I feel it can put fish off their bite, and have discussed it with him a couple times. He is always civil, but maintains that it is his MO to cover a lot of water, both wading, and with casts. And he is right. I learned to live with it, and just worked harder to hook fish behind him, after he moved past. He's not a bad Fellow, and knows a ton about Steelhead. And there's the whole Zebco Cardinal reel thing....

As far as the Cardinal reels being vintage, I pretty much use my Cardinal reels. I have never bought any fishing equipment to put it on a shelf, and look at it. 

Okay, show of hands - who knows what a Colorado Spinner is? lol


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## mrjimspeaks (Aug 23, 2009)

I love the transition from blues guitar to big band jazz once they starting showing some battles.


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## PunyTrout (Mar 23, 2007)

mrjimspeaks said:


> I love the transition from blues guitar to big band jazz once they starting showing some battles.


Yeah my buddy and I thought the same thing when we watched it.


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## PunyTrout (Mar 23, 2007)

Fishndude said:


> As far as the Cardinal reels being vintage, I pretty much use my Cardinal reels. I have never bought any fishing equipment to put it on a shelf, and look at it.
> 
> Okay, show of hands - who knows what a Colorado Spinner is? lol


I think they're referring to the reel featured in the video itself. 40 year old reels are vintage IMO even if they are still being made today.

And yes, I know what a Colorado spinner is, at least the blades that is. I mostly use French and inline PM styles though when I make my spinners.


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## Black Ghost (Jul 3, 2002)

Did Mr. Bedford also use the long Swan noodle rods with 2 lb test. Ran into Mr. Swan several times but never Mr. Bedford.

I remember those days of heavy winter clothes under the waders. Glad I never took a winter dunking.

BG


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## Ranger Ray (Mar 2, 2003)

Fishndude said:


> Okay, show of hands - who knows what a Colorado Spinner is? lol


Sure do. Some of the first spinners I ever owned. First place I ever saw them, was when I was on a trip with my parents to the Wisconsin Dells.


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## Black Ghost (Jul 3, 2002)

Yes I do remember Colorado Spinners which we used for trout with our 4lb test Mitchell 308 spinning reels for trout. Preferred CP Swingers, Abu Reflex, Mepps Spinners though.

Any one remember the Phoebe trout spoon in gold was trout killer for us.

BG


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## PunyTrout (Mar 23, 2007)

Black Ghost said:


> Did Mr. Bedford also use the long Swan noodle rods with 2 lb test. Ran into Mr. Swan several times but never Mr. Bedford.


Man, That was my first Steelhead rod. A dark navy blue Browning, Dick Swan noodle rod. I don't even remember what happened to it now... I'll have to work it out in therapy one day...


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## Black Ghost (Jul 3, 2002)

http://www.ourmidland.com/sports/ar...-was-a-giant-in-the-fishing-world-6918433.php

Very interesting fisherman to chat with on the rivers several times and at shows.

RIP

BG


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

Black Ghost said:


> Did Mr. Bedford also use the long Swan noodle rods with 2 lb test. Ran into Mr. Swan several times but never Mr. Bedford.
> 
> I remember those days of heavy winter clothes under the waders. Glad I never took a winter dunking.
> 
> ...


Nope. Bedford like a graphite rod about 9 - 9.5 feet long, lined with 8# - 10# line. He literally covers the water with casts, and will work miles of water in a day. Always with spinners. 

I met Dick Swan a number of times, and we discussed Steelhead fishing plenty. I have never been a fan of ultra-light tackle for Steelhead, but that was his thing. To each their own.


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## concentroutin (Jan 7, 2014)

Hey Black Ghost, those Phoebe spoons are killer on stocked trout ponds/lakes, especially with an erratic retrieve. I usually do better with the silver/blue, but gold has worked well too.


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## Black Ghost (Jul 3, 2002)

I will have to pick some up online. Yes flutter them with an erratic retrieve. Cannot find them at local stores.


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## smokepole (Mar 13, 2005)

Riverdude said:


> Let me tell you a story about Jim Bedford.
> I'll set the seen.
> Early 1990's
> Spring run steelhead.
> ...




I have a couple similar stories about him. 
He may be knowledgeable but he is a top notch assshat!


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## bheary (Dec 29, 2010)

He's a State fan, what do you expect lol

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## Benzie Rover (Mar 17, 2008)

Fishndude said:


> Nope. Bedford like a graphite rod about 9 - 9.5 feet long, lined with 8# - 10# line. He literally covers the water with casts, and will work miles of water in a day. Always with spinners.
> 
> I met Dick Swan a number of times, and we discussed Steelhead fishing plenty. I have never been a fan of ultra-light tackle for Steelhead, but that was his thing. To each their own.


I too was never a fan of having to wait 15 minutes for Dick or one of his buddies to land a fish on 2lb while it ran downstream 200 yrds took up all the casting space for 20 other dudes standing there waiting, but the guy would sure hook a lot of fish, no doubt. He was cool to me as a kid and often let me fish in his group, which was usually the best part of any run. Caught a lot of fish next to him when I was a youngster in the 70s. RIP Dick. 

Jim on the other hand would come storming through, making two casts and then keep banging brush and walking his way upstream, often wading waist deep. Never saw him hook too many, but I respect the dedication to spinners.


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## riverbob (Jan 11, 2011)

Well i guess it's my turn. i only had to deal with dick n his bunch for about a week, one year on the rouge. when they came threw i just quit fishing (got pushed outa the spot i was fishin) how bedford on the other hand, i run in to him at least 100 time on the grand, i'd b fishing n he would come up river chucking spinner right in my drift (turned the fish off) i would bitch, but it did no good, honestly i through he was deaf & dumb, then one day i seen him giving a speech at the civic on how to fish........what a guy, made money being a very inconsiderate fishermen. ps i hope he read this he knows who i'am


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## Trout King (May 1, 2002)

riverbob said:


> Well i guess it's my turn. i only had to deal with dick n his bunch for about a week, one year on the rouge. when they came threw i just quit fishing (got pushed outa the spot i was fishin) how bedford on the other hand, i run in to him at least 100 time on the grand, i'd b fishing n he would come up river chucking spinner right in my drift (turned the fish off) i would bitch, but it did no good, honestly i through he was deaf & dumb, then one day i seen him giving a speech at the civic on how to fish........what a guy, made money being a very inconsiderate fishermen. ps i hope he read this he knows who i'am


He has done the same thing to me and many more. On bigger water like the Grand it doesn't bother me too much. It did however bother me one day on a trib. I had been at the hole by myself for a bit and was giving the fish a little break after hitting a few. I was changing rigs and just giving the hole a few minutes to settle. Here comes Jim, says hello and the basic, "how ya doin'" conversation. He explains how this hole is usually good to him and proceeds without asking to throw his spinner through the hole a few times. I kind of gave him the blank stare and hinted I better move on to somewhere else. He told me he believes he was helping me by, "waking them up". I have chucked enough hardware and it is my opinion that if you don't catch them on the hardware, it most likely puts the fish down. Oh well, I try not to get too bent about other people anymore. Still, there is something to be said about proper river etiquette.


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## Bob Hunter (Jan 19, 2016)

Trout King said:


> He has done the same thing to me and many more. On bigger water like the Grand it doesn't bother me too much. It did however bother me one day on a trib. I had been at the hole by myself for a bit and was giving the fish a little break after hitting a few. I was changing rigs and just giving the hole a few minutes to settle. Here comes Jim, says hello and the basic, "how ya doin'" conversation. He explains how this hole is usually good to him and proceeds without asking to throw his spinner through the hole a few times. I kind of gave him the blank stare and hinted I better move on to somewhere else. He told me he believes he was helping me by, "waking them up". I have chucked enough hardware and it is my opinion that if you don't catch them on the hardware, it most likely puts the fish down. Oh well, I try not to get too bent about other people anymore. Still, there is something to be said about proper river etiquette.


Jim and his gang would do the same thing to my dad and I on the Little Manistee, we would be fishing a run and they would walk right through it while flipping their spinners and never say a word to us. I was fairly young at the time and didn't really know what to think about it at the time.


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## Spin to Win (Dec 7, 2010)

Man - a lot of Bedford bashing going on here. I think we need to add a little context and perspective to some of these posts. 

First of all, I am not going to call any of your stories about this man a lie, because I wasn't there for any of them. However, I have been on the stream with him many times, and have never witnessed the discourtesies some describe. I'm sure there have been times when he wasn't as courteous as he should have been, but I know that lots of us (myself included) could be thrown in that category from time to time as well. I certainly have never seen any type of intentional snagging, and find it highly unlikely that he would partake in that. 

Let's focus on all of the positive things this man has done, and is still doing for our fishery in the last 50 years:

Fights for better fish habitat, including being a major voice for dam removal
Has written hundreds of articles helping others become better fisherman
Watchdog for destruction of our resources. Examples:
Alerted authorities about fish kills on several SW MI trout streams due to improper fertilizer management
Advocate, and voice for rehabilitation of stream side habitat destruction by drain commissioner in SW MI stream

Attends lots of meetings: Natural Resource Committee, Fishery Advisory Committee, Lake Michigan Committee, local DNR meetings, etc. 

Volunteers his time and resources at trout camps every year to teach kids trout fishing
Written several books aimed to helping fisherman find places to fish, and how to fish for them
Taught a fishing class at LCC, and showed hundreds of anglers first hand how to catch fish
Keeps detailed records of his catch and shares them with the DNR in order to help them manage our fishery
Volunteers his time on stream improvement projects
Jim Bedford has done more for the stream fisherman in the last half century than any other person I can think of. He needs to be applauded for his work, and care for the fish and environments that we all enjoy. 

Ask yourself - What have I done to help our fishery? Is it as much as Jim Bedford? The answer for myself is, "No", and that means I have lots of work to do. What's your answer? 

Spin to Win


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## Riverdude (Dec 21, 2017)

Story after story say the same thing.
Same goes for Bedfords "posse" in the white van.
I can give you the names of 50 other fisherman that will say the same thing, Biggest clown on the river.

So if I volunteer my time to help our fishery, I then am allowed to act like an A-hole on the river?
I think I'll pass on that!
You admitted you aren't as courteous as you should be.
Why don't you work on that before telling the rest of us to focus on the good things the clown has done.


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## riverbob (Jan 11, 2011)

It might be my fault jim is the way he is, back in the day if i would of put my boot in his a$$ he might of turned out different, but like i said i though he was handicapped


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## Rasputin (Jan 13, 2009)

Spin to Win said:


> Man - a lot of Bedford bashing going on here. I think we need to add a little context and perspective to some of these posts.
> 
> First of all, I am not going to call any of your stories about this man a lie, because I wasn't there for any of them. However, I have been on the stream with him many times, and have never witnessed the discourtesies some describe. I'm sure there have been times when he wasn't as courteous as he should have been, but I know that lots of us (myself included) could be thrown in that category from time to time as well. I certainly have never seen any type of intentional snagging, and find it highly unlikely that he would partake in that.
> 
> ...


Welcome to msf Jim. Lol


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

I'm alright with Bedford's style of fishing, as I was with Swan's. Did I enjoy standing idly by, while Dick fought a raging fish on super-light line for 20 minutes, often breaking them off? Heck, no. But I respected his right to fish the way he wanted to, and always had the option to move away.

Likewise with Bedford, I usually felt he should more strongly respect the fact that someone was already fishing a spot, and not hammer it with casts of hardware. But I knew he wouldn't be there long, and there were some times I did hook fish behind him. Similarly, I learned a long time ago that having a motorized boat go through a hole I was fishing often triggers fish to bite, after the boat has passed. Jim pulled fish from spots I'd been drifting for an hour, a couple times, and he only made a couple casts. I wasn't doing any good, so I was kind of glad he got em to go. 

And, yes, Mr Bedford has done a TON of good promoting Steelhead, and fishing for them. More than anyone I know who didn't do it for a living - although he did teach a fishing class at LCC for years.


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## Riverdude (Dec 21, 2017)

I have seen the "motorized boat thru the hole" trick work many times.


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## Trout King (May 1, 2002)

Riverdude said:


> I have seen the "motorized boat thru the hole" trick work many times.


Seems to be more effective on salmon, but that is just my opinion.


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## psycodad (Jul 17, 2004)

When I first started steelhead fishing I could not land a fish. I read an article on steelhead fishing written by Jim. I had a few questions and figured I would reach out to him. Now mind u, this was way before the internet. I wrote Jim letters with self addressed stamped envelopes inside with questions on how to fish steelhead. He responded much to my surprised. He offered to take me fishing and I took him up on the offer. I had the pleasure of learning how to wade and fish steelhead, trout, and salmon in Great Lakes tributaries under his tutelage. Thanks to his help I have had 100’s of hours of fishing nirvana. He also hooked me up in the outdoor writers circle and I was able to get into writing and publishing outdoor articles. I no longer fish with Jim but I do see him and a few of his students stream side from time to time and I always stop to chat. That is the Jim I know.


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## Hollowaychamps (Nov 21, 2012)

We'll even request the motor thru hole on slow days. Could be coincidence but when nothing is happening it does "seem" make them active. 

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## slowpaya (Oct 23, 2011)

yeah,jims done a lot for the fishery no doubt.he used to bring busloads of little jimmys with him and dump them on OUR waters.seems to me a little basic respect that most men have was drilled out of the metalheads(use to be spinnerheads,but with all the rings,pins n studs these days)army.take a nice row of eggheads and start throwin those tin cans in the run,crossing lines like the guys are invisible i dont know how many times.not a net guy and always tailed the chinooks,Jim got some pics one time,was hoping to see in a publication but was not to be.picked up a rogue river rod (jims design) at a show for 50 bucks(he had given this guy).last i checked the rod wasnt available but the blank was about 300 dollars.its a nice lite rod( 8 1/2 ft) that will handle kings/steelheads.its obvious, a courtesy course was omitted by the professor.anyway that all being said,our meetings have always been cordial and hes given me space.THANKS JIM,FOR OPENING UP PRARIE CREEK and all the other waterways and projects you have worked and campaigned for.including the recent bill to protect streams/rivers like the coldwater from being dredged/denuded just so the corp of engineers have a job


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## Trout King (May 1, 2002)

slowpaya said:


> THANKS JIM,FOR OPENING UP PRARIE CREEK


Can't agree. Since the dam has been removed the steelhead fishing and trout populations in the lower creek has declined from what I have seen. The smallmouth fishing is pretty good though. They really like f11 rainbow trout rapalas .


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## slowpaya (Oct 23, 2011)

im so happy to see the illiterate group of local snaggers lost there camp.jim wouldnt agree with you,he thinks the fishing is a big improvement.a fish ladder was there but they would just stop it up.a lot of fish were taken from there that had a chance upriver. it was best i believe.not fond of no reason dams.


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## Trout King (May 1, 2002)

slowpaya said:


> im so happy to see the illiterate group of local snaggers lost there camp.jim wouldnt agree with you,he thinks the fishing is a big improvement.a fish ladder was there but they would just stop it up.a lot of fish were taken from there that had a chance upriver. it was best i believe.not fond of no reason dams.


Funny you say local snaggers considering whenever I was down there every local was bobber fishing and all the locals threw back 95%. The fish had no issue getting through the chute, but I believe most of them went over the dam soon after entering the stream during water bumps where they just went up and over. Without a dam un town everyone is pounding down trails on the private banks and starting to cause massive erosion issues.

I grew up on that stream and there were a lot more fish before. Maybe Jim shouldn't have published the creek in all of those articles and the gravel rakers wouldn't have taken over every spring? Jim Bedford has contributed to more dead steelhead in that stream than any of the locals combined, yet will be the first to whine about people taking a fish from it. The fishery isn't a shadow of what it was a decade ago. I had the run of the creek to myself most winter days and not hooking 10 fish in a couple hours was SLOW. Oh well, times and waterways change and most often not foe the better.

I must add the local landowners are not all that pleased with a certain someone trespassing on their land, especially during deer season. Some are even considering starting to prosecute people they catch walking their banks. The Welch Farm is on it's way to being closed down for bank access also if the shenanigans continue since it has come under new ownership. Glad that being respectful and getting to know most landowners along the creek over the past 25 years will likely keep me in good graces when the property owners say enough is enough.

I should add, I have no problem with people taking fish withing the law on this or any other stream. I am currently enjoying some smoked steelhead we caught last week. A little self awareness goes a long way though.


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## slowpaya (Oct 23, 2011)

anyway,prairie creek dam was breaking/falling apart.the fish ladder was non functional,bridge abutments were washing out. i should have said thank you MIDNR, USFWS, and TROUT UNLIMITED for the improvements .smallmouth will continue to increase in marginal waters with season creep/global warming.a few more degrees and brookies may be wiped out of much of the lower.still gotta say thank you Jim for educating so many people on the great resources the state of michigan has to offer.50 yrs ago access to general public was available at virtually every road crossing.still clearly remember my first s.h. Came from under a shhallow log and nailed my spawnbag a pole length away .houses line the stream there now.over the years,houses, signs,and tresspass problems have systematicly eliminated general access to a few crossings and the farm.prairie creek has never been a secret.people come from all over to fish it.cmon,its the best trout stream between Flint and Ionia.the first stop for anyone east of stage rd.came off the stream in the upper reaches one day with some nice browns.a pickup pulled up and we chatted.they asked how/what the fishing was.showed them some trout ,after the eye pop went down to narrow slits,was told it was private property and wasnt welcome.signs went up.


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