Not to say I’m an expert now, but I never really knew how to really pull on fish until I found myself in one of those "trip of a lifetime" situations. The venue was Cuba, and the quarry was Tarpon. We were seeing enough, and hooking enough for us to get “stupid.” Its the same kind of stupid which might make you cast with your other hand, or change flies till you find something that they don’t eat.

We had been equipped with a shiny new 12wt that we were to put through the paces. It was treated as a go-ahead to see how much it might bend until it breaks. . . . . . The rod never did. We tried pulling harder and harder on these Tarpon. Which in turn landed them faster and faster and we were able to get back to fishing instead of fighting.

As much as I love steelhead fishing, I don’t find myself in many situations where its absolutely crucial to really yard on em or you will lose them. Chinook salmon is a different situation. Chinooks are like nothing I’ve encountered before in a river. You often times need to attempt to establish yourself in the fight, Change the tone and try to break the spirit of the fish.

Sometimes it works. Sometimes the just continue to do as they please at the expense of your equipment.

On that note, my 2019 Chinook Salmon season in fully booked, but you can get yourself signed up for 2020 and experience these amazing creatures and maybe get to pull on one.