Tom Gribble - Steelhead Flies, Fly Box Porn

Fly Box Porn ─ Part 4

Tom Gribble's Steelhead Box

Photos Courtesy of Jim Stuard

Story by Joe Cornwall

You can tell Tom Gribble is a Marine. He has that quiet confidence and sure-footed stance that tells you right away you're looking at a warrior. 38 years old, Tom lives with his wife Carolyn in Cincinnati. Tom is a transplant from the "holy grounds" of steelhead fishing - Ohio's Erie coast. The steelhead was the first fish Tom pursued and that should come as no surprise. Warriors have a way of seeking each other out. While Tom has only been steelheading eight years, in this time he's learned enough to be a regional authority.

Tom fishes slow action rods, his current favorite being a Scott Rod SAS ten-foot 7-weight. The tight quarters of small streams and steep banks put a premium on a steelheader's ability to cast. "I use a weight forward Scientific Angler Master Series Steelhead Taper line, which is great for roll casting to 50 feet and beyond. My reel of choice is a Large Arbor Battenkill VI." If you ask him, Tom will tell you that the ability to dead-drift the fly, control the line and approach the run with stealth are the requirements of successful steelheading. One might add that these demands need to be filled in ridiculously low temperatures and in weather that has most of us reaching for a hot toddy and the television remote.

Tom has a system, and by all appearances it's quite a good one! Ever the sportsman, Tom says "I like to land my fish hot (fast) to assure my self a better chance to land the fish and release them faster." You'll find no grandstanding or stunt fishing here. Tom's favorite way to fish is with a floating line and a strike indicator that Tom describes as "a bobber, it looks like a ice fishing float." When necessary Tom will use the Great Lakes 'Chuck-N-Duck' method, but he's quick to point out "I don't enjoy chucking and ducking or using a large amount of weight in a slinky with running line to get my flies down." If you get a chance to look at some of Tom's trip pictures you'll find yourself thinking that maybe the lighter touch of the hunter is a better choice than the coarse metal of the dredger. It seems to work for Tom!

Click Below for Larger Images