I've cast for steelhead and salmon off piers in both the Pacific Ocean and Lake Erie. On those ocassions I was casting spoons or spinners with a baitcast rod. And there were other fisherfolks around who were doing the same. I'd walk the fish eventually to the shore where it was landed. Never tried it with a fly rod. If the situation was right I certainly would.

Watched any of the Jazz and Fly Fishing videos? Seems the guy with the cigarette is of the 5% of fisherman. The one who always seems to be catching the fish...

When I was a kid I learned about this the hard way. We lived next to a nice little trout stream and I'd often drop a line from the dirt-road bridge, especially when I only had a few minutes before school. After having a brookie that had to be all of sixteen inches snap my line, I always took the time to walk down into the pasture.

I love fishing from bridges but I know the feeling! Its worse when your on a boat and your not prepared to catch a big one and when you do you don't have a net!

One day I was watching some guys fish from the riverwalk in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The river walk is about fifteen feet above the water level. I was interested in seeing how they would retrieve fish they caught. These guys had a net on a long rope that they lowered into the water to net the fish. I didn't get good look at the net, but it must have been weighted to allow them to manuever it once it was in the water. Then they'd bring the fish up in the net.