The Steelhead and the Wedding Ring: The Beginning from Love Lost

Here is the love-lost story behind the steelhead with a wedding ring on it, caught on Jim Nelligan’s “Grey Lion II” Friday.

Love lost, a wedding ring released and a steelhead recaught miles away on the other side of Lake Michigan, sheez, there are so many pieces to the tale of the steelhead with the ring on its tail.

“I really just didn’t want to cause any issues with my ex, she seems to find the story somewhat amusing and none of us can believe someone caught it!’’ Capt. Jason Rose messaged.

As a cathartic move, Rose tied his wedding band to a steelhead on May 4 and released it near the port of Whitehall, Michigan.

Of all improbabilities, the steelhead was recaught Friday, June 21, on Jim Nelligan’s “Grey Lion II” by the R4, a famous buoy east of Chicago’s north suburbs. They were fishing for lake trout with four colors of leadcore line with a Blue Dolphin spoon in 105 feet of water. Joe Penar caught the fish with John Massard netting it. Bob Nichols filled out the boat.

“So, we caught this steelhead today,” Nelligan emailed Friday. “Someone attached their wedding ring to this fish and we caught it. Wonder if it was a divorce or death, but a crazy story!”

Close guess by Nelligan.

“Yeah, lost love,” Rose messaged. “I was married for the better part of a decade. My ex wife and I decided to go our separate ways. I am fishing guide, she was always against me following my dreams and hated how much I fished.

“Four years went by since our divorce. I felt I needed to get rid of that ring but I didn’t want to just toss it to the bottom, pawn it or any of that kind of thing. So I released it the best way I know how. I am convinced that ring is cursed. My life has been nothing less than great since I released it.”