I'm off for a day of fishing tomorrow. Hopefully it will go well and I'll have something nice to report back. In the mean time...
I mentioned on one of my recent posts about the trouble I've been having with 12lb fluorocarbon busting on me when hooking large adult steelhead. To try and correct whatever has been the problem, I did a bunch of tests with Maxima Ultragreen, fluorocarbon, and a couple of no name mono brands. All of the 12lb varieties pretty much acted the same. They were strong on slow steady pulls, but bust equally with quick jerk tests.
I did however come to some conclusions. First and foremost. I will never use perfection loops again when going after big fish. They break very easily with a strong jerk. Secondly, a knot that I use for trout is not good enough for steelhead. And that would be the Davey knot. It is so easy to tie, and the strength is incredible with steady pulls. But jerk tests performed badly using both FC and mono.
With what I now know, I've retied every loop on all of my sinktips. Instead of perfection loops, I now have non-slip loop knots. I'll also now be tying all my flies on with the same.
The days I fish strictly for trout, I can probably go back to the easy to tie Davey knot. But for steelhead, it isn't worth the risk. The fish are so few and far between, it is not fun to lose one because I was unwilling to spend an extra 30 seconds tying a better performing knot on (again, the Davey knot is great with a steady pull, but break pretty easily with a decent jerk).
Feb 15, 2010
Feb 6, 2010
Coming soon...
I've been a little busy in my non-fishing world to post to the blog. Hopefully that will change shortly.
Some of the things you can expect are new fly photos. Including a fly I've been working on and fine tuning for a while now. It has been really productive for me on trout and half pounders. I have another fly that is bigger and meaner looking, this has been getting some nice grabs from adults.
I'm also putting together a writeup about Steve Godshall and his fly lines. For those of you not familiar with Steve, he has been developing various spey lines for years. He knows his business and has some interesting ideas.
Some of the things you can expect are new fly photos. Including a fly I've been working on and fine tuning for a while now. It has been really productive for me on trout and half pounders. I have another fly that is bigger and meaner looking, this has been getting some nice grabs from adults.
I'm also putting together a writeup about Steve Godshall and his fly lines. For those of you not familiar with Steve, he has been developing various spey lines for years. He knows his business and has some interesting ideas.
Jan 28, 2010
Mums the Word, Part 2
This past Monday, I went back to the "secret" steelhead spot. Of course it isn't really a secret, I just don't want the thousands of people who read this blog every day to turn the place into a zoo. Okay, maybe there are slightly less than a thousand people who come here. Umm. Maybe much fewer than. Whatever! You know what I'm sayin! :)
This time around, I was joined by Ted and Mark. It was nice to have company for a change.
Arriving before sunup, I put on my gear while in the car as it was raining pretty hard out. By the time I finished up, it had slowed to a drizzle. I walked to the river and got right in to the spot from last week. Ted and Mark were a little ways behind, so I figured I'd go ahead and catch that huge steelhead before they show up. ...That didn't pan out.
Ted and Mark came to the water and spread out above me. After a mostly dry morning, the rain came and went. But no where near the downpour that I experienced last week. Unfortunately, the bite was, like the rain, hit or miss. However, I'd have to classify this as a more productive steelhead day than most. Considering most are pretty darn quiet.
All three of us had bumps. Personally, I hooked up with another good sized fish that broke me off after a few seconds of brutal thrashing. The fish was sitting in the riffles below a tailout. Again, I was using my newest fly creation that was so successful the week before.
For those keeping score, that would be two (fishing) days in a row where I've hooked a good sized adult to only have the 12lb tippet busted. This is causing me to reevaluate whether fluorocarbon is indeed the best way to go. I'm getting a lot of mixed opinions from others. So, sometime this week, I'm going to do some tests to see if I can figure out how best to proceed.
I can't help to wonder what could of been. It would be stupid to continue with the status quo. I've got to figure out what the problem is. I'll report back with my findings.
The rest of the day consisted of a few bumps, but nothing more. Mark took off in late morning and eventually Ted and I moved upriver. This new spot looked fishy enough, but neither of us got so much as a nibble. As it was getting dark, I decided to try and find Ted to head back to the cars.
Thanks Ted and Mark for joining me. It was great to have others around.
This time around, I was joined by Ted and Mark. It was nice to have company for a change.
Arriving before sunup, I put on my gear while in the car as it was raining pretty hard out. By the time I finished up, it had slowed to a drizzle. I walked to the river and got right in to the spot from last week. Ted and Mark were a little ways behind, so I figured I'd go ahead and catch that huge steelhead before they show up. ...That didn't pan out.
Ted and Mark came to the water and spread out above me. After a mostly dry morning, the rain came and went. But no where near the downpour that I experienced last week. Unfortunately, the bite was, like the rain, hit or miss. However, I'd have to classify this as a more productive steelhead day than most. Considering most are pretty darn quiet.
All three of us had bumps. Personally, I hooked up with another good sized fish that broke me off after a few seconds of brutal thrashing. The fish was sitting in the riffles below a tailout. Again, I was using my newest fly creation that was so successful the week before.
For those keeping score, that would be two (fishing) days in a row where I've hooked a good sized adult to only have the 12lb tippet busted. This is causing me to reevaluate whether fluorocarbon is indeed the best way to go. I'm getting a lot of mixed opinions from others. So, sometime this week, I'm going to do some tests to see if I can figure out how best to proceed.
I can't help to wonder what could of been. It would be stupid to continue with the status quo. I've got to figure out what the problem is. I'll report back with my findings.
The rest of the day consisted of a few bumps, but nothing more. Mark took off in late morning and eventually Ted and I moved upriver. This new spot looked fishy enough, but neither of us got so much as a nibble. As it was getting dark, I decided to try and find Ted to head back to the cars.
Thanks Ted and Mark for joining me. It was great to have others around.
Jan 22, 2010
Mums the Word
The rain and wind has been intense. Originally, the plan was to go fishing on Tuesday. However, since the forecast was for 35-40mph gusts, it was probably best to leave it alone. Thursday rolled around and while it was supposed to rain, the wind was to be light. I decided to put on the rain jacket and head out. Where did I go? Well, for once, I'm not going to say for reasons that may become obvious.
Arriving to location #1 at sun-up. There was no rain or wind. I sauntered down to the water and perched myself on a rock. I stayed here for about an hour trying various flies. Water visibility was approximately 3 feet. Nothing. Not even a hint of a fish was present. I did get a chance to try out some newly tied intruders. They looked great in the water.
I hopped in my car and headed upstream to location #2. Found my parking spot and made it to the water. Started casting with no sign of any fish. I was disappointed, by not surprised. Up until this point, my confidence in this area was slim at best. That was about to change.
As I was walking upstream alongside some very fast water. Not exactly the place I'd expect steelhead to hold. A large fish jumped clear out of the water. Someone is home! I made short 10' casts with various flies with no results. At least I knew they were around.
Went downstream to some water that was running a little slow. I sent out a new fly design of mine to see what it would drum up. As I'm hoping for something to happen, I noticed a large fish jumping multiple times out of the pool. This was the second large steelhead I've seen to this point. More confidence. These guys were very active today. This guy in particular came completely out of the water 4 to 6 times in about a four second period of time. What was he doing? I'm not sure. But, I did get a good look at him. He was big!
I couldn't reach him with my casts, so I continued stepping downstream. Not long after, I got a good sized bump. After backing up and trying again. Nothing. Switched flies and stepped through. Nothing. Backed up again with the original fly. Bumped again! Kept trying in that same spot with no results. Time to move on.
After more stepping. Another bump! These fish were very aggressive today. If only I could get one to hold on.
Five or ten minutes later, after several more bumps, I felt this slight pressure on my rod. I set the hook and then there was a tremendous yank as the fish realized what had happened. The line went tight and the rod started throbbing violently. It was the biggest fish I've felt in a very long time, if not ever.
Then it happened, the fish jumped out of the water 3 or 4 times in about 2 seconds time. He was pissed! Even more impressive was his size. I'm guessing he was 35" and very thick. On one of his jumps, something went wrong. The line went limp and after reeling it in, realized he broke my 12lb tippet. Not at a knot mind you, just a clean break about a foot down from the T10 sink tip.
I was both disappointed and excited at the same time. I lost an incredibly large fish by my standards. However, at the same time, I had the pleasure of hooking an incredibly large fish. It was great while it lasted.
Too bad he stole my new fly that was working so well. Of course, I only had one and had to compromise with something similar. I got a few more good bumps with other flies, but nothing was as impressive as the one probably still attached to Mr. Steelhead.
Throughout the day, I had hooked, but not landed, around 5 fish. Most of them felt pretty large, as far as I could tell, only one of them was a half pounder.
Near the end, as I was standing in thigh deep water, I saw a flash out the corner of my eye. Either my friend was back, saying goodbye, or one of his brothers made an appearance. The fish surfaced two or three times within 5 feet of my legs. He was either chasing something or playing. Whatever the case, the fish in this pool were active, and obviously fear less of this wading fisherman.
Weather wise, the wind was quiet. The rain stayed away until around 2pm, where it was steady until Sunset. I'll be back! Possibly as early as Monday.
| Access | Undisclosed | |
| Air Temp | Low 43, High 52 | |
| Water Temp/Visibility | ~? F / 3 feet | |
| Weather | Cloudy / Rain | |
| Flow | ~? cfs | |
| Time in/out | 6:45am, 5:30pm | |
| Leaders/Lines | Compact Skagit/Scandi | |
| 11ft of T10 | Morning | |
| 7.0 ips Poly | Mid Afternoon | |
| 12 lb FC tippet | ||
| Flies | Generic Steelhead | 0 |
| Various intruders | 0 | |
| Top Secret Steelhead | 0 | |
Arriving to location #1 at sun-up. There was no rain or wind. I sauntered down to the water and perched myself on a rock. I stayed here for about an hour trying various flies. Water visibility was approximately 3 feet. Nothing. Not even a hint of a fish was present. I did get a chance to try out some newly tied intruders. They looked great in the water.
I hopped in my car and headed upstream to location #2. Found my parking spot and made it to the water. Started casting with no sign of any fish. I was disappointed, by not surprised. Up until this point, my confidence in this area was slim at best. That was about to change.
As I was walking upstream alongside some very fast water. Not exactly the place I'd expect steelhead to hold. A large fish jumped clear out of the water. Someone is home! I made short 10' casts with various flies with no results. At least I knew they were around.
Went downstream to some water that was running a little slow. I sent out a new fly design of mine to see what it would drum up. As I'm hoping for something to happen, I noticed a large fish jumping multiple times out of the pool. This was the second large steelhead I've seen to this point. More confidence. These guys were very active today. This guy in particular came completely out of the water 4 to 6 times in about a four second period of time. What was he doing? I'm not sure. But, I did get a good look at him. He was big!
I couldn't reach him with my casts, so I continued stepping downstream. Not long after, I got a good sized bump. After backing up and trying again. Nothing. Switched flies and stepped through. Nothing. Backed up again with the original fly. Bumped again! Kept trying in that same spot with no results. Time to move on.
After more stepping. Another bump! These fish were very aggressive today. If only I could get one to hold on.
Five or ten minutes later, after several more bumps, I felt this slight pressure on my rod. I set the hook and then there was a tremendous yank as the fish realized what had happened. The line went tight and the rod started throbbing violently. It was the biggest fish I've felt in a very long time, if not ever.
Then it happened, the fish jumped out of the water 3 or 4 times in about 2 seconds time. He was pissed! Even more impressive was his size. I'm guessing he was 35" and very thick. On one of his jumps, something went wrong. The line went limp and after reeling it in, realized he broke my 12lb tippet. Not at a knot mind you, just a clean break about a foot down from the T10 sink tip.
I was both disappointed and excited at the same time. I lost an incredibly large fish by my standards. However, at the same time, I had the pleasure of hooking an incredibly large fish. It was great while it lasted.
Too bad he stole my new fly that was working so well. Of course, I only had one and had to compromise with something similar. I got a few more good bumps with other flies, but nothing was as impressive as the one probably still attached to Mr. Steelhead.
Throughout the day, I had hooked, but not landed, around 5 fish. Most of them felt pretty large, as far as I could tell, only one of them was a half pounder.
Near the end, as I was standing in thigh deep water, I saw a flash out the corner of my eye. Either my friend was back, saying goodbye, or one of his brothers made an appearance. The fish surfaced two or three times within 5 feet of my legs. He was either chasing something or playing. Whatever the case, the fish in this pool were active, and obviously fear less of this wading fisherman.
Weather wise, the wind was quiet. The rain stayed away until around 2pm, where it was steady until Sunset. I'll be back! Possibly as early as Monday.
Jan 18, 2010
Fly #53, 54, and 55: Summer steelhead flies
Thought I'd post a few flies I tied recently. They are rather generic and are meant for low/clear water.
A basic spider with a bit of flash for wings.
This steelhead sized Royal Coachman was tied in a hurry
and is rather sloppy. However, it probably doesn't matter to the fish.
This has a hares ear body with oval tinsel ribbing.
The tail and collar is mallard flank.
This is certainly not a "pretty" fly. However ugly it may be, it works.
A basic spider with a bit of flash for wings. The body is peacock herl and oval tinsel ribbing.
This steelhead sized Royal Coachman was tied in a hurry and is rather sloppy. However, it probably doesn't matter to the fish.
This has a hares ear body with oval tinsel ribbing.The tail and collar is mallard flank.
This is certainly not a "pretty" fly. However ugly it may be, it works.
Jan 13, 2010
Fly #52: Green Steele Spider
Does this fly look familiar? It should, other than a couple of color changes, it is pretty much identical to my Blue Steele Spider. The blue version has been a great fly. Very productive for steelhead. For a change-up, I decided to tie one in green.
As always, click on the picture for a higher res version.
I won't bother with a description of the materials, you can figure it out pretty easily. Although I haven't fished this color yet, I'm confident it will produce in the right water conditions and with the right presentation.
As always, click on the picture for a higher res version.I won't bother with a description of the materials, you can figure it out pretty easily. Although I haven't fished this color yet, I'm confident it will produce in the right water conditions and with the right presentation.
Fly #51: Green Fuzz
I've been experimenting with various synthetic materials lately. One of which is Polar Fiber. My first tie with the material produced a nice flowing streamer in various shades of green and blue. It looked so good, that I decided to incorporate it into the body of a steelhead fly. In this instance, it was spun on a dubbing loop.
When you put this guy in the water, it has a really nice translucence to it. Additionally, it moves quite nicely. I can't wait to try it out.
When you put this guy in the water, it has a really nice translucence to it. Additionally, it moves quite nicely. I can't wait to try it out.
Fly tying frenzy
Although you can't tell by my lack of tying posts, I've been on a rampage. Working on some new steelhead designs and refining ones that have been productive in the past. I'm also doing a lot of experimenting with new materials. Including many synthetics that look really good in the water. Oh yeah, I'm also going to tie a new intruder or two.
Expect a few pictures over the next week or so. I'm going to get my camera out and snap a photo before they hopefully get ruined on a monster fish.
Expect a few pictures over the next week or so. I'm going to get my camera out and snap a photo before they hopefully get ruined on a monster fish.
Rain, Rain, Don't go away!
My two year old is always singing, "Rain, Rain, Go Away". Someday, he'll realize how much we need it and he'll sing a different tune. For now, it is impossible to not sing along with him. He is just too cute. Besides, if I try to educate him, his response is something like, "No, no daddy! Rain go away!"Lucky for the fish, some rain is coming into California. Lets hope for a lot. The last time we were supposed to get soaked, it amounted to no more than a few sprinkles.
If it works out, and when the flows drop, it may be a good time for steelheading. I'll be out next Tuesday. Hopefully the timing will be right!
Jan 3, 2010
New Year Fishing Resolutions
I never make New Years resolutions anymore. Why? I rarely follow through with them. However, I figured this year, I'll make New Year fishing resolutions. This may be something I can actually do!
In no order of importance...
1) I vow to leave the fly in the hangdown for a longer length of time. Often, I'm in a hurry to step down or simply make the next cast. Catching fish on the hang down (before I got into two handed rods) used to be one of, if not the most productive part of my swing. I need to take a step back and remember that often fish are sitting there and just need a little more time.
2) When I get a bump or a grab, put on a different fly. Somewhere along the line, I also got out of the habit of doing this. I vow to make a second or third cast exactly like I did when I got bumped, but then take a few steps back with a comeback fly.
3) More thoroughly fish the water right next to me. I'm usually pretty good about this. However, occasionally I get so fixated on hitting 60-80 feet away, I forget that fish aren't always afraid to be 5-10 feet away. They need to be given the opportunity as well!
4) Smaller tippets. When the water and fly calls for it, I'm going to scale down size.
None of these are difficult to do, I just need to slow down and make sure that I'm doing what has proven to be productive for me in the past. Finally, New Years resolutions I can follow through with.
In no order of importance...
1) I vow to leave the fly in the hangdown for a longer length of time. Often, I'm in a hurry to step down or simply make the next cast. Catching fish on the hang down (before I got into two handed rods) used to be one of, if not the most productive part of my swing. I need to take a step back and remember that often fish are sitting there and just need a little more time.
2) When I get a bump or a grab, put on a different fly. Somewhere along the line, I also got out of the habit of doing this. I vow to make a second or third cast exactly like I did when I got bumped, but then take a few steps back with a comeback fly.
3) More thoroughly fish the water right next to me. I'm usually pretty good about this. However, occasionally I get so fixated on hitting 60-80 feet away, I forget that fish aren't always afraid to be 5-10 feet away. They need to be given the opportunity as well!
4) Smaller tippets. When the water and fly calls for it, I'm going to scale down size.
None of these are difficult to do, I just need to slow down and make sure that I'm doing what has proven to be productive for me in the past. Finally, New Years resolutions I can follow through with.
Jan 2, 2010
Yuba - Above Hwy 20
Spent the last day of 2009 on the Yuba. Parked under the bridge before the sun came up. Put my gear on and walked upstream and around the bend. There is a certain section of water that I always hit here. The run seems to always produce. So, it seemed I should start there.
The first hour produced only a slight bump. However, after getting a little more than half way through the run, I hooked up with a small 15" female. She took a sz8 steelhead hair wing. Not much of a bend in my rod, but she did go vertical several times.
After putting her back, it was quiet until near the end of the run. I had the line below as more was being pulled from my reel. The fly was bouncing all over the place as I was also moving across the river. Not a very good presentation if you ask most anyone. However, that didn't stop a large fish from taking a grab that almost ripped the rod right out of my hands. The hook up was very short. There was too much slack line to set the hook. However, the fish must of been more than 25 inches. It was pretty unusual.
After finishing off the run with only a bump or two, I crossed and went upstream a ways. Caught another 15-17" female as the fly was dangling below me. Stuck around for a while but didn't feel the mojo. I went back downstream and stepped through with nothing to show for it.
I fished the same one from that morning, but from the other bank. Nothing. Crossed river again and fished my favorite spot to catch a couple more fish around 20".
It was a nice day and I had a chance to see 2009 off doing something I enjoy. Hope to get out again next week, but not sure if it will happen.
| Access | Above hwy 20 bridge | |
| Air Temp | Low 45, High 56 | |
| Water Temp/Visibility | ~47 F / 4-6 feet | |
| Weather | Mostly Cloudy | |
| Flow | ~710 cfs | |
| Time in/out | 7am, 5:15pm | |
| Leaders/Lines | Compact Scandi | |
| Int. Poly | All day | |
| 7 & 12 lb FC tippet | ||
| Producing Flies | Sz6/8 steelhead hair wings | 4 |
The first hour produced only a slight bump. However, after getting a little more than half way through the run, I hooked up with a small 15" female. She took a sz8 steelhead hair wing. Not much of a bend in my rod, but she did go vertical several times.
After putting her back, it was quiet until near the end of the run. I had the line below as more was being pulled from my reel. The fly was bouncing all over the place as I was also moving across the river. Not a very good presentation if you ask most anyone. However, that didn't stop a large fish from taking a grab that almost ripped the rod right out of my hands. The hook up was very short. There was too much slack line to set the hook. However, the fish must of been more than 25 inches. It was pretty unusual.
After finishing off the run with only a bump or two, I crossed and went upstream a ways. Caught another 15-17" female as the fly was dangling below me. Stuck around for a while but didn't feel the mojo. I went back downstream and stepped through with nothing to show for it.
I fished the same one from that morning, but from the other bank. Nothing. Crossed river again and fished my favorite spot to catch a couple more fish around 20".
It was a nice day and I had a chance to see 2009 off doing something I enjoy. Hope to get out again next week, but not sure if it will happen.
Jan 1, 2010
Losing Intruders
Normally I don't blink when I lose a fly. However, when it takes 45 minutes or more to tie one, it can be disappointing. Especially after only 10 minutes of using it.
This was the first "true" Intruder that I tied. Put on a shank with the mono loop at the back end so you can string the tippet through. Ala a tube fly. The way that Ed Ward originally tied them (if Skagit Master is any indication, he uses tubes these days).
The 5 inch fly looked awesome in the water with its flowing ostrich plumes. I made the mistake of using a lighter tippet than I should of for its weight. On one of my casts I blew the anchor and it blasted the knot. Off she went into the depths.
I'll tie another soon. This time I'll take a picture of it.
This was the first "true" Intruder that I tied. Put on a shank with the mono loop at the back end so you can string the tippet through. Ala a tube fly. The way that Ed Ward originally tied them (if Skagit Master is any indication, he uses tubes these days).
The 5 inch fly looked awesome in the water with its flowing ostrich plumes. I made the mistake of using a lighter tippet than I should of for its weight. On one of my casts I blew the anchor and it blasted the knot. Off she went into the depths.
I'll tie another soon. This time I'll take a picture of it.
Dec 12, 2009
Skunked on the American
I figured that fishing on a cloudy day would improve my chances. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. I don't believe I had one solid pull the entire day. I tried to make the most of the day by just appreciating the outdoors. However, catching something would of been nice.
Starting out at Paradise Beach, I fished for several hours using 8 feet of T10 and an intruder style fly. I worked several runs and even tried a new spot or two that I missed last time. After I felt I'd had enough punishment, I went to Gristmill and spent a little more time of casting practice. I didn't waste as much time here and moved over to River Bend Park hoping a fish would feel sorry for me.
After scouting out some areas I saw on the satellite maps, I eventually ended up by the footbridge daydreaming as the rain began to fall. The day had ended and all I had to show for it were a few lost flies. Ahh, the fun of steelheading.
As you may recall from a previous post, I was curious what would happen if I put a sinktip on my compact scandi. Well, I now have the answer. There were no problems whatsoever and the line could easily turn over 11ft of T10 with a heavy 3" fly on the end. At this rate, I'm not sure if there is a need to even use a skagit line with the tips and flies I commonly use.
Starting out at Paradise Beach, I fished for several hours using 8 feet of T10 and an intruder style fly. I worked several runs and even tried a new spot or two that I missed last time. After I felt I'd had enough punishment, I went to Gristmill and spent a little more time of casting practice. I didn't waste as much time here and moved over to River Bend Park hoping a fish would feel sorry for me.
| Access | Paradise Beach, Gristmill, River Bend Park | |
| Air Temp | Low 31, High 52 | |
| Water Temp/Visibility | ~49 F / 4-6 feet | |
| Weather | Cloudy w/ light drizzle | |
| Flow | ~2000 cfs | |
| Time in/out | 6:45am, 5:15pm | |
| Leaders/Lines | Compact Scandi | |
| 8ft of T10 | Morning | |
| 11ft of T10 | Afternoon | |
| Int Poly Leader | Evening | |
| 7 & 12 lb FC tippet | ||
| Flies | Various Soft Hackles | 0 |
| 3” black intruder w/ dumbell eyes | 0 | |
| Sz8 steelhead blue spider | 0 | |
| Various steelhead patterns | 0 | |
After scouting out some areas I saw on the satellite maps, I eventually ended up by the footbridge daydreaming as the rain began to fall. The day had ended and all I had to show for it were a few lost flies. Ahh, the fun of steelheading.
As you may recall from a previous post, I was curious what would happen if I put a sinktip on my compact scandi. Well, I now have the answer. There were no problems whatsoever and the line could easily turn over 11ft of T10 with a heavy 3" fly on the end. At this rate, I'm not sure if there is a need to even use a skagit line with the tips and flies I commonly use.
Dec 5, 2009
Weather Report
Here in Northern California, we are expected to get heavy rains starting on Monday. If you believe the forecasts, it will last for almost a week with a few breaks here and there.This is of course good news for the steelhead. Hopefully it will move a few fish up into the various systems. Watch the water levels, and if you can somehow hit it when levels are falling again, make sure you go. A good source for information is here.
Dec 3, 2009
Klamath Report
Earlier this week, I traveled about 5 hours north for a day trip to the Klamath. I've never been before, but have heard good reports. Figured it was worth the drive to find out.
Also worth noting, I actually fished with someone else for a change. Ted and I met early in the morning somewhere near Hwy 5. It was a brisk day, with morning temps in the 20's. Stupid me forgot a hat, luckily it wasn't windy and although a bit nippy, it wasn't all that bad.
We suited up and got into the cold river. We were both swinging flies with our two handed rods. After a few minutes of floundering around with a 7ips sinking poly leader that seemed to hang up on every cast, I got into some fish. Most of them were quite small. Either smolts or small trout. I don't believe any of them were much over 10 inches. What they lacked in size, they made up for in aggressiveness. At one point, I caught two fish at the same time, one on each fly.
We explored this part of the river for a few hours. Eventually we decided to move downstream. I had picked out some possible locations via Google satellite maps. The first location turned out to be a dud. However, the second spot was a good one. We worked our way to the water and we both were getting bumps and pulls. As time went on, the bumps and pulls turned into caught fish. Most of them were in the 15 inch range. When I hooked one of the decent fish, Ted was nice enough to come quite a ways downstream to take the picture you see below. As someone who normally fishes alone, it was great to have someone get a picture.
She was around 17 inches and actually put up a decent fight. As with the others, I caught them with a 3” Intruder style fly. You can see it hanging out of her mouth if you look close enough. After trying out each others fishing rods, I went downstream to fish a hole at the end of a short section of rapids. I caught a few more fish, but access was difficult and I wasn't in the mood to balance on slippery rocks to try and get the fly into the only small seam that looked only slightly productive.
I walked back upstream, passing Ted that was now fishing where I caught that fish you see above. Went around the corner and proceeded to fish a section from earlier. On one of my casts, I was daydreaming when I felt about 7 inches of the dangling loop pull through my fingers. I set the hook and felt a sizable fish on the other end. After a few minutes, I had a nice 22 or so inch hen in my hand. Surprisingly enough, this bright steelhead took a small size 12 soft hackle. Not the trailing size 6 steelhead fly. This is one of the reasons I fish with two flies at once. You never know what they are interested in.
Continuing to step downstream, I rounded the corner to see Ted in the middle of the river fishing the far seam. I later found out that he caught some fish here. As I was swinging, I looked over at one point to see that Ted hooked a fish. It must have been a big one, because his rod was bent far over. The following is an excerpt of Ted's story. Read the rest in the comment section!
p.s. Thanks Ted for taking the photo.
Also worth noting, I actually fished with someone else for a change. Ted and I met early in the morning somewhere near Hwy 5. It was a brisk day, with morning temps in the 20's. Stupid me forgot a hat, luckily it wasn't windy and although a bit nippy, it wasn't all that bad.
We suited up and got into the cold river. We were both swinging flies with our two handed rods. After a few minutes of floundering around with a 7ips sinking poly leader that seemed to hang up on every cast, I got into some fish. Most of them were quite small. Either smolts or small trout. I don't believe any of them were much over 10 inches. What they lacked in size, they made up for in aggressiveness. At one point, I caught two fish at the same time, one on each fly.
| Access | Along Hwy 96 | |
| Air Temp | Low 24, High 47 | |
| Water Temp | ~49 F | |
| Weather | Sunny/Partly Cloudy | |
| Flow | ~1400 cfs | |
| Time in/out | 7:30am, 5:30pm | |
| Leaders/Lines | Compact Scandi | |
| 7.0 ips sink leader | All day | |
| 12 lb FC tippet | ||
| Flies | Size 12 soft hackle | One half pounder, 22" |
| 3” black intruder w/ dumbell eyes | Several half pounders, 15-18 inch | |
| Size 8 blue steelhead spider | Smolts/small trout/half pounders | |
| Various steelhead patterns | pulls only | |
We explored this part of the river for a few hours. Eventually we decided to move downstream. I had picked out some possible locations via Google satellite maps. The first location turned out to be a dud. However, the second spot was a good one. We worked our way to the water and we both were getting bumps and pulls. As time went on, the bumps and pulls turned into caught fish. Most of them were in the 15 inch range. When I hooked one of the decent fish, Ted was nice enough to come quite a ways downstream to take the picture you see below. As someone who normally fishes alone, it was great to have someone get a picture.
She was around 17 inches and actually put up a decent fight. As with the others, I caught them with a 3” Intruder style fly. You can see it hanging out of her mouth if you look close enough. After trying out each others fishing rods, I went downstream to fish a hole at the end of a short section of rapids. I caught a few more fish, but access was difficult and I wasn't in the mood to balance on slippery rocks to try and get the fly into the only small seam that looked only slightly productive.
I walked back upstream, passing Ted that was now fishing where I caught that fish you see above. Went around the corner and proceeded to fish a section from earlier. On one of my casts, I was daydreaming when I felt about 7 inches of the dangling loop pull through my fingers. I set the hook and felt a sizable fish on the other end. After a few minutes, I had a nice 22 or so inch hen in my hand. Surprisingly enough, this bright steelhead took a small size 12 soft hackle. Not the trailing size 6 steelhead fly. This is one of the reasons I fish with two flies at once. You never know what they are interested in.
Continuing to step downstream, I rounded the corner to see Ted in the middle of the river fishing the far seam. I later found out that he caught some fish here. As I was swinging, I looked over at one point to see that Ted hooked a fish. It must have been a big one, because his rod was bent far over. The following is an excerpt of Ted's story. Read the rest in the comment section!
The last fish is the one that got away. And, surprisingly, it followed my fly bumped it a few times during the second half of the swing. As soon as the fly dangled, my line started to pull. I dropped the loop and waited, and waited. The reel sang for at least 10 seconds which seemed like eternity. The rod finally bent, but, I couldn't gain an inch of line. All I could do was to keep the side pressure on. After a few wraps of line in, it started running again...It was now getting pretty late. I stayed until dark, but only caught some more smaller half pounders. What a great day. All in all, I think I brought around 18 fish to hand. Granted, a lot of them were small fish, but a good number were decent sized half pounders. I'm sure glad that Ted and I went to this river. Certainly one of the more memorable fishing trips in quite some time!
p.s. Thanks Ted for taking the photo.
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