O. Mykiss

OK one more

2009-05-20T08:06:00.000-07:00

So this spring I had the best Steelheading that I have ever had.

probably the last post

2009-04-15T18:21:00.000-07:00

So I 've been busy lately and feeling guilty about not posting.
I have decided to quit this blog for now.
I will still do river updates on HeadHunter, I am working on the Eel river now and later this spring I will have pieces on the Mtapedia and Restigouche Rivers in Quebec and New Brunswick.

I have been fishing lately and today had my best day of the whole spring, which is nice.

So any way, see you on the HeadHunter, for now.

Steve

Ive been lazy

2009-03-02T14:03:00.000-08:00

sorry y'all. if anyone still checks. It has been along time. I ve been alittle tied up with work and alot tied up with Wii. Weather is cold and Cali was a bust.

I did get great pictures of the Eel and a few other rivers we fished, but I have even downloaded them. I am feeling alittle wayward right now so forgive my lack of posts. The time is coming when I'll be on it alot more, but for now I am working and getting a few articles written.

More soon.

California

2009-01-14T05:33:00.000-08:00

Word is the rivers in California are flowing low and clear right now, which is not too bad as the other option is often blown out. It looks like the Eel will fish, especially the south fork, but maybe even the main stem. I am sure that we will also hit some water in Southern Oregon for some or most of the time. Either way we will have a good time and probably find some fish.

It sounds like the fishing in California (on the Eel) could be tough, but it should fish and I have fished low and clear a number of times, plus, According to local guide Jason Hartwick of Steelhead on the Spey, the next week will produce some major tides and that will often bring in a good push of fish and the 10 day forecast looks calm. Things are looking good.

On January 2nd I got a call from Rusty. He called to let me know that he had driven from his home near Reno, NV over to Sacremento, CA to fish the American River with his friend Mark. Rusty landed a small steeelhead the first morning and Mark hooked and lost three fish on nymphs. It sounds like the American is a pretty urban fishery but also very productive and it is in the Sacremento area where I am flying into and out of.

I am just a little pumped knowing that it is just a week away

Merry Christmas

2008-12-24T12:33:00.000-08:00

I went fishing with Tom this morning. The snow was falling and the roads were horrible, but the fishing was fun. Tom brought an Ian Gordon 75' (708grn) 9/10 Partridge line, and it cast great. I had really been interested in getting an Ian Gordon, but since I tried the Nextcast I've been pretty sold on that. So I lamented for awhile after casting the Gordon, maybe I made the wrong choice, but I cast the NC again and knew it was still the best.

After fishing I stopped at Tightlines and found that everyone was there: Charlie, Kim, Bart, Smitty, Paul, John, and even the elusive Matty. Tim had treats laid out for everyone. Wow!

Tim Landwehr Owner of Tightlines Flyshop

Tim thank you so much for you generosity. Thank you for putting on our own Green Bay Spey Clave this year. You have invested alot into improving the quality of Fly-fishing we have in NE Wisconsin, and we owe you alot for it. You and Sarah have always been so generous to Liz and I. I have thought on it so many times and, yet I have never really been able to return your miraculous kindness.

So everyone have a great Christmas, That means you Erik, and Nate, I'm always checking out your blogs and I thank you for occasionally commenting so I don't have to feel too alone here in O.Mykiss. That also means the Zippel five, Tricia, BR, Lilly, Elana, and Clara,Merry Christmas. And to the Stevers. To good fishing friends Tom and to Dave P. it has been great talking more again this year, to Charlie the Deschutes and Umpqua were alot of fun. And to the awesome group we fished and camped with on the Umpqua. And to Tom Larimer who has helped so many Western trips much more fun.

There are also people that I have not mentioned. some prefer not to be, but for everyone who reads this blog I am grateful. I know a toss around between being overly intolerant and being insanely embracing. Thank you all, especially to you who post comments. Wiscokid, I looked into you tip and I am all over that.

Merry Christmas Everyone.

While you slumber...

2008-12-20T15:46:00.000-08:00

...away from the cold winter wind, I am out fishing...

...And today it finally paid off. I was trying out an new long belly on my Loomis 15' 7/8. I have been really finding that for fish our northern local, a floating long belly is best in winter. The river is low and clear and the air is so cold that stripping line only make you ice up. the air was cold today, my dash read 18F when I pulled up on the river to meet Tom.

Tom just got a Carron 10/11 85' for his 15' 10 Burkie and I was pumped to try it out as I have been hearing so much about these lines, mostly from Tom. Well the hype was right, the combo of rod and line was so right it was like tossing a scandi on my 7133-3, in other words automatic every time, not much effort.

Well after trying out Tom's new toy I went back to the XLT which after years of hating, I suddenly really like. I worked my way down into a run called Winter's, which in 10 years of fishing has not produced a fish. I was fishing a gnarly no-name pattern, black and orange, and evil looking, pretty cool if I do say so myself, and I do. The fly was tied on a gami 2/0 hook and fished on a 15' foot leader, so it was getting down abit. I was grease lining, as I have been reading alot about it lately and it is something new to learn. (sorry for all the long winded BS, but I feel like adding it.)

Anyway, as I neared the middle of the run my loop was pulled out, but there was no weight when it straightened. The loop slipped so fast that I was sure that it was a fish, but I hadn't had a grab in so long...it must have been a rock. I cast again with out stepping, carefulto fish the fly the same as I had on the cast, trying to lower the rod just right to keep the fly broad side. I rarely get a fish on the follow up cast and usually take about 3... oh, loop just got pulled, weight, set, whomp, whomp...fish on!

It was a solid Brown, about 10-12lbs, and he put up a good fight. Best of all when I got him in I was able to just take the eye of the hook and unbutton the fish without touching him or getting my hand wet. Neither Tom nor I was anxious to dip a hand in the water today. The fish stayed for a while in the water right at my feet, it was a foot or two deep, it was cool to watch him there.

The rest of the day was great. I stood on the Ice shelf and talked to Tom while he finished Winter's. We watched a big male mink darting across the snow covered ice along the river. We saw a couple eagles, lot of ducks. Then we head up stream to the Boat launch to screw around with some different rod and line combos. The XLT is nice, but the Nextcast 75 8/9 (not being technical) is more nicer. and the Carron 10/11 85 is awesome on the Scott ARC 1509.

So, to Summarize:
1. I caught a fish
2. I like long bellies
3. Minks are funny

Things get tough when it is this cold

2008-12-18T19:20:00.000-08:00

December has been really cold and there has just not been much going on in the fishing department. So here are some photos of stuff that has made the month a little more bearable.

A few days outNew fly ideas
Dave tying at tight lines

Hmmm...Maybe the Rogue

2008-12-15T05:10:00.000-08:00

My mind has been very busy lately. I have been imagining different potential scenarios for my California adventure in January. The rivers can be blown out or too low in california so easily that I am making backup plans, and this has lead to me looking into the Rogue river in Oregon.

The rogue gets around 10,000 wild steelhead in the winterrun, these fish run from 8-12lbs, and the Half-poundfers are still in the river. It sounds as if the Rogue is more of an egg and nymph fishery than a place to swing, but I hear two handers are catching on. sounds pretty good.

So there it is, I have another potential backup plan. and that is not bad. Really I just have to show up in Sacremento and then make the next move from there.

I'm gone, I'm gone, I'm gone, I'm gone, I'm gone

2008-12-11T03:08:00.000-08:00

I have left the Steelhead Site. Last night I saw another thread get started that was nothing, but argumentative and I had had it. I used the word "fuck" in my goodbye post hoping that it would get me permanently banned, so I couldn't even go back in a moment of desperation. why did I leave? you probably don't really care, but I will tell you anyway.

I left the site because it had lost any and all positive messages. If a guy caught his first steelhead and took a picture of it, upon posting the picture he would be critiqued by a bunch of lame ass lamiods because he had miss handled the fish. No one shared anything but unwanted opinions.
The other thing is that I really don't like guys that fish centerpins, and it was full of 'em.

I recently read an article by Bill McMillan in an old issue of the Osprey. In the article Bill talks about fishing the Skeena system and meeting a guy who is in the same lodge, who has been catching around 10-15 Steelhead each day. The guy is using an indicator technique, and he credits Bill with leading him too it in one of bills early books. This makes Bill kind of sad, because the way he sees it, this guy totally missed the point. Bill stopped using this technique, he wrote about why in the book. The technique put the fly right down in the fishs face and took alot of the choice out of the fishes fins.

This is not a critique on indicator fishing for steelhead. I went up and did some on the Door last spring and discovered a sport that really can celebrate the nature of steelhead. And that is what the guy on the Skeena was missing. He was there at prime time, the fishing was really good the steelhead really strong, and he knew if he got a grab when his indicator feel. He didn't get to feel the rush of energy from the fish grabbing and then turning on the fly, the fish didn't follow the fly half way across the pool, but he was catching more fish than anyone else in camp. He may as well been fishing walleyes with jigs or salmon with roe (that may be at the edge), because he missed so much of what makes the fish and the river special in his quest for numbers.

This is what I believe the "pinners" do, they see catching a steelhead as a sign of bonafide and they want that recognition, so they catch as many as they can. They become greedy their challenge to them selves focussed around numbers, nit a caring for the fish or the sport of fishing. They catch every fish in a run and think it is a good thing. It is like the guy who fishes gravel in the fall for salmon here in the great lakes, and then upon hearing that some guy caught 4 kings in Alaska say " 4 kings I could do that in an afternoon, the fishing is better here, and I'm a better angler", missing the ever lovin point.

Numbers mean almost nothing, catching just one more steelhead, time and time again means everything. I feel the grab of a steelhead so rarely and sometimes feel that I am going crazy without. I want to be in the moment with that steelhead more than I want to be bragging it up later. But to get to that moment I want to utilize the exiting nature of the steelhead when I am able. I am on a big summer river, I may start with a sink tip, but as a catch a fish or two I start to swing my flies closer and closer to the surface. I am wanting to see the boil of course, but I am try to really move that fish to the fly, instead of bringing the fly to the fish. I use the nature curiosity (or is aggressiveness, I don't know) of the steelhead. And that was the point of Bill McMillan's story, evolve you technique, when you can, to take advantage of how great steelhead are.

Preparing for California's Winter Steelhead

2008-12-05T06:27:00.000-08:00

I am getting ready; Ready for the Eel, ready for the American, The Smith, The Trinity, The Gaulala, The Russian, The list goes on. Northern California is full of rivers that hold winter steelhead. It also sounds like California's northern rivers may be the most hit or miss steelhead fishery that I have seen since trying for Steelhead in the coastal streams around Sitka, Ak, or worse.

Rain brings the fish in, but blows the rivers out. After the rains the river drops and clears and fishing is hot, I hope. Then if there is no rain, rivers get low and the State shuts down the fishery.
So, it could be tough, or it could be amazing.

We (rusty and i) have pegged the South Fork of the Eel River as our main starting point, but our whiskers and ears are atuned to all conditions and reports from Sacramento to Portland, and we are ready to mobalize if the Tilamook area is hot and the Eel is not.

The Eel, it has got to be great. The Avenue of Giants, The Red wood forest, the land of big foot, it all sound cool to me.

The Joy and Pain of the Long Line

2008-12-02T20:42:00.000-08:00

So this year I devoted myself to learning more about casting and fishing with medium to long belly lines. I have been a die hard short belly caster and I strongly believed that skagit and Scandinavian heads were the best and most versatile lines for steelhead and salmon anglers. To me this had seemed so obvious that I was surprised at what I had perceived to be a vast number of anglers that stuck with the longer belly lines, so I decided to learn about that which I did not fully understand. This is what I learned.

Long Bellies cast far: Duh! when you start with 65-90' of line out of the guides you already have a huge advantage, distance wise, on a Skagit line that is 36' with the tip. Take the 65' head, if I am shooting 30' of running line that puts me at 95' out of the guides, and 30' is not too tough shoot with the right setup, and then you add a 10-15' leader and there is alot of water being covered. This really helps on rivers like the Snake, Thompson, Clearwater, and the Miramichi where there is water that fish hold in that is a long way out.

Long bellies are good in freezing weather: Since the heads are long you can often fish runs with only the head and you are not icing up your guides stripping in and shooting line.

Fewer running line tangles: see above and replace I with running line tangles.

It's Fun: casting well with a long head is really cool and it adds alot to the experience. It is a challenge and I enjoy that.

Long Can Take a Toll on the Body: Casting a long belly seems to require more motion throughout the Body and requires more top hand. I have found that doing it alittle wrong can lead to sore elbows, which I did not have with Scandis and Skagits.

Not so great a short distances: at 20-30' the long line is not so great. They fish better out past forty, in close they seem awkward.

Long bellies + sink tips= not awesome: I may be wrong on this one but I am having trouble find a long line that fishes a sink tip as well as a Windcutter or delta, let alone a skagit which is designed for that kind of work. I am going to try a grand spey next with tip maybe that will be better. I have put short polyleaders on a Rio power spey 9/10 with some reasonable results.

Long bellies apparently mend better: But I don't like mending, for line and fly control I take the shooting head.

I am sure there are more pros and cons that I am not thinking of now, but this is a start. now for an anecdote:

Last week I fish a big slow run on my home river. The Air temperatures were in the mid to high twenties, so it was cold. To reach the real fishy water it took any where from a 60-100 foot cast, as the run grows wider as you step down. I was able to fish this run without my guides freeing up and that really helped when I hooked a fish. I also was able to keep my hands warmer by not constantly stripping in line. Also, the slow current swung better with the longer thicker line. The long line really made this run easier.

As soon as I moved down river to the next run however, where I would be fishing a faster narrow slot, I put that setup up away and switched to a skagit rig.

So I guess the point is that there is a time and a place for every thing, and if I can find applications for long bellies in Wisconsin, they must not be a total mistake. Heck, if it catches me one extra fish and it is fun I'll keep on trying to learn more.Once my arm quit aching.

One last outing on the Lower River

2008-12-01T11:08:00.000-08:00

Well, last night we got around 4" of snow and todays high is supposed to be around 30 F. Today will be the warmest day of the week to come. So, in essence, the lower river is done for now, and it is unlikely that it will fish again until next Fall.

Despite the heavy nor'western blowing at about 24mph, I headed out to fish my favorite runs on the lower river. The snow had turned into fragile iceburgs, some more fragile than others. Casting required finding a route through the Burgs and getting my fly there through the wind. All this with air temps at 26 F, It was gloomy.

I was skunked on the first run, and some gear guys low holed me, but I was so happy for an excuse to pull out of the run, I was greatful.

On the next run I faired better, landing a nice fish around 8 lbs, which really got me pumped up again. Another thirty minutes of dodging iceburgs and freezing my ass off wore me down again, and I called it a season on the lower runs. These runs have coughed up over a dozen LR Browns for me in the last 10 days, it is sad to see the ice come.

My run opened up... for a day or two

2008-11-30T06:20:00.000-08:00

I finaly got so sick of waiting for the best run on the river to lose its ice, I decided to give it a hand. I spent the better part of an hour stomping, jumping and butt-bumping a massive ice shelf, until I had knocked out a sheet of ice that was 60 feet wide by 150yds long. I gave the ice some time to break out and head down river, longer than you would think as the run is very slow.

Well, once the ice was out, it was almost dark, so I jumped in the run and ended up hooking two fish. I was a little pumped.

The next morning I hit the run again with Tom, I hooked a fish while tom was getting ready and he came down to help me land it. Then he got the hot hand and hooked 4 fish in the next hour, and then two more yesterday.

More Browns

2008-11-26T18:29:00.000-08:00

In the last two days I have caught more browns, 4 of them and lost two others. All four fish have been pretty good sized, in the 8-10 pound range, and as unusual as it seems they have been fighting hard.

The run I have been fishing has been so consistant that it has allowed me to try some new flies and presentations and they have really paid off. I have learned alot about not only where ther fish are sitting, but also how they respond to fly presentation.

There are alot of ice shelves on the river right now and it seems that in certain areas the fish will hold right on the edge of them.

Recycled photo: sorry, I haven't been taking my camera

Cold Weather

2008-11-25T04:46:00.000-08:00

Things got really cold here. Friday, was butt ass cold and by the afternoon the same run that had been so generous only a day before was covered with ice. Fishing, was limited to some pretty lame water and I got nothing.

Saturday was the opening of deer hunting, so I was out with my dad hunting. I am not a big hunter,really I only hunt one day a season, but I feel it is important for me to take the respondsiblity of actually killing a bit of the food I eat, some I can understand and appreciate where the meat I eat comes from and the sacrifice of life that is required. With that said, I got a doe.

Since Saturday was also really cold, The rivers were still really frozen on Sunday, but I went anyway. I fished with Tom and even though fishing was lame we had a good time I tried a Nextcast 75' head line that Tom got on Speypages and it was amazing on his 15'7/8 Meiser and on my Sage 7141-4. But no fish on Sunday.

Now yesterday, I got fish. The weather started to warm and the O produced with two lake run browns, One was about 5lbs and the other was nearly ten, and that one came of my favorite run along with two red-horse, which was random. Hopefully the fishing is just picking up for the thanksgiving week.

Really cold, but really fishy

2008-11-21T05:57:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, despite the freezing temps, I headed out to try the northern locals, the O and the Me. The Me looked perfect, the siren run was in full force for the first time this year. Unfortunatly, The DNR was just finishing up with shocking the river,, this turns the river off for several days.

So I headed to the O and fished a run that has been very productive for browns over the last couple years but is ridiculously slow to swing. I was hoping that the strong WNW wind would help speed the swing, and it did, alittle. It is sad when you are counting on wind to make swinging a fly bearable. Well it was better than bearable, I landed 4 browns, all over 10lbs and none looked wretched.

It was butt-ass cold so got off the river early.

Out again today, we will see if 20F is more than I can cope with.

The Spey Rod Rundown

2008-11-15T09:07:00.000-08:00

This is a run down of two-handed fly rods that I either use or have used and the lines I have tried with them. I will mention whether I liked the rod or not and any info that I can think of.
-

Rod: Burkheimer 7133-3: Maybe the best all around rod ever!

Fly Lines:
Rio Skagit 550 w/6'-10' T14

Airflo Compact Skagit 540 w/ 6'-10' T14

Airflo Scandi Head 8/9 500grn w/ 10' polyleaders

Windcutter 7/8/9

Note: This has become my just about evrything rod. I have fished it on tight coastal rivers in the spring, where a compact Skagit was the only fly line that might get it out there, to big open rivers like the Clearwater, using scandinavian heads. I have fished this rod on the Grande Ronde for small fish and coastal rivers & the clearwater where really big fish can happen. The largest fish I have caught on this is an 18lb Atlantic Salmon. It is how ever a little bigger than you need if you are on the grande ronde and the fish all seem to be around 4-6lbs, but it is not bad either. This is not a rod I would use long bellies, I like a faster rod for that.

Rod: Burkheimer 8133-3: Great rod

Fly Lines:

Airflo Scandi Head 10/11 600grn w/ 10' polyleaders

Rio 9/10/11 Windcutter

Delta 9/10

SA Skagit 600grn w/ 6'-10' T14

Rod: Burkheimer "Salmon King" 13' 9/10/11: Not for me

Fly Lines:

Skagit 750grn w/ 10' T17

windcutter 9/10/11

Scandi 10/11 600grn w/ 15' polyleaders

Notes:

Very Fast rod and very strong. This is the perfect rod for fishing for B.C. and Alaska King Salmon with a sksgit line and big flies. It is also ideal for fishing scandinavian heads for really strong fish, like in Norway for Atlantic Salmon or on the Thompson in B.C. I jusy never really got into it.

Rod: Burkheimer 15'3" 9/10/11: Really Nice

Fly Lines:

Carron 85' 10/11

Rod: G Loomis Grease Line 15' 7/8 : Pretty Great

Fly Lines:

Airflo Delta 9/10 (680)

Airflo Delta Long 8/9 (640grn)

Hardy MachII 9wt (640grn)

NextCast 75' 8/9 (726grn) Best

SA XLT 8wt (710 @ 80')

Rio GrandSpey (800grn @ 80') Heavy

Notes:

Rod: Sage 6126-3 (xp colors): Love it

Lines:

Rio Windcutters 6/7/8 or 9/10/11 w/out mid-section

Rio Scandinavian Head 6/7 with 5' or 10' polyleaders

Rio Skagit 450grn w/ 4-6' T14

Airflo Scandinavian Head

Airflo Compact Skagit 510 w/ 4-8' T14 (favorite)

Notes:

I love this rod so much I don't know where to start. It is great for fishing big flies, it is great for fighting small and big(within reason) fish.

Rod: Sage 7141-4: Great rod

Lines:

Hardy MachII 8wt (570grns)

Nextcast 75 8/9 (726grns)

Rio Powerspey 7/8 (550grns)

Airflo Scandinavian Head 8/9 500grn w/ 10'-15' polyleaders

XLT 8

Notes:

This is a very fast rod. A lot of people refer to this rod as a true 8wt or maybe even a 9wt, but what I have found so far is that this rod can handle a truly wide range of line weights. So far I have only tried lighter lines on it, but it handles light lines very well and is great for fishing longer belly lines.

Rod: Sage 8110-4: Good rod

Lines:

Windcutter 6/7/8

Airflo Compact Skagit 510grn / 5-7' T14

Vision Ace 380 grn w/ 10' polyleaders

Rio Scandi 6/7 w/ 5' or 10' polyleaders

Notes:

This rod has it's apllications, I am thinking the small Coastal Rivers of Oregon where things can get really tight and the length of 11' is an asset to the closeness, the power of the 8wt is good for the fly size and fish size. Other than that I guess I would usually use the 6126-3 in most cases as it has a longer front handle, which I like, and it is more fun for smaller fish.

Rod: Sage 9140-4 (old Brown): great

Lines:

Windcutter 9/10/11

Delta 9/10

SA 600grn Skagit Head

Rio Skagit 650grn cut back to 22.5' w/ 10' T14

Airflo Scandinavian Head

Notes:

I fished this rod for several year and caught quite a few fish on it. It is great for big fish. It is very soft, so not a good long belly rod but with the above lines. Good all around rod for bigger rivers i.e. Sandy, Skagit, Thompson, Clearwater

Rod: Scott 15' 9wt Arc : good

Lines:

9/10 Midspey

9/10 Delta

9/10/11 Wincutter

650grn Northwest Skagit by Airflo w/ 10' T14

9/10 PowerSpey

9/10 Delta long

10/11 Carron 85'

8/9 Grandspey

Notes:

I have tried several lines with this rod. It is soft in the tip which makes it poor for super long belly casting, like the XLT's are not great on this rod. But this rod fishes a powerspey (65') line really awesome on big rivers, especially in calmer conditions, or a windcutter in tougher conditions. It is fun in a fight with even a smaller fish and the soft tip protects light tippets. I like this rod alot for rivers like the Clearwater, Thompson, and Snake.

Rod: Winston LT 12' 7wt : Really soft tip, but fun.

Lines:

Rio Windcutter 6/7/8

Vision Ace 380grn with 5' poly leader

Notes:

This rod is listed as a 7wt, but it is more like a 5 or 6wt two handers by other manufacturers. I have caught many steelhead on this rod, several over ten pounds and it handled them fine. The tip is so soft that you end up fighting larger fish with the butt of the rod and the tip absords the slack. It would a fun rod for a river like the Grande Ronde or the Sheboygan.

Rod: Winston LT 13' 8wt : Not the Best

Lines:

WindCutter 8/9/10

Airflo Scandi 8/9 500grn with 10' polyleader

Notes:

I caught my steelhead on a two-handed rod on this rod. It worked great for me for a long time, but the design was not great, it was very soft and noodly. There are so many better 13' 8wt out there this would not be high on list of good rods. I gave this rod to a guide in Canada last summer and we tested it with the above airflo scandi and it cast really great. I heard he was able to put it some clients hands and they caught some nice Atlantics on it.

Browns,Browns,Browns

2008-11-15T05:52:00.000-08:00

I had to travel to Iowa this week, so on my way down I stopped by and fished the Mil. I only got one run in on the way down, but it was a good chance to try to try the Hardy MachII 65' line on my 7141-4 Sage, and with my Spey Company reel to balance the Outfit, it was great.

On the way back I was able to Stay at BR's house and get a few runs in on Thursday morning and it paid off with another brown. That is three for the year, which is down on my last two years around this time, I think. I could be that this will not be the best year I have had for fish numbers. I am worried that I will not have the enough time before the rivers freeze.

November angling improves...a little

2008-11-08T10:53:00.000-08:00

This morning I fished the Me. There were snow flurries on my way north, and due to the cloud cover it took longer than usual for the sky to lighten up enough to fish. I fished Bonfire first and got a nice brown pretty quick. I didn't get another fish but boiled one on the run across from Bonfire.

The rivers are still low, and that has really slowed down the push of steelhead and browns so far. Two fish in a week (four outings) is not good, but it is an improvement over the last few weeks. I think I will be heading south next, and then I will be on the road for a while.

Browns on Top

2008-11-07T10:01:00.000-08:00

Why wouldn't a Lake run brown trout eat a fly at the surface, Atlantic Salmon are their closest genetic relative, heck they are Sea Trout and anglers catch sea trout on dries all the time in Europe. Earlier this summer while I was in Canada fishing Atlantincs, I was thinking about this very thing, and I came to the conclusion that browns would come up if only we fished for them, but before I ever really tried. Local angler Matty had a similiar idea and caught our areas first top water brown that I know of, using a foam body waker.

Well, Matty didn't just do it once, he did it again and the second fish ended up on youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cTcBmu69Jk

What a fish!! The reel sounded awesome.

Well, a few days later, only the day after I arrived back from out west, I went out to have a spey clave with four friends on the Oconto. Unfortunately, There was almost no water in the river. Well I ended up fishing J with Nate and I figured A "dry" (wiggle minnow) sounded like a good fly to use and since Nate wasn't going to fish one I ask if I could borrow a Black foam wiggle minnow.

I fished J all the way down and, at the very bottom, I saw a fish roll right where the fly was waing on the surface. I could tell it was a brown before I lifted the rod, I could see the golden sides as he rolled. The fight was O.K., but the take was amazing...to see a great lakes fish, brown or otherwise, come to and out of the surface to take a fly was awe inspiring.

I have tried a few more times this week to raise another fish to a more traditional steelhead type dry, i.e. the gurgler. and I did boil a fish but I have not yet gotten a fish to eat a non-wiggle minnow.

Home from Nez Perce Country

2008-11-03T14:37:00.000-08:00

BR and I just spent 5 and 1/2 days on the Clearwater, The Grandee Ronde, and the Snake. Most of our time was spent on the Clearwater, the other came as after thoughts. It was our goal to get Steelhead on the Clearwater.

We spent the first 4 days of our trip on the Clearwater and fishing was tough, but with the help of our friend Tom and Billy's pioneering of new runs we were able to go 1 for 2. The 1 was about average size (for the Grand Ronde), 5-6 pounds. A fish is a fish however, and I was happy to land it. It ate a black G.P. tied on a size 1 hook. The fish that got away was larger and it a purple G.P. tied on a size 6 double hook.

One note on the fish that got away: I borrowed a rod from The Red Shed Fly Shop, well actually it was from Tracy who is a local guide and lives by the shop. The rod was a 15' 7/8 weight Loomis Greaseliner, I tried it with a Hardy Mach II 8wt line (I think it was an 8), I threw the line on my new Speyco Symmetry reel and took it to the river. BR and I fished a run we pioneered and as I was testing how far the rod could cast, I hooked a nice fish, which fought like crap, but it was a fish. I was really happy with how the setup preformed, in short it rocked.

The clear water is such a special river. Near it mouth it has that same type of desert feel that I get on the Deschutes, but as you head up stream the arid environment gives way to evergreens as the elevation increases. BR and I van-camped each night and stayed in the area between Cherry Lane and Peck, we ended up finding a great camp that was well hidden from the road, and a great spot for a tent, should we ever use one.

The flows on the Clearwater fluctuated greatly when we started fishing the river was flowing around 3500cfs and by the afternoon of the second full day it was nearly 8000cfs, and the change took place in only a couple hours. It was the fluctuating flows that ultimately led to us leaving the Clearwater and heading for the Grande Ronde.

The Grande Ronde was as fun and beautiful as I remembered it from last year. We were only there for a very short time, only an afeternoon and a morning, not enough time. We got sevral grabs on the Ronde, I had several pulls that took the whole loop and even gave a yank, but we never got even fight a fish. That's how it goes sometimes.

From the Ronde we headed for the Snake River above Asotin, WA and below the mouth of the Grande Ronde at Hellar's Bar. We fish one run on the Snake on our way up the river, then I fished Black Rock on the ronde while BR hit Hellar's bar. It was a cloudy day so we were able to fish all afetrnoon, which was good as it was our last day. Neither BR or I got any grabs so we headed back down the Snake. BR pulled off at the fist major tailout below Hellars bar, BR took the low end and I went in about 200yds above him, I was still fishing my 11' 8wt from the Ronde, which is a tiny little stick for the Snake which is probably the biggest Steelhead river there is to fish, until we pioneer the Columbia. Any way I ended up getting a steelhead that was about 6 lbs, maybe, a hatchery fish, but still cool.

We were now starting to lose light and barely had time to hit another run, we hit two. The first was a nice but non-descript run. The second run was one we had fished on an evening two years earlier, in early October of 2006, on that night BR took a nice wild steelhead in the tail out above the run. Br knew the tailout looked right that night and I put my faith into the riffle below, that night in 2006 BR was right. One this night in 2008 it was the riffle that paid out. On about my second cast I hooked a nice steelhead on a #5 Purple Green-Butt, and after some drama with tangled line, I was able to fight out and land(just about) the fish. BR fish a waker on the tail out and boiled two fish, but no hook ups.

And that was it, we drove to spokane from there, trip over.

Stuff I learned this week, about long bellies

2008-10-24T19:03:00.000-07:00

So this summer I started messing around with more traditional spey casting. To me this means long belly lines and longer spey rods. I have been less than open to this type of casting and fishing for several years, discounting its benefits and cursing any short comings. However, late this spring I cast a 15' 10 weight belonging to my friend Tom Towne, he had a CND 80' head on it and it was a lot of fun to cast, and the casts were huge.

I started joining Tom and our friend Paul Anselmo for casting practice on weekends this summer. At first I brought my switch rod and short light sticks, but kept enjoying casting Tom's Burkheimer.

In 2002, I sold Paul a Scott ARC 15' 9 weight, that I owned. Paul never really liked it that much and, so, I bought it back from him this year. I then began the very tough process of finding the right line for it. I had a Wulff triangle taper of unknown weight which had no punch to it, I also owned the original XLT 7/8 which weighs 880 grns, and I was able to make that work, but not great. I tried Tom's CND line and that felt pretty good.

Then at the local Spey Clave last Weekend I tried a 10wt Snowbee line with a long head the Chris Anderson from Sage owns and it felt much better than any thing else I had yet tried, until Simon from Rio took some time to let me try the Rio PowerSpey lines. The 10/11 was great, the 9/10 was way better. The PowerSpey is shorter and lighter than alot of lines I have tried (the 9/10 = 68' head, 740grn) but the cast is smooth and easy and it feels like it will fish all day long.

In preparation, for BR's and my to the Clearwater next week I also took the liberty of trying to dial in a good long belly on his old brown Sage 9140-4 and I mean the original one from the early 90's. Well, I got a hold of the new SA XLT 8wt this line has a head length of 80-85' and 710grn. We had tried the original XLT7/8 (880grn) on it in 2002 on the Thompson with rather poor results, but the new XLT 8 fished great on BR's 9140. I was able to cast the whole head, which in it's self is pretty amazing.

So... this week I learned that:
1) Scott ARC 15' 9wt takes the Rio 9/10 PowerSpey
2) Sage 9140-4 (Old Original Brown) Takes the XLT 8

I also learned:
3) New super powerful spey cast for tournament type casting
4) That I don't really need to known new super powerful spey cast for tournament type casting.
5) Speyco reels are really cool, check out the link.

and:
6) Palin is pure evil

Finally

2008-10-24T06:05:00.000-07:00

It had been in May, when I last felt the weight of a solid salmon or steelhead on the stick. I have fished the Miramichi, the Renous, and the Cains in New Brunswick. I had fished the Margaree in Nova Scotia, and the York and St. Jean of Quebec's Gaspe pennisula. I fished the Deschutes, and Umpqua in Oregon, and even the Klickitat in Washington. For destinations this has been the best year I have ever had and I got grabs on many of these rivers, but I could never keep a fish on long enough the feel its weight.

I Have gone pretty quiet the last month. I was feeling so burned out and beat down. I have been spending lots of time checking out our eastern Wisconsin Rivers. And between our low river flows, no rain, and higher lake levels fish have been hard to find. The Me is nearly a tidal pool beron of life, and the Oconto a trickle, The manitowoc and sheboygan not even for the drive. So, I have been looking but, have not had an overwhealming urge to blog about it.

Two days ago, However, while fishing with Bart on BR's Local, that finally changed. Bart and I fished several runs, in cluding one that has been on of my most productive runs in the state, which produced nothing for us. We fished so up river runs where we met BR, He had hook a Steelhead up there 3 day earlier, and the three of us fished for a while, I got a grab in a pioneered slot. Then BR left, and Bart and I tried a favorite run again. An old lady screamed at us for walking across her back yard and her and her husband chased us to the river. It was my idea to walk the backyards, Bart was against it.

Well, once we were free of the angry people and could fish, Bart got jacked by a steelhead the ran and lept before coming off. I heard Bart's oralizations and saw the splash and boil.

Bart and I then went down river, stopped in at a good looking run which is well know and ran into Eric Helm, who has a blog at Classicalangler.blogspot.com which I keep meaning to put a link to. I had just seen Eric at the Green Bay spey clave. Eric had just gotten back from an epic trip from the Clearwater where he caught some huge fish.

Anyway, Bart and I then continued down stream to one of the lowest runs and right off the bat I got grabbed, then Bart fished the spot and Hooked a big fish, it looked a little dark as it rolled and I figured it must be a brown. There was virtually no moving the fish but soon Bart moved him and he rolled again, a King? This is a fairly deep, off color run how did Bart snag a King? He didn't, old darky came over and ate a 5" string leach. I had the same thing happen 8 years ago, haven't seen it since, awesome.

I went back to fishing ahead of Bart after the king was caught and released. I got down to some real slow not super fishy water while he was still in the shit, so I reeled in and worked my way down to where two wing dam on opposite side of the river are straight across from each other causing the river to narrow and speed up. I started casting there and mental having the late day doze off, where my mind must just kinda go blank cause I sure don't know what I was thinking of when I got the pull. All the sudden I had a fish on and after a few quiet moments the fish went nuts, taking one long scorching run and several other short runs a couple near jumps and a whole lotta tough stuff. Bart landed and photographed the fish and she swam free.

Finally

Well, Shit.

2008-09-28T13:43:00.000-07:00

It has been a hell of a week.

It all started last Sunday morning, I was packing up a convention booth in Ottawa, getting ready to head for the Gaspe the next morning; when a fellow who I really don't get along with too well offered to help me tape up a box by cutting the tape with his knife. I said yes as I had nothing to cut tape with and had to bite it off. Well, on the first cut he was a little too enthusiastic, and the knife was fairly large, and it ended up in my leg. Just above the knee.

At first I wasn't sure what happened. I looked at my pants and saw a gash in them. I pulled up my pants to see a nice fillet of meat, but no blood. The guy said "I guess I got you" and I said "What the Fuck". Then I got up and headed for the bathroom, to keep blood from getting on my pants. 50 feet later my pants were soaked in blood and I was off to the ER. I was alright in the end and would still be able to fish. The Packers lost that night.

In four days of fishing and after showing countless flies to thousands of fish (visible fish) I never got to fight or land a fish. That's my third trip this year without landing a fish, third in a row. I had 3 solid grabs and was unable keep one connected for more than a few seconds.

Now a am in Quebec City spending the day in a motel room. The knee is hurting and black and blue and the Packers lose to Tampa, and Farve throws 6 TDs with his new team.

Well, shit. I come home from Canada in a week and I can not wait to be home and outa here

St Jean - Rusty Rocks - I still suck

2008-09-26T17:45:00.000-07:00

Day 4
Gaspe

York River - The Keg

2008-09-25T18:32:00.000-07:00

Day 3

Gaspe

Rusty and I fished Keg Pool on the York River today. Quebec Sporting also booked one of their guides and a Client on this water with us. There is not even enough room on this run for 2 people to fish it at the same time so the third angler was not welcome, and it was not what we had paid for.

This short run was certainly full of fish and on his second pass through the run the other angler hooked and landed a small salmon, figures. He kept the fish and called it a day, which was awesome.

We rested the pool and then I fished through with a #8 low water Black Bear Green Butt and just a jolting grab, I am so sick of grabs with out a hooked fish. I am ready to feel a fish.
Rusty followed me through and hooked a solid fish. It fought hard, getting tangled in a beaver dam, but Wayne (our guide) and rusty crossed the river, got the fish free and landed the big guy. Wayne said the fish was around 25-30lbs.

St. Jean- The Bluff - A Little Better

2008-09-24T17:38:00.000-07:00

Day 2

Gaspe

We fishe the Bluff run on the St. Jean. It was a pretty fun cast and step run that fished from both sides ans was holding over 100 salmon.

Rusty went through the run first and hooked a 7-8lb salmon. He got some good jumps out of the fish before it shook free.

I was able to get a grab on a #8 Night Hawk, and even got the fish to come back for a second touch.

The St jean is an amazingly clear river and very beautiful.

York River- Zone 4- Beatdown

2008-09-23T17:50:00.000-07:00

Gaspe
Day 1

Rusty and I fished Zone 4 of the York River today. There were about 70-80 Salmon in the pool we fished today, but they were what are called "dour". We put wet and dry flies over these fish in sizes 10-2/0, every imaginable color, and you've got it, we were skunked.

The river is beautiful.

New Notes on the Sage 8110-4

2008-09-13T15:47:00.001-07:00

I went out casting with Paul and Tom today we have had a kind of casting club this summer. One of my first two handed rods was a Scott 15' 9wt ARC. I sold that rod to Paul in 2001 and Bought it back this year as a long belly rod, on which I am casting the orginal 7/8 XLT, it's...ok.

Anyway, these summer days spent casting the long belly have truly helped me improve my technique.

Well, today I took the 8110-4 Sage out and paired it up with a 6/7 AFS Scandinavian Head by Rio with a 5' polyleader, and it is the best line I have tried on this rod. I did have the ocassion to try the new AirFlo compact scandi on the Burkheimer 7115, it was real good with a 10' polyleader.

Early September Beat Down

2008-09-12T11:26:00.001-07:00

Well, I know that all steelheaders get the opportunity to get beatdown by steelhead fishing. Hell, it's part of our quest. Days on end fishing hard and no fish to show for it. Well, I just got the beat down, and it really hurt.

Dam counts on the Columbia have been huge, reports on Larimer's were promising, and Charlie and I had what appeared to be the ultimate plan. We were hitting the Deschutes from September 3 - 10, we were starting the trip by hiking into Kloan and staying for several days. Most fishing reports showed that fish were heaviest in the lower river, and Charlie and I were geared to fish both the twighlight and Midday programs.

We nearly killed our selves hiking into kloan only to discover that the place was packed, Justin Timberlake doesn't crowds like this. Charlie and I got the last campsite, then we hit the river. I hooked a fish within an hour or two, it came off, and that was it for grabs on the Deschutes. We spent two more days in Kloan, then we checked out the upper river, which was deserted, and the mouth which was way crowded, and we took a short jaunt over to the Klickitat. The klickitat was in perfect shape but, fihing reports were down right depressing, I spoke with two guys who had been fishing the Klick for the last 15 years and they had just fish for 5 days and gotten one grab.

Charlie did get a small steelhead on the Deschutes durinmg midday, but his fire was not quenched by it. We had the canyon to our selves, allowing to fish an evening solo on pipeline, guides across the way and no touched shit.

So Charlie and I headed for the Umpqua after much debate. Upon reaching the Umpqua we both agreed we should have gone sooner. The Umpqua is amazing. It was my second time their and Charlies first. I had gotten a very large steelhead on the Umpqua in 2004, but the technique was not the one I would have chosen to mark such a big fish on such a magic river.

This time fishing was as tough as the wading. I got a 17" Sea Run Cutt on a dry at the Station and got a solid pull on the Bidge Abudtments run at RM28. We fished and hung out with a great group of guys and their wives. Rob Allen and his wife Rene, rob rolls the blanks at Burkheimer. John and Ilene from SoCal, they have fished every where. and Brad Burden and his wife, Brad ties incredible flies, check just about any steelhead fly book (shewey's or Helvie's books specifically) we had breakfast with this group twice at the Steamboat Inn. There company and encouragement kept us fairly upbeat through the beatdown and constant Umpqua river dunks.

On our last night of the trip Charlie and I headed back to portland and on to visit Nate at the Burkheimer rod shop. I met Nate while fishing the Sandy last spring. Nate showed us the shop, which is good cause I always like seeing it again and Charlie sells BUrkheimers at Tightlines fly shop and seeing the Burkheimer facilty helps a person truly apreciate how great these rods are.

After our tour we, Charlie, Nate and I hit a Pub in Portland and talked steelhead till 10:30 and I was the party pooper who called it, in order to get to the hotel and pack our bags. Thanks Nate.

On The Road

2008-08-13T17:34:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been a couple weeks. Since I last posted here I have fished Atlantic Salmon on the Miramichi and Margaree Rivers in Maritime Canada, with lack luster results (details are on the Headhunter blog). I then spent a week working in North Carolina and South Carolina. On the way home from SC My flight had some troubles and we nearly had to do an emergency landing, right down to the head between your knees shit.

Now I am in Massachusetts until friday, then I fly to New Mexico to see family over the weekend, then back to Mass. The following week I head to Atlanta, GA. However, I will be Home at the end of August for a party that liz and I are having to celebrate ten years since we started dating, five of which we have been married. Then Charlie and I head out to the Deschutes for nearly a week.

I've been getting pretty tired on the road the party and fishing will be great.

Salar Beat Down

2008-08-02T11:55:00.000-07:00

I headed out to the Miramichi in late July of 2008. I had come up with a plan to have customers join me in the pursuit of salmon. I arrived on July, 23rd and spent the 24th visiting customers in the New Brunswick Provence and getting every thing organized for the trip. I stopped in at the local fly shops (WW Doak & Curtis) to get fishing licenses, flies, and the skinny on the river. Word was good, Lots of fish were entering the river and the recent and ongoing rains were moving fish into the system.

I stopped at the Miramichi Salmon museum in Doaktown and enjoyed the day, anticipating the next.After getting some food at the grocery I headed for the cabin that I had reserved at Country Haven Lodge.

I met up with Byzee, the lodge owner, who informed me that while the current group of anglers had not yet landed a fish, they were rolling fish on virtually every run, more good news. I took a nap and got up to make the 2 hour drive back to the airport to pick up Bob, the customer that I would be fishing with, I had another customer lined up as well but, he had to cancel.I met Bob at 11pm and we made it back to the lodge by 1am. We had a drink and hit the hay we had to meet our Guide Jeremy at 7am, so we could get time in before the heat of the day rolled in.

We fished two runs that first morning, we had just settled on one when we got word that one of the guides who was not working, had a large pod of salmon on the run behind his house and he had just landed one. So we headed over.

The run we fished was called the Warren Pool, it is across the river from Ted Williams Cabin. We got there at the same time as some other anglers, and since warrens is public water that is how it goes, but a really heavy shower of rain drove all of the river, excepting me. The rain stopped and Bob jumped in a head of me and the run was all ours. In not too long a fish boiled my fly, never to return. It was a long run and took nearly two hours to fish through, so then it was time for a midday break.

After a lazy afternoon, we headed out with Randle, another guide, at about 6pm to fish a run about ten mile up stream from the lodge. Randle polled a boat over to an island in the river from which we fished. Randle actually owned the island, and it was obvious once he began explaining the run, intimate details breaking down each part of the run, specific direction where and how to wade the run, how to line your self up, where to stop and take a couple casts, etc. and in my first pass through the short run, I goy a solid yank, a surface explosion, the fish came unplugged and was gone.

Bob was having some trouble casting the 10’ 8wt that I had brought for him, his arm was getting tired and he was not thrilled that we had not yet fought a fish, I really wasn't either. Bob’s salmon experiences were several years old and it was catching Sockeyes in Alaska, so what we were doing was very different. I gave Bob the two handed rod I was fishing to see it would not be so tiring and I thought that even a bad two handed caster can consistently get the fly thirty or forty feet from their body. The instinct was correct, Bob fished out the evening with the two hander, and while he still had some misgivings about the whole salmon fishing idea in general, he at least liked the rod better. I think Randle kind of fell in love with the 11’ 8wt switch rod and scandi head I was fishing as well, he kept telling me how amazing the cast was and kept quizzing me about it.

The next morning, I rigged Bob up with my 6126 Sage and a 6/7/8 windcutter, and it is a good thing, because the run Jeremy took us to, Mid-way Bar, had virtually no back cast. I gave Bob a quick casting lesson and headed down stream. There were some guys upstream and in a short time one of them got a fish, and just as that saga was over Bob hooked a salmon. The fight covered 200-300 meters of river bank, and took over 30 minutes, before the fish made an escape. Aw well crap happens.

Bob now got it. Even though the fish got away he now knew why the wait and effort were worth it. And that is good be cause in the next day and a half we rose nothing more. The river was high and the fish were blowing right through the lower river. We checked out some of the Miramichi’s tributaries, the Cains and the Renous Rivers. Both were enjoyable we found a large pod of salmon on the Cains and fished the run with a moose who stayed within 30 meters for over 2 hours. He was a big bull and wasn’t going to let some anglers interrupt his plans.

I gave Jeremy a Winston Spey rod as a tip, as he had guided me on my last trip, and I thought it would be good for him to know and understand two-handed rods and casts and fishing, as it is growing in popularity. But not too much around the Miramichi yet, I got a lot of comments and stares.

I ran Bob over to the Aiorport on Monday and then shot down the road to visit with customers in the Halifax area, and then to visit another near the Margaree.

I got alittle fishing in on the Margaree after my visits and even got a grab out of the first run I fished which was near the tide water, but I caught nothing. The Margaree is really beautiful and the regulations are great for the on-your-own type guy, meaning no guide needed, no beats to buy, just a license and you can fish.Margaree Leaper

Salar Countdown

2008-07-20T16:05:00.000-07:00

I leave for Moncton, NB on Wednesday July 23. A few short days away.

I am going with Bob a friend from the concrete industry. From river and weather reports, we may have river conditions that we could hardly have hoped for. Rain has been constant on the Miramichi Region, and it appears that truly hot weather has not yet come. We will fish from Country Haven Lodge for 3 days and should get to fish the run in front of Ted Williams old place.

Below are some flies I have tied up for the trip.

While the majority of these flies should be somewhat familiar to you the reader, and I will be lucky if there is even one, The last fly is a new design for me called "The Merry Mink" from a poem in the the book "River" by Ted Hughes.

Salar Cross Over

2008-06-24T06:06:00.000-07:00

Well, I just booked a trip to Fish The Gaspe in September. The plan is that Rusty and I will hit the York, Dartmouth, and St-Jean at the end of the month. We are fishing with the crew from Quebec Sporting, which has a great website, with great pictures. I am really looking forward to it.

I am Also heading to the Miramichi again this July, I am taking a customer there for two days of fishing. Since we will have a guide, I will get to fish as well. I am tying Bombers, Green Machines and just about every salmon fly in size 6 and 8 like crazy.

After the Miramichi trip I will stay in maritime Canada to visit other customers, and this will include a visit to New Foundland as well as Nova Scotia.

A year ago my only experience with Atlantic Salmon was not catching them at Sault St-Marie.
Now I am going to fish for them 3 times in on year. I can't believe it.

Hello Fox and Two lines for the 8110-4 Sage

2008-06-01T08:35:00.001-07:00

This morning I headed out to the Oconto to try some line setups I came up with last night after working with my Sage Switch rod yesrterday. So I went over to J To try out my new skagit rig. It was a great spring morning and it was clear that beyond any contrary word, mother earth had removed the last of her wintery garb and was now slipping into something a little more pleasant and revealing. birds of all kinds scuuried an lolled along the river's corridor today.

Anyway, Line Notes Below:

Compact Skagit 540grn w/ 4' T14: A great match. The total length minus tippet is 30', which is already nearly 3 time the rod length. I fished a string leach that Charlie gave me on the Descutes about a year ago (found it in my trunk). I tried the Perry's poak with no problems. the Double with no problems, and the snap was a snap. I was getting very long cast out of the setup with a pretty heavy fly. I'm real happy with this rig for nearly every WI river w/ one exception, and for rivers like the Ronde were a longer section og t14 is not needed. I think I could get another 1-2' of T14 on but not more than that. I am not sure how T8 would work. I ordered a Compact Skagit of 510grns and I think that will be the ticket for using a 9-10' section of T14.

From J I headed to winters to try a Scandi idea and to try to hook a hatrchery brown on the rod to see how that felt. On my way I had a deer cross the road which this morning seemed extra beautiful, then a 1/2 mile later I saw a fawn jumping around in the tall grass by the road and then it hit the deck as I drew near. I then saw that I was not the only one eyeing the fawn in it morning throws.

Maybe fifty feet from where the fawn so recently been sat a Fox on a little hillside, also very near the road. I pulled up to the fox, who did nothing of note in response. I then Said to the Fox from my window. "Hello Fox," the fox turned its head towards me and leveled an indifferent stare, "your not about to bother that fawn are you?" I asked. The fox stood and sauntered off, and I thought of how I had really gotten too used to talking to my pets, as I really only thought it natural to talk to a fox.

Any way I got to Winters and Caught a fat brown which put up a good tussle and below are my notes from the scandi experiment:

Windcutter 9/10/11 minus the midsection: Nice and easy. This was just great as a Scandi-like head. I was throwing the 15' intermediate tip and I could feel that going to a type 3 or 6 would be no issue. I also took off the 15' and tried a 10' Airflo poly leader floating, it was a little too light.

So there it is, a memorable morning that that happens every day without me, and I am ready enough to fish the 8110-4.

Dialing In the Sage 8110-4

2008-05-31T19:43:00.000-07:00

So, I got the Sage 8110-4 Switch rod. I was about to order the Burkheimer which I knew would be the best of the best, but the price tag was huge, and I wanted to buy a rod from Tightlines, as Tim has always treated me so good. Now that I have the 8110 all I have to do is figure out which lines to fish on it.

I tested a few line today with some success. Here are my notes:

Airflo Compact Skagit 540grn W/9' of T14: I was able to double spey this set up with a large intruder I was able throw about 11 strips (33') of running line. I was having alot of trouble setting up the perry poke or a snap-T with a strong down stream wind, but I think it was more than the wind. I think the length and weight combined were more than could be easily handled by the system.

Windcutter 6/7/8: this just felt too light.

Vision Head for the Burk 7133-3 With 11' Hover Leader by Airflo: It casts but dies at the end and the Snap-T is uncomfortable to setup cross body.

I took the Airflo Leader off the Vision and went to a tapered mono leader 10' long. Worked pretty well but had a good size splash down. I think Ideal will be this vision with a 4' or5' airflo leader and straight mono after.

Below is information that I picked up on the Website of the Flyshop in Welche's Oregon
Line Matches:
Rio Outbound WF-10-F; Really solid-All around spey both single hand and traditional spey. “Wicked” overhead single hand.
Rio Skagit 350 w/ 15’ tip; Pretty nice all round all purpose spey, great line speed, slight “suspect” on load. Super smooth overhead
Rio WindCutter 10/11/12 Body only + 15’ sink tip; Top 2 best all around spey. Both single hand and traditional spey. Nice overhead w/ shooting head style loop (open) and terminal line speed
Rio Skagit 400 + 15’ tip; For sure the line for all forms of spey (single hand and traditional). Good Overhead.
Rio Steelhead/Atlantic Salmon WF-9-F; Superb, smooth overhead line. Really nice with single hand single spey. The trout choice. Think of it as the MidSpey for switch rods.

So Quickly its Over

2008-05-27T17:57:00.000-07:00

I just returned from Eastern Canada late last week and first chance I got I head for one of the northern locals which is known for having Steelhead around later than the rest of Wisconsin's Lake Michigan coast.

As I walked the train bridge out to the island I thought I saw the some Steelhead working in some choppy water just under the train bridge. I dropped down the bank and fished a long run along the island, and landed a small buck right away on a run that I am now naming "Steven's Limited"
Stevens for the great Michigan musician Sufjan Stevens and Limited as it is reminiscent of train titles and because the water needs to be very high for it to fish so it is limited.

I landed another bigger buck (#6) on a run called Wolverine the fish was colored but the fight was better than most November Steelhead. I hooked and lost another nice fish and several very large bass.

I was back two days later and the fish were totally gone, at least the steelhead were gone. The water was much warmer as well, so I guess it's over. So quickly it's over.

Happy Victoria Day & Nick Adams

2008-05-19T12:07:00.000-07:00

Today is a Holiday in Canada. I did not know this when I planned a business trip to the eastern provinces a month ago, but I am here in Moncton, NB and have shut myself up in a hotel room.
A friend of mine has been reading Ernest Hemmingway's "Nick Adams Stories" and mentioned them to me to. Those stories would be great to have on a day like today, as it is very rainy here, and it would be great to filter a mind full of northern images through the pages of Hemmingway.

Oh Miramichi!

2008-05-18T13:26:00.000-07:00

I drove down to the Miramichi from the base of the Little Gaspe in Quebec on Wednesday night. My GPS, set to take the most direct route, chose that I should travel southeast on old Highway 108, A remote two lane road that travel straight through the Canadian Bush. I was very excited about this route, thinking that this was finally my chance to see a moose again, all the signs were there, Literally.

Well I saw a moose and, I hope I never see one so close again. I had to slam on my breaks to keep for being killed by the fury, forest giant. I thought that a moose was about the size of a large horse, but that is far from reality, that first moose was so large that I am sure that with careful practice and cooperation on both of our parts I could have driven the Toyota Corolla I was renting right through his legs, and tickle his belly through the sun roof as I shot through. More likely the moose would crawl off the road with broken legs and damaged ribs, looking for a place to die and I would just float there watching the seen from the spirit world. Any way, it turned out to be a long stressful, terrifying ride in which I saw about a half dozen Moose, none as big or as close as the first.

So, I made it to Miramichi and met with a customer who has a plant right by the river, Good stuff, good stuff. And then I off to Blackville, for my license and groceries, and then to the lodge were I would stay in a separate cabin and do my own cooking. It was truly and amazing cabin. The first night I had trouble getting to sleep as I kept thinking about Moose and Bears, and how I was afraid of the on that night. Yeah, I used to sleep in an army tent when I was guiding the Talachulitna, saw bears from it a lot and I slept just fine at nite, but now I am a citified chicken.

The first morning of fishing started at 8 am, and we took the boat up to where the Barthalomew River dumps into the Main Southwest Miramichi, here we cast from the boat using truly giant (5/0) salmon flies. I was using my 13’3” two hander, and I hate fishing with a two hander from a boat. We from mind numbing spot to mind numbing spot, doing the same thing until just before lunch we let out a lot of line and trolled around the river a bit. I was furious.

After lunch I mentioned to the lodge owner that I may have to bring my trip to and early end, 2 days instead of three. I was not going to pay for three days of shit when I could get two for less money, I kept this thought to my self.

After lunch my guide, took me to a run just down from the camp called Mountain Channel, and we trolled it. Then it was down to White Rapids, Which had beautiful shores for wading on each bank and awesome step and cast water for a good two hours on each back. We fished from the boat!

But, we got a salmon. Then I insisted that I be dropped on shore. My guide grudgingly conceded and took me over to the inside bend.

I started at about the middle of the run, working a major current seam, and I mean rough water with standing waves meets smooth soft inside flow. It took about twenty minutes to get a grab once I was calf deep and fishing how I was comfortable. That first grab was a good sized hen, around 34". This fished jumped at least six times made strong, fast runs, I think more than that and it's body was rock hard, this fish was definitely a Kelt, but "black" really does not decribe this fish.

From that point on the trip totaly turned around. My guide, Jeremy, saw that I was happier wading he was all for it and we started looking for runs that would fish from shore at high water levels, and we found them. I really thought that lots of people would be fishing kelts with two handed rods already but aparently it is really an almost boat and one handed afair, but really I think that the early season is great for our style of angling, since the whole river is open for anyone to fish, while it is mostly private pools once June comes, and the fresh salmon fishing begins.

Anyway, I landed a grilse just after the first salmon on the same run. That was it for the first day.

The next morning started out great. I hooked a salmon at the very top of White Rapids, but it came off right away. Then I landed a big Sea Trout (Sea Run Brook Trout) and Grilse, both on the hang down. Then at the very low end of the run I got a solid grab mid swing and then saw my backing head through the guides, on out for a solid hundred yards, followed by several minutes reeling it all back in with a large salmon in tow. the fish rolled several time and made several other short runs. I got the fish in finally, and removed the hook which was in the fishes tounge. this fish was the biggest of the trip at, 36".

I landed another salmon on the outside bend, below White Rapids. It grabbed on my first stip as I finished the hang down. another Hen of around 34".

This was it for the trip for me. My guide, Jeremy, landed two grilse from the boat one at White Rapids and one at Mountain Channel.

The Miramichi reminds me very much of the upper Menominee River in Wisconsin where Angler X guide smallmouth. Now it looks like the Menominee in may when the water is high and form the pictures I've seen, It even resembles the menominee in low water, which is most of the season on the Miramichi.

I think I would like to try the Miramichi in summer for the bright salmon, but it sounds like it will not be remotely similiar to the spring. low water and tiny flies are apparently the rule.

New Brunswick Flag

Thank you Kewanee

2008-05-05T17:50:00.000-07:00

On friday afternoon I fished the Menominee. It was really high and full of suckers. No steelhead.
Then that night I recieved an email from Jose, telling me that he found steelhead in the Kewanee.

So, Saturday I headed for the Kewanee in the afternoon, and it being may there was practically no body on the river. I fished around with an old little two hander and a floating line. I was able to find about a 10lb hen in a little run with a bouldery channel on the far side.

I then went up to the weir to see if there any steelhead up in the ladder. I saw tons of suckers and nearly a hundred steelhead. it was amazing.

It was a good spring on the Kewanee.

April Recap

2008-04-30T17:46:00.000-07:00

The Kewanee Coughs up One, Two for Me:

In early April, I decided to make a break from the office and to go fishing, I had noticed that the Kewanee was flowing at about 200cfs and I figured that a flow like that should make it perfect for fishing a little two handed rod, well closer to perfect than normal.

I got to the river at about 3:30 and fished through the run that Angler X landed the big fish at on Easter. Nothing, so I dropped down to the middle of the next run, as there was a guy chuckin nymphs at the head of the run. A few casts in I hooked and landed a small but bright hen. On the next cast I hooked and landed a small buck that fought hard, jumping and running just as the hen, but this fish was very skinny, as if he had been milked already. Indeed I found out that the Kewanee hatchery is supposedly trucking post spawned fish to the mouth of the river, where the fish run right back up. Or I guess the fish may just swim out to the lake from there, I don’t know.

I drop a Hen:

On what may have been the most miserable weather of the spring, Angler X, allowed me to tag along with him and the Coloradian, his friend from Colorado, to the Streams of D.C. to drift flies from small water steelhead. Bart and I shared his rig and though there was not much going on, X hooked, fought, and landed a really beautiful hen, which I promptly dropped back into the stream before a picture could be taken.

March In Review

2008-03-31T15:45:00.000-07:00

Angler X Lays the Ground work for a good Spring:

It all started on Easter Sunday when Angler X eschewed all day family gatherings and went to fish what is traditionally thought to be one of our most lame steelhead river in NEW, for the sake of anonymity I shall call it the Kewanee River. Well X went out and the river was flowing at about 6 times normal, so he threw a big tip and a heavy fly on to the rig. He fished what under these high water conditions can only be called a run and ended up landing a fat, fresh in buck right around 10lbs

Doing the “Nasty”:

I mean the Nestucca, you frick’n pervs. Some locals call this small river on Oregon’s central coast the “nasty”. I four days of fishing Rusty and I covered a lot of ground, going from the Sandy to the Nestucca, and on to the Wilson, Trask, and the Little Nehalem. In retrospect we should have stopped at the Nestucca, once we found it’s secrets unveiled to us.

Rusty and I started our trip fishing the Sandy River. We rolled tent camp and Fished the runs around Oxbow, but we just weren't feeling it, even though all the talk was that the river was fishing. So we called up Kaufman's to see where the run was hot. Dude there turned us towards a river called the Nestucca, said he had just had some great fishing there and, since we were up for adventure, we headed to the coast.

On the first afternoon, stumbled around looking for good water, and we eventually found it, and on our second run I got a tug. On our third run I hooked steel and it broke free. Then it was dark so we headed for Pacific City and got a motel in town. Great town with one of the coolest rock island right off the coast, called the haystack.

Our second day on the Nestucca went real cool. We drove from Pacific City to the run I hooked up on the evening before on some increasingly snow covered roads and ours were the only tracks. Rusty led the way and half way through the run he hooked and landed a solid wild hen.
We then fished a few other runs, aand next we headed over to the Wilson and the Trask. Both those rivers had so many private property signs it seemed impossible to get on decent water with out a raft, so we hit a run on each and head back to the Nestucca.

We hit some real small spots, 10-20 cast runs. I got a reel zipping grab on one but no fish. Rusty and I headed back to the run where he got his fish that morning, I led this time. I worked through the run and when I got to the spot where rusty hooked up I got a grab and again no fish. Rusty followed me through and picked up the fish 20+" wild buck. I had been using Gami B10S size 6 hooks on all but the fish that broke me off, so I switched to dropshot no.2 hooks.

The fish seemed to be holding in pretty slow water, so we headed for a run below an old defunct bridge, that had a heavy head and a good sized creek dumping in on the wadable bank the other bank was an unfishable sheer cliff. I was able to pick up a decent sized hatchery fish, the hook worked out. That was it for the day and another night in Pacific City.

The next day we hit the Nestucca early. No fish on Rusty's hot run, which we called "Red Hook". I did get to watch a large, 15-20#, beat up buck partol up and down the run several times. He stay close to shore in shallow water to he was easy to see with battle scars and all.
We hit another favorite run to no avail, then we hit the short runs we check out the day before and again I got a solid grab and no fish, I checked the hook and, guess what, B10S. Then we went back to the run where I got the grab on day 1. Iworked the same far trench as before and fish on, drop shot awesome. then, fish off.

From here we headed up the coast to check out the the Little Nehalem River, it was a bust. So we set up camp at Nehalem Bay State park and we called it a trip. Well, we got nine grabs in less than two full days of fishing, not bad. Thanks to Rusty for taking the pictures.

Travel, snow, Travel

2008-02-03T04:13:00.000-08:00

No fishing in the last two weeks. The wether has not been in favor of nor has my travel schedule, nor have my feelings of sloth that I got from watching, and daily remembering, the Packers loss to the Giants, I am not even sure if I will watch the super bowl in my hotel room today.

Today, I fly to denver where I get to stay for 8 days, no fishing. Of course this lack of fishing should be giving Mr. Breakheimer plenty of time to get My and Husky #1's 7133's back into what I can only hope will be grubby, slimmy hands by monthes end. Of course Breakheimer said he send them this week, I say end of the month if the luck is with us.

God I hope I fish soon.

Slush, Sub-zero, & Vegas

2008-01-28T12:28:00.000-08:00

sorry for the delay alot has kept me away

fiishing conditions have gone south. fished the girl and it was nothing but in was blown, went back and it was slush. now it is ice again. Sub zero temps not only stall the packers but also the river.

Spent the last week in Vegas, and other than a few nice dinners and some kickass kereoke, it was dull.

The highlight of my last two weeks has been reading The Road by Cormac McCarthy (angler X this is a must read) , and spening an afternoon with the family ZipZap, BR's girls are awesome.

Bigby on Big Fish

2008-01-14T17:26:00.000-08:00

"It's like catching a fish," Bigby said. "You can just feel him fighting for his life. It's a great feeling. You can actually feel the electricity in his body. I'm telling you, it's hard to describe, but it's great."

"So for guys who have never had a big hit, go out and catch a big fish."

Atari Bigby - Green Bay Packers: describing what it feels like when he hits an offensive player as hard as he can.

The Packers won, The Cowboys lost, NFC Championship at Lambeau, and Atari Bigby corolates crush football hits to what we already know is one of lifes greatest thrills.

Checked out the She and the Man this weekend, both are high and off color, both should be ready by mid week. It will be butt ass cold by midweek, but the rivers should be in.

What's Wrong with Me

2008-01-10T16:32:00.000-08:00

Took the day off. Works been slow any way.
Hit the local river first thing thought I might find steel as Towny nail a big fish there on sunday.
Well I fished the most popular winter run, and then just kept going and going. Down river and every run felt good.

Finally, I got down to the end of the line with out a grab. On this last run on the local, I hooked and landed a small lake run. Real pretty, no mold put up a good fight for a seal-orphan.

So, I finish the run, sneek up the hill, and start the 1.5 mile hike back to the car (+/- a mile). So while I am walking, I think "Gee, what's up? I thought I would land or at least hook a few more fish." ...

So then I head north to the Me. I figure I should be able to get something going on Bonfire, or that run the angler X has yet to name.

I fished Bonfire with 10' of T14 and a blk string leach. The river was fluctuating up and down, Ice bergs rolling down. Went through Twice, second time with the most insanely sparkly intruder ever. No fish, WTF?!?

So as I head back across the river I notice, that Siren looks awesome , so I jump in the VW and cruise down. Siren was really awesome, casting was great, big sexy boils roll'n on top, great current speed. I would venture to say that Siren, when it is in shape, is the best run in the state. I challenge anybody to name a better one (be very specific on location). All that said... No fish.

Then it hits me, I am in Wisconsin, This is January, and I already caught a fish today. My expectations may be a bit high.

But, at the same time, Every run I fished today, I really expected that I was about to hook a fish, I was suprised when I didn't. I think that might be OK, a little unrealistic, but it will keep me coming back.

Warm Rains A Dump'n

2008-01-07T12:28:00.000-08:00

I feel a float coming on, like salvation.

Skiing days over like that(snap!), warm weather and rain pouring down.

It time to go home and polish up the Water Masters, because the steel will be pushing up and I dont want to miss this.

Husky, X, Broken Rod, read these words and make yourselves ready the She-be-gone, the Mil, Hardees, DQ, it's On!

No more fishing one of the three available runs on the Me. Time time to multiple small runs. I feel like roar out a Howard Dean.

Little rivers, Big Flies!!

BR with a She-be-gone Head

X just got word of grabby fish to the south. I am not kidding this shit is on.

Over Freezing-Good Day on the Me

2008-01-05T18:44:00.000-08:00

Fished the me today with Nate-dog and Angler-X(formerly Barto).

X hooked up right away, ran like steel...But got off.

I went down to brown town and and brought on back on Black (a stacked tube)
A Bonfire Brown

Headed from the Me to our most local of steelhead rivers and met with Marty Kwitek to check out some RB Meiser rods I cast the 12'6" 6/7/8 MKS, I loaded it with a Vison 450 Scandi and a 10' tip and the an Airflo compact Skagit 540 with 10' of T14 and a big weighted fly. Both were great it is a very comparable rod to the Burkheimer 7133. It is hard to say which is better to cast, I already own the Burk so I am likely biased. On thing is for sure the Airflo Compact Skagit is Awesome, Thanks Larimer.

Another Great thing. The Siren was fishing on the Me, no fish, but it felt good.

Ch-ch-ch-channges

2008-01-01T04:29:00.000-08:00

2008, a new year. Will things change?

Of course things are always changing, but I think this year will be a big year of change for the whole Mykiss gang. Husky 1 will no longer be a student and that will be a very big change, Barto will start teching full time maybe that will be a change. The company I work for is being bought by an investment group and merged with a competitor, that might be a big change. And BR with his house full of growing young ladies and hotshot engineering projects lives with constant growth and change.

It scares me because Steelhead fishing makes me happy and I don't know if a change at work will make it harder to follow that passion. I think most of the Mykiss gang maybe feeling, or has felt, this way. It could be that there are other, greater joys in life than hooking and landing a steelhead, but it is something that makes me happy and I don't want to miss a day of it. (Especially a day when a bunch of scum ball undesrving hacks go out and nail a bunch of fish and all I can do is hear about it because I was "on the road" or "stuck at work")

At the same time, when I stopped working at the fly shop and started working at my current job, it didn't take long for it to open the doors to west coast steelhead trips. I started taking the trips alone and then BR was able to join me,then Barto, and Husky 1. I sometimes feel that I have so much less time to fish, and that may be true, but I definitely get to go on some really great trips.

Anyway, my point is that it will be a great new year despite all the changes we face. We have alot to work towards in 2008 steelhead fishing.

Maybe this spring I will find a way to finally land a winter stellhead on the West Coast.

Maybe we can finally get an N.E.W. steelhead to come up for a dry.

Maybe we can find steel on Manitowoc.

Maybe too I can take all the opportunities to Ski while the snow is good and the fishing is not. And please let the Packers beat the Patriots in February, and all that it would take to make that happen.

Another cold day

2007-12-30T16:27:00.000-08:00

Well it was another cold day. No fishing, but the Packers whipped the Lions, the skiing was awesome, It was a decent day to tie and nap.

Looks like tomorrow may fish, but it will still be cold 30 degrees if I am lucky. I will probably hit the Me. See if I can get one last Oncorhynchus Mykiss before the year ends. Even though it was a really good season, I already am starting to feel like I may not see a Steelhead ever again. This is mostly senseless as it wasn't that long ago that Barto got bright hen on a really cold day.

O. Mykiss

Looking forward to the 2008 season. It is probably time to start planning to go west.

Stacking tubes

2007-12-29T16:27:00.000-08:00

Tied at the local flyshop today. Tube flies. Good turn out, good reward, thanks Tim.

Well, I've been having an idea for a while regarding the best way to get a fly that could combine my favorite aspects of both a string leach and an intruder. I feel that I got close today by stacking tubes and even stacking beads in between them.

Stacked Tube With Beads

Now I am just waiting to hear from BR to see if the Mil will fish or if it is locked up. That maybe the only chance I have to test out this new tube system.

Snow Storms

2007-12-28T09:28:00.000-08:00

I finaly have an afternoon that I can take off. There's a snow storm.
The little lady got me the best waders ever for Christmas, G3s w/ custom boots.

We need the snow, we need serious snow pack. The rivers up here have been bone dry the last few summers and falls, but why must it snow today. I am sooo sick of tying flies, and talking about steelhead I want to actually fish. It time to get a grab, or at least to cast a line without the constant built up of ice in the guides. Fucks for today.

Well at least 2007 was a really awesome year. Team Husky rocked the Deschutes, speciffically Husky#1 rocked the Dechutes. Barto and I fished winter and summer steelhead out west, not alot of fish on those trips, but Barto got his here in N.E.W. Even BR got fall steel on the Mil.

I had a great season on the Me, and through November all was great, but then the ice came. and here we sit, waiting to fish.

First Post

2007-12-28T07:54:00.000-08:00

So, this is my first post. I have created this blog for Team Husky, BR, Barto, Tightlines and other interested Parties. My goal is to focus the two-handed rod fishing that we are doing here in N.E.W. I want to be able to gather and desiminate fishing info with my friends, share our pictures, and release anger regarding all the undeserving bastards that catch fish when we don't.