Question:

Hot dawg.   The new 8 wt. is almost finished; and I can be optimistic enough about its timely completion to justify spooling some new line on the reel.   As the subject line suggests, this will be primarily for cold water steelhead fishing, and I’m wondering if any of you have a line recommendation.   The rod is a med. fast 9′-9" 8 wt.; and I expect to be doing a lot of roll casting with nymphs. TIA, Joe F.

Response:

Hot dawg.   The new 8 wt. is almost finished; and I can be optimistic enough about its timely completion to justify spooling some new line on the reel.   As the subject line suggests, this will be primarily for cold water steelhead fishing, and I’m wondering if any of you have a line recommendation.   The rod is a med. fast 9′-9" 8 wt.; and I expect to be doing a lot of roll casting with nymphs. TIA, Joe F.

Joe, I use SA’s Nymph taper on my 9′ 6" 7 wt. for steelies.  It rollcasts exceptionally well and SA built it with a blunt taper and tip both to turn over splitshot and to float well in current.  The belly is a bit thicker than average and floats high.  It also turns over well with splitshot when overhead casting. Peter

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the subject line suggests, this will be primarily for cold water steelhead fishing Forgive my curiousity, but is there such a thing as warm water steelhead fishing?

No, there is cold water steelheading, and then there is really, really cold water steelheading, and then there is the "My testicles have turned blue and I haven’t felt my toes for 3 hours" steelheading. Haven’t done a lot of steelheading, but that’s been my experience, anyway. Kevin

Response:

A good example of how everything is relative.  If I don’t have to change from my stockingfoot breathables to my bootfoot neoprenes, it’s warm water steelheading. JR — To reply, remove the Qs from the address above – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Forgive my curiousity, but is there such a thing as warm water steelhead fishing?      - Ken

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As the subject line suggests, this will be primarily for cold water steelhead fishing Forgive my curiousity, but is there such a thing as warm water steelhead fishing?      - Ken

–Summer steelheading on the Deschutes river the water will go up to 65-67 degrees.   It’s a desert water shed mainly. Sharp Hooks, Pat Holdzit Fishing Products Inc. http://www.holdzit.com Before you buy.

Response:

Hi Ken, I try to get people to fly fish for steelhead in the summer and fall when the water temperature is hopefully in the 55 to 65 degree range. Normally with warmer water temps and low light levels in the morning and evening Steelhead will move vertically for the fly more like trout. You could call this ‘warm water’ steelheading? Winter steelheading is an admiral undertaking, but is not for everyone. With the colder water temps in the 40 to 50 degree range, Steelhead are not as active and classic fly fishing methods are not as effective. You could call this ‘cold water’ steelhead fishing? — Bill Kiene Kiene’s Fly Shop Sacramento, CA, USA www.kiene.com – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hot dawg.   The new 8 wt. is almost finished; and I can be optimistic enough about its timely completion to justify spooling some new line on the reel. As the subject line suggests, this will be primarily for cold water steelhead fishing Forgive my curiousity, but is there such a thing as warm water steelhead fishing?      - Ken — "The Constitution only gives people the right to pursue happiness.  You have to catch it yourself."      -Ben Franklin

Response:

Hot dawg.   The new 8 wt. is almost finished; and I can be optimistic enough about its timely completion to justify spooling some new line on the reel. As the subject line suggests, this will be primarily for cold water steelhead fishing

Forgive my curiousity, but is there such a thing as warm water steelhead fishing?      - Ken — "The Constitution only gives people the right to pursue happiness.  You have to catch it yourself."      -Ben Franklin

Response:

Hot dawg.   The new 8 wt. is almost finished; and I can be optimistic enough about its timely completion to justify spooling some new line on the reel.   As the subject line suggests, this will be primarily for cold water steelhead fishing, and I’m wondering if any of you have a line recommendation.   The rod is a med. fast 9′-9" 8 wt.; and I expect to be doing a lot of roll casting with nymphs.

I use the Scientific Anglers Steelhead Taper on a somewhat slowish 10′ 7wt. — Ken Fortenberry

Response:

Hi Joe, We see the largest variety of lines and rod sizes used for steelhead. We have settled down to 3 different lines for classic steelhead fishing with a  #7, 8 or 9 weight outfit for steelheading: 1)  A weight forward steelhead (very long belly and back taper) floater. These lines are designed for longer casting, longer mending and longer roll casting on big rivers.  Mastery, Rio or Orvis Wonderline. 2) A weight forward full line with a medium length (10′ to 15′ tip) sinktip line. Mastery or Rio.  We use this line in medium depths ( 4 to 8′) when it is sunny or if the water is so cold that the fish are not moving vertically for the fly. 3) A "Teeny type" very fast sinking longer sinktip (20′ to 30′ tip)  We use this line for deep runs on bigger river when the fish are holding very deep. Teeny, Mastery, Cortland, Rio, Airflow. PS: You can overline your rod if the line it calls for does not seem to be ‘loading ‘ your rod for you. Bill Kiene Kiene’s Fly Shop Sacramento, CA, USA www.kiene.com

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hot dawg.   The new 8 wt. is almost finished; and I can be optimistic enough about its timely completion to justify spooling some new line on the reel. As the subject line suggests, this will be primarily for cold water steelhead fishing, and I’m wondering if any of you have a line recommendation.   The rod is a med. fast 9′-9" 8 wt.; and I expect to be doing a lot of roll casting with nymphs. TIA, Joe F.

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Question:

Anyone out here from Oregon?  Would like to know a few good spots for flyfishing in the Portland Metro area. Thanks! Brent

–I vote that you drive the Columbia river gorge to the mouth of the Deschutes river.   It’s exactly 100 miles from Portland, it should take you 1 and 3/4 hours.  In the latter part of July the summer fish will be there….hang on and be ready to swim, these are some of the meanest steelhead around. Sharp Hooks, Pat Holdzit Fishing Products Inc. http://www.holdzit.com Before you buy.

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Anyone out here from Oregon?  Would like to know a few good spots for flyfishing in the Portland Metro area. Thanks! Brent

Trillium Lake for stcok trout or Hagg Lake southwest of metro area for smallmouth bass.

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<< Anyone out here from Oregon?  Would like to know a few good spots for flyfishing in the Portland Metro area. Thanks! Brent How far from the Metro area would you go? "Reality is an escape for people who don’t (fly) fish"

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… "Reality is an escape for people who don’t (fly) fish"

"Reality is the leading cause of stress among those who are in touch with it."                        -Jane Wagner- — Ken Fortenberry

Response:

Anyone out here from Oregon?  Would like to know a few good spots for flyfishing in the Portland Metro area. Thanks! Brent

I  would make the drive to the Deschutes.  Or an hour closer is the McKenzie.  If you just want to kill an hour or two, head down to where the Clackamas meets the Willamette and catch a few warmwater fish.  If you feel like chasing steelhead, then the Clackamas, Sandy, Salmon are all good. Now if you would just like to sit back and cyber-fish,  click this link and see if you can figure out how to catch the trout swimming across your PC monitor… http://www.AquaHabitat.com/cyberquarium.html There is one other alternative: build your own lake and catch great fish  right out your backdoor. enjoy! Before you buy.

Response:

Anyone out here from Oregon?  Would like to know a few good spots for flyfishing in the Portland Metro area. Thanks! Brent I  would make the drive to the Deschutes.  Or an hour closer is the McKenzie.

The McKenzie is an hour closer than the Deschutes from Portland??? Isn’t the McKenzie down by Eugene?      - Ken

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Anyone out here from Oregon?  Would like to know a few good spots for flyfishing in the Portland Metro area. Thanks! Brent I  would make the drive to the Deschutes.  Or an hour closer is the McKenzie. The McKenzie is an hour closer than the Deschutes from Portland??? Isn’t the McKenzie down by Eugene?      - Ken

Yeah the McKenzie is at the north end of Eugene,  it takes me about an hour and a half to get there from portland, if the cops aren’t thick! Before you buy.

Response:

Anyone out here from Oregon?  Would like to know a few good spots for flyfishing in the Portland Metro area. Thanks! Brent

Response:

Anyone out here from Oregon?  Would like to know a few good spots for flyfishing in the Portland Metro area.

The Sandy and Salmon rivers to the east and the Trask and Wilson rivers to the west.  Some will tell you to go to the Deschutes, but I have a problem calling a 3 hour drive being in the Metro area. There are a ton of rivers within a 3 hour drive. Good luck,      - Ken

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Question:

If it inhaled it deep and you had to fight him a long time, make it dinner. 2 weeks ago, had a trout inhale the Mepps deep, and was bleeding.  Cleaned and Bar-B-Qued, he was tasty.  If is not bleeding and looks like it will survive, just cut the line as close to the hook as possible. Bill

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hello.  I went fishing this past week and had a problem 2 times…the dang fish inhaled the hook. What is the best thing to do in this circumstance?  I feel it is akin to shooting and wounding a deer but not killing it.  I tried unsucesfully both times to remove the hook, and ended up cutting the line and releasing the fish. Any suggestions? Thanks. AC

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FWIW, I use barbless hooks only, which makes hook removal simple. Also, you won’t lose fish if you keep you line tight during the battle. In the event that a fish has swallowed the hook deeply, I don’t even bother trying to remove it. I just snip the line as close as possible to the hook itself. The fish can survive with a hook in it. I once caught a small trout that swallowed my hook. I kept it figuring it would die if I released it. When I cleaned it, I found a treble hook stuck in it’s throat. Even with that hook in there, it was still eating. Also, I feel it’s important to not have a fish out of the water for longer than say 30 or 40 seconds. I also "handle" fish after I wet my hands with water so as no to remove the slime coat. Obviously, these are just my opinions. Good fishing to you! Bry — "My worst day at work is still better than my best day steelhead fishing"

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hello.  I went fishing this past week and had a problem 2 times…the dang fish inhaled the hook. What is the best thing to do in this circumstance?  I feel it is akin to shooting and wounding a deer but not killing it.  I tried unsucesfully both times to remove the hook, and ended up cutting the line and releasing the fish. Any suggestions? Thanks. AC

Response:

: Hello.  I went fishing this past week and had a problem 2 times…the dang : fish inhaled the hook. : What is the best thing to do in this circumstance?  I feel it is akin to : shooting and wounding a deer but not killing it.  I tried unsucesfully both : times to remove the hook, and ended up cutting the line and releasing the : fish. : Any suggestions? I have been catching some small catfish and panfish lately and I have been using a technique that has helped with swallowed hooks.  I started using short shanked hooks and bending the barbs down.  I use forceps to carefully go in though the gills and a little twist easily gets the hook loose.  Then the hook can be removed though the mouth with the forceps. Forceps are cheaper at "Headshops" than at tackle stores.

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Most hooks are made of low grade metal and actually rust quite quickly.  Depending on how far down the hook is, often very little damage or harm ensues. Several years ago, I caught a little brookie.  When I removed my hook from the fish’s mouth, I discovered that there was another hook in the fish’s throat.  It was obviously too low for the previous angler to safely remove it, so I guess he cut his line as close as possible to the hook.  The interesting thing was that most of the shaft of the hook had actually rusted away.  There was just a small length remaining above the curve of the hook.   It obviously did not interfere with the fish’s ability to eat or survive.  It put up a fiesty fight, typical of brook trout! Ian Scott http://flyfishing.about.com/ – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hello.  I went fishing this past week and had a problem 2 times…the dang fish inhaled the hook. What is the best thing to do in this circumstance?  I feel it is akin to shooting and wounding a deer but not killing it.  I tried unsucesfully both times to remove the hook, and ended up cutting the line and releasing the fish. Any suggestions? Thanks. AC

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If the hook was bronze, the acids in the fish will disolve the hook. You did the right thing V.B.

: Hello.  I went fishing this past week and had a problem 2 times…the dang : fish inhaled the hook. : What is the best thing to do in this circumstance?  I feel it is akin to : shooting and wounding a deer but not killing it.  I tried unsucesfully both : times to remove the hook, and ended up cutting the line and releasing the : fish. : Any suggestions? : Thanks. : AC —

Response:

Hello.  I went fishing this past week and had a problem 2 times…the dang fish inhaled the hook. What is the best thing to do in this circumstance?  I feel it is akin to shooting and wounding a deer but not killing it.  I tried unsucesfully both times to remove the hook, and ended up cutting the line and releasing the fish. Any suggestions? Thanks. AC

Response:

+AD4- and ended up cutting the line and releasing the +AD4-fish. +AD4- I think you just answered the question yourself. Sometimes you have to cut your losses and pay the price. You only do dammage by trying to retreive a swallowed hook. If the hooks are swallowed but visible as a rule, you could try flattening the barb, but some would argue this to be detrimental. Others won’t. I have no opinion as I have never tried barbless fishing myself. Just a suggestion. Dan in the bush……

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I used to catch wraases with hook and line that were sold live for saltwater aquariums. About 50% of the fish would swallow the hook so deep you couldn’t even see it. I just cut the line and put them in the live well. At the end of the day, usually all the hooks were laying in the bottom of the well. Capt. Jeff Kona, Hawaii http://home1.gte.net/jfrogers

+ADw-7t6ds0+ACQ-l86+ACQ-1+AEA-fir.prod.itd.earthlink.net+AD4-… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -+AD4- and ended up cutting the line and releasing the +AD4-fish. +AD4- I think you just answered the question yourself. Sometimes you have to cut your losses and pay the price. You only do dammage by trying to retreive a swallowed hook. If the hooks are swallowed but visible as a rule, you could try flattening the barb, but some would argue this to be detrimental. Others won’t. I have no opinion as I have never tried barbless fishing myself. Just a suggestion. Dan in the bush……

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My suggestion is to gaff it, bring it onboard and have the deckhands fillet it. If it’s gut-hooked, and it fought, that would seem to really screw up the innards. I know when I catch an albie that swallowed the bait, blood gushes out of the mouth. Hard to believe that the fish would survive. Just keep reasonable limits, and respect the resource. It’s a sport, not a subsistance. RD Hello.  I went fishing this past week and had a problem 2 times…the dang fish inhaled the hook. What is the best thing to do in this circumstance?  I feel it is akin to shooting and wounding a deer but not killing it.  I tried unsucesfully both times to remove the hook, and ended up cutting the line and releasing the fish. Any suggestions? Thanks. AC

– Caltees – Home of Guy Harvey, Al Agnew, Habitat and Military Printed Tees http://www.caltees.com

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One way that helps in releasing fish is to use a barbless hook.  As long as you keep the line tight the fish will hardly ever come off!   Tight Lines Lorne — If people concentrated on the really important things in life, there’d be a shortage of fishing poles. -Doug Larson

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hello.  I went fishing this past week and had a problem 2 times…the dang fish inhaled the hook. What is the best thing to do in this circumstance?  I feel it is akin to shooting and wounding a deer but not killing it.  I tried unsucesfully both times to remove the hook, and ended up cutting the line and releasing the fish. Any suggestions? Thanks. AC

Response:

Hello.  I went fishing this past week and had a problem 2 times…the dang fish inhaled the hook.

This happens to me quite often during the fishing season.  There is no way to avoid this, if you fish, you have to accept the fact that occasionally, fish WILL swallow th hook. What is the best thing to do in this circumstance?  I feel it is akin to shooting and wounding a deer but not killing it.  I tried unsucesfully both times to remove the hook, and ended up cutting the line and releasing the fish. Any suggestions?

Yes, what you did is exactly the correct thing.  You should try to quickly remove the hook, if unsuccessful, then either cut the line or in the case of large lures, use a sidecutter pliers or a small bolt cutter and cut the hook.  I have caught many apparently healthy fish with a leader or a section of line hanging out of their mouth.  Just today, while out with my editor from http://www.lake-link.com I caught a small northern pike with a section of line going down into his gullet.  There was nothing wrong with the fish and he was released again. One thing’s for certain, the survival rate for fish that are kept and filleted is zero, so release, there is always a chance that they will make it.

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Question:

Hit the same stream today, Monday, with my son on his 11th birthday. Arrived around noon, air temp pushing 70 degrees and a cloudless day. We run into one other fisherman getting dressed by the parking.  We agree he’ll head downstream and we’ll go up.  Into the woods, and we run into two other fishermen (another man and his son, NJ schools are on spring break), and we walk upstream a quarter mile and we’re alone again. My son swelters during the walk in, wearing his non-breathable chest waders and arrives on stream in a bit of a grump.  He hates overheating.  Realize I should have carried the waders in and let him change streamside.  I’m comfortable in my waist-high Gore-Tex. A few practice casts with a #16 pheasant tail and he’s convinced there are no fish here.  No luck in the first three pockets.  Then we arrive at the first decent pool, and two fish are rising steadily to dark stone flies. Off comes the PT and on goes the black caddis.  My son and I take turns casting.  He starts, has trouble getting the line out, and hands me the rod. I catch a 6" rainbow on the second offering.  He takes the rod back, gets off a decent cast, and lands a twin.  I land the third fish on the same pool a few moments later.  That concludes the action on the pool.  We move on. My son decides he’s enjoying sitting in the river in his waders, and throwing rocks, more than fishing and releases me (more or less) to fish.  A couple of large pools, and no action.  The surface is very quiet, and I can only assume I lined the fish. Then, 100 yards along, a compact, deep pool (at least 4 feet).  Having trouble seeing the black caddis fly, but after my second cast I see the flash of a fish’s belly taking something, and set the hook.  After a caroming fight across the entire pool, it turns out to be a fat 12" male rainbow in rich spawning colors. Another pocket, and another 7" fish.  Then my son announces he wants to leave.  It IS his birthday after all.  I’m thinking that if I’m alone, this is a 20 fish afternoon, easy.  Nevertheless, with one rod between us, we’ve caught 5 fish in less than 40 minutes, all on the caddis-stonefly. We go home, spotting a garter snake along the way.  My son grabs it, and later tells his grandmother he caught "one fish and one snake." Michael

Response:

Just to say that the Garden State has a surprising amount to offer the wild trout fisherman who’s not obsessed with size of catch. On a stream to remain anonymous… This is a heavily wooded, small freestone stream.  Less than 90 minutes from Times Square, within two hours of 30 million people.  But on the stream all is peaceful.  No houses are visible in this stretch, just a mature hardwood forest.   NO ONE else is about, and the steep valley walls block out any possible traffic noise.  The water averages about a foot deep, cutting through some steep hills.  A series of small flats and little cascading plunge pools.  An occasional deeper pool or run.  Average width is no more than 15 feet. Arrived mid-day on Friday after moderate rain Thursday.  Surprised to find the water still running muddy with run-off.  Fishing for the first hour or so was pretty much a bust.  Water continued to run cloudy, but gradually changed from muddy to blue-green and fish started to hit. Was fishing a #14 bead-head pheasant tail for most of the afternoon, concentrating on the deeper pockets and deep pools/runs.  This was hit and run fishing, hitting a pocket with a few casts, then walking 20-30 yards to the next one. The deeper the pocket, the larger the fish, ranging from 6" to 12".  After 2 PM, most pockets rewarded me with a take.  Some with two or three, a big fish (9"+) at the deepest point, then smaller fish.  Wild rainbows in spawning splendor.  One brown.   By 4 o’clock I’d caught and released at least 20 fish. As I approached what I’d decided would be the last hole, I noticed a fish rise a couple of times.  Pulled off the pheasant tail, and put on a black elk hair caddis.  It took the first offering.  Turned out to be a fat 9"+ rainbow!  Lept twice before diving into a deep pocket, where I had to drag him out before releasing him.  First fish of the season on a dry! Michael

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Question:

Does anyone know where the cheapest mail order prices are on the WWW for flyfishing accesories-flyting supplies, line,rods,etc? Thanks in advance, Alan

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Go to WWW.HOOKHACK.COM, take 20% off prices by saying you saw the item on the web. They’re the best!!!!

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Question:

What size tippet are you using, and what knot are you using to tie on your fly?  I fish for bass and panfish with a 5X tippet and do fine (bluegill up to maybe 6 inches, bass to about 15 inches).  Used to lose a lot of flies before I switched from an improved clinch knot to a Duncan loop/Uniknot – since then I haven’t had problems with losing flies.  Hope this helps. — Bob Jarvis Mail address hacked to foil spammers! – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Help, I am an intermediate fly fisherman who is used to catching pan fish.  Lately I have been doing a little better but am having trouble sacrificing my fly  to the God of fish.  Is there a good techniqe out there for running drag on a fairly light rig when catching a big fish.  I have been using the palm of my right hand to self adjust the drag once the fish is on but seem to have a heavy touch.  Any advice? thanks.

Response:

Help, I am an intermediate fly fisherman who is used to catching pan fish.  Lately I have been doing a little better but am having trouble sacrificing my fly  to the God of fish.  Is there a good techniqe out there for running drag on a fairly light rig when catching a big fish.  I have been using the palm of my right hand to self adjust the drag once the fish is on but seem to have a heavy touch.  Any advice? thanks.

Hi Sky, I set the drag just heavy enough to keep the reel from back lashing or over running when I quickly pull some line off the reel. I then add more drag or resistance with my fingers on the fly line or use the rim control drag. I would then be sure that you have the right size tippet to match your fly size. Make sure that your leader/tippet is fresh and your knots are good. For #10, 12 & 14 dries I would use 5x tippet. For #16, 18 & 20 I would use 6x tippet.(7x later) For #8, 10 & 12 wet flies and nymphs I would use 3x tippet. For #14, 16 & 18 wet flies and nymphs I would use 4x tippet.(5x later) This is a chart I give to anglers that are just getting started. It is just for a rough guide and to get them thinking about using different size tippets with different size flies. Bill Kiene Kiene’s Fly Shop Sacramento,CA,USA 800/4000FLY www.kiene.com

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Breakoffs are the result of both reel drag and rod flex at the tip. A slower rod ie more flexible acts as a shock absorber to the fishes sudden movements and cushions the leader and light tippet. The drag is for breaking the fish’s runs (longer distance moves). I don’t know many fisherman that can use the old palm drag technique without just a little too much pressure just for a split secound that gives the fish your fly. Many reels have good drags like Lamson and Abel (and Cortland etc for the cheaper ones) I like the Bauer and other large arbor reels because their drag is the smoothest and most adjustable. I also have a Rhyle (sp?) which is resonably expensive and the drag is terrible. You keep having to reset it with a fish on. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Help, I am an intermediate fly fisherman who is used to catching pan fish. Lately I have been doing a little better but am having trouble sacrificing my fly  to the God of fish.  Is there a good techniqe out there for running drag on a fairly light rig when catching a big fish.  I have been using the palm of my right hand to self adjust the drag once the fish is on but seem to have a heavy touch.  Any advice? thanks.

Response:

You’ll probably get  a response from TimW, Halfordian Golfer on this one… He’s the one that usually works in drag in this NG…. #:)#

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Help, I am an intermediate fly fisherman who is used to catching pan fish.  Lately I have been doing a little better but am having trouble sacrificing my fly  to the God of fish.  Is there a good techniqe out there for running drag on a fairly light rig when catching a big fish.  I have been using the palm of my right hand to self adjust the drag once the fish is on but seem to have a heavy touch.  Any advice? thanks.

Response:

I am an intermediate fly fisherman who is used to catching pan fish.  Lately I have been doing a little better but am having trouble sacrificing my fly  to the God of fish.  Is there a good techniqe out there for running drag on a fairly light rig when catching a big fish.  I have been using the palm of my right hand to self adjust the drag once the fish is on but seem to have a heavy touch.  Any advice?

You are obviously holding harder than you need. Have a look at books on Pennsylvania fly fishing for trout, where tiny flies require light leaders, e.g. Ed Koch’s Fishing the Midge (1972).  There is a consensus there that even with big fish (say 5 lb.) the rod and guides provide about as much drag as the tippet can endure, depending on how high up you point the rod and how much the rod bends.  For this fishing, reel drag is minimal, i.e. just enough to prevent overrun. I.e. drag depends on the bend of the rod more than the resistance of the reel.  You even see this on salmon rivers where fish run 20 lb.  Reel drag setting is secondary to making the bend of the rod tire out the hooked fish. — |  Donald Phillipson, 4180 Boundary Road, Carlsbad Springs,  | |        Ontario, Canada, K0A 1K0, tel. 613 822 0734         |

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Help, I am an intermediate fly fisherman who is used to catching pan fish.  Lately I have been doing a little better but am having trouble sacrificing my fly  to the God of fish.  Is there a good techniqe out there for running drag on a fairly light rig when catching a big fish.  I have been using the palm of my right hand to self adjust the drag once the fish is on but seem to have a heavy touch.  Any advice? thanks.

A top quality fly reel will have an excellent, working drag.  I use Penn International reels…great drag, great reel, expensive but worth it if you hook lots of big fish. — Don Jordan "The Real Indiana Jones" http://realindy.com

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Question:

Hi, Does anyone know if the area near the Slide Inn on the Madison River is becoming multi-channel again, or is it just a large rushing river. Thanks, Bob

Hi Bob I’m basing this answer on two observations: When I drove by that section of river a couple of days ago of course it was running one large river due to run off. Last fall when I fished the area there were channels. What the river will look like after run-off this year is yet to be seen. If you want to monitor the stream flows on the Madison you can click on "weather & water" on my web site. Take care & … — Tight Lines ….. Al Beatty BT’s Fly Fishing Products On line catalog – tips & tricks at: http://www.btsflyfishing.com

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Hi, Does anyone know if the area near the Slide Inn on the Madison River is becoming multi-channel again, or is it just a large rushing river. Thanks, Bob

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Question:

(L. R. Fortney) writes: on the Green, my guide attracted several large browns by tossing some bread into the water.  … he caught a cicada and after being surprised that the underside was chalk white (I wasn’t) he tossed it to the fish.  Fluttering it’s wings, it drifted unmolested over three 20" browns and out of sight down the river. Ignoring the guide’s advice to use one of their ugly black ‘cicada’ imitations, I started fishing a white winged light gray irresistable when we started drifting again…with sufficient success … I think that’s because a lot of Green river trout are pretty tame and a little on the dumb side.

I’m not sure that I follow the train of thought here.  I understand that LRF is sharing his feeling of self satisfaction at two upping the guide by knowing the underbody color of a cicada and catching fish on a light colored fly.  I’m not sure that I understand the point of the rest of the story. I assume that the fish were feeding on the white bread and  it was stated thay they refused the cicada.  So, was the light fly used to simulate the bread or the cicada? BTW, tame and dumb are not the same thing.  Fish that see a large number of fly fishers will tolerate human presence.  I’ve seen fish on the Henry’s Fork take naturals with leader draped across their back.  Often, fishing will not disturb their feeding, but they are seldom fooled by imitations. I’ve also seen some very finicky fish feed on bread crumbs, but I never thought to match the hatch… Thanks for the tip Keywords:

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Fishers- An entemologist buddy tells me this is the big year of the 17-year locust (really a cicada) cycle. I drove through Virginia today and he was right! There are tons of them on the road (and windshield), at least in central Va., and they haven’t really started yet. Does anyone have a good pattern for the cicada’s we get out here?  I fished the Green in Utah last year with a cicada and the trout loved it!  : )  I would think these underfed (south)eastern fish would love them too. Any experiences fishing cicadas in the east? Miles — Miles Silman Department of Zoology Duke University

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Fishers- An entemologist buddy tells me this is the big year of the 17-year locust (really a cicada) cycle. I drove through Virginia today and he was right! There are tons of them on the road (and windshield), at least in central Va., and they haven’t really started yet. Does anyone have a good pattern for the cicada’s we get out here?  I fished the Green in Utah last year with a cicada and the trout loved it!  : )  I would think these underfed (south)eastern fish would love them too. Any experiences fishing cicadas in the east? Miles — Miles Silman Department of Zoology Duke University

Miles, I’ve been fishing a cicada hatch for about 3 weeks in Arizona (In an area I’d prefer to keep unamed). I don’t know if they differ much from the east coast to the west coast but the browns have been hitting them really hard and I’ve managed to land a few around 20". I bought some Rainy’s Float Foam (Large and X-Large) and used the improved cicada instructions included in the pack. After making some observations I’ve come up with two different patterns that seem to work well. Pattern 1:   Hook TMC 200R   Used an underwing of white crystal flash   Substituted black elk hair for the light elk hair overwing   Added a very small tuft of white calf hair on top of overwing (optional) Pattern 2:   Hook TMC 200R   Used an underwing of white crystal flash   Substituded black crystal flash for the light elk hair overwing   Added a very small tuft of white calf hair on top of overwing (optional) I’ve tried fishing the light elk hair overwing but have noticed quite a few more refusals. As of late the fish seem to be a little more suspicious of the two patterns given above. So I’m going to try a 2X long hook and may use burnt orange thread or dubbing for the abdomen. I plan to give this new pattern a try this weekend. Good luck, Jeff Anderson

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The New York Times ran a story on the eastern Cicada hatch sometime last week..FYI..These would really be a meal for a trout!

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I fished the Green in Utah last year with a cicada and the trout loved it!

  I’ve found that what they call a ‘cicada’ pattern on the Green has little resemblance to a live cicada.   When we stopped for lunch last year on the Green, my guide attracted several large browns by tossing some bread into the water.  To settle an argument as to whether a live cicada has a red, black, or white underside he caught a cicada and after being surprised that the underside was chalk white (I wasn’t) he tossed it to the fish.  Fluttering it’s wings, it drifted unmolested over three 20" browns and out of sight down the river. Ignoring the guide’s advice to use one of their ugly black ‘cicada’ imitations, I started fishing a white winged light gray irresistable when we started drifting again…with sufficient success that the guide changed his tune and switched my son to the one white fly he had in his box. Naturally, we only had a couple between us and they quickly got chewed to bits.  Granted that their patterns do catch fish…but I think that’s because a lot of Green river trout are pretty tame and a little on the dumb side.   I doubt that very many of our eastern trout are big enough to down a live cicada, and even fewer would be stupid enough to go for a Green river cicada pattern? — Lloyd Fortney —Opinions are mine— Some of my flower and garden JPEG images are at http://www.phy.duke.edu/Faculty/Fortney/LRF_Personal_Home_Page.html

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Question:

Is it me, or is the FlyFishing Database and FAQ home page totally broken.  Everytime I follow a link it gives me a page with a return link and no content. The location I’m accessing is: http://www.geo.mtu.edu/~jsuchosk/fish/ff-faq/masterIndex.html kat.

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Is it me, or is the FlyFishing Database and FAQ home page totally broken.  Everytime I follow a link it gives me a page with a return link and no content. The location I’m accessing is: http://www.geo.mtu.edu/~jsuchosk/fish/ff-faq/masterIndex.html kat.

It’s not you.  Either it’s broken, or it’s us.  I got the same response you did. Jim Browder Kalispell, MT

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Question:

Just a thought that myself and others were having.  What is the best solution for Paddlers and Flyfishers to co-exist.  Should a paddler proceed close to a fisher as to not spook trout or other species on the other side of whatever body of water or should they proceed as far away from the casting path as possible.  What are the opinions of others out there?  This is just a question to better inform myself and any others that might be concerned about the issue.

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The North Umpqua River in Oregon is has stretches that are closed to boating between 6 p.m. and 10 a.m.  This seems to leave a reasonable amount of prime fishing time for the flyfisherpeople.  Despite this arrangement, I’ve had a fisherman demand that I tell him (at 5:30) whether there were any other boaters coming down the river after me as it I had some way of knowing.

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Just a thought that myself and others were having.  What is the best solution for Paddlers and Flyfishers to co-exist.  Should a paddler proceed close to a fisher as to not spook trout or other species on the other side of whatever body of water or should they proceed as far away from the casting path as possible.  What are the opinions of others out there?  This is just a question to better inform myself and any others that might be concerned about the issue.

As both a paddler and flyfisher in the smaller New Mexican Streams I prefer the following courses of action if possible.  Many times you see the fisher standing knee to hip deep in the water casting forward.  This leaves enough room to go behind them but make sure first they see you or you could get caught on the back cast.  If the fisher is standing on shore and you see they cannot make the cast all the way across stream then follow the opposite shoreline.  If they are on shore and they can cast across stream then follow the path as close to the fisher as possible.  Sometimes fisherman will get spooked by this course of action but if you wisper on the way by that you didn’t want to spook the fish they were casting to then then are usually appreciative.  I say wisper because even normal talk is enough to spook fish.  So if normal talk can then unnecessary paddle noise can too, so try to be stealthy when possible and don’t scream out "how’s the fishing" on the way by.  If the fisher feels you are trying to be sensitive to their needs through the 50 feet of water you are passing through then it usually avoids problems.  This is how I approach it but would like to here comments on how others do it short of haul your boat out and walk around because I don’t think I would do this as a kayaker – it’s my river too. -Allen Sansano

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The North Umpqua River in Oregon is has stretches that are closed to boating between 6 p.m. and 10 a.m.  This seems to leave a reasonable amount of prime fishing time for the flyfisherpeople.  

This might not seem so reasonable if the pale evening dun hatch started around 5:00.  Prime fishing time is when the fish are feeding. Despite this arrangement, I’ve had a fisherman demand that I tell him (at 5:30) whether there were any other boaters coming down the river after me as it I had some way of knowing.

Remember, kayakers on the river are much more maneuverable then a flyfisher that has waded out to a spot and is sight casting to a spooky brown trout sitting just behind a rock.  Most decent flyfishers just don’t flail away at the water in front of them but have a specific target in mind.   The best advice is to make sure that the person sees you.  When I encounter someone floating down the river while I’m flyfishing I’ll usually just stop casting and then motion them behind me and then say thanks as they pass for begin considerate. — John Fereira Isis Distributed Systems  Ithaca, NY

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RE: Fly Fishermen & Paddlers—-         Here in the NY/NJ area, it’s been our habit to try to pass behind the fisherman if possible, or at the very least not to cut him off from shore.         We do try to be quiet, as part of the fishing experience is the solitude.  I often ask how things are, though, and maybe pass on what we’d seen upstream.         I am no longer concerned about disturbing their fishing opportunities, since I’ve had 3 fishermen get a trout from under my canoe!  If we talk with fishermen, we often find that their catching improves after we arrive or pass through.  Evidently we stir up enough bottom food to liven things up.         In short, stay polite, respect their privacy, & pass through as soon as you can.         –Joe P.

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Just a thought that myself and others were having.  What is the best solution for Paddlers and Flyfishers to co-exist.  (?)

Best is if they are in the same boat.  Nothing is better than an experienced paddler to tend a canoe while you fish, to keep you "in the bucket" above steelhead holes or move the canoe at the same rate as your line and fly for a perfect drift. But, that’s not what you’re fishing for. When I am fishing and canoes approach, I always like it if the paddler holds out of my casting range until I graciously stop my cast and motion for them to move through. I direct them behind or close to me so there is no chance for them to upset fish I am working. If the current is such that they cannot stop, it is in my best interest to understand where they’re headed and allow for this.  In general I have a lot more control mf myself and my line than most canoeists of their boats. I would not expect a canoeist to alter their course in a difficult river to avoid the water I am fishing anymore than I expect privacy in a popular destination.  My experience is that fish spooked by canoes usually resume feeding in minutes. Mark Vinsel http://www.lanminds.com/local/vinnie/gallery.html

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Just a thought that myself and others were having.  What is the best solution for Paddlers and Flyfishers to co-exist.  Should a paddler proceed close to a fisher as to not spook trout or other species on the other side of whatever body of water or should they proceed as far away from the casting path as possible.  What are the opinions of others out there?  This is just a question to better inform myself and any others that might be concerned about the issue.

Richard,        Intresting question, but I flyfish out of my canoe and enjoy the best of both worlds.                         Steve

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Many moons ago, on the AuSable in Michigan, there was a massive canoe hatch during the day.  All of my buddies cast deprecating remarks and retreated to there various campsites to commune with Jim or Jack (Beam or Daniels).  As an innocent just learning to fish for trout, I didn’t know that this was bad for fishing, so I just waved at the people as they went past and cast behind them. I found that this was the ONLY time I was able to catch fish.  Apparently the paddlers stirred up the nymphs which stirred up the fish which saw my fly and made me look good.   I probably caught more fish than the rest of the group combined on that trip. However, by the time I would get back to camp, Jim & Jack had their effects on my buddies, so I kept my little technique to myself.   I still don’t mind canoe hatches.  I have only had one incident where the paddlers tried unsuccessfully to avoid me due to lack of paddling ability and too much beer (mainly the latter).  I simply grabbed the gunwale of the canoe to steer them past me.  Unfortunately I grabbed it too hard and pushed the wrong way and the unfortunate drunks had a cold wet sobering up party.  I also decided that was an excellent time to leave the river and hunt another spot to fish. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – The best advice is to make sure that the person sees you.  When I encounter someone floating down the river while I’m flyfishing I’ll usually just stop casting and then motion them behind me and then say thanks as they pass for begin considerate. — John Fereira Isis Distributed Systems  Ithaca, NY

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I just ran the Big Hole in Montana and spent another day wading while fly fishing so I got a chance to see both sides.  As you might expect, one technique doesn’t fit all situations.  Always stay quiet and aviod splashing.  When possible and you can tell which way they are casting, go behind the person fishing.  Obviously this only works if they are far enough from the bank to leave room to navagate.  I don’t know if going right next to them works too well.  Most casters who aren’t experts can’t cast that far any you run the risk of interfering with their line or worse, hitting them with the boat or an oar.  Best to simply try to avoid going right owver their hole and stay away from them.  Better yet, this sounds like a good opportunity to strike up a conversation with a real fisherman (or woman) on the river.  For the record, approximatly 10 boats passed me (most professionally guided) and all went quietly and courteously behind me.   JDDRio (Dan Dunlap)                                                       "…the recklessness of water…"   REM

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