I've been looking at catalogues of fly fishing gear too much lately, and it's just killing me...!! Winter is rough!
Sure, we've got trout, but the water is cold enough to make getting at them pretty slow, frustrating work. There are supposedly some winter steelhead hanging around, but snow and ice have made the roads to the best spots inaccessible. I'm yearning for the summer... heck... even spring or fall would be great! But I'm stuck at a yearly fishing low-point. It's so agonizing!
Any other fly fishermen around here... or simply fishing enthusiasts... who share my pain?? :eek: :eek: :eek:
Fly Fishing Winter Withdraw...
Fly Fishing Winter Withdraw...
:spyder: :spyder: :spyder:
I feel your pain. I just got my Cabela's Fly Fishing catalog a couple of weeks ago and I read through it almost every night at work. I content myself with tying some flies in preparation for this year but I'm itching to be fishing. I still consider myself a novice at fly fishing but love to do it. Trout, bluegill, crappie, small mouth - I'll try and take them all on my fly rod.
I'm looking at getting a new rod/reel combo this year as the one I have now is cheap and beyond it lifespan. It's hard to justify the need to the wife though, when my closet is packed with St. Croix spinning rods and Shimano reels. She doesn't seem to care about my lonely old fly rod. :D
I'm looking at getting a new rod/reel combo this year as the one I have now is cheap and beyond it lifespan. It's hard to justify the need to the wife though, when my closet is packed with St. Croix spinning rods and Shimano reels. She doesn't seem to care about my lonely old fly rod. :D
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nicholaspoole
- Member
- Posts: 34
- Joined: Sun Nov 02, 2008 11:04 am
- Location: Austin, Texas
fishing in alaska is truly fantastic. during the summer i get to do it every day after work. sometimes get to take kids fishing, as well, as part of work. :D
there's nothing quite like the feeling of an airborne 18 lb coho salmon fighting you at UFO speeds on the fly... the only thing that might top it is the good feeling you get when you get to eat it, and share it with the people you care about... :D
out here, the minimum keeper size for steelhead (gigantic anadromous rainbow trout) is 36". unlike salmon, however, they make return trips to spawn... they don't just spawn and die. got about 120 last fall, although only 2 or 3 were keeper size... they're just too cool to kill, though... had to let them all go. :D my girlfriend has a taste for them, and doesn't like to hear about keeper-sized steelies getting released... :D
i went to the fly shop today, to commiserate with the other hardcore locals... there are winter steelhead here, but the accessible runs are so small... and right now, almost nothing is accessible...
there's nothing quite like the feeling of an airborne 18 lb coho salmon fighting you at UFO speeds on the fly... the only thing that might top it is the good feeling you get when you get to eat it, and share it with the people you care about... :D
out here, the minimum keeper size for steelhead (gigantic anadromous rainbow trout) is 36". unlike salmon, however, they make return trips to spawn... they don't just spawn and die. got about 120 last fall, although only 2 or 3 were keeper size... they're just too cool to kill, though... had to let them all go. :D my girlfriend has a taste for them, and doesn't like to hear about keeper-sized steelies getting released... :D
i went to the fly shop today, to commiserate with the other hardcore locals... there are winter steelhead here, but the accessible runs are so small... and right now, almost nothing is accessible...
:spyder: :spyder: :spyder:
Your killin me!!! Sounds amazing, I have never caught anything near that large on a fly rod. I bet that feels like the fight of your life, :D what weight rod are you using for fish that large? Biggest fish I have caught on a fly was probably a brown trout in the Animas river in Colorado, somewhere around 24". Your making me jealous, fishing everyday after work, I cannot wait for the season to start again!
man... i've never caught a brown trout that large, GoMer...
getting paid to take kids fishing as part of work is probably the sweetest part of my job... :D :D :D
8 weight is the "go to" weight for most people fishing for salmon and steelhead here. some of the professional guides i'm friends with use 7 weights for added challenge.
i prefer a 6 weight for pink salmon.. :D i've gotten a few cohos and steelhead on it, as well. :D it's also the perfect size for sole.
8 weight is a favorite when i'm targeting coho and steelhead.
10 weight makes me feel like i have an unfair advantage -- especially on the stinky pinkies (pink salmon)... but makes a big difference casting a heavier line into deeper spots, or casting in heavier wind, and is practically a necessity for some of the huge marabou leeches i sometimes use. biggest pink salmon i caught was unbelieveably, amazingly huge... 39" (maybe a pink/king hybrid????)... glad i had a 10 weight for that one. 10 weight also is what i use for shark... 3 foot dogfish most often... about 1 out of 10 are 4 feet long. even with the big 10 wt and steel leaders, i've fought with shark 100 feet below for 45 minutes just to eventually use them. the way they fight is very different, but almost as fun, as steelhead and coho. sometimes, even more fun. got a keeper-size lingcod on a ten weight, as well... :D
i use a 4 weight when i'm just targeting smaller trout. i caught about 10 pink salmon on it one evening before swearing that never be crazy enough to use it on salmon again. first shark i ever caught up here was on my 4 weight, about 80 feet down. 3 feet long. i was targeting irish lord, non-pelagic rockfish, sole, and staghorn sculpins. :D
getting paid to take kids fishing as part of work is probably the sweetest part of my job... :D :D :D
8 weight is the "go to" weight for most people fishing for salmon and steelhead here. some of the professional guides i'm friends with use 7 weights for added challenge.
i prefer a 6 weight for pink salmon.. :D i've gotten a few cohos and steelhead on it, as well. :D it's also the perfect size for sole.
8 weight is a favorite when i'm targeting coho and steelhead.
10 weight makes me feel like i have an unfair advantage -- especially on the stinky pinkies (pink salmon)... but makes a big difference casting a heavier line into deeper spots, or casting in heavier wind, and is practically a necessity for some of the huge marabou leeches i sometimes use. biggest pink salmon i caught was unbelieveably, amazingly huge... 39" (maybe a pink/king hybrid????)... glad i had a 10 weight for that one. 10 weight also is what i use for shark... 3 foot dogfish most often... about 1 out of 10 are 4 feet long. even with the big 10 wt and steel leaders, i've fought with shark 100 feet below for 45 minutes just to eventually use them. the way they fight is very different, but almost as fun, as steelhead and coho. sometimes, even more fun. got a keeper-size lingcod on a ten weight, as well... :D
i use a 4 weight when i'm just targeting smaller trout. i caught about 10 pink salmon on it one evening before swearing that never be crazy enough to use it on salmon again. first shark i ever caught up here was on my 4 weight, about 80 feet down. 3 feet long. i was targeting irish lord, non-pelagic rockfish, sole, and staghorn sculpins. :D
:spyder: :spyder: :spyder:
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Manix Guy 2
- Member
- Posts: 1502
- Joined: Thu May 11, 2006 1:49 pm
- Location: Central Illinois
Try This !
If you have the time and enjoy Salmon take a trip to Chitna and fish the Copper River . Regards MG2
clovisc, those are some monstrous fish you are talking about, I am jealous, the variety is great as well! Hopefully one day I will be lucky enough to get up to Alaska and do some fly fishing! I have heavier wt rods, but the largest I use is a 6wt, most of the streams here are pretty small. Most of the time I use a 4wt and I have a 6' 6" 4wt that I love for the tight streams around Az!
Beautiful fish Mako109, Dry Fly fishing is hard to beat!! I was on the Provo river in UT last year late in October and the caddis were going crazy everynight just before dark. When your arms are covered with live caddis it makes it easy to pick the right fly! :D I think the most I caught was 18 fish in the last 20-30 minutes just before it was to dark to see. Gotta love it!
Fishing and carrying a Spyderco, does it get any better? :D
Beautiful fish Mako109, Dry Fly fishing is hard to beat!! I was on the Provo river in UT last year late in October and the caddis were going crazy everynight just before dark. When your arms are covered with live caddis it makes it easy to pick the right fly! :D I think the most I caught was 18 fish in the last 20-30 minutes just before it was to dark to see. Gotta love it!
Fishing and carrying a Spyderco, does it get any better? :D
yep... i'm definitely spoiled.
i went out trying to spot winter steelhead this afternoon... spent a couple hours walking around, checking out the water. nothing to see, sadly...
Gomer, fall fishing is always my favorite, for some reason... i wish i could catch 20 trout in as many minutes!!! :D
i went out trying to spot winter steelhead this afternoon... spent a couple hours walking around, checking out the water. nothing to see, sadly...
Gomer, fall fishing is always my favorite, for some reason... i wish i could catch 20 trout in as many minutes!!! :D
:spyder: :spyder: :spyder:
Hi Gomer - Yes, I fished the caddis hatch on the Provo and I know what you mean, a wonderful fishery. There's still lots of dryfly action in February when baetis can come off the water in droves and create a feeding frenzy. I love fishing in the mountains in winter...cloudy skies, snow covered banks...heaven.
I was just reading the Four seasons fly shop report for this month and while the Provo is usually very slow this time of year, its not this year. Perhaps another trip is in order! :D I have an uncle that lives on Utah lake and he lets me stay with him so the trip is not all that costly. I bet the water is pretty dang cold right now though!!!!
