I'm a little slow at getting this posted. Sorry.
I ventured into the mountains on a rainy day in the end of June to see how the water was doing. I found it clear as gin, but fast and about mid-thigh to waist deep. That made wading pretty exciting, and if it wasn't for my wading staff I would have fallen numerous times.
Because that water was so fast, I decided to start with the Daiwa LT36SF. This is a true power rod. It casts a #4 line nicely but will also throw a furled line well, for those that prefer furled lines. It's a stiff rod. It's a true 7:3 and being such is not a rod for those that like to feel the rod load and unload during casting. It will, however, throw a heavy beadhead really well. I was using a tungsten beadhead black prince so I think it was a good match.
As I worked my way upriver I hooked into a number of fish. This is a cutthroat river, and most of them are in the 12-13 inch range. I did take a couple rainbows unfortunately. I don't like rainbows in this water. They spawn with the cutthroats and interbreed making a cutbow hybrid. The cutthroat gene pool is slowly being destroyed by these interlopers. BTW, the rainbows I took were a little bigger, in the 14 inch range.
To attempt to better control the fish I chose a 12 foot line. This allowed me to try, I'll emphasize "try", to keep the trout out of the faster water after they were hooked. Too long of a line and I loose control of the fish. Normally I try to keep the trout's head down and let it swim upstream from me until I am able to net it, but today they all wanted to shoot downstream. If they shot into the fast water, and if I couldn't get them quickly into slower water, say an eddy or near shore, the hook would pull out. Side pressure was really the key to get them out of the fast, turbulent current.
After a while, when I got to a wider part of the stream, I changed to the Shimotsuke Ten. This is a slower action, more finesse rod. Since I was using the same fly I used the same line. I prefer a #3 with the Ten but I was too lazy to change.
Here is a video of the outing. My camera angle was a little too high, sorry.
I ventured into the mountains on a rainy day in the end of June to see how the water was doing. I found it clear as gin, but fast and about mid-thigh to waist deep. That made wading pretty exciting, and if it wasn't for my wading staff I would have fallen numerous times.
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| A dark, rainy day. |
Because that water was so fast, I decided to start with the Daiwa LT36SF. This is a true power rod. It casts a #4 line nicely but will also throw a furled line well, for those that prefer furled lines. It's a stiff rod. It's a true 7:3 and being such is not a rod for those that like to feel the rod load and unload during casting. It will, however, throw a heavy beadhead really well. I was using a tungsten beadhead black prince so I think it was a good match.
As I worked my way upriver I hooked into a number of fish. This is a cutthroat river, and most of them are in the 12-13 inch range. I did take a couple rainbows unfortunately. I don't like rainbows in this water. They spawn with the cutthroats and interbreed making a cutbow hybrid. The cutthroat gene pool is slowly being destroyed by these interlopers. BTW, the rainbows I took were a little bigger, in the 14 inch range.
To attempt to better control the fish I chose a 12 foot line. This allowed me to try, I'll emphasize "try", to keep the trout out of the faster water after they were hooked. Too long of a line and I loose control of the fish. Normally I try to keep the trout's head down and let it swim upstream from me until I am able to net it, but today they all wanted to shoot downstream. If they shot into the fast water, and if I couldn't get them quickly into slower water, say an eddy or near shore, the hook would pull out. Side pressure was really the key to get them out of the fast, turbulent current.
After a while, when I got to a wider part of the stream, I changed to the Shimotsuke Ten. This is a slower action, more finesse rod. Since I was using the same fly I used the same line. I prefer a #3 with the Ten but I was too lazy to change.
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| The Daiwa under load. |
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| The Ten under load. |
Here is a video of the outing. My camera angle was a little too high, sorry.
If the 'bows don't belong in the stream (and they don't), you should invite them home for dinner. You probably couldn't rid the stream of them even if that was the only stream you fished and you kept every one, but you could help.
ReplyDeleteYes, I should harvest. But I don't like the taste of trout. I guess I could bring them home to the neighbors though. Fresh trout would make a nice gift.
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