I'll probably add to this as I think of them but these are the things that I am convinced of when it comes to fly fishing.
I'm quite sure that a few of my "absolutes might raise and eyebrow or two but remember it's just my opinion and it is my blog.
1.Salmonids are, in my opinion, the only fresh water species worth fly fishing for (Sorry JM)
2.Strike Indicators....yadda, yadda, yadda! You know what I believe about these.Might as well use a spinning rod!
3.Using bait for coastal cutthroat trout should be outlawed!
4.Fly fishing for summer steelhead boils down to one thing...fish where the fish are! it ain't rocket science
5.Spey casting is easier than traditional single handed fly casting
6.Putting any kind of scent on your fly is bait fishing and shows a complete lack of character and ethics.
7.The Deschutes scares the hell out of me but I love it more than any other river
8.There is no comparison when it comes to bamboo versus graphite
9.There are as many pompous and arrogant assholes that gear fish as there are that fly fish
10.Fly fishing for winter steelhead is tough!
11.Chinook salmon are boring on a fly rod
12.I think Alaska is over rated for fly fishing. I would much rather fish British Columbia
13.Jim Teeny might be a nice guy but his techniques are questionable
14.Spey Pages is the best fly fishing forum
15.Spend the money to get top rate gear and fly tying materials
16.Posing for a picture with a fish and you have your fly rod in your mouth looks stupid
17.The Metolius is a wonderful river and tough to catch fish in.
18.Steelhead broodstock programs will spell the end of wild winter steelhead. This is know opinion either! It's being played out before our very eyes on the north coast of Oregon.
Okay that's it for now. More later
stew, you just come out carp fishing with me...i'll have you converted in no time.
ReplyDeletepicture ankle deep water, tails breaking the surface and swaying like stalks of grass. an accurate, 40 ft cast that gently lays the fly within a foot of the fishes head. a strip set when you see the fish go slightly more vertical and a powerful run well into your backing!
and that was only a 10 lb fish!
anytime you are ready to try the "truly" dark side, say the word my friend!
check this out:
http://media.putfile.com/carp-on-the-fly
Yes I'll go with you sometime. I used to work near Terminal 4 in Portland and there were thousands of carp in that slough. Always wondered what it would be like to hook one of those big bastards and there were some that would have gone close to 20 lbs. easily.
ReplyDeletesounds good. once things settle down we'll get out. just leave the cane rods at home! you know i love cane too much to risk having a big carp break one of my cane rods! i stick with a 6 or 7 wt graphite.
ReplyDeleteMy comments:
ReplyDeletePoint #1. Disagree respectfully. In the Midwest, Smallmouth bass are perfect for the flyrod.
#2-3. Agree
#4. Agree. Add using a floating line.
#5. Agree, but easy to start with but just as hard to perfect.
#6. Agree. Yuck!
#7. Great river
#8. Cane is wonderful stuff, but for some applications, graphite excels.
#9-10. agree
#11. With the exception of the narrow window of fresh fish in an estuary, lake, or sea, I agree.
#12-18. agree!
This is the year Stew...get you 8 wt warmed up and do some curls to strengthen your arms!
ReplyDeleteCan't agree w/ the chinook comment. Bright silver fish crashing into the beach on huge waves, milling around in a little lagoon before heading upriver? Barely being able to stand in the pounding surf while giant fish trickle in on each wave? Hell, just watching that is awesome.
ReplyDeleteI agree Matt! There is nothing more awe inspiring than watch a huge chinook plow through a shallow riffle on his way to spawn.
ReplyDeleteI love to observe the salmon spawning ritual.Fly fishing for them is not all that much fun in my opinion. I would liken it to dragging a log from the water.
I would much rather hook a 17" trout any day than a chinook.