Well, I'd said I was done with any new fly rods. Quiver's all full, etc., etc., etc. Turns out I was wrong. Two new sticks are on the way. I never intended to own all these rods. And every one I own has a purpose. I guess that's the price you pay for being a year 'round, multi-species angler.
SCOTT RADIAN 907-4
I've wanted a fast streamer rod for a while. Whether it's for smallmouth or trout, I love throwing streamers. Right now I primarily use a Scott A3 907-4 rod for this. Then I cast my buddy's S4S last year. Holy shit. More like a weapon than a fly rod. The streamer equivalent of my Sage TCX "Death Star". Now Scott has the Radian with the tagline "Fast meets Feel" -- sign me up! One's on the way and the A3 will be going on eBay. Now I'll have a Scott A4 for topwater and a Radian for streamers. Boom!
SHIMANO CLARUS 11'3" CENTERPIN
Yeah, I'm an occasional pinner. Get over it - from the bobber down, I'm running a fly rig that's very similar to the Indy rods I run. If Chuck-n-Duck is fly fishing, so is this. I mostly use the pin either to search new water I don't know anything about, or in situations where running a traditional Indy just isn't practical. I've been exploring some of the lower Pere Marquette river and I wanted a pin rod I could get in the boat. My 13' Raven Matrix just won't fit safely and securely. I can't justify spending big bucks on this rod, as it's not one I'll use a ton. Online reviews look good, and it'll fit nicely next to my Scott L2H 1158 switch swing rod!
I am a gear whore. And I suppose I am proud of it. But at least I can look you in the eye and tell you the exact purpose I bought both of these sticks for. Now the Speyco reel that's coming for my smallmouth swinging TFO Deer Creek 11' 6-weight I have no excuse for other than the Ross Evolution LT3 was too light. And not cool enough. Yeah, that's it. Too light...
-Sean-
Showing posts with label bobber. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bobber. Show all posts
24 February, 2014
02 January, 2013
If You Can't Row, You Can't Go
Last weekend marked by rowing debut for a full-fledged fishing trip on the Pere Marquette river. Sure, I've rowed my FishCat 13 locally for a bit on the Huron, but those were mostly short training runs of one sort or another.
My Dad and I had planned to fish the PM over the Holiday break. I'm relocating the storage for my raft anyway, so needed to have it in Mt. Pleasant by the end of December anyway, so what the hell? Might as well give it a shot.
Of course, this caused some inner angst. As a former Boy Scout, the motto "Be Prepared" is always resonating in my head. Are my rowing skills up for this? What about a capsize? How long IS the float; certainly don't want to do the last hour in the dark! A mishap with my 69-year-old father could prove catastrophic. Fortunately, he's tough and good-natured and was even more up for the adventure than I.
One key aspec of the preparation was the "Oh Sh!t Bag". A full set of dry clothes in a dry bag was procured and packed. Dry and warm is happy. Wet and cold is NOT.
I arranged a car spot, did some research on prime Winter spots and we were off! Launch at the Green Cottage ramp went very smoothly. Within just a few feet I realized that my rowing skills were just fine. In general I was over-rowing, but I suppose that's a natural instinct. Biggest challenge seemed to be staying on the inside of sharp bends.
We successfully stopped at the first significant hole below the reach of walk-ins to give things a go. Of course by this time I learned lesson one. You get HOT rowing. And then you STOP. Brrr. But before long I had things going a bit more smoothly.
At the Clay Banks area we stopped to fish a few key Winter spots. Pretty quickly I hooked, and then lost, my first steelhead of the day. Afterward I glanced at the raft floating a few feet away. "Hmmm, was that right pontoon just underinflated? Seems like that side's a good bit low..." I thought. Naturally this put the brain into overdrive. Sure wish I'd thought to pack a pump. Shortly after I hooked and landed a nice brown trout. Catching fish tends to quiet the mind, so off we went.
I navigated the bottom of the Clay Bank nicely - almost looked like I knew what I was doing. A bit downstream Dad spotted a couple of runs that looked promising. Sure enough, it was! Three drifts in I find myself hooked up to a feisty skipper! NIIIICE! Not the biggest fish, but he had spirit and some great Winter colors. While catching steel with a guide is always great, catching one unguided still gives me an unparalleled thrill.
Hopping in to depart, I noticed that the right side of the raft was now considerably lower. At this point, we made a concerted effort to put some water behind us. A stop at Waddell's yielded nothing, but marked the beginning of the challenging part of the day.
With the right pontoon losing air, two results began to emerge. First, the handling of the raft changed considerably. It was more sluggish to correct and had a tendency to drift right. Second, the lower pivot point to the oarlock both reduced leverage and made it harder to clear the water on the upstroke. Unfortunately, this also coincided with some more challenging tight spots in the water above Gleason's Landing. Somehow I kept it together and only bounced us through a few trees. Of course Dad's laughing the whole time and having a blast as I drag him through the branches! It's good to have a good companion for such adventures.
By the time we reached Gleason's the sun was starting to arc toward the horizon. And the raft had become pretty tough to row in any semblance of control. But we got it landed, located my truck and trailer and loaded up. My target had been to pull out by 4:30pm and I hit it nearly on the nose. We would have liked to have made more fishing stops, but considering this was out maiden voyage I was pretty satisfied. Nobody drowned. Fish were caught. And best of all confidence was gained. I CAN do this!
-Sean-
Of course, this caused some inner angst. As a former Boy Scout, the motto "Be Prepared" is always resonating in my head. Are my rowing skills up for this? What about a capsize? How long IS the float; certainly don't want to do the last hour in the dark! A mishap with my 69-year-old father could prove catastrophic. Fortunately, he's tough and good-natured and was even more up for the adventure than I.
One key aspec of the preparation was the "Oh Sh!t Bag". A full set of dry clothes in a dry bag was procured and packed. Dry and warm is happy. Wet and cold is NOT.
I arranged a car spot, did some research on prime Winter spots and we were off! Launch at the Green Cottage ramp went very smoothly. Within just a few feet I realized that my rowing skills were just fine. In general I was over-rowing, but I suppose that's a natural instinct. Biggest challenge seemed to be staying on the inside of sharp bends.
We successfully stopped at the first significant hole below the reach of walk-ins to give things a go. Of course by this time I learned lesson one. You get HOT rowing. And then you STOP. Brrr. But before long I had things going a bit more smoothly.
At the Clay Banks area we stopped to fish a few key Winter spots. Pretty quickly I hooked, and then lost, my first steelhead of the day. Afterward I glanced at the raft floating a few feet away. "Hmmm, was that right pontoon just underinflated? Seems like that side's a good bit low..." I thought. Naturally this put the brain into overdrive. Sure wish I'd thought to pack a pump. Shortly after I hooked and landed a nice brown trout. Catching fish tends to quiet the mind, so off we went.
I navigated the bottom of the Clay Bank nicely - almost looked like I knew what I was doing. A bit downstream Dad spotted a couple of runs that looked promising. Sure enough, it was! Three drifts in I find myself hooked up to a feisty skipper! NIIIICE! Not the biggest fish, but he had spirit and some great Winter colors. While catching steel with a guide is always great, catching one unguided still gives me an unparalleled thrill.
Hopping in to depart, I noticed that the right side of the raft was now considerably lower. At this point, we made a concerted effort to put some water behind us. A stop at Waddell's yielded nothing, but marked the beginning of the challenging part of the day.
With the right pontoon losing air, two results began to emerge. First, the handling of the raft changed considerably. It was more sluggish to correct and had a tendency to drift right. Second, the lower pivot point to the oarlock both reduced leverage and made it harder to clear the water on the upstroke. Unfortunately, this also coincided with some more challenging tight spots in the water above Gleason's Landing. Somehow I kept it together and only bounced us through a few trees. Of course Dad's laughing the whole time and having a blast as I drag him through the branches! It's good to have a good companion for such adventures.
By the time we reached Gleason's the sun was starting to arc toward the horizon. And the raft had become pretty tough to row in any semblance of control. But we got it landed, located my truck and trailer and loaded up. My target had been to pull out by 4:30pm and I hit it nearly on the nose. We would have liked to have made more fishing stops, but considering this was out maiden voyage I was pretty satisfied. Nobody drowned. Fish were caught. And best of all confidence was gained. I CAN do this!
-Sean-
29 October, 2012
Big Sky Country 2.0 - Day Three
Day Three marked our first day with the crew at The Stonefly Inn & Outfitters. It is possible that we were overserved on Sunday night, so our start was somewhat delayed. Fortunately, we were fishing with the unflappable Joe Willauer. Once we had lunches packed, gear gathered, and found out butts, we were off to the Jefferson river. Reid's luck on the Jeff in prior visits wasn't good. While I'd fished it twice last year with solid results.
But bluebird skies and low water add some complexity to the equation. We quickly learned today we'd be on the bobber with egg and San Juan worm flies. Last year, this rig was a good learning exercise. Let's just say my skills with it were less than stellar. Surprisingly, I was all over it this time. Within site of the launch ramp, both Reid and I had scored fish. Shortly after Reid boated a nice brown.
I think my favorite part of fishing the Jefferson is the true beautiful scenery of the Ruby Valley. It reminds you that the name "Big Sky Country" is well-deserved. the vistas are truly stunning. If you haven't fished Montana yet, stop reading my silly blog and go book a trip now!
But, I'm hear to fish, not sightsee (well, OK, maybe some of both...). And the fishing on this day is startlingly good. And, the coolest part for me is that it's 90% rainbows! Don't get me wrong, I love catching browns, especially big ones however they're not known for their fight. Rainbows are another story entirely - I was treated to some spectacular acrobatics, some powerful runs, and even a nice tail walk down the river!
Perhaps the highlight of the day was floating with Joe. His low-key demeanor fits perfectly with his other gig -- substitute teacher and HS basketball coach. Screw ups were met with a calm, "No, your OTHER left...". Plus, as both a Montana trout guide, and an eastern Washington steelhead guide, he's got plenty of experiences. When you're spending a full day in a guide's boat, getting a guy who's a genuine pleasure to chat with is just icing on the cake. Joe's that guy. He also runs a pretty cool blog that's full of solid writing and great photos.
All great days on the water must have an end. This one ended with some unbelievable Alaska wild caught salmon steak off the grill back at the Stonefly and a Moscow Mule or two to wash 'em down. Niiiiice.
-Sean-
But bluebird skies and low water add some complexity to the equation. We quickly learned today we'd be on the bobber with egg and San Juan worm flies. Last year, this rig was a good learning exercise. Let's just say my skills with it were less than stellar. Surprisingly, I was all over it this time. Within site of the launch ramp, both Reid and I had scored fish. Shortly after Reid boated a nice brown.
Perhaps the highlight of the day was floating with Joe. His low-key demeanor fits perfectly with his other gig -- substitute teacher and HS basketball coach. Screw ups were met with a calm, "No, your OTHER left...". Plus, as both a Montana trout guide, and an eastern Washington steelhead guide, he's got plenty of experiences. When you're spending a full day in a guide's boat, getting a guy who's a genuine pleasure to chat with is just icing on the cake. Joe's that guy. He also runs a pretty cool blog that's full of solid writing and great photos.
All great days on the water must have an end. This one ended with some unbelievable Alaska wild caught salmon steak off the grill back at the Stonefly and a Moscow Mule or two to wash 'em down. Niiiiice.
-Sean-
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