The Best Tool

This week's trip fishing steelhead on the fly in a variety of spots was a great place to test out some recently acquired knowledge and newly configured gear. Through excellent guide Gene Lake on the PM, I was able to learn more about the differences between Indicator and Chuck n' Duck rigs. I gained an understanding of how to fish them, cast them, and select when to use each.

On the tighter rivers, like the Black River pictured at left, the Indicator can't be beat. Simple roll-casting lets me cover the short distances with great accuracy and fewer snags. And I can even drift under trees and cover that would normally snag every time. My roll cast isn't perfect, but it's getting better with each outing. I'm hoping to fine-tune it at the upcoming Hawkins Outfitters class on 16 May. With Orvis Wonderline in 9 wt. steelhead and a pretty traditional rig, I was able to cover most of the smaller UP rivers (including the TINY Thompson Creek) quite easily with minimal snags.

But the big water called for a tool that enabled me to belt out long casts and drift a large piece of water. On the wide-open spaces of the Manistique (at right), just below the paper dam, the Chuck n' Duck enabled me to cover more water easily and with great accuracy. By the second day, I was making long, clean casts with surprising accuracy.

It was really cool to truly understand how each tool worked and when to use which. I find with any pursuit, that moment of clarity is a really cool experience. The "ah-ha!" moment if you will.

-Sean-

P.S. The wade across to Manistique to get to the island shown in the picture was HAIRY, but I pulled it off pretty confidently! Wading skills are improving. No swimming for me on this trip!