Dry Fly Adventure

Had the pleasure of a dry fly adventure float with Capt. Jon Ray over the weekend. I've done a little dry fly fishing, but only once before out of a boat. I know enough to understand how technical this style of fishing can be. Being in the right place, at the right time, with the right cast and presentation can mean the difference between a successful outing and a skunking.

Found a dumb one (the fish)!

Fortunately, Saturday was a successful outing. We were floating a section of the Manistee river known for its big fish - but not for quantity. Jon knows I'm always up for a research project, so this stretch was chosen to give him some more knowledge on it. Plus, it's linking up some sections I've floated before. A definite dry fly adventure.

One big challenge for this adventure - angler skills. My dry fly casting skills are among my weaknesses. Blame chasing smallmouth bass and steelhead. Throwing a sink-tip, spey rod, or popper on a heavy line has a tendency to make you lazy. Plus, I haven't put in the casting practice I need this season.

A few lessons learned:

1. Slow down. Slow down your cast. Slow down your hookset. Slow down and watch the water ahead for rises. Just slow the eff down overall.  
2. There are no second chances. Trout are smart. prick 'em and miss a hookset and they vanish like a ghost.
3. Sometimes, there are second chances. But they're few and far between. I got lucky and missed a fish on a jet set. This was a dumb one, as she started rising a few moments later. On the second try, I got her!
4. This is a lifelong skill. We fished with one of Jon's long-time frequent clients. This guy had a story of a lost fish around every bend. He's done this a LOT. He had skills I didn't even know I lacked. 
5. Missed fish will haunt you. I missed what looked like a nice fish on a too-fast hookset. This one wasn't dumb enough to come back. Was it my mythical two-footer? Maybe, but we'll never know.
6. Rowing for dry fly anglers is harder than it looks. To give Jon a break, and because I'm always happy for some constructive criticism, I took the sticks for a while. In the two years I've owned my boat, I've gotten fairly competent with the basics of maneuvering the boat, river position, etc. But in dry fly adventures, I learn that now you have to watch the front fly and try to match boat speed to presentation.
7. I need to do this more. A lot more. It's fun and relaxing. But it's also demanding and you need the skills to keep up. The more I do this, the better angler I'll become.
8. I love my Abel clicker reels. My AC2 was ideal for my 6 weight Scott A4, and my Classic is perfect beneath the G2. There's nothing quite like the purr of those clickers.

An excellent day/evening on a beautiful river. And, as a bonus, I learned something. If you're looking to up your dry fly game, I highly recommend Jon, or any of the guys at Hawkins Outfitters.

-Sean-

Chaos

This year I decided to take the advice offered to me and get in some practice casting the fly rod. My overhead cast isn't all I'd like it to be. Of course, it is possible that hanging around with guys who can throw an entire 100' fly line effortlessly probably doesn't help when setting a realistic expectation.

Yesterday I had a few minutes after eating lunch and needed some "outside time", so I broke out the rod/reel I'd brought in for just these pursuits. While I'm walking to the field, I notice the rod. "854/4" - wait minute, that's not my A2 906/4 that I'd intended to use. It's my 8'6" 4-weight Scott A3. Naturally, I have the Ross CLA 3 with a Rio Gold 6 weight line on it. Predictably, it cast like a 4-weight with a 6-weight line. But it's nice to get outside for a bit.

So last night, I take this rod home, thinking I'd grabbed the wrong one and intending to swap it for the 6. Not so fast, cowpoke...

A few weeks back I went out to my favorite little quiet walk-in spot on the Huron River near my house. Beautiful sunny day, perfect temps, just a bit of wind. An idyllic time to throw some small poppers at a mix of panfish, rock bass, and smallmouth. But from the get-go, my casting is piss-poor. Can't even competently throw a 20-footer. WTF? Is the wind goofing me up? Or am I just that rusty? Net result, while it was a nice afternoon out, no strikes, and I left feeling pretty disappointed in my casting skills.

Last night when I go to stow the 4-weight, I notice a rig hanging in the rod rack. This is the one I took on the aforementioned outing. Well, a 4-weight line on a 6-weight rod suddenly explains a lot...

Today I take 20 minutes to cast at lunch with the 6-weight rod and the 6-weight line/reel. From the FIRST cast, it's ON. Nice clean loops. Solid distance. Reasonable accuracy despite a cross-wind. Just money.

The moral of the story is a simple one. Before you rush out, check your inventory. What rod's in your hand? What reel? What line is on that reel? In the immortal words of Homer Simpson, "duh-OH!".

-Sean-

Done? No, evidently, never done...

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-

Why?

Hours spent out in below freezing temperatures. Piles of feathers, flash, and fluff. Elaborate attention paid to knots. Complex layering strategies. Endless study. That goofy cocked-head look when you tell people that no, you are NOT ice fishing, the rivers are open and you stand in them all Winter.

Why do we do it?

I've had chrome on the brain these past few days, perhaps as a reaction to the flurry of Holiday and year-end activity around me. Yesterday, in a moment of clarity I realized why I love chasing steelhead, especially in Winter. The connection to the power.

From the first strike - whether it's the tap-tap while Indy fishing, or the grab on the swing, every neuron in your body seems to fire simultaneously. If you can not blow this first 30 seconds, your odds go up exponentially. Then once you feel the weight of fish on line, the real rush starts. Through a slender bit of graphite, a skinny fly line, and finally a microscopic bit of tippet, you are connected to a primal beast. Every leap thrills, but also brings the potential for disaster. Every run reminds your muscles that you're one-on-one with a powerful beast.

I suppose this has fueled my love of click-pawl reels. With such a simple drag, you gain such an intimate connection to your fish. There's no elaborate piece of technology providing "tippet protection" -- it's all you.

Then there's the moment you realize that you have the upper hand. Maybe you've finally turned the fish upriver. Or suddenly the run are a bit less violent. But instinctually, you know. You're not done yet, but the game has changed in your favor.

After a successful landing comes another opportunity. To grip that thick tail and feel the raw, muscular power of a perfectly evolved swimming machine. An even more intimate connection to the visceral energy of Mother Nature. Then the fish revives, first wiggling a little harder before eventually a hard tail thrust draws a cold (but happy) splash in the face for the angler.

If you've never caught a steelhead on a fly before, put it on your bucket list. It's a rush like few others.

-Sean- 

Addiction?

It may finally be time to consider myself a "collector" of reels, rather than an angler who buys reels to meet specific needs or rods to one who buys them for their inherent beauty, functionality or some other aspect that interests me.

With this rationalization, I can now live with the fact that I have more reels than rods to use them on. Funny part is that I know where it all started. I was Winter steelheading on a centerpin for the first time. Don't be a hater. Below the bobber, my pin rig is not very different from an indy fly set-up. I hooked a very large fish. And now I get to find one of the greatest challenges of the pin - no drag. It's just your palm and your brain trying to figure out how hard you can push 8# tippet. In the end, I landed a VERY nice brown trout. And without a triple-sealed, carbon unobtanium, Space Shuttle grade drag system. Since then, though I don't fish my pin a ton (I really mostly use it as a tool for certain situations), I love doing so. Every fish I hook is a direct connection from man to fish.

When I began exploring swinging for steelhead on a two-handed rod, the traditional click-pawl style reels immediately caught my eye. They also caught my ear - I love the sound of a good clicker. It all started with an Abel Spey series reel. I figured my classic Scott ARC 1287-3 was a classic soulful rod, that needed a reel with equal levels of class. Then an opportunity to pick up the new Abel Classic smaller reel. This (of course...) was paired with the addition of a Scott G2 905-4 rod. The penultimate classic dry fly set-up. A second Abel Spey might have slipped in there for my Scott L2h switch rod.


Kingpin Spey "Great Lakes" atop a Sage TCX 7126

Oh, and perhaps the most amazing of them all, a Great Lakes Edition of the Kingpin Spey reel. This bright green beauty is one of only 25 made and looks oh-so-sweet atop a Sage TCX 7126.

This Summer, the sickness added a new dimension - trout reels. I mean, if you think about it a drag on a trout reel is nearly useless. I stripped in a 23" brown this Spring and never touched the reel. In rapid succession, I stumbled upon two "used but new Abel Creek series reels  - an both AC2's in large arbor for my 4-weight and standard for my 6-weight.

 Now, I'm eyeing the newly introduced Bozeman Reels SC Series. Uber retro cool. I'm hoping it will just replace the Abel Classic which is a touch too heavy on the Scott G Series. Or, maybe they'll just go on my bookcase.

I need help.

-Sean-

Random Intriguing Outdoor Gear

As the Summer begins its wrap-up, and Fall steelhead and Winter skiing and fishing make there way onto the horizon, lots of assorted (and largely random) gear is on my mind.

Speyco Reels
I've developed a passion for click-pawl reels. I think it grew out of fishing a centerpin in Winter. I love that almost mythical connection from me to that surging fish. No fancy-ass sealed, carbon-ceramic-nanotube drag system. Man vs. Fish, with a little clicker help. I've already got both the Abel Spey and the Kingpin Spey. Tim Pantzlaff's beautifully machined brutish reels really have my attention. No, I don't have a stick that needs one, though maybe the Scott L2H might benefit from a smaller reel. Yeah, that's it...

Scott Radian Fly Rod
Damn you, Scott. I was done buying rods! But I have a deep lust for a super fast 7 weight for all-around streamer fishing.

Rockered Powder Skis
After only a single day on my Volkl RTM 84's, I quickly realized the impact of rocker on ski design and performance. Now my traditionally cambered Line Prophet 100's look sadly outmoded. All the great reviews of the Line Prophet 98 rockered ski are NOT helping.

Next Generation Helmet
It is quickly coming to light that current SNELL/ANSI helmet standards do little to protect your melon from much other than blunt force trauma. Reality is that concussions and rotational damage are being recognized - from the NFL to snow sports - as more serious threats to your health. I haven't done a ton of research on who has them out, etc. but look for more on this blog on the topic soon. I'm thinking it start with my ski helmet, but may later move to the cycling brain bucket.

Bozeman Reels
My name is Sean and I'm a Reel Junkie. There I said it. And as regular readers will know, I'm in love with well-made click-pawl style reels. Over the Summer I ran across this relatively new company. While all of the products look sweet (and 100% made in the U.S.A.), I'm really captivated by the SC Series. Do I need it? Nope. I may just need to admit that I collect reels and call that a hobby.

-Sean-

Product Review - Abel Creek Series Fly Reel

In the past year or so, I've become a huge fan of Abel reels. Their machining and tolerances are so incredibly tight, I'm just amazed. I've always had a soft spot for beautifully machined (and finished) metal. And, in my mind, Abel Automatics is one of the best. Founded by a machinist who thought he could do better, this is the sort of company I have huge respect for.

I've also developed a passion for traditional click-pawl reels. Mechanically simple, readily serviced (if you ever need it), and utterly retro-cool. And, oh that sound. Whether reeling in, or with a fish peeling off line. Well, it's just cool. It started with an Abel Spey, then a Classic, and then a Kingpin Spey.

So when the opportunity to pick up a "not new, but never fished" Abel Creek Series AC2 Large Arbor I snapped it up. Perfect for me Scott A3 854-4. Now I have a great little classic rig for smaller trout. Like the Spey series, the AC2 is beautifully machined and finished. Everything fits together with an almost airtight precision. Mine's finished in the Pewter, which is aesthetically perfect on my A4.

Now the clicker bug has me firmly in its grasp. My Scott A4 906-4 has been sporting a just-fine Orvis Mirage III. Very nice reel. Great drag system. Waterproof, consistent. But it lacks soul. And about this time an Abel Creek Series AC2 Standard Arbor shows up pre-owned, but never fished on a forum. Bang. Mine. With the standard arbor, the line and backing from the Mirage fit perfectly. Had the chance to fish it on the Manistee river last week for trout. Perfect. Exactly what I wanted.

There's a soul to fly fishing. And, for me, that's especially true of reels. There's a beauty in precise machining, super-tight tolerances, and spectacular finishes. I once had a discussion with the founder of Kingpin Reels about outsourcing machining - a common practice on this side of the pond. Stuart quickly (and politely) said, "No way - I won't give up the precision I can only achieve myself." I want that reel on my stick.

The clicker adds a special uniqueness to a reel. And thus far, my Creek Series reels are extra-special in this regard. They have a great tone and cadence that I love. Plus they're infinitely adjustable with a reliable, yet mechanically simple system.

So, if you're all about sealed drags and precise start-up - sorry I wasted your time. But if you want soul in your trout reel, give the Abel Creek series a look. I love mine.

-Sean-

Swing a Big Stick

Great video featuring some of Michigan's top (and coolest) guides fishing the new Scott T3h two-hand rod. Check out Jon Ray, Brad Petzke, and Kevin Feenstra fishing this cool new stick. Great work capturing it on film comes from Erik Rambo of Snap-T Productions.

It's a Sickness

I am a Gear Whore. It seems once I start into something, there's always more gear I seem to need. Well, OK, not "need" make that "want". I've said a couple of times that I didn't need any more fly rods. Then I fell in love with the Scott A4 series, so my A2 6-weight and my A3 7-weight needed to be upgraded. Later, I decided that having both an indicator and a swing set-up for steelhead was a good idea. So now I have a Scott L2h with an Abel Spey reel.

But with that, I'm done. No, really.

The best laid plans of mice and men, are soon thwarted though. A deal on an Abel Classic that was too good to turn down fell in my lap. Original plan was to put it on my TFO Deer Creek 6-weight two-hander. But, it's too small for a Skagit line. Then I thought perhaps my 4-weight Scott A3. It's an OK combo, but I'm really pretty well set for reels for that stick.

Hmmmmm ... maybe a really sweet dedicated trout set-up for hoppers and dries. Yeah, that's what I need. My local fly shop has a couple of Scott G2's that they were eager to get rid of. Oooh, yeah, that's a LIFETIME rod. So, I'll be casting one soon.

It never ends.

-Sean-

Use Both Hands

Sunday was the inaugural outing for the new switch swing steelhead rig. Regular readers will know that I decided last year to convert my Scott A-3 11' 8-weight over to an indicator rig. This way I don't have to bust down and re-rig just to swing a hole. That, plus I'm really getting into the idea of swinging for steel and a dedicated rig was really appealing.

One key element was scoring an Abel Spey reel. The idea of a classic click-pawl reel (as opposed to a high-tech sealed drag tech monster) was really appealing. I want to hear that screaming reel as a pissed-off Fall chromer tries to make his way back to Lake Michigan. The fit and finish of this thing is awesome. Of course mine had to be the retro black, non-ported model so it had that classic look.

Next, a rig needs a rod. This was an easy choice. After having the chance to cast the new Scott L2h 1158/4 over the Summer I knew my choice right off the bat. Switch rods are a funny little enigma. In my experience, I've never cast a "true" switch rod that could change between indy fishing and swinging with a spey line. My Scott A3 is definitely better as a bobber rod. While the L2h is much more like a "baby spey".

I've evolved all of my two-hand rigs over to running line/shooting head combos from Scientific Anglers. This means a floating running line with Dragon Tail, coupled with a Skagit Extreme Intermediate shooting head in 480 grain. I've also got a Steelhead Scandi head that I'll be playing with later. The new intermediate heads are ideal for Great Lakes steelheading where keeping the fly down and in the zone is critical.

Finally, the crowning grace of this set-up are the new Rio MOW Tips. I've always used homemade T-11 and T-14 tips. But they varying lengths, coupled with my beginner casting skills just caused chaos - blown anchor points, 4" flies whistling at my head, etc. Greg Senyo turned me on to the MOWs. With the MOWs you have a constant tip length -- pretty much always 10'. What changes are the ratio of floating line to sink tip. So you have a 2.5' sink/7.5' float, a 5' sink/5' float, a 7.5' sink/2.5' float, and a 10' sink. These families are offered in Light (T7), Medium (T11), and Heavy (T14) weights.

OK, OK, enough gearsturbation -- what's it fish like?

Fan-f*ckin-tastic!!!! I started at a new spot in the middle PM that a guide friend was kind enough to turn me on to. Great swing water -- oh, and BONUS no one there!!! Once I found my timing, everything flows smoothly.  Contrived cast to re-position. Sweep to form the D-loop. Climb the mountain and BAM line whistles to it's intended destination. As always, the issue for me is slowing down. Slowing down means no blown anchor points, and thus no chaos.

I enjoyed fishing this stick so much that I decided to just swing all day. I encountered nary a fish, but that's OK. This was a learning trip, not a catching trip. By the end of the day I was pretty solid at casting where I wanted, as well as controlling the drift and speed with mends. So now I'm fishing, not just watching.

So, all in all, I really couldn't be happier with any aspect of this set-up. Casts great. Drifts perfectly. And looks ever so retro-cool. The Olde Schoole look of the Abel Spey fits perfectly with the sedate grey of the Scott L2h.

Go on, you know you want one -- get some!!!!

Tweaker

Over dinner with friends recently, we were talking about some gear or other and one of my friends says, "Well, you're a tweaker, like me, so I'd totally expect that...". I recognized that one word sums up a lot of my approach. No matter whether it's a rifle, boat trailer, or a ski boot, seldom is anything from the factory "just right". And one of the things I enjoy is making my gear better, or better adapted to my needs and preferences. A few examples:

Mountain Bike
Could have just hit the local shop and picked up a nice 86-speed with dual suspension. But no, I had to start with a stock SE 29er and build the ultimate hardtail single-speed. Disc brakes, indestructible Profile cranks, custom-built wheels. The result is bomb-proof and a blast to ride.

CZ 452 Rifle
CZ builds a nice little .22LR rifle. Well crafted, exceptionally accurate, nice trigger. Could I leave mine alone? Oh, no. It started with a Montana sling strap and some Uncle Mike's swivel mounts (both super-nice, btw). And then a trigger job to lower to a 2# pull and a more even, consistent pull. Then a new more rigid firing pin and spring. Topped it off with a Bushnell scope and Warne mounting rings. Most recently found a beautiful machined trigger guard from PID Products to get rid of the roughly finished crappy looking stock one. A beautiful rimfire that's a wonderful to shoot - and really not much money in it. Of course, my Ruger 10/22 had to have a trigger job and a few other mods, too.

Steelhead Swinging Rigs
No, just owning a single switch rod with floating line on one spool and spey line on another wouldn't do. First it was a full-size Scott ARC-1287-3 rod. Then an Abel Spey reel. Then another switch rod, the excellent Scott L2H, so one rod could be rigged for indy fishing and the other for swinging. And, naturally, I decided to switch from full lines to shooting heads and running line, for more flexibility. But, I'd say I now have every possible Great Lakes steelhead scenario covered.

Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker
Didn't think the lowly smoker could get upgraded? Wrong! After haunting a few online groups, I upgraded the stock door to a Cajun Bandit stainless steel one. Looks great, seals better. And I found that the stock water pan made it nearly impossible to manage the fire. So that gets replaced with a Brinkman charcoal pan that's lower and has a flat bottom. Presto! Easy access during long smoking sessions to add charcoal, redistribute, etc. I'm sure more is coming on this one.

I could go on and on, but I think you get the point. My ability to leave well enough alone seems to be non-existent. But I think these sorts of mods are half the fun.

-Sean-

Little Stick, Big Fun

When I originally purchased my Scott A3 8'6" 4-weight, my intent was to use it for smaller water and fish on the trout streams of Northern Michigan. Catching a 6" brookie on a 6-weight seems just ridiculous. I figured this would make an evening on the South Branch of the AuSable so much fun.

Little did I know that this rod would be the basis for a rig that's become my go-to local set-up. This all started with an evening throwing poppers to a bluegill bed off the front of my buddy's pontoon boat. Since my 7-weight A3 was all I had with me, that's what I did it with. Let's just call it overkill.

At that point, I decided that perhaps my little 4-weight was more versatile than I'd considered. With this in mind, I acquired a Ross Evolution 2 reel and spooled it up with backing and a Rio Coldwater Clouser line. It's actually the rig shown in the photo at the top of the blog (and yes, that looks like the upper Manistee river and no I wouldn't normally run that line on that river).

This Spring, with gas prices still steep and free time at a premium, I made myself a goal of getting out more regularly to fish for smallmouth bass. A little poking around on the Huron river found me a nice little spot that nearly always yields some fish.

Sure, there are plenty of dinks -- bluegill, sunfish, rock bass, and smallies. But every once in a while I stick a good smallie and that makes my day! A 12" smallmouth on a 4-weight puts some nice bend in the rod. My biggest to-date went about 14" and I've also gotten a softball-sized sunfish! The best part is that it's literally a few minutes from my home. Got an hour to kill on a week night? Go fishing! If you don't have a little rig like this, build one up and have some fun!

-Sean-

Big Time Small Mouth

Had a great opportunity to get my smallmouth bass game dialed in recently. Was invited to float a mid-Michigan river that's been producing epic levels of fish lately. Don't have to ask me twice!

Original plan had been to fish topwater with poppers. But we also were prepared with streamers, and friend Jay wanted to have a shot at carp, if we saw them. During the first ten minutes of the float, we quickly discovered that Murdich Minnow streamers were the hot ticket as Jay outfished me about 10 to 1! So, I quickly switched over to the streamer program.

This is super-cool sight fishing, especially in the low, clear water conditions we experienced. Just like trout, you could easily watch predator chase down the prey. Well, most times...

I got warmed-up on some dinks -- in the 6-8" range. Pretty quickly we were shaking off the little guys to pursue the river donkeys. By early afternoon, I had my personal best 18.5" fish. Came out of the edge of a weed line to SMACK the streamer. I love that smallmouth fight -- even the little ones are fun. But the big ones like this can get you bent on a 7-weight steelhead rod!

Just the sheer numbers we stuck that day were a huge help in building confident and experience. I quickly got better at hooksets and fighting fish. Between three of us we likely boated at least 75 fish and shook of maybe that many little guys. A few other highlights of the day:

• Spent a good part of the day casting a Scott S4S (hey, it was already rigged and ready). Wow - there's a reason they're $700. What a rocket!
• Mid-afternoon I cut the popper off and fished my Scott A4 907/4. While not the S4S, this new rod did not disappoint. And, I got a couple of nice fish.
• Made my drift boat rowing deubt! My friends say, "If you can't row, you can't go" so time to man up and learn. Did very well at managing speed, putting us in the right places. Even managed to back-row up to retrieve a streamer from a tree!
• Murdich Minnow was MONEY, time and again. I was pleasantly surprised at how well it held up, too.
• Having a great new waterproof camera is excellent. Unless it's bured in the backpack at the other end of the boat when you land your personal record fish...

Many thanks to Brian and Jay for inviting me along on their float. I look forward to the opportunity to do it again.

-Sean-

Rig Wranglin' - Part 2

OK, so we've talked a bit about the changes to the chuck-n-duck rig; now more about my primary indicator/swing rig...

This set-up is centered around a Scott A3 11' 8-weight switch rod. As per usual with Scott rods I have only one word -- "sweet!" Great stick. Balances well, has some nice backbone for casting and fighting fish. All good. I briefly toyed with swapping out for one of the new L2H rods. I talked to a couple of knowledgeable Scott folks and both said the A3 was a pretty sweet stick, and the L2H wouldn't be worth the effort to change. Good! One less stick to swap out!

I fish this rod both as an indicator set-up, as well as for swinging streamers on small to mid-sized rivers.

The swing set-up is unchanged; older Ross Momentum V reel (tankasaurus) with Rio Skagit Short in 500 grain with a 5-foot cheater. This one's MONEY; throws big flies with great accuracy and accomodates my mediocre spey casting skills. I may explore switching to a shooting line and head system, perhaps based on the new Scientific Anglers Skagit Extreme next Fall. Would be fun to try tweaking weight, and even playing with Scandi lines.

Previous Ross Momentum V LT

The bigger change is on the float set-up. Previously I had a Ross Momentum V LT with a few guide miles on it. I like the Momentum series well enough (though I think I preferred the older one) I do have a few concerns. First the drag isn't sealed. Since this one's my go-to Winter rig, that's of some concern. All I need is a frozen-up free spooling reel to blow a day. Second there are a couple of weak-link plastic parts in the drag system. Nothing major, but when the chance to score a lightly used Orvis Mirage V came along, I jumped at it. Bulletproof drag system, fully sealed, and getting great reviews throughout the industry this is a hot new reel. As of now, the vintage Rio Atlantic Salmon/Steelhead line remains on it. But I noticed that it's underperforming when turning over the rig, so I suspect a new line will be in order next Fall. Line technology has improved so much in the past 12 months.

Couple more steelhead trips and the season will be at a close. Up next it's STREAMER TIME for the big trout. Can't wait!

-Sean-

Chuck & Swing

Found a nice combo last week on our frustrating steelhead day on the Pere Marquette. Brought along my Orvis Clearwater/Orvis BLA IV set-up for chuck n' duck and my Scott A3 switch with Ross Momentum V and Rio Skagit short for swinging. With high water, my go-to indicators seemed rather pointless. This proved to be the ideal combo for an enjoyable day.

With a thin running line (I use Climax Zip Line on mine currently) and a good bit of weight, c-n-d was a good way to get down to the bottom with a lot of water. On a tough day, it was a good choice. However, I generally can't fish this style all day. I find it tedious and too repetitive after a while -- especially if the fishing's slow.

Enter the swing rig! If you haven't cast a set-up like this, it's just pure fun. Once you get timing down it's very low effort and relaxing. There's a kind of Zen groove to it. And it's easy to cover a bunch of water. Stop your cast high, use the upper hand as a pivot point, and put the power in the bottom hand and BOOM!

For me though the best part of swinging is trying out some of the streamers I've been tying over the Winter to see how they behave in moving water. My earliest efforts definitely lacked much action, but the later flies with schlappen collars and bulky wool heads make a huge difference. Totally "swimmy" action. Of course, it would have been validating to actually hook something!

This combo was a nice way to work a hole. Chuck n' duck through, then swing by starting at the top and making a few drifts before stepping downstream and repeating the process.

-Sean-