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Chopper
Great idea and beautifully done!
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sonnysan
yep, great idea !
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ACass
There's a plant 'cause they haven't left yet...or it got stuck to the side
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MoZub
lol awesome!
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G2
My first idea... here is the vote! Very good.
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DoctorWu
Very nice, God bless you
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flyman
cool
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DLowrie
...
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bluevet
awww
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tcrkay
really small dogs... or are they giant chickens?
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leif
...
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base-zum
mo animals
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volkswes
good thinking
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ripclaw
...
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metalic
"Hellekro" :)
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POP3Y3
...
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sudyods
clever
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blackfox
2 x 2 vote
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illnic
cool idea :)
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queen0fbats
biblical voat
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EvilTigr
...
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Register
Excellent job
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betdoval
Hi Hellekro!
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mezopunk
noah wuz a playah.
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splodge
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L@rue
...
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jasper
nice cock
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occecid
Bible vote
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nomore
terrific idea and well done
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Janitor
Great work!
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nancers
I read that book.
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Obernik
...
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Basil
TIP 1. Focus on the shaded water and the deeper choppy water at the head of a pool or any deep directional and riffled water. The tailout of a pool will generally only hold snappy fish very early in the morning and late of an evening.
The most effective technique for river conditions that are low and clear is the finesse presentation. Light lines 6-12 lb main line and light 6-8lb leaders. You will be amazed at how big a Steelhead or Salmon you can land with this type of gear if A.) you take your time and B.) fight the fish with a lowered rod tip in the closing moments of the battle. Try and get below the fish and make it fight both you and the current with a lowered rod tip, this will make the fish tire faster by working over it's lateral (swimming) muscles and help guide the fish toward you instead of a raised rod tip that is doing no more than trying to lift the mass of the fish out of the river away from you. Of course if the fish is headed toward a submerged obstacle get that tip up to guide the line over the obstacle then get back down on the fish and start working it over again.
For those that enjoy using "hardware", go light and little, size 1-3 spinners in gold and burnished brass or bronze, the green bodied silver blade size 2 Vibrax has been particularly effective. Small hammered Steelie Spoons and the like in either silver and orange or gold and brass have also been working for the folks who really know how to fish a spoon for these low water Steelies.
For bait fishing go with light 8lb-10lb leaders that are 3ft long or so and hook sizes from 1/0 down to size 4's. Nickel size egg clusters, Sand Shrimp tails, small pink plastic worms, Aerofly's and small Corkies, Cheaters or Raybobers with a tuft of yarn have been effective. Fish the faster, choppy deep riffles especially as the day wears on and the sun starts a blaz'n down. Small three or four ball slinkies (size 4 buck shot) have been generally the right size for all round application. (Hint, the only stinkum I've ever found to be particularly effective on Steelhead is that Smelly Jelly paste shrimp scent. I've tried EVERYTHING and have a fortune tied up in sure fire you betcha scents but that particular type of Smelly Jelly seems to be consistently effective.)
Dink floats and small shrimp tipped jigs or small egg cluster with a tuft of scented yarn have been the hottest way to get into the Steelhead in the slower deep water holes, make SURE that the jig is not hitting the bottom but it's ok for the egg clusters to bounce along the bottom once in a while. The jigs should actually be set to float along at least 2 ft off the bottom, under almost all conditions a Steelhead will rise to a jig much more readily than grub one off the bottom.
Fly Fishing is my first love, I've been fly fishing since the tender age of 5 and grew up fly fishing low clear water from the east coast and throughout the Western mountain States. I caught my first Steelhead on fly back in 1976 in a little tributary river to Lake Michigan called the "Root River" and since then Low clear water is what I truly love to pursue Steelhead in here on the Olympic Peninsula, the Great Lakes area and in Alaska. Heavy water is usually the only option out here in the Winter and early Spring but the low water conditions are what make fly fishing for Steelhead really shine for me.
For traditional Northwest Steelheading it's obvious that low clear conditions dictate that you go to shorter slower tips, I.E. cut back from the 15ft 200 grain to a 10ft 140-160 grain or lighter for those choppy riffs and broad tailouts. Go to lighter leaders and smaller patterns and especially tone down the colors, hot stuff still works in fast water but generally tone it down to the more neutral colors, stuff like black and blue spey patterns, light pink KJP prawns, light orange GP's and lighter color, white winged patterns.
I know this next statement will turn up a few noses but I really like to catch my Steelhead on dry lines while nymphing or skating a fly instead of on the quartering down stream sinking tip swing technique, I just love to "Stick em" when they strike instead of tight line limp wristing it until they either pin themselves or come un pinned.
I'd caught a gazillion Steelhead in the Great lakes region rivers fly fishing nymphs such as the "glo bug", "juicy fruit", "black and green Kauffman stones" etc.. way before I ever took up the conventional level wind and spinning rods that are so popular out here on the Olympic Peninsula. I still just can't get over that electric moment when the line or the indicator stops with that certain little stall that you just know is a take and you get to zap em!, they don't just start shaking their head and rolling around, they go BALLISTIC !.
Don't get me wrong I do like to swing a fly in the "classic manner", it's great therapy but for me personally I like that aggressive approach that nymphing and skating provides.
The long two handed fly rods (Spey rods) are an awesome tool in the application of both the short and long line nymphing technique (the tool for swinging fly's) and can help you effectively fish water that were with a one hander you would have a devil of a time to reach and then properly present your fly. Spey casting by the way is one of the oldest and simplest forms of casting a fly and can be learned in short order by even the most marginally dexterous of human.
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[untitled entry]
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by Hellekro
Created August 22, 2003
34 votes
0 comments
w x h (8,584KB)
677 views
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