Winter Steelies: Where Might They Be?

From The Angry Fisherman: “Fish are like you and I, they like to keep warm in the winter, they don’t want to sit in the shade. Many steelhead look for slower water to sit in, faster water not only makes them work harder, but will have a lower temperature. Look to fish the middle of a run down towards the tailout of the pool. If you can find a soft seam coming off faster water, this is also a good spot to fish during winter months. Wintering steelhead like to sit in water that may not seem that deep to you or I, but it suits them well. If you find an area that is around 3′-5′ deep that is moving at a slow speed, then this is a good area to fish, since wintering fish will often sit in this slow moving relatively deep pools.

Slow runs are a classic wintering steelhead area that they like to sit in. If you notice what seems to be different current patterns on the top of the water in a run that is relatively flat and slow moving, this more than likely means there is a large object in the water creating a current break. This is also a good spot to fish, as steelhead like to sit behind large objects that create current breaks.”

Fly Fishing: Primer for Skagits & Sink Tips

This is an extensive primer on adding sink tips to your Skagit line. I particularly liked the part about those past generations of tangled sink tips (with permanent ink markings as to density) in leader wallets (or some scuffed up zip lock bag) in a gear bag. Now I have to sort through all those sink tips in those two leader wallet my kid dumped into the gear bag long ago.

STEELHEAD BUM:

“Many folks have sink-tips from older generation Spey lines like Rio’s Windcutter or Airflo’s Delta Spey.  Usually, they’re completely tangled up in some old shooting head wallet.  They live in our gear bag but never get used.  Guides love it when you ask if you can use them, especially when you have no clue what they are or where they came from.” (Rusty Hook)

Trout’s Lateral Lines & Other Senses

“Trout have lateral lines, special sense organs used to “feel” sounds. Lateral lines allow trout to hear sounds that are too low for humans to hear. Every trout has two lateral lines, one on each side of its body. A lateral line is made of a series of U-shaped tubes. Every time the water outside the U vibrates because of a sound, a tiny hair at the base of the U wiggles, which sends a nerve signal to the brain. The trout’s brain translates the wiggle into information about where the vibration came from. Trout use lateral lines to find food, escape predators and keep away from obstacles.” Lateral Lines

RAINBOW TROUT SENSES

Spey Casting Basics….Sloooooow

Tim Johnson @ Steelhead Chaser provides a short reminder re spey casting: go slow and then even slower. As I read that, I envisioned my own casting strokes. I could see jerky lifts, fast sweeps, and rushed applications of power to the butt or less appropriately to the right hand at the top of the cork.

I was admonished with the same advice by Matt McCrary on prior outings: ‘Slow down’ ‘easy’…..

A refresher is always good. In my case, it is beginning basics and I am in the process of building the pathways, building solid basics. Watch Youtube spey casting vid’s by say Mike Kinney or Ed Ward and notice the easy, SLOW, movements. Even they watch-feel their casting stroke.