View Full Version : biggest little fish on a fly
tomtom
09-21-2003, 03:23 PM
I fished Oxbow this morning in search of passing coho. I picked up a fish the other night on the Clackamas with a spinner so I decided to throw flies today. I have had my 8 weight rod for 3 years and have not had any luck. It has always been difficult for me to use my fly rod after being successful drift fishing and throwing spinners. Today I bit the bullet and was determined to use it all day. Usually I'll use it for an hour and then switch back to my confidence gear. My persistence paid off today. I was tossing a pink weighted fly aroung some boulders and I hooked the biggest little fish of my life. A gorgeous little 5-6lb. summer steelhead hammered my fly and the fight was on. Instantly I had a huge top-ramen mess in my reel and had to keep presure on the fish while picking the backlash out. At one point I must have had 20' of line at my feet while picking the line out of the reel and keeping the presure on the fish with my other hand that was handling the rod. The fish was very acrobatic and jumped several times. It must have been a hilarious sight. I did manage to get him on the bank and get him in a brine. It was fairly bright fish with a hint of the red stripe coming in. I have caught many fish much larger but this little guy was by far the most memorible fish I've caught in a long time. I will definately be fishing with my fly rod this fall and winter.
Old dog
09-22-2003, 10:55 AM
TomTom, way to go! Last year was my first to catch summer steelhead on a fly - two on the Nestucca (a pink peril and a flash fly). This year I've bombed on winter steelhead, but caught a real bright hatchery summer run about 7 lbs. last month on the Rogue (a real bright egg pattern). Old Dog
Gizmo Man
09-22-2003, 10:18 PM
TT: Way to go. I find myself doing as you do with the rod switching. Sometimes you just have to leave the bait rod home that way you will not lapse....
Congradulations on your success.
Giz...
MarlinMark
09-23-2003, 06:35 AM
Way to go TOMTOM!!!
Mark :cheers:
gottafish
10-18-2003, 02:57 PM
I switched to fly gear about two years ago and have never looked back I have caught 29 steelhead this year and 12 salmon on my 8 weight. I don't even pull out the gear rod anymore It just is not as much fun. The more you do it the easier it gets and in low water its the only way to go. Just make sure you have a good reel with a great drag system like a loomis adventure 7 or a Ross also invest in some spools and load up with sink tips A type 6 is a good choice for Sandy Winters. also a three is a good bet to. Cheers Rich
I know how it is about the confidence gear. I strike a compromise by hitting fly water at first light and swinging until the sun hits the water, then use hardware after that. If I'm still on the river at dusk I pull out the 8 wt again. It helps not liking to nymph.
Kevin
Nice!!!! I'm very jealous :wink:
Eric W.
10-29-2003, 03:47 AM
Leave the metal chucking gear @ home. Nothing like forceing your self to learn a certain of fishing. Practice makes perfect. You'll learn alot, and work up those muscles, and take pride in strikes, and misses!!
keep it up, great job!
Way to go. I also have struggled with the drift gear/flyrod dilemma often. I agree that the only way to do it is to leave your drift gear at home. Don't even put it in the car. Ever.
This served me well last winter on Eagle Creek where I hooked a few winter fish (that I didn't land). My buddy was drifting corkies and landed one, but I tried not to let that deter me.
There is definitely something to landing a salmon or steelhead on the flyrod. The Kilchis can be fun for chums on the flyrod as longs as you stay away from the shallow water and reds. Those fish tear you up and test the backbone in your rod to be sure.