First springer on a fly (now with a picture!)

[KingFisher85]

Soon as I got out of school today at 10:30 I hit upper part of the NF Lewis to do a little flyfishing. Within 10 min I had hooked my first springer on a fly.

Small one was 32in, big one was 35in! (smaller one came on a fly/flyrod) Both fish where released! Just a little to dark for my taste. But they sure kicked my ace :cool:

Story to come later along with pictures!

[SilverFly]

Congrats on spankin' a springer with the long rod! I would be interested some details like what type line you were using, water depth/speed, pattern and presentation. As I posted earlier I managed to hook a couple on the Sandy 2 weeks ago dead drifting peach woolly buggers. Unfortunately I have to resort to casting gear for springers since I don't want to destroy my 8wt!

I'll be looking forward to seeing the pix. Good job! :applause:

[Mark Vickers]

Right on! What fly were you using?

[Just_learning]

good work KF85. In the fall please dont tell me your going to be in duck country...your way too smart for that.

[KingFisher85]

Just_learning-Duck Country?


I was on the upper part of the river. No one around. No boats, no people, just water :grin: and a few fish :cool:

I was using my Lamiglas Ti2000 909 9wt fly rod with a Loomis fly reel with drag spooled with 200 yards of 20lb backing and (I believe) 40 yards of RIO Sink tip fly line with about a 5ft, 10lb test mono leader. Was using my all time favorite fly. A Black Egg sucking leach!

Start the day off by going to school, blue bird day, the river is calling my name (don't you hate when that happens :wink: Only thing I could think about was where I was going to fish and with what :grin:

Get out of school at 10:30 and buzz home, Home by 11:00AM... check the river levels and made plains to fish the Lewis. So I grabbed my fly rod and my casting set up and was out the door. Was thinking if only I could get a nice steelhead, I would have some real bragging rights for the trout challenge :grin:

Was on the river by 11:30 and had stopped off on the upper part of the river at a pretty good drift I know of. Was there a good 10 min and while I was working the fly, something all of a sudden pulled back. Hook set and the fish just jump out of the water. At first I was thinking, STEELHEAD,...but soon realized that what I had was no steelhead :grin:
After a few min I got the fish close enough and seen that it had an extra fin. Put a little more pressure on it and min or two later I got her in some shallow enough water where I could tail her, pop the hook out, snap a quick picture and let her be on her way. Looked to be about 12-15lbs or so, give or take a few :smirk: But you know how it is, they grow by the hour even after the fish had been caught and released :grin:

Fish was no chromer, but looked like what everyone is keeping up at the wind. But it was pretty awesome if you ask me :grin:

After good half an hour or so of working the water with the fly and not able to buy another bite but knew there was fish out there, I put the fly rod away and busted out the trusty ol float/eggs :shocked: :grin: ,,,,,.....BUT, thats another story :grin:

Just a little about the type of water this was. Was a nice deep hole about 12-14ft deep. Current speed is pretty slow with a nice tailout that I've caught a few steelhead on before :smile:

[Gizmo Man]

:dance: :cheers: :applause:

Way to go Mike. Glad you shared your success with us.

Giz...

[KingFisher85]

Here is a picture of it :smile:
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/medium/2008Firstflycaughtspringer.jpg
I was all by myself so was not able to get a 'good' picture but I think this one works just fine :grin:

[Abalone]

That's a great picture but my neck is sore..

Congrates..on a fine catch.. This year I am really into it. I bought a new 4 wt. and have been hitting the trout
really hard. I am ready for everything. Salmon are definately on my list and I would be bragging that one up.
In fact I am a bit envious. I believe ( As far as trout are concerned ) you can catch More fish and bigger fish
using a fly rod then you can with bait. I have had a fantastic spring fishing for trout with my new 4 wt.

[greenbuttskunk]

abalone,
try that 4 wt. on the crooked. It's a kick in the butt!
GBS

[Abalone]

Greenbutt:
I used to fish the Crooked river all the time. I have caught tons of trout there the first two miles bellow
the dam. One day when if first started fly fishing (about 1972) I was standing and tossing a fly and not catching anything wondering
what they were rising on while swatting Mesquitos. Well Duh ! I put on a Mesquito pattern and commenced to having
one of my finest fishing trips ever. I have heard the Crooked River has really become a Zoo. Maybe that's ok because
I am finding out that don't matter. If the fish are hitting then they're hitting. I don't go to Mecca anymore either for the
same reason. Crowds are one thing but Rude people are another and the bigger the crowds the more likely you are
to find them. I used my 4 wt. last weekend on the lower Deschutes and did well. Had the place to myself.
The river was off color but we still caught fish. That's the best thing about the Salmon Hatch. It draws people
away from other places. I have caught Two fish in the 3 to 5 pound range on my 4 wt. and it was a blast.
It's actually a heavy 4 wt. more like a 5 wt. with a really fast action. I am getting really serious about fly fishing
and plan to buy more rods of better quality rods I have now. Most of my fly gear is the $125.00 range. I have busted
some really good rods in the past and decided to go cheap. But things have changed and I want good gear.
I have already upgraded my reels. I still use my metalists for certain occasions but for the quality of trout
fishing I do, I use only the best. My new 4 wt. Is a rod a bought at the Fly fishing sportsman show.
What Brand ? you would have to ask.. It's a new company out of Battle ground and forgive me for spelling it
wrong.. O brian ??? It's a fast action rod that is more like a 5 wt. then a 4 wt. But it cast really well for me and
I like everything about it except>. I wish the tip were a little bit lighter.

Greenbutt: Do you fish Saltwater ?

:dance:

[KingFisher85]

Flyfishing for trout is the ONLY way to go :cool:

[FishFearMe]

I saw your post about hooking a salmon on the NFL with a fly rod. I saw that you mentioned something about people keeping dark fish on the wind. I was curious if you have been up there lately? I've fished it a couple of times this year and brought home a couple. Also I saw the picure of the fish you got, do you consider that a dark fish? Because that doesn't look like a very dark fish to me. Nice job by the way on the fish :smash:

[KingFisher85]

Yea, I've spent my far share of time up in the wind,...when I say wind, I mean like up in the Canyon, in the river its self...
The one I got the other day on the flyrod I think is a dark fish. Now if it was a fall fish in the same area that I caught this one at, :smash: :grin: but it was not

[blacktail519]

:cheers: :cheers: :applause: :applause: :cheers: :cheers: Nicely done :bowdown:

[Mojo]

Mike, congrats on the springer! I don't think there is anything wrong with that fish either. I know, you just don't want to fill your card too early in the year! :grin:

[Navigator]

NIce feesh! On a fly. Wow! :cheers:

[willametteriveroutlaw]

Isn't that fish adipose equipped? One of those fish first fish huh?

[KingFisher85]

Its no real native I can tell you that, look at the size of that extra fin...its a mini fin...Most likely a miss clip. From what I know, I don't think fish first release's any fish above cedar creek.

[rob allen]

Awsome job.. now if you were a Washougal river snagger that would be called chrome bright