Spoon Fishing

[Centerpin]

Did anyone get a chance to read the latest issue of STS. I was briefly scanning through it at the store. I saw that they rated spoon fishing as the most difficult technique for steelheading. Harder than fly fishing. Any thoughts on this? I tend to agree with the rankings and find spoon fishing as one of the most satisfying steelhead techniques.



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[Snagly]

Billy and you must have shoplifted that issue because he, too, mentioned "The Mighty 'Zog's" (as Rob Endsley calls Bill H.) article. Now I know that Billy, Bill and you fish more for salmon/ steelhead in a month than I have lifetime-to-date but I have trouble believing that fishing a spoon adequately (note I didn't say "expertly")is harder than fly fishing. Maybe I was just lucky, but armed with little more than Herzog's "Spoon Fishing for Steelhead" book, a bunch of Mortac silver and gold spoons and rivers full of fish I was able to catch steelhead right off the bat using spoons. (I think the part about "rivers full of fish" might have been the key phrase.)

I don't cast a fat line very much at all and even less for salmon (save sockeye) and steelhead. Based on my limited casting and mending technique (and the multitude of line/ leader/ tippet variations one can choose to deploy to get the fly down), I found/ find fly casting more difficult. I do a lot of chuck 'n duck (monofilament on a fly reel) fly-flinging and that is DEFINITELY harder to do adequately than swinging a spoon.

The other reason I'm going to fish spoons more this year is I love the 'ker-thud' feel when a big fish whacks the metal down current and for the first five seconds of the hook-up stays there wagging his or her head like a puppy with a towel in its teeth. I don't get that kind of anticipatory rush fly fishing. I guess I should start waking dries a la Lani Waller's 3M tapes.


[This message has been edited by Snagly (edited 02-17-2001).]

[smilesforu]

I had to laugh when he said spoon fishing was hardest. I suppose if you didn't have a clue about different types and sizes of spoons it would be. I would rank fly fishing the hardest because it is the least effective for winter steelhead. I might rank the steel up next just for the fact it usually lacks the scent appeal you have when drift fishing. But good drift fishing is a true art in itself. You can fish all most any holding water with drift gear with good line control(except backside of boulders).
Then again for the beginner spoons would be tough since they just wouldn't keep them in the zone. Which comes naturally with drift gear, float fishing and fly fishing before the mend. Its all about reading water and making your tackle go through the zone properly. Naww spoonin isn't the hardest...just one of the most expensive in a snaggy river. Each technique has some little tricks one must learn or be taught to make them fish properly. I would be happy to fish behind a good spoon tosser or fly fishermen, but hard pressed to fish behind a good drift fisherman all day.
Tight Lines

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Marty M
Steelheader.net

[willierower]

Let me see. uh spoon fishing must be tougher. I have never nailed a steely on a spoon. Ive got about 2 dozen on a fly. Ive tried the sppon thing quite often with one take for my efforts. The first day i seriously fished a fly for steelhead I hooked 5 and landed 2. It was late fall and I was basically nymphing with a glo-bug and strike indicator. These were summer steelhead that were staging behind spawning salmon.
I dont feel that winter steelhead are harder to catch with a fly. I like dredging the bottom with a deep water express shooting head. Ths seems to be more effective than the down stream swing with a floating line.

[Centerpin]

Snagly,

I think you may have casting and fishing mixed up.

Marty,

I have a healthy respect for drift fishing and agree that it is an art. It is not difficult to catch fish on a spoon but it is difficult to catch all the fish on a spoon. The key here is to mix float fishing, drift fishing, and spoon fishing. That way the guy following you would be hard pressed to touch a fish. I would fish with you any day if you let Billy and myself go infront of you with spoons,blades,drift gear and floats.

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[dusty4]

Just gotta open my big chinook-size mouth. When living (and fishing) the Great White North, the ONLY thing I could count on hooking up with was spoons. Believe me, it wasn't because of fine technique. Since my hookup ratio has gone to pot since moving here, I'm starting to wonder if it's time to clean the rust off the old Dardevels in the bottom of the tackle box......
Dusty

[meyersbilly]

A spoon fisherman and a drift fisher are true technicians of the sport. They must master the art of reading current not only through visual observation, but also through sensitive vibrations and taps from offering to rod. Any hesitation and your down 3 bucks… a few too many hesitations and you’ve bought shares in mortac or worden’s because you’re hung up on bottom. Spoon and drift fishers constantly probe each hole and slot for those ever so sweet soft spots (some of you may know what I mean)… sink it in… bump… chomp… and there he is… Mr Steelhead.

Combine any of Herzog’s techniques with the proper conditions and no steelhead is safe.

[Steelheader69]

I personally feel that each type of fishing (jigs, spoons, spinners, flies, etc, etc) have their time and place, and their difficulty ranks change depending on water conditions and time of year. Each in it's own is an art I feel. With spoons and spinners you must know the right speed to retrieve your hardware (sometimes you barely reel with a levelwind) and keep it on the bottom. Then you have to decide on what color and size for conditions. First with flies you have to be able to cast the fly, then be able to mend it to keep it where you want it. Then you have to decide on dry (usually I only use the dry during summer months with steelies) and then whether to use a sink tip or weighted fly. Jigs are same way. If you go straight jig, non bait tipped you have to decide color and size. Then depth and be able to mend your line to keep float running true. Even plunking, which is pretty self explanatory, is a decision game. You need to choose bait, sinker depth, leader length, and spot you wish to drop the rig.

I haven't read the article, I will soon enough. But it all depends on who you talk to and what exactly you're talking about. My biggest problem with flyfishing is the cast itself (I'm self taught and can get flyline out, but am by no means an expert caster), but my fly selection is usually good and catches fish. So I would say flyfishing is hardest, only because of the casting aspect. But who knows, it's like apples and oranges. Everyone has their own opinions......

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