Take A Newbie Fishing

[Flatfish]

A lot of the threads here have a common theme-How a good fishing partner can make the day go 100% better.The old salty dogs(substitute egg gooey dogs in freshwater)are usually best to fish with, and can be fun too.But take a newbie at least once a year.Once a season is better.Why have a greenhorn with ya? So greenhorn can learn on the years you already have.The first 2 years I fished,I thought the tailout was the green slick going into a riffle.I would actually wade past the easy water to get to what I thought was the good stuff.Ever get mad at someone because they anchored on an obvious redd?I did this when I was starting out,only to get yelled at for doing something that I had no idea was even going on.After a while an experienced angler started to show me the ropes.
Fishing is a lot more than "Use this corkie to catch that fish" sorta stuff.It is about not anchoring on redds.It is about not sinking your Dads' brand new drifter 1/4 mile from the put in on the Kilchis.But it is tough to keep your chin up when you go a couple seasons before you get a fish,let alone being able to tell that a fish is biting your line.Ever get mad at a corkie snagger?Ever wonder if snagger is actually following the advice of many folks who tell ya "set the hook if the line stops drifting"?I have snagged winter steelies on #2 hooks trying to figure out if that is a bite.Since I couldn't tell,I either set and snagged on occasion,or missed the few I did catch.
Fishing is about friends having fun together.You don't even know if you like Newbie the first couple times out.But take 'em anyway.Teach them how to tie good knots,sharpen hooks,and why the pipps dispenser should get it's inventer the Nobel Prize.Show them a pretty section of water that half of Portland isn't fishing already.Show them Cohos on their beds and leave without bothering the fish.Show them that there are other ways to catch steelhead than drifting magically cured eggs and heavy leads that make it tough to feel a bite.Let them fish spinners or pink worms so they get the arm jerking yank that never happens with a pink pearl corkie.Let them fish your 300 dollar rod so they can feel a good stick and see what they are missing out on.Show them sturgeon bigger than they are.Show them the salty air of the ocean with hard biting Cohos and Kings.Tell them it's ok to be seasick.
You may work a little harder or not catch quite as many fish.But you will have started someone on the right track.I know I wondered why anyone would ever want to fish for these stupid fish,almost quit in my darkest hour.But just as I wanted to give it up,along came a nice guy who showed me what I was doing wrong.Bingo I caught fish.Thought he was superman or something.I felt stupid as he laughed at my mistakes.But he patiently corrected them.
If you get to pick Newbie out,try to make he/she a kid,cause adults don't giggle when a fish runs.The sound of line coming off the reel and the voice of someone saying"I can't stop it! What do I do?!!He is running away(giggle giggle)!".You can sit back get the camera and enjoy the show.
Beside that,if sunrises over misty mountains aint enough to get them,you get something out of it too.You get a partner that don't take anything for granted that your regualar front seater maybe does.Has your regular partner been late in the morning in the last year?Leave em high and dry and call Newbie.Newbie usually don't sleep at all the night before(if you pick carefully),so it is hard to oversleep when you don't fall asleep.
Oh yeah,after a few years of teaching all of a sudden newbie starts to give YOU tips and reports on rivers and such.And we all know that to catch a fish we need to angle where the fish are.With a quality report from maturing Newbie you have a big piece of the puzzle in place.
Sorry this got so long,but it is about the future of America.Fishing keeps kids busy.Kids that are bored may think about wandering from the thin line we all walk.My folks never trusted me unless I was going hunting or fishing.It was it's own reward.
See you on the water.
Mark and the Midnight Feathered Express.

[graybeard]

Great post, Mark. Well stated! [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img]

[crabbait]

I agree, There are enough fish in the Northwest for everybody that has the desire to learn. Teach a Newbie to fish. It will make your day. :smile:

[TinyWonder]

Way to go Flatfish.

Where is the line to sign up on.

I am a total rookie and as you stated am in need of some fish elder guidance.

I was able to catch a chinook on the Nehalem this year but I think it was pure luck :smile:

[lost_sailor]

Umm, so what is a "tailout" then?

[Miss B Haven]

Great post, I had a chance to take a lot of ifish folks (new to the Salt and new to me) and some kids out this year. It was great. It's just like the saying, it's easier to give than to receive. I had a ball, watching them have a ball. If you think seeing a kid play a fish is fun, you aught to see their faces when I ask "hey- you wanna drive the boat?" (Miss B is pretty dang big even for me you know!) Pete was the biggest kid I let drive this year and I think he had the biggest grin! :grin: :grin:
I do have to disagree with one thing you said though Flatfish:
"If you get to pick Newbie out,try to make he/she a kid,cause adults don't giggle when a fish runs.The sound of line coming off the reel and the voice of someone saying"I can't stop it! What do I do?!!He is running away(giggle giggle)!". :grin:

I still giggle, whoop, holler and generally make a fool of myself! Even if somebody else has the fish on.

[Fishalot]

Yes I have took Tilla fishing so he can learn the ropes :grin: he has much better gear then I do so so he catches all the fish any way. We are in his boat when I take him fishing, wait a sec no! he takes me fishing and I know way, so he has a net boy :shocked: . I hate it when he does the brain wash thing on me. So when can I take you out again Tilla.

Fishalot

[MasterCaster]

ok time for what may be a stupid question.....what the heck is a pips dispenser??? :whazzup:

Jon :smile: :grin: :smile:

[Flatfish]

OK we'll start at the top-
Grey and crabby(say hi to nikky for me and tge dog CB),thanks for the kind words.Still take a kid fishing.
TDub-way to go on the feesh.You are in line with 3000 friends.I bet someone is looking for a front seater.When someone posts an open seat jump on the chance.NW steelheaders is a good place to meet some good fisherman too.Even if you don't have the money,save til you can go on a guided trip.Specify where,and if you want to fish from the bank. I bet you can find someone to show you the basics I took 2 years to learn in a day.Keep your chin up,unless it's raining real hard.It can be tough but it does not have to be.
Lost sail-I was fishing the slick green water directly below the extreme end of a tailout.I was fishing the head of the riffle.Not exactly the prime spot to bag a winter steelie.
Miss B-Good for you.Most are too worried about what I may think.I can tell you from experience that 99 times out of 100 what I think don't matter.The other 1 time don't either cause it is about politics and not fishing so whoop and holler away!
Smoke-3726 22nd Ave Forest Grove 97116.Use Wonder Dog for a name.Glad to hear that you and Miss-B have something in common.For the sleep disorder try counting either Corkies floating down the river or ducks falling from a grey sky.Works better than sheep.For me at least.
C and E and fishalot.Are you two married?I figure you must be cause only old married couples bicker like that.
Master Caster-Pipps dealies are the greatest thing since mothers' oats.Seriously,go to Joes or Bi-mart or whatever,and buy 3 of them tonite.Then tie up some leaders for what is in season that you are targeting.1 day of drift fishing for winter brats will make you understand.If you don't like them like some others(wont name names)mail them to me at the above address.
Take a kid fishing before Christmas OK!
Mark and the camo warroir ready for any cripple sleep deprived dog.

[MasterCaster]

If someone would like to donate one to me I would be more than happy to try it out! :grin: :shocked: :grin:

Jon :smile: :grin: :smile:

[ampersat]

three years and i'm still a total rookie. i've caught some fish, but i don't really understand how i did it. where do i get in line? the worst part: my buddy is a three year rookie and he's never caught a fish. tell me more about the riffle/run/tailout. it sounds like i've been fishing the wrong water.

[Flatfish]

Geez,a picture is worth a thousand words huh?OK a hole goes like this...At the extreme top of the hole is the beginning of a riffle.This is where the water begins to fall quickly.It forms a riffle(think of whitewater on a small scale and you got it).At some point the riffle slows and the water gets deeper.Between the top of the riffle and this point is the money in the bank summer steelhead(coast stuff here)water.I catch most of my summers in less than 3 feet of water.Sometimes less than 1 foot.It is usually a crappy place to try and catch a winter steelhead.This is what I call "The beginning of a hole"Some folks use Run instead of hole.It is where the whitewater turns green and the white water has dug out the bottom of the river usually much deeper than the riffle.Bottom composition may or may not change here(note,ANY edge is gonna attract fish at some time,in summer where the bottom turns from brown to green is a great place to whack a steelie.Remember that in June).The heart of the hole follows this point.It varies in legnth from maybe 10 yards to a couple hundred ,depending on the grade of the river.This is the section of water where the bottom is usually as deep, or pretty close to it,as the head of the hole.Any structure in this area deserves attention.At some point the depth of the hole will begin to get shallower.From this point to when the water starts a riffle again is the tailout.In the winter,when visibility is 4 feet or less,the tailout is the hot spot.think of the bottom running uphill instead of downhill and you have a tailout.Mini tailouts occur behind and in front of large rocks and stumps.This is why structure is so important in fishing.Most folks seem to think the Magic spot is why a fish lies somewhere.They lie in the same amount of current as long as they can.Sunlight,water clarity and a few other factors controll when a fish will sit where.After a while you can predict with a reasonable chance of being right where the fish will be given the current water and weather conditions.Once you get to this point,your catch rates go thru the roof.Hey folks they are just a fish.They have an IQ of 5 or 6.Not the great thinkers we give them credit for.If you get to them first you should be able to catch a few of them.
I hope this helps.It probably hurts more than it helps but I don't have a dig cam so you cant look at my stick figure drawings.Oh well you can read my stick figure ramblings instead.
So there you have it.The Mark and the camo dog school of Riffle-Pool-Tail.Good Luck out there.Ask someone who actually knows what is going on and enlighten yourself.I promise I aint the guy who knows.
Mark and the ready for another day in the swamp dog.

[crabbait]

Mastercaster - Pips dispensers are round plastic thingees about twice as big as a Copenhagen can. They have a clear top and cork in the center. You pre-tie leaders/hooks, put the hook in the cork and turn the outer ring of the container. The inner ring remain still and the leader wraps between the inner and outer rings.. When you want a new leader you just pop the top off and grab a hook. The leader peels out from between the rings.

These work great for the 10lb leaders steelheaders like. Not so good for the 40lb bobber leaders as the ring tends to catch on the large diameter line making nicks. (You and I can probably tie leaders as fast as most of these Pips lovers can get their dispenser out and get a new rig.) :grin:

[smoky]

Great post, but I disagree with a few things.

1. I hate those pips dispensers. email me your adress and Ill send you all mine.

2. I still get excited when fish run and line peels.

3. Sleep the night before? Im like a kid on XMAS eve.

[CATCH AND EAT]

Fishalot. One word. BATON!!!!! [img]graemlins/eek13.gif[/img] :shocked: :grin: :grin: :grin:

[Fishalot]

Ha now you better put a lock on that mouth of yours C&E my friend. I am still looking for a return e mail from you. :whazzup:

Fishalot

[Flatfish]

OK I got a better way on the Riffle-pool-tail thing.Think of the bottom of the river as a stock market graph.Lets say the top of the riffle is 8000 then there is a steady downhill slide (riffle)until the market hits 7500(top of hole).It stays at this level for almost all of the day(main body of hole)then about an hour and a half before the closing bell there is a rally that brings it back up to 8000.From the beginning of the rally to the point where it begins to drop is the tailout.The water on the top is pretty much level so the bottom of the river falling is what gives it depth.Make any sense?Hope so.
Pipps dispensers aint the end all be all.But they serve their purpose well .And are much more compact than foam insulation-the next option.If you don't like yours,send them to the above address.Jeez CB,I expected more from a Lab Man.
Mark and the worn out fetching module.

[MasterCaster]

Thanx CB. I know what they are now. Ive seen them in the stores and thought about buying one to try for steelheading but I just end up tying up a new leader anyway. :grin: Im just too used to pulling out a hook and tying it up when I need it just in case I need a different size hook or leader ect.

Jon :smile: :grin: :smile:

[Bobby Ray]

Flatfish,

That is a great post, I'm going to copy that maybe change the font and frame it and I'm not kidding.

Great, Great just Great. [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img]

"Keep kids off drugs and hook them into a Chinook"

BnB

[Flatfish]

Thanks BnB,
but do yourself a favor and take a kid fishing.Way better than reading my drool.
Mark and the Midnight Feathered Express.
PS chum fishing is fast and fun.Hmmm maybe a kid would enjoy that.