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View Full Version : 2 Hands in the Valley



matt johnson
11-17-2007, 04:40 PM
No, we don't live next to the Skaigit or Deschutes or Bulkley, but I think we have viable and interesting spey fisheries going on here in the valley. You readers probably have this figured already, so I apologize for preaching to the choir.

Since it is close to home, I usually fish the lower Sacramento. It still has a few steelhead. Some are quite nice. I can get a few of those fat and lazy rainbows on the swing as well.

Back in 2004, I really dialed in my program and realized I could effectively swing fish in the Valley. I don't catch a bunch of fish, but I do get them, and I really take satisfaction in my chosen method.

My main outfit is the SAGE 5120-4 with a SAGE (made by Hardy) 509 reel. I use a Skagit type head made out of a #12 floater and I am using the .024 Monic running line. I mainly fish tips, and like either 5' or 8' of T-14 depending on the water. I like fairly heavily weighted flies. In the early fall I like an Assasin variation or a Dirty Bird in about a size #8 or #10. Once the Kings start spawning I like an egg sucking leech.

Thats my story. What are the rest of you using in the Valley? Here is a fine Coleman fish I took near the Barge Hole on the Sacramento back in October. Matt.
http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee281/ozziebooboo/colemanfish.jpg

Bill Kiene semi-retired
11-17-2007, 05:39 PM
Wow Matt....that's a "studly" looking Steelhead.

Andy Guibord and I like the idea of an over-sized green caddis wet fished deep for bigger Steelhead in the Fall in Valley Rivers too.

Maybe a olive Zonker/leechy thing too?

We see more people swinging wet flies for Steelhead in Nor Cal than we have in a long time which I think is a byproduct of the two-handed craze.

Adam Grace
11-17-2007, 08:31 PM
That's a great steelhead Matt......I hate you! :P

Rick J
11-18-2007, 10:14 AM
Hey Matt - very gorgeous fish.

How do you like the monic? I have the 0.030 and am thinking on getting the 0.024 for my light Anderson rod - I am currently using the heavier slickshooter with it and like it well enough.

How long have you been using it and have you had any tangling problems with the fine diameter?

Best regards,
Rick

Bill Kiene semi-retired
11-18-2007, 10:31 AM
Hi Rick

I hear the .024" is not for everyone but Mike McCune uses it on the small two-handed rods.

He told me not to promote the .024" to everyone because it is a little harder to manage than the .030" but does give you a little more distance.

Probably no worse than mono?

matt johnson
11-18-2007, 09:10 PM
Rick,

I have been using the .024 Monic since September and have around 20 days on the water with it. I like it just fine and have not experienced undue tangling issues. That being said I have only been fishing tips with it and not casting far so have probably not fully realized the pros and cons of the .024. For what I am doing the .30 would work just as well. I suspect that for floating line applications with the lightest two-handers where booming out 85+ feet was desired the .024 might really shine. Matt.

PatrickM
11-30-2007, 10:15 AM
Just saw this post. I like your style, Matt.
I'm just getting into the spey/swing thing and I'm really digging it.
Nice to hear that someone's out there swinging flies and getting into some fish.

lynnwhite44
01-07-2008, 10:21 AM
Hey Matt,
I fish the lower sac about 20 to 30 times a year and have been spey fishing for steelhead for about 3 yrs. However, I have not fished with my spey on the lower sac and I have never seen anyone else use one there. I have two spey rods a sage 14' 9 wt and a redington 13' 8wt. I have been itching to get a smaller spey rod for the lower sac trout/steelhead. I believe your rod is a 5 wt., is this rod beefy enough? can you throw some of the heavier flies and tips with this rod. I looked up the price of your sage and it list for $995, a little too pricey for me, any other lower priced rods you would recommend? TFO, Echo, cabelas? My In-Laws live in the bend area so I fish alot around there, I caught 2 steelhead over the holidays between Bend and Jellys ferry both on BH Prince size 10. Do you find that the steelhead are in the same lies with the resident trout? Do you swing and 2 step down a run? I see you use egg sucking leech anything else for this time of year? I catch most of my fish nymphing with big black rubber legs, princes, caddis pupa, copper johns, micro may fies and egg patterns.
Sorry for all the questions but ya got me fired up to spey the lower sac. I will look for ya spey casting next time I'm up there.... maybe this weekend.

Rick J
01-07-2008, 01:06 PM
Gary Anderson has some very nice reasonably priced 2 handers all the way from light 4 wts to big sticks.

Bill's shop is a distributor of these rods - you might give Bill or Jeff Putnam a call and ask what they recommend. I have Anderson's 1204 and love this rod - it is quite soft and does much better casting skagit style than traditional lines but these light rods will handle any trout you want to target and many steelhead - I use mine on the Klamath as my go to rod and have had no problem landing fish to 12#.

matt johnson
01-09-2008, 05:20 PM
hey lynwhite44,

I would highly reccomend adding a ultra light weight two-hander or switch rod to your spey arsenal. Playing 14-18" fish on a 13' #8 is just not fun! There is a plethora of new light weight offerings on the market these days. Rick J's 1204 Anderson advice is solid. Gary makes nice stuff tailored for the typically "light-weight" quarry encounter Rogue basin south. Meiser, Echo, Beulah, TFO come to mind for light-weight offerings and affordability....

I do not beilieve SAGE is still making the 5120-4 I am currently using. I think the rod has been replaced with the 5126 Z-Axis. This is a better rod. The 5120-4 is kind of a noodle and will frustrate you in the wind. I still like it however.

The Skagit line system and style of casting is the key to making these light-weight speys functional with relatively heavy tips and flies. Once you get the correct grain load for your rod and proper casting technique down it is money. I commonly throw 8-10 feet of T-14 and flies weighted with medium to large tungsten cones on the 5120.

Yes, i like to two-step my way down the run on the Lower Sac. The Sac contains some gorgeous swing water. As far as not seeing many people fishing spey rods on the Lower Sac, it is likely because the method is not very productive on this river! You will catch WAY more fish side-drifting indicators out of a boat. It is the ultimate way to present flies on this river. The spirit of my post was more in the vein of "it can be done" vs. swinging flies is a good way to catch fish in the Central Valley rivers. HOWEVER, there are certain places and situations where swinging has worked pretty good for me in the Valley. I'll let you figure those out for yourself. That is the fun part! Matt.