Bill Kiene semi-retired
02-01-2008, 12:38 AM
http://www.kiene.com/gallery/albums/Steelhead-Salmon/114369_G.jpg
Denny Welch and I drifted the Trinity for steelies on January 25th, with Chris Parsons, a premiere guide working for The Fly Shop in Redding. We put in about 6 ½ miles above Dutton Creek, which was our take-out point. The day was characterized by “33-degree rain” –all day long, mixed with some periods of wind and snow. Having fished the Trinity many times in January, I was prepared for the bone-butt cold that 33-degree rain brings, including frozen fingers. I learned some time ago that an extra pair of gloves is essential because they do get wet. It also helps to wear latex-type gloves underneath, as they keep your skin dry. But in the end nothing is perfect, and after a long day on the water the hands still hurt.
I managed to hook 12 nice steelies, and land 6 of them—two of which were wild fish. Two or three weeks ago there were a lot more fish in this run, and scattered throughout the river. It seems to have slowed down a bit now but I’m not complaining.
The fish weren’t the only highlight of the trip. First, I was using a new line that Bill Kiene gave me to field test—the Sage Indicator Line. While I’d much prefer to swing flies for steelies, on a long drift boat day in the dead of winter indicator fishing is the method du jour. This line, with its short, heavy head and long rear taper, is an excellent choice for that purpose. It is best used with a longer rod (I was using a #6, 9½’ Sage SP), according to the manufacturer—and my impression is that is quite true; for example it would work well with a switch rod. The line performs beautifully, easily and accurately tossing a heavy indicator rig to likely steelie holding water. Once the rig hits the water, tossing stack mends behind the indicator is much easier than standard weight forward lines. In short, Sage has come up with a winner here. I haven’t tried Rio’s newest version of their nymph line, but I’m anxious to make the comparison—which, fortunately, will provide a reason for another day on this beautiful river.
A second highlight was the boat heaters that Chris carries in his Hyde driftboat. The brand name is “Mr. Heater” and the model is “Buddy.” It operates with a propane canister that supplies a pilot which, in turn, lights off a gas screen. The result is a micro-climate in the boat, and a way to warm your hands during those intervals between holding-water spots. Because the heater is near your feet, it keeps your feet warm also. There is a definite downside to this—you have to constantly pay attention to the position of your line in the boat; the penalty for not doing this will be an instantly burned-in-half line. I found it easy to avoid the problem; whether my partner did is another very funny story.
Bill Carnazzo, Spring Creek Guide Service
5209 Crestline Drive, Foresthill CA 95631
(530) 367-5209 (home office)
(916) 295-9353 (mobile)
bcarnazzo@ftcnet.net (email)
www.billcarnazzo.com (web site)
Denny Welch and I drifted the Trinity for steelies on January 25th, with Chris Parsons, a premiere guide working for The Fly Shop in Redding. We put in about 6 ½ miles above Dutton Creek, which was our take-out point. The day was characterized by “33-degree rain” –all day long, mixed with some periods of wind and snow. Having fished the Trinity many times in January, I was prepared for the bone-butt cold that 33-degree rain brings, including frozen fingers. I learned some time ago that an extra pair of gloves is essential because they do get wet. It also helps to wear latex-type gloves underneath, as they keep your skin dry. But in the end nothing is perfect, and after a long day on the water the hands still hurt.
I managed to hook 12 nice steelies, and land 6 of them—two of which were wild fish. Two or three weeks ago there were a lot more fish in this run, and scattered throughout the river. It seems to have slowed down a bit now but I’m not complaining.
The fish weren’t the only highlight of the trip. First, I was using a new line that Bill Kiene gave me to field test—the Sage Indicator Line. While I’d much prefer to swing flies for steelies, on a long drift boat day in the dead of winter indicator fishing is the method du jour. This line, with its short, heavy head and long rear taper, is an excellent choice for that purpose. It is best used with a longer rod (I was using a #6, 9½’ Sage SP), according to the manufacturer—and my impression is that is quite true; for example it would work well with a switch rod. The line performs beautifully, easily and accurately tossing a heavy indicator rig to likely steelie holding water. Once the rig hits the water, tossing stack mends behind the indicator is much easier than standard weight forward lines. In short, Sage has come up with a winner here. I haven’t tried Rio’s newest version of their nymph line, but I’m anxious to make the comparison—which, fortunately, will provide a reason for another day on this beautiful river.
A second highlight was the boat heaters that Chris carries in his Hyde driftboat. The brand name is “Mr. Heater” and the model is “Buddy.” It operates with a propane canister that supplies a pilot which, in turn, lights off a gas screen. The result is a micro-climate in the boat, and a way to warm your hands during those intervals between holding-water spots. Because the heater is near your feet, it keeps your feet warm also. There is a definite downside to this—you have to constantly pay attention to the position of your line in the boat; the penalty for not doing this will be an instantly burned-in-half line. I found it easy to avoid the problem; whether my partner did is another very funny story.
Bill Carnazzo, Spring Creek Guide Service
5209 Crestline Drive, Foresthill CA 95631
(530) 367-5209 (home office)
(916) 295-9353 (mobile)
bcarnazzo@ftcnet.net (email)
www.billcarnazzo.com (web site)