Steelhead/salmon fly rigs of old?

[O.mykiss Hunter]

I was watching "Rivers of a Lost Coast" and it got me wondering about the fly gear they were using back in that time. It looked like fiberglass Fenwicks and click pawl reels were standard but does anyone know what type of line setup they were using? Was it just level sinking heads attached to mono shooting line?

[Rick J]

Jimmy Greene was really innovative in the early days developing sinking shooting heads and expect that was the line of choice by most early on

[Darian]

Lots of info on this subject in older books, publications and on-line. When I started fly fishing for Steelhead on coastal estuaries/streams (circa 1966), I used a Fenwick, FF85, glass rod. The reel was a Pflueger Medalist, 14951/2 model. The line was a scientific anglers, 8 weight, tapered shooting head spliced to one of their floating/braided running lines. Later I found a weight forward, full sinking, 8 weight line provided better line control for most estuary fishing. Big estuaries (like the Eel River) required mono running lines matched with a tapered shooting head for distance casting. Tapered leaders were available from Berkeley or Cortland. Cortlands were two piece and Berkeley's were aggressive tapers (very thick butt section) and knotless. I recall cutting off the short, tapered tippet and making longer custom tapers for smaller estuaries like San Lorenzo, Pescadero Rivers and Waddell Creek. Those things were horrible compared to what's available now.

Shooting head profiles varied from tapered to level and Line densities varied with the depth of the water fished. Since T type shooting heads weren't available then, most people used LC13 or a custom made shooting head. Lots of guys, myself included, bought double taper lines and cut 30' off each end to make two heads.

There were several pioneers in developing/using shooting heads back then. A few that come to mind are Myron Gregory, Bill Schaad, Frank Bertaina to name a few. If I recall correctly, Myron Gregory was one who showed that fly fishing off the rock walls at the mouth of Humboldt Bay was possible. Ken Hanley, Jay Murakoshi and Russ Chatham could contribute much to this subject. All good stuff.... :cool:

[Walter]

LC-13 is still better than the Tungsten impregnated lines. Watch them plane out in the flow where LC-13 does not behave that same way. I think most people just learn a fear of casting it. Especially when they hit and break their weak graphite rod?

Gotta love the fly industry for eliminating double taper lines because they were losing money. And incorporating the running line ito a full line to way upcharge you. Used to get a shooting head and a small spool of amnesia for less than a third of todays full line price. Seems like the wheel is reinvented every few years to make you buy more gear.

"Large Arbor Reel"--running line makes a "large arbor." Now we have no room for running line. Oh, buy some Power pro!$$$

NZMS- no more felt sole. Buy new boots. Then-ok bring felt back, buy more boots.

Whats next...iphone pocket in my $1200 waders? How about an app to put fish on my fly....

[Frank Alessio]

Darian...You are a wealth of information....Merry Christmas to you and your Family....