After flyfishing for 40 years I mostly fish.................

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

..............certain places at certain times where I can use a floating fly line, tapered leader and mostly dry flies or very light wet flies for almost everything that swims.

I guess I am spoiled? Fishing "my way" is not as productive as other ways to fish. I am now "high grading" or "cherry pick" the fly fishing available so I can fly cast without any added weight or casting hindrances like an indicator, split shot and multiple bead headed weighted nymphs or plastic beads. I rarely fish sinking lines anymore.

For trout I fish certain places at time of the year and times of the day when fish are feeding in the surface. After all the time I have spent around this sport I can get away with it. I can plan my trips way out and be fairly certain that I will have some fishing doing it my way. I just enjoy fly casting. I like to fish the hatches for trout. I don't catch high numbers of fish either.

For example I just returned from a week in the remote Mexican Yucatan casting very light Seaducers streamer that are very near like casting a Sofa Pillow which is a very common large bushy dry fly that imitated the large stone flies in heavier water. The fly casting and fly fishing was luxurious for "Baby Tarpon" running 5 to 35 pounds on top in ~4 feet of gin clear water.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y80/kkaneko/CTC2006Aug27003.jpg

Hot Baby Tarpon in Campeche, remote western Mexican Yucatan

Next I am headed for the Grand Rhonde River in eastern OR/WA near the ID border. I will be fishing mostly a floating line with dry flies for Steelhead there running 3 to 6 pounds. Again, pretty sexy fishing.

In July my wife Marilyn and I are headed to Los Roques off the coast of Venezuela to wade for Bonefish in 18 inches of warm clear water with a floating line, tapered leader and small (#6) Bonefish flies.

In the spring and summer I like to fish top water hair bugs for Largemouth Black Bass in the evening after the sun gets off the water. That means going especially in April/May heading there mid-afternoon so I can hit the "magic hour".

In October I try to be at Mildred Island which is a lakey area in the Delta on a calm day mid-week looking for schoolie Stripers chasing schools of tiny Threadfin Shad to the surface. We just cruise around looking for Terns to be diving on the moving schools. This is really cool fishing and not usually high numbers of fish. It is very exciting fishing again with lovely fly casting with a weight forward floating line and light Threadfin streamer.

Next Fall I am already booked for a 4 day trip to the lower Klamath River in September about 20 mile up from the mouth. I will be fishing mostly a floating line with unweighted small Steelhead flies about size #10 in the AM and PM for Steelhead that are very surface oriented.

Now I am fishing a #6 weight floating line on the weeknights in the PM with small #12/14 caddis dries and nymphs for Halfpounder Steelhead on the Lower American River. Sept/Oct is prime time for this. I won't be fishing indicators or sinking lines but they are probably more effective especially in the day time.

I fished the world famous Dean River in August about 20 years ago. We fished mostly floating lines with dry flies and damp flies to wild BC Steelhead that ran 8 to 20 pounds for two weeks. Some times the water conditions demand you fish heavy sinking lines with weighted flies though.

I try to hit lakes when there are damsel fly or may fly hatches. This means going in certain months which are usually May, June and July to certain lakes that have shallow weedy areas.

If high numbers of fish daily are your main focus well this probably is not for you. If not there are plenty of situations where the floating line, tapered leader and light fly will catch some fish.

In my case it is not about just catching fish or I would have stayed with my good old night crawler methods. If I can't cast a floating line I have lots of other things I can do now like go swimming with my grandkids.

I guess I am spoiled now. :)

[Jasonh]

Great post Bill. I would have to say that i enjoy the same style of fishing as you do with floating lines, dry and wet flies, and fishing on the swing. Now that my fishing time is somewhat limited because of golf i mainly focus on steelhead when i am home in california. While i do not mind fishing sinking lines on the swing, i do prefer fishing a floating line, long leader, and wet flies for steelhead and half pounders. There is no better feeling than feeling the "grab" when fishing on the swing. Now that i have grown addicited to spey casting/fishing i find myself enjoying my time on the water more even if i do not find fish. Just being out there working on my casts and hoping for that grab is all i need. I think more people should try floating lines and or fishing on the swing for steelhead. While it is less productive, i believe it is more enjoyable.

Jason Hartwick

[Darian]

Amazing isn't it..... :?: We spend our early years in a frenetic, nuerotic, piscatorial search.... Only to reach a point where the knowledge/fishin' becomes as important as the catchin'.... :D :D

I, too, enjoy fishing at certain times/places that allow me to use the equipment of choice.... I much prefer to fish from a boat, now, where I routinely waded out to my armpits as a younger person. Waters too deep, cold and strong, nowadays.... :roll: :roll: Boats allow one to cover more water and carry more equipment, etc. Lotsa "techie" stuff involved too. 8) 8)

I still prefer to fish with sinking lines, tho. I kinda like casting something heavy (you know, somethin' like a telephone pole with a cable attached :?: :shock: :shock: )

Any way you cut it, tho, the pace has definitely slowed.... 8) 8) 8)

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Great to see younger fly fishers like Jason here who are into classic methods.

Like Darian I fish more out of a boat now too. Lefty Kreh says he prefers fly casting from a boat too even for Bonefish. I use to agressively wade in the Trinity River, Upper Sac and the Pit River almost swimming at times but now would probably be in a lake, flat river, shallow salt water or the Delta in a boat.

[MSP]

I like your style Bill, I too seem to have the same problem, I want to catch em my way :wink: And like you I'm not the most productive fisherman but I do get a lot of satisfaction when I do get lucky! Quantity does not equal Quality! Fish On!

[gryhackl]

Well said Bill! I have felt the same way for some time now. I don't have the use of a boat and wading the American the way I used to years ago just scares the devil out of me now. I don't have the same urgency to keep score with numbers of fish landed like years ago. Just being on the water, presenting flies and taking a fish now and then mostly gets it done for me too.

[mems]

Aloha, I heard a pretty good quote about fishing the other day. It was from an elderly Hawaiian fisherman I know. He said at first you fish to learn. Then you fish to prove something, biggest fish, most fish, etc. In the final stage you fish just to be out there. At that point it is just about fishing, and when and where and how you fish is more for your enjoyment than any other reason. I think he was onto something there. For me I love to fish dries, closest thing to that we have here is poppers. I like to see the fish strike and take off. The most fun is just being connected. I like it when my hands shake, even when I loose a fish. I just love the rush. I have the fever, I hope I always will. Mems.

[jbird]

I know this might turn some screws, But I like to be adaptable. If I know the fish are there and theyre not responding to my tried and true methods, I'll experiment until I find something that works. I LOVE to catch fish. There arent many things in life that give me the feeling I get knowing I may be just about to get the fish of a lifetime. I like to make a decision that might pay off. The feeling I get that transmits up my line, into my rod, through my hand and straight into my soul the second that beast feels the hook and reacts with abandon.

....yeah, thats what drives me.


I think a fisherman that can accurately throw a huge barbell eyed bass bug into a stiff wind, and delicately place a #20 dryfly in front of spring creek brown, And everything in between, is the complete package....and, most of all, enjoy doing all of the above.

IMHO

Jay

[Jasonh]

Jbird, i agree with you too. It is good to be an all around angler and catch fish using different methods. You are also lucky to fish such a great river such as the rogue where you can take fish on both the swing and nymphing. The only reason i say that sme people should try fishing on the swing for steelhead is that here in california poeple think the only way to hook fish on many of our steelhead rivers is by indicator nymphing. The American, Feather, and Trinity are classic examples. People will cram themselves together in a select few riffles to nymph those areas. Kinda of like TouVelle Park on the rogue. I think if some people try fishing on the swing and using its ettiquet(sp?) that it might free up some more water. Also i like to fish on the swing and grease line fish because it puts more on some more different water than most of the indicator fishierman. All said, i think it is great to be able to catch fish in every method. If you can do that, than you are experiencing the wonderful world of fly fishing. In fact i think it would be really cool to go out and hook a couple of steelhead in one both nymphing and swinging!

Jason Hartwick

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Hi "jbird",

You are spot on.

I think every different type of fly fishing you do makes you a better angler. To be versital is more normal and practical.

PS: You might see me out next week throwing a lead-core head for Stripers with Andy too.

[jbird]

Jason. Good, true words. Every year, when the rogue is in "full bloom" of steelhead season. I go to a very special place on the middle river. I'll nymph without an indicator, using a floating line and weighted bugs. I'll highstick the slack and swing thru the finish. It is an absolute melee of steelhead and beefy trout (including cutthroat which I've taken up to 23").

The competition for food between the fish at this small riffle is just silly. I catch just as many on the swing as the drift. I have had a number of times where I'd be battling an adult steelhead and when he's taking a rest between runs, another big fish will grab my other fly thats tied on 20" in front of the hooked fish. You wouldnt believe the violent explosion that follows. It always results in 2 lost fish.


If swinging was more effective in the waters I typically fish, I would certainly swing more, Its definately a more relaxing, less exerting and beautiful way to fish. I tend to be a pretty intense person. I chuck big bugs, Which has resulted in the "clousering" of several rods, a few very unpleasant peircings and about a thousand miles of hopelessly tangled flourocarbon. :lol: My nature has also waded me into some very unadvisable predicaments.

I know that if I was invited to a casting competition, I'd be laughed out of the county...heck, I laugh at myself, often. But I feel like God has given me a special connection with the fish. I dont know why, but it really feels like that. But He definitely didnt give me a connection with equipment. :lol: I think He's saying. "This is about MY creation, not yours" :lol:

I am not at all opposed to the method of swinging, I actually love it. It is one of the many ways we can catch fish. What ruffles my feathers is how many guys out there ARE opposed to some of the other techniques. And judge us as inferior for using them.... I think they are crippling themselves by not thinking outside the box.

I didnt really mean to bare my sole here. I'm sick as a dog with the flu. And Ive got nothing better to do than spew my jibberish.....sorry.

J

[SteelieD]

Great post Bill. I should've chosen a different line of work so I'd have the opportunity to be "spoiled" like you! :cry:

I still love to catch large numbers of fish as I am new to this sport and like learning different methods. But I will say that if I have the opportunity to fish for trout on small dries, it is certainly the preferred method. I can see me being a more "selective" fisherman on down the road, but for now I guess it's still a numbers game for me. ;)

Fish on!