Originally Posted by
Rick J
one problem between those that swing and those that indie fish is swing guys usually accuse the indie guys of camping on a run - an indie guy just cant' fish in the same manner as a swing guy who casts out generally quartering downstream then takes 3 to 4 steps down and does the same cast - he is covering the entire water as far as his cast can reach.
An indie guy on the other hand is just covering a single current seam with each cast so to cover the entire width that the swing guy is covering he needs multiple casts - thus it takes alot longer to fish through a run and he gets accused of camping on a run - And I have seen both swing guys and indie guys camp on runs on the N Umpqua.
I swing and will high stick but am not a fan of indicators but no question they are effective - more so when the key holding areas are distinct and less so when you have a wide river with relatively constant conditions where fish can be holding anywhere
Bad etiquette is bad etiquette. campers are campers no matter what method they are using. I personally fish through runs faster with a bobber than i've ever seen anyone swing a run. i like to cover alot of river miles each outing. many times walking way upstream and fishing my way back to my truck. more often than not i find myself making a single pass through each run trying to keep up with my indicator (basically chasing it downriver). only recasting after hook sets and adjusting depth. swing fishermen strip in line, casts, waits for it to swing, steps downstream 3ish steps and repeats, which is probably about 1 step every 20 seconds (faster in narrow streams and faster water) as opposed to stepping downstream at almost the same speed as the water current... but i guess im not orthodox not even by bobber standards.
the most important aspect of indicator fishing is figuring out what kind of water the fish are in on that particular day. sometimes is a speed, sometimes its a certain depth, and it is usually one of 3 things: the inside seam, the far seam,or in the slow water beyond the far seam. if there are 3 people in your party assign a seam to each member and have at it. from my own observations it is a pretty even split on those three locations during the winter. it seems like there is a correlation between water temperature and water speed. this may be because of changing metabolism of the fish or possibly the fact that cold water holds more DO than warm water. from my personal experience it is nearly impossible to get a decent swing beyond the far seam and sometimes the far seam itself especially with willows and other over hanging obstacles. if you are using a sinktip heavy/dense enough to get down on the far seam you are likely not getting a decent swing on the inside seam either. If you were using a bobber you can in many cases cast well above the obstacle and drift your indicator beneath/through it. some runs lend themselves to a swung fly... you know all those runs that are the same depth and speed all the way across where the fish don't hold on either edge( oh yeah basketball sized rocks help as well). when i find these runs i try to swing them, but usually i just keep moving. cover water, think lines, fish move in lines they do not occupy vast areas of water- they occupy lines/lanes.
the main reason i find myself watching a bobber opposed to swinging is I would rather not carry extra gear 15-20 miles a day so i pick one method, and the method i pick is almost always going to be the method that gives me the best shot at actually catching fish I usually convince somebody (usually my brother) to bring a swing rod (partly so i can swing a run or two partly to sabotage my brother). Im not a fan of walking huge distances in waders especially on warm humid days after the onset of swamp ass. catching steelhead makes it all worth it. getting skunked looking at the pretty scenery for me does very little. Ive spent enough time in the mts to know what they look like.
swinging is a very enjoyable way to fish, but most of the time it is frankly less effective than the dead drift method. to those who look down their noses at indicator fishermen have much different priorities than myself.
to new steelhead fishermen I offer this advice: start with an indicator and after you catch a few fish start playing with swinging flies when the stars align and the conditions lend themselves to a swung fly (water temp over 57ish, overcast/color in the water, low light conditions, aggressive fish etc.). btw this information is pretty much directed at the california coastal rivers and not necessarily anywhere else.
"I can hear the salmon fish saying - I'll be back!"
Arnold Schwazenegger, Governor of California, at Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement Signing, February 18, 2010
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