First great SRC outing

[jonbackman]

Well, this will be no big deal to many of you, but I am honing my saltwater fly skills, so for me it was great. I have been fishing the beaches around Seattle for SRC's for about six months without much success. Over the weekend, I was at my family's cabin over near Port Townsend. While there, I visited the fly shop in P.T. The owner was incredibly nice and took the time to give me some good advice, as well as sharing a few good patterns with me. That afternoon, I went down to a spot not far from the cabin and waded out with a clouser and a high level of confidence. Within my first 5-10 casts I felt it, the powerful strike of a searun cutthroat. What a great moment that was. I caught 3 more after that one on the clouser. Then I decided to try the popper I had gotten from the fly shop. After casting it for a short time, and getting some nice, rapid stripping action, I saw a back come out of the water in the wake of my fleeing popper. It missed, but I kept stripping as my heartbeat increased, and three strips later, the SRC hit my fly from below and went airborn! Until this weekend, I didn't know how awesome these fish are on a fly rod. I am so hooked now, and I can't wait to go again. The only thing that seems to be troubling me is that when I'm using a stripping basket, I don't seem to get as fast and long of pulls as I can if I just let my line hit the water. Is there just some technique to be learned through experience with using a stripping basket? Anyway, that doesn't even matter, because now when I head to the beach, I won't be bringing my spinning rod "just in case", I'll stick with the flies because I know how fun it is! :thumb:

[Joe Smolt]

I had good luck today in a north seattle beach. I tried a host of bait fish imitations with no luck. I had the most success with Leland's popper and a pregnant guppy. As outlined in Les's book, poppers are exciting ways to fish, but frustrating too as they tend to miss. I watched swell after swell right behind the fly without a take.

In some cases I could get 1 to 2 chases. After that, they wouldn't chase again. I don't know if others have experience of how many times will SRC chase a skater.

Joe

[miyawaki]

Joe,

Most small searuns chase and turn away. The larger fish will almost always strike once this time of year. You need to keep stripping and let the turn down with the popper. Do not strike as you would trout. Use a strip strike as you would bonefish. If you prefer, you can use a two-handed strip where it is impossible to strike but you must still continue to strip. When the fish grabs the fly you need to play tug of war to make sure it is solidly hooked. Remember, you have a barbless hook and need to keep a tight line.

Hope this helps, it should help bring the ratio of hooked to follows up.

Leland.

[Phil Fravel]

I place my stripping basket on my side hip to allow for a little longer strip

[salt dog]

Congrats to Jon and Joe. For sure, fishing beach poppers is not for the weak hearted! I would rather catch one SeaRun on a popper than several on a sink tip, the surface take is just that exciting. After I cover the beach with a dry fly, I go back later to the rises with an intermediate or sink tip. If they are not rising to the popper to take a look, they probably are not around, so its a great searching fly pattern.

When using longer strips, say for coho, I will also move my stripping basket lower and to the side to accomodate. Mostly though I use a two handed strip and my strips are short, about 5-8", and I change up the speed of the fly by changing the frequency of my pulls, not so much the length. Easier to do with a 2-handed retrieve.

[jonbackman]

Hey guys,

thanks for the few tips on the stripping issue. I suppose the two-handed approach will work fine for me, I just need to fish more so I will be that much more confident. Oh well, there could be a lot worse things to practise, right? Well, maybe I can go get a quick evening session in. See ya!

[Joe Smolt]

Leland:

thanks for the input. I was following the techniques you recommended.

The part I was curious about is in the cases when you get a fish to follow and misses a number of times, how many subsequent casts can you get them to come to the fly again?

In my cases, I may get one or two casts and chases. After that, no subsequent cast would bring a fish to the fly. I seemed better off moving to new water.

Joe

[miyawaki]

Try varying your strips in your subsequent casts.

Leland.

[Richard]

I had good luck today in a north seattle beach. I tried a host of bait fish imitations with no luck. I had the most success with Leland's popper and a pregnant guppy. As outlined in Les's book, poppers are exciting ways to fish, but frustrating too as they tend to miss. I watched swell after swell right behind the fly without a take.

In some cases I could get 1 to 2 chases. After that, they wouldn't chase again. I don't know if others have experience of how many times will SRC chase a skater.

Joe

I love to fish with streamers behind guys who are fishing poppers. Let me know where you go next time so I can hook up those fish you get all excited with the poppers! :thumb:

Kidding (sorta) aside, you described the popper experience precisely. It's a double-edged sword; it can generate a lot of action, but it's not always the most efficient instrument for hooking up. (man, for saying that Leland and Preston are going to kick my rear end, now, again).

[Wayne]

Another way to get a little longer strip is to hold the rod higher. Not the rod tip, but the rod handle it self - like pointing it out of your mouth;combined with a side hung basket I can get a full arm strip.