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spey water?

Spey 
4K views 46 replies 16 participants last post by  KerryS 
#1 ·
wheres some other water thats good for throwing a spey rod around the skykomish/snoqualmie areas besides below tokul creek on the snoqualmie? that stretch is nice but flow wise its not great right now. summer steelies are in and im gettin itchy to find a few on the new spey :thumb:
 
#3 ·
Anywhere. The whole point of a spey rod is opening up more water, fishing where you can't with a single hand rod because of backcast limitations, SOMETIMES fishing beyond the range of a single hand rod AND more importantly fishing the same old runs differently than you would with a single hand.

I'm not putting anybody down or trying to come off as some kind of old salt expert, but I was in the mid nineties renewed interest of two handed rods. The whole approach at the time seemed to be fishing unfishable water. Maybe it's because I was in California at the time. Talk about a beat to death resource! These days it seems folks pass on anything that doesn't let them have a 30 foot D-Loop behind them...

If you're going to fish Plum down both sides you will have your back against the trees in tit-high water at times. Especially at higher water times. Remember a 30 to 45 foot cast at a 45 degree angle to straight down, and yes those are some of the casting distances we're talking about on that stretch, gives a completely different swim than a 80 or 100 foot cast at a 15 degree angle to straight down. You can make that longer cast tread water and even reverse direction... Repeatedly.

Just saying any stretch of any water will be fished more effectively with a spey rod that is appropriately sized to the fish being chased. Maybe not more efficiently. It may actually require more physical effort and attention to what you are doing. Zero backcast Perry Pokes can put a hitch in your getalong if you do them for 3 hours. You may feel silly holding a 12.5 to 14 foot rod in some spots, but if you sit there for two or three minutes, dissect the water in front of you and work out a gameplan it will be more effective. A 100 foot cast almost straight downriver to fish a 5 foot diameter pocket 4 feet in front of a boulder can be the only cast you need to make the whole day:thumb:
 
#4 ·
im gettin itchy to find a few on the new spey :thumb:
I have noticed serveral of your posts on this site asking for info on the Sky, Snoq, and Stilly.

My question is this: how many steelhead have you caught around here?

By the looks of your language I suspect it is zero.

I don't really care how good you are, I just wonder if you realize how infrequently even the best steelhead fishermen hook them.

I never talk about steelhead fishing in terms of getting out on the river and "catching a few".

Last season was bad but I caught 4 in the last 12 months in about 100 days of intense fishing and I have been fishing around here my entire life.

Just be warned, it is VERY tough in the begining and when you start catching them they come easier but than sometimes there are slumps and you start asking yourself if there are even any steelhead left.

Anyway, a warning.

It is better to prepare yourself for endless numbers of days of not hooking a steelhead.

The guides make it look easy BTW, but they are out almost every day and have located the fish, that is HUGE advantage.
 
#5 ·
My question is this: how many steelhead have you caught around here?

By the looks of your language I suspect it is zero.
Where the hell did that come from?

Don't take offense to Jason's social impotences. We are, after all, talking about a steelhead guru that thought the eastside of the cascades had year-round steelhead runs. :thumb:

Get out and have fun... you are lucky to have any summer fish.
 
#6 ·
Where the hell did that come from?
Just go look at his threads in the general forum.

I am just letting him know it is TOUGH.

I ain't trying to be a prick.

We all want to hook metalheads.

Easier said than done so you are absolutely right about "just go out and have fun."
 
#9 ·
Oh and by the way Pan, I don't think there is a single person on this site that is as profoundly dumb as to call themselves a steelhead guru.

Also, I wouldn't be so hard on you if it weren't for the fact that everything you ever say to me or about what I have said wasn't totally attacking my credibility or my character.

In fact every interaction I see between you and others is pretty much the same way.

Instead of attacking someone, bring something to the table.
 
#13 ·
Yep, Garcia was an ass hole, loser.:thumb::rofl:

I'm a serious Deadhead for the music and music only. I can't stand hippies or hippy mentality-- so don't hold me to their Pollyanna view of the world. You know, not all Deadheads have dreadlocks and drive Volks buses with peace stickers on them. Some of us actually have jobs and think conservatively...... go figure huh?

The greatest live band ever, period!!!!
 
#16 ·
Nothing like calling someone a steelhead virgin to get the old hackles up! Steelheading is hard, no question. Posssibly the same point could have been made without calling the dude a virgin though.

What did Jerry stand for? Heroin and hot dogs. I do love that band.

Just another short haired hippie sox fan,
cds
 
#18 ·
My question is this: how many steelhead have you caught around here?

By the looks of your language I suspect it is zero. -JB

In my book, that's calling him out as a virgin. I will cede the point that you never actually used the word virgin. For shits and giggles change steelhead to women and caught to laid and you'll see the analogy I was making.

I am one of those great lakes flyfisherman transplants. I foud that the fishing here was tough, after some initial success. The learning curve is steep, but I'd rather catch no fish swinging than some fish with the old chuck and duck.

Lester,
cds
 
#19 ·
I was being contrary Jason... I have the upmost respect for my favorite musician, regardless of his lifestyle. you aren't the most perceptive person are you?

You've got to remember people, most people wouldn't like these low energy interactions. Jason thrives on them. Any attention is better than non for some people.

I'm annoying?? talk about calling the kettle black.:rofl::rofl:
 
#20 ·
I was being contrary Jason... I have the upmost respect for my favorite musician, regardless of his lifestyle.
That is fine Pan, makes sense to me.

you aren't the most perceptive person are you?
Once again you have to be a dick.....You always have to say something condescending like this every time you disagree or don't like what others post.

It is usually in the form of a question as if it isn't really all that insulting.

You've got to remember people, most people wouldn't like these low energy interactions. Jason thrives on them. Any attention is better than non for some people.
Whatever dude the only time this shit goes down is when YOU are involved.

I have had countless quality, insightful, interesting, interactions with the people on this site, all positive except with you. Others would say the same.

I'm annoying?? talk about calling the kettle black.:rofl::rofl:
Hey man you started it when you insulted me. You could have just said "stop being a wanker" or something along those lines but you had to be straight up insulting. You had go to character attacks, you always do.

Why not disagree, make your point, and keep it in the context rather than go after people personally?

In these types of threads you always straight insult people, they react, and than you act like you have the higher ground.

You area a troll Pan, I never argue with anyone on here except you and it is usually to call you a dick after you have insulted me and I know other users have the same experiences.

Remember when you posted this:

Don't take offense to Jason's social impotences. We are, after all, talking about a steelhead guru that thought the eastside of the cascades had year-round steelhead runs. :thumb:
That is what started this shitfest. You know if you make a post like that about anyone that you will not get a favorable reaction, you are a troll so stop trying to act like you aren't.
 
#22 ·
Until next time than Pan. :beathead:

The next time you talk shit and than act like you never said anything.

Peace, until than.
 
G
#25 ·
wow, total hijack. On the actual subject, there are a fair number of steelhead in all the S Rivers right now. I'm not going to disclose locations because I've spent alot of time learning the water I fish so I'm not going to spread it all over the internet. Bottom line, do some exploring, fish hard and well and you can expect to hook some fish. I would say right now, a competent angler can expect average about a grab per day (full, hard day) of fishing. I've been fishing a type VI with marabous that I would fish in winter as most of the rivers are carrying a fair bit of color at the moment. The fish are fresh, and aggressive so get after it. It is hard, but if jason is fishing 100 days for 4 hookups he's probably doing something wrong even in the worst of seasons.

Will
 
#33 ·
but if jason is fishing 100 days for 4 hookups he's probably doing something wrong even in the worst of seasons.

Will
Gee thanks! :beathead:

Also, that was 4 fish to hand, not hookups.

I don't go after hatchery fish, I don't nymph, and I don't like crowds.

Oh, and I don't lie about my steelhead numbers like 90% of the fishermen out there. ;)
 
#28 ·
jason-

if you have been reading my recent posts then you shoud have learned that i have a new spey setup, and being new to the spey casting world, i wanted to "catch a few" with my new toy. and to clarify, i live in kirkland, so fishing the sky or snoqualmie is do-able for me to head off to and fish after work. for the most part, ill fish the methow or cascade for my steelhead, smaller rivers and decent access, the "big water" scene is newer to me, and have only been fishing this far west in the past couple of years.

and this summer? 2 summer runs both natives, but not on the spey, jsut on a 9 foot 6/7 wt. throwing a big ugly moal leech. and last winter was tough everywhere, but i did manage 6 steelhead over the course of the winter, 4 natives and 2 hatchery.

ive never fished the n. fork stilly for steelhead, but have spent many a days fishing trout water up in that area, but with the flows as high as they are, these areas aren't deemed as real nice steely water, so i was doing some research as to where to go in reagrds to high summer flows.

so far from virgin there cheif, and i really didnt appreciate the disrespectful comments.

and the easy "let down", very unnecessary. i am also very aware that steelhead fishing is far from "productive". on average i spent about 150-200 hours per fish last winter, so im fully concious of the slums and fish-less days.

so don't be so quick to judge next time please.

best regards,

the trout bum
 
#30 ·
Getting back to the thread. In general with a 2 handed rod you should be able to fish any run anywhere, anytime. The initial intent of the 2 handed rods were to be able to effectively fish high sided banks. Later, techniques were improved/invented to make casting distances more efficient.

The lesson I learned this winter is that quite a bit of *effective* 2 handed fishing will occur with nothing more than a 15-20 of line outside the tip. The basic jist of it is to look for those little honey hidy holes that have provide enough sanctuary for a single fish. While one could fish those with a single handed rod, I found the line control from the bigger stick to be the single greatest advantage I never used. Overall I tended to overlook the smaller water in favor finding "big water". So for instance, you could actually fish high sided rip rap (with favorable water flows) easily and effectively.

As for good water, the run above the Sultan bridge while crowded is a reasonable run to do both spey casting and maybe have the chance to catch a fish.
 
#37 ·
Good point Ed. If you fish the Nooksack then you should never be ridiculed or questioned for poor catch rates. Between the sledders, poachers and horrible returns it is a wonder that flyfishermen ever catch fish at all. I have spent hundreds of hours not catching fish there. I have a better chance scoring with a supermodel than hooking a steelhead in the Nooksack, and I am married, portly, and generally unattractive.

Now the trout bum caught six fish last winter. He probably caught more than all Nookie flyfishermen combined. Good work trout bum! Keep working the same water. It seems to be working.


Masterson today,
cds
 
#38 ·
Between the sledders, poachers and horrible returns it is a wonder that flyfishermen ever catch fish at all.

I have spent hundreds of hours not catching fish there.

I have a better chance scoring with a supermodel than hooking a steelhead in the Nooksack, and I am married, portly, and generally unattractive.

Masterson today,
cds
You forgot the Tribal fishery and the rampant habitat destruction, especially on the South Fork.bawling:

Me too but I love that river. We did the Class III's :eek::D:beer1:eek:n the North Fork last weekend...man, that is one killer section of the river...never ceases to amaze me.

You crack me up...now that's funny.

See you out there.

Ed
 
#41 ·
Kerry,

It happens. But not often. You shoulda' checked to see if you could walk on water while you were at it. I'm sorry you were able to get out for just the one day. When you're a steelheader, it's more important to get time on the water than it is to catch one fish, although your experience makes for good story telling.

Sg
 
#42 ·
Three years ago I flew home to Seattle from Arizona, got off the plane grabbed my brand new never fished MKS 7/8 at my dad's in Seatac and headed to the Sky and Buck Island. Sun was going down by the time I walked in, nobody but me in the run, made about 10 casts and wham, a 38 inch wild buck that tore my Marquis up. It happened so fast, I was laughing out loud all the way home. Sometimes (okay about as often as seeing a 3 legged ballerina) shit just lines up and magic happens. I didn't go back to the Sky the rest of the trip and landed 3 more wild fish in the Sauk in 7 days. As I was getting back on the plane, I actually had this crazy delusional thought in my head, that things were getting good again back home. By the time I sat down and started reading, I realized that maybe, just maybe, that was the best trip I will ever have again back home. I landed in Arizona with a heavy heart. Tight lines fellas and never give up. Duffer
 
#43 ·
If we're talking about psycho wonder days, I caught seven steelhead on the N Fk Stilly in two hours one late fall day in what? 97-99 somewhere? what was that real dry autumn we had? There were a few dry autumns in the late 90's.
Me and my buddy Steve had pounded the water for hours without a bump, trying to avoid the dogs, and we came on this pool with a bunch of cookie cutter steelhead stacked in there, holding in midwater like pressured fish sometimes will. I put on a #14 nondescript nymph and started catching one after another, Steve stayed with his big honking classic pattern-a Fall Favotite I think-and not a blip. Finally he kissed my ass enough to get one of my nymphs and he caught and released two...every one of the nine we caught were 5-8 lb.
I had a three year dry spell after that.

Man, thanks you guys for reminding me about that. I'm getting wood here.
I love those days where luck fools you into thinking for a second you actually know what you're doing, that you actually deserve to catch one.
 
#45 ·
Man, thanks you guys for reminding me about that. I'm getting wood here.
I love those days where luck fools you into thinking for a second you actually know what you're doing, that you actually deserve to catch one.
I know what you are saying.

I usually think I had a break through or something on a good day but than I hit a slump and badluck ensues and I go back to square one with my confidence.

It doesn't take any skill to catch a steelhead really, just a shit-ton of good luck.

Remind me of a new fly fisher/spey caster I took out this spring on the Skagit. Nailed a 12 pound wild fish on his 20th cast EVER. Barely landed it. Lucky, lucky, lucky. He kept saying, "This isn't so hard...." and, "I need to buy a video camera and start guiding." while I just bit my tongue.....
 
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