GRIFF'S FLY FISHING
Guiding fly fishers is my only business!!!
Fly Fishing
It is interesting how we evolve as anglers. I have done it all. I have drifted with conventional tackle. I have backtrolled plugs from both a drift boat and a jet sled. There was even a time when I drifted bait with a noodle rod. And then came fly fishing. Fly fishing has been my choice of angling for close to 30 years now. Yeah thats right, even before "A River Runs Through It." On the rivers that I fish today, I use both single-handed and double-handed fly rods. Because my right shoulder is not what it used to be, I really like using the double-handers including the relatively new switch rods that are available today. I use an 11 ft. 5 weight for trout here on the Methow and for bass on the Okanogan, Lower Yakima, and Grande Ronde.
Most of my trout fishing is done from a boat. A single handed 9 ft. 5 weight rod is the preferred rod for this type of fishing. It can also handle the nymphing duties with a dry line and bobber. The switch rod gets my vote when it comes to swinging streamers with a tip.
I am a steelhead bum at heart, and there is no better way to pursue them then being armed with a double-handed rod. I prefer to swing flies for steelies, and for these east side summer runs the best time for that is in the warmer months with late August through the first part of November being prime time. At this time of year the conditions, especially the water temperatures, are ideal for swinging with a dry line. For this job I like 11 ft. to 13 ft. two-handers with 6 to 7 weight compact Scandi heads. As the water temperatures fall below 45 degrees, the use of sink tips and heavier flies becomes more and more critical to catching fish. When it comes to fishing tips and heavier flies, I like a 13 ft. or 13' 6" two-hander with a 7 or 8 weight compact Skagit head in a grain weight that fits the rod; and T-14 sink tips custom cut in 3 ft., 6 ft., 9 ft. and 12 ft. lengths. I also adjust the weight of my flies using different sizes of Spirit River Dazl-Eyes or maybe none at all.
Like it or not, I have to accept that when it comes to catching steelhead with a fly rod, the single most effective way to do that is dead drift nymphing with a dry line and bobber just as you would for trout. After all, they are just rainbow trout that goe to the ocean and come back. And these east side summer runs are very "troutie" when they enter our river systems from the Columbia or Snake. In fact, some of the same nymphs I use for trout work very well in the Methow, Wenatchee, and Grande Ronde. Most of our east side rivers have water temperatures in the low 30's, if they aren't froze, in the winter. Steelhead will not move very far, if at all, to take a fly under these conditions. Sometimes an inch left or right, up or down makes all the difference. The drift needs to be dead, slow, and deep. I prefer 7 weight switch rods with a line like the Air-Flo Speydicator for this work. I have also built my own line for two-handed nymphing, but the Speydicator is much easier and mends well. However, a good 7 or 8 weight single-hand rod 9 to 10 ft. long also works. I can assure you though, that the anglers I have started on switch rods end up owning one the next time they fish.
Too sum it up: there isn't much I haven't tried when it comes to fly fishing for east side steelhead and trout. I hope to have an opportunity to share some of this experience on the river with you.
Most of my trout fishing is done from a boat. A single handed 9 ft. 5 weight rod is the preferred rod for this type of fishing. It can also handle the nymphing duties with a dry line and bobber. The switch rod gets my vote when it comes to swinging streamers with a tip.
I am a steelhead bum at heart, and there is no better way to pursue them then being armed with a double-handed rod. I prefer to swing flies for steelies, and for these east side summer runs the best time for that is in the warmer months with late August through the first part of November being prime time. At this time of year the conditions, especially the water temperatures, are ideal for swinging with a dry line. For this job I like 11 ft. to 13 ft. two-handers with 6 to 7 weight compact Scandi heads. As the water temperatures fall below 45 degrees, the use of sink tips and heavier flies becomes more and more critical to catching fish. When it comes to fishing tips and heavier flies, I like a 13 ft. or 13' 6" two-hander with a 7 or 8 weight compact Skagit head in a grain weight that fits the rod; and T-14 sink tips custom cut in 3 ft., 6 ft., 9 ft. and 12 ft. lengths. I also adjust the weight of my flies using different sizes of Spirit River Dazl-Eyes or maybe none at all.
Like it or not, I have to accept that when it comes to catching steelhead with a fly rod, the single most effective way to do that is dead drift nymphing with a dry line and bobber just as you would for trout. After all, they are just rainbow trout that goe to the ocean and come back. And these east side summer runs are very "troutie" when they enter our river systems from the Columbia or Snake. In fact, some of the same nymphs I use for trout work very well in the Methow, Wenatchee, and Grande Ronde. Most of our east side rivers have water temperatures in the low 30's, if they aren't froze, in the winter. Steelhead will not move very far, if at all, to take a fly under these conditions. Sometimes an inch left or right, up or down makes all the difference. The drift needs to be dead, slow, and deep. I prefer 7 weight switch rods with a line like the Air-Flo Speydicator for this work. I have also built my own line for two-handed nymphing, but the Speydicator is much easier and mends well. However, a good 7 or 8 weight single-hand rod 9 to 10 ft. long also works. I can assure you though, that the anglers I have started on switch rods end up owning one the next time they fish.
Too sum it up: there isn't much I haven't tried when it comes to fly fishing for east side steelhead and trout. I hope to have an opportunity to share some of this experience on the river with you.
"Jack" - Can You Believe It! He is only 10 yrs. old.
