Wow! I wish my father had gotten me into flyfishing when I was 6 - but worms under a bobber at an indian reservation pay-to-play lake was how I was brought up (granted this was NM, and the pay and play back then was very cheap).
As for elitism - I've thoroughly enjoyed this thread, and hope that Leland and others didn't think I was bristling, or considering them elitist. Just trying to provoke the type of thread we ended up with. As I said in a previous post, I truly hope to get to the level of zen-like fishing enjoyment where a greased-line, wet-fly swing is my prefered method. It's always been the classic look to me - the one's you see in all the great books and magazines devoted to steelies. I doubt I'll ever get to the level of cutting off the tip of the hook, though! Your comment about tiger muskies is right on! The take of those fish is nothing less than short-soiling. And you sure don't set the hook by "tightening to the fish" like they say in the trout books - you set it like you're trying to rip his face off! Good luck on that adventure - if you get a chance, post some results. Sean -----Original Message----- From: bjl <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Jun 9, 2005 3:37 PM To: [email protected] Subject: RE: Deschutes River report Be happy where you're at! There ~may~ very well be a flyfishing maturation curve. If so, I think I enjoyed myself most when in the early stages when I'd do and try ANYTHING to get that fish to take my fly. <g> I still enjoy experimenting and perfecting new and novel ways to take a fish on a fly. Leland's popper in the salt is one such experimentation for me. I agree that floating line swinging (steelhead) and dry fly (trout) are some of the best, but I also like variety. I like experimenting and learning new methods I might never use again. My next venture will probably be foot-long rabbit and deer hair monstrosities for Tiger Muskies. Enough to make those dry-fly purists quiver in their gore-tex. ;) I might not nymph for steelhead much, but certain deep pocketwater holding areas on smaller rivers are almost impossible to fish with a swung fly. Using nymphs in these spots gives me a chance to work with a different type of presentation than the one I prefer in my day-to-day fishing and that's something I enjoy. But that's just me. However people want to fish that's legal, as long as they have courteous on-stream etiquitte, is fine with me. Something else I've seen as much as the (percieved) elitist attitude of certain flyfishers is a deep resentment by those who think they've been insulted. Just because Leland or Chester may limit themselves to a certain way because they find it the most esthetically enjoyable doesn't necessarily mean that they're putting down those who don't fish this way. As Leland mentioned, it's all about what ~you~ enjoy. Hell, there are people who swing flies on a floating line for Spring Steelhead! I absolutely LOVE these guys - I even volunteer to let them go thru the runs first (as long as they don't wade too deep). Then there are guys who clip the points off their Steelhead flies - given the #s I hook each year I don't think I'll EVER get to this plateau. Punch Line? My .02 is to let everyone have their "trips". There are plenty of ways to have fun on the fabulous rivers and lakes Washington has in abundance. Hell, I wish I could go back to the days when I was absolutely fascinated that trout would gobble my clumsily hand-tied flies and delighted in trying to imitate the flies, nymphs and minnows I saw in the streams. Didn't care that they were ugly, didn't know what they were called. The essence of flyfishing simplicity. FWIW - I've flyfished 38 of my 44 years. Tight Lines! Brian ---- Original Message ---- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [email protected], Subject: RE: Deschutes River report Date: Wed, 8 Jun 2005 17:09:06 -0700 >Ahhhh age vs beauty ... uh I mean young vs old. :) > >I'm sure one day in my life I'll be able to sit down and write an >email like >Leland and C&S but since I've only been fishing for a few years, I'm >still >more about the catching than the process. Probably a 60 percent >catching and >40 percent process split. But I love the idea that over the years, >I'll >probably stop carrying EVERY fly with me on every trip, that I could >be the >"old timer" that leaves his rod strung up in the garage with the >same fly >that he used last year, fishes only on the weekdays, etc. Anyway, >not much >point to this, except that I enjoy reading everyone's opinions. > >Mark > >-----Original Message----- >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of C & S >Sent: Wednesday, June 08, 2005 4:40 PM >To: [email protected] >Subject: Re: Deschutes River report > >I'm with Leland on this one. >I've fly fished for 37 of my 44 years, and I now only do what I >please. I >will fish nymphs on the Deschutes -- if I can see the trout eat >them. I'd >much rather fish a dry fly -- and it is possible to catch Deschutes >trout on > >dry flies even in the middle of the day in August. I will not fish a >sinking > >line in a river -- I just hate it! So, I swing sparse patterns for >steelhead > >on a dry line. In the winter, I nymph for steelhead with a floating >line. >No, I don't catch many winter-run steelhead, and I'm OK with that. >I even hate fishing sinking lines in lakes, so I fish shallow, weedy >lakes >with good hatches. >I fish streamers for sea-runs -- I need to fish poppers more -- but >my >favorite method is to find cutts feeding close to shore on little >crustaceans and then cast ahead of them with a little scud pattern. >I get to > >see them react to the fly -- or race out of the shallows if I spook >them. >When I'm in Mexico, I like to walk the beach and cast poppers to >roosterfish. I hook less than 5 percent of the fish that I take >shots at, >but even the rejections are heart-stopping fun. >For me, it's all about that rush, that fun. >>From: Leland Miyawaki <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >>Reply-To: [email protected] >>To: [email protected] >>Subject: Re: Deschutes River report >>Date: Tue, 7 Jun 2005 20:56:42 -0700 >> >>There is no line Sean. Flyfishing is a personal sport and we only >do what >>pleases us. >> >>I have been flyfishing for almost 40 years now and have very >personal >>preferences. For instance, I would rather catch trout on a dry fly >or not >>at all. I would rather catch salmon and searun cutthroat on my >surface >>poppers. I prefer grease-lining elegant low-water flies on a >dryline to >>summer steelhead. I've fished every way else and have caught fish >doing it. > >>I don't know how old you are or how many years you've flyfished but >one day > >>you'll come to enjoy the process as much or even more than the >catching. >> >>Leland. >> >> >> >>>Some would say a nymph under a bobber is vulgar. When I was in >NZ, the >>>guide I was with offered this English chap a recommendation to use >a nymph > >>>under a yarn indicator since the trout were ignoring his dry fly >offers. >>>He sniffed: "I didn't travel all the way across the pond to fish >for trout > >>>with a NYMPH". I happily took the guides suggestion and hooked >and landed > >>>a beautiful 6 lb. Loch Levan buck. I've been an indicator >fisherman ever >>>since. >>> >>>One man's vulgarity is another man's mainstay. >>> >>>Where does one draw the line, Leland? >>> >>>Sean >>> >>>-----Original Message----- >>>From: C & S <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >>>Sent: Jun 6, 2005 6:25 PM >>>To: [email protected] >>>Subject: Re: Deschutes River report >>> >>>Sure, but what would you do if you saw another angler hooking up on >>>steelhead with your popper? >>>Chester >>> >>>>From: Leland Miyawaki <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >>>>Reply-To: [email protected] >>>>To: [email protected] >>>>Subject: Re: Deschutes River report >>>>Date: Mon, 6 Jun 2005 16:01:21 -0700 >>>> >>>>Last year, I gave my popper talk to the Kelly Creek Fly Fishers >in >>>>Lewiston >>>>and someone asked if I thought my popper would work as a waker for >>>>steelhead. I told him that I have too much love and respect for >steelhead >>>>to not fish a "traditional" swinging fly and that my popper was >much too >>>>vulgar. >>>> >>>>Leland. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>>>Leland is right about this. >>>>>I've spent a lot of time on the Deschutes, and those jetboats on >the >>>>>lower >>>>>river are a pain, and they wreck runs for fishing. >>>>>I much prefer fishing steelhead later in the year, when the fish >have >>>>>moved up past Maupin. The fish are NOT chrome bright, but few >Deschutes >>>>>steelhead ever are. But October fish in the upper river are >strong, >>>>>aggressive biters, and you'll have good water to yourself. The >fish also >>>>>like waking flies. >>>>>Leland, I wonder if your popper would provoke a strike from a >Deschutes >>>>>fish? >>>>>Chester Allen >> > > >
