But the gear, the approach, the fish, the water! Wow, I fell in love.
This summer I bought a 9', 5-weight fly rod (ClearWater) with a Battenkill reel from Orvis. I went into the shop with no pretension -- I just admitted right up front that I knew nothing. If you pretend to know something the sales people will treat you like an expert, but if you make it clear you need help they will go out of their way to explain and answer questions. The salesman was head of fishing operations, and he took the time to show me the options. In the end I felt confident I had chosen the right equipment.
I got a quick lesson on how to assemble my 4-piece rod, attach the reel and tie two basic knots -- the improved clench (to tie on your fly) and the double surgeon (a knot to add fishing line). While practicing knots at the counter, the Orvis fishing manager told me to get out there. He encouraged me not to spend my time reading about fly fishing, but actuall fly fishing.
That's all I needed.
September 5, 2011
North Bend of Snoqualmie River
With a new fly rod in hand, a flycasting lesson and a little practice outside my house, I headed for the North Fork of the Snoqualmie to fish for trout. Sunrise is 6:27 am, and my upbringing told me that the early bird catches the worm.
My son and I would have been on the river even earlier but when you are a Nimrod you don't really know how to access a good fishing spot. All we had been told was go to North Bend and fish the North Fork. Turns out that's not so easy to find. We drove all over North Bend looking for a road that would get us close to a fishing hole with a gravel bar from which we could cast.
We found our spot just off North Fork Road near North Bend. We didn't have waders but instead showed up in sandals and Crocs. The water was bracing but tolerable. What wasn't tolerable was my fear of encountering a bear or a couger after I saw warning signs posted in the natural area's parking area. Then we saw mounds of poop which I could only assume was from a bear. We made noises trapsing down a trail and after a few anxious moments stepped onto the rocky river beach.
We waded up the right side of the stream casting from the center toward the bank. We stunk but our casts got longer and more accurate. The sun began to rise over Mt. Si and we felt the air warm. The bugs became visible hovering over the water. And then I noticed a fish swirl beneath a shady tree.
As a beginner my side-armed cast seemed the most accurate and so I began placing my fly near where I saw the swirl. On the second cast I felt a strong series of bites and saw the fish swirl again. I yanked the rod like I would with a bass on and...nothing. I yanked too soon and too hard.
But my feeling was ecstatic. I had found this fishing hole. I had assembled my flyrod. I had selected teh fly, tied it on and cast to the right spot. I felt like a flyfisherman for the first time!
September 17, 2011
Tolt River near Carnation
Caught my first steelhead! I rose early again and decided to try a new location -- the Tolt. I found my down the eastern bank near King County's Tolt-MacDonald Park. I saw a dead steelhead almost immediately and assumed fish must be around.
One thing I had been reading about is how to analyze water. There are riffles, seams, pools, rapids. I tried the pools below the rougher water. Nothing. Then I decided to wade out into a riffle. I didn't know at this point how to "swing a fly" but I essentially swung a fly by casting upstream at an angle and then let the fly drift downstream. As soon as the fly line extended and I began to pull in (strip) line...BAM...I felt a series of strong bites. I didn't rush it. I held up the rod and held the line firmly. The fish, a small one, frantically surfaced and pulled the fish up onto the bank. I had landed my first fish on a fly rod.
September 25, 2011
Lake Sammamish at Issaquah Creek
Those of you who are actual flyfisherman can look at my location and the date and recognize I should not have been fishing there. This is the weekend before Salmon Days when fish and wildlife prohibits you from fishing within 100 yards of the mouth of this creek because of spawning. But I stupidly waded out there, marvelling at the large, very dark salmon surfacing around me. Fortunately I didn't catch anything. It was a good lesson that Nimrod novices need to read the state fishing rules.
October 1, 2011
Skykomish near Monroe
My son's 14th birthday! I hired guide Chris Senyohl to show us the waters and help us catch some salmon. It was a good investment of time and money. First cast my son caught a good sized Coho on a spoon. I caught a very small one on a spoon, and then we switched over to led-headed jigs. By short-casting (we were using bait rods not fly rods) and then giving a couple of quick twitches as the jig reached bottom we managed to catch around 30 pink salmon. It was a big day.
We fly fished for sea-run cutthroat later in the day with a surface spider, but didn't catch anything, although I did get a good bite. (Photos below are guid Chris Senyohl with my son a pink or humpy salmon. Below that is Nimrod with his son and a Coho)
October 8, 2011
South Fork of the Snoqualmie
With a little recent experience under my belt, I finally felt like a fisherman. I visited Creekside Angling Company in Issaquah to get some advice on where to fish and what to fish with. I happened to talk with the local rep for Simms waders and he suggested a few spots in and around North Bend. He also hooked me up with a few new flies.
I took Exit 32 off I-90 and drove around a bit. I found a spot off Tanner and fished the eastern shore of the South Fork. It was an Indian summer day. The sun was hot and the bugs were thick. There was a real mix of water to fish (again, rapids, riffles, pools, seams). I started off with a colorful large fly which I found a little trick to cast. After working that fly up and down the stream with no action, I made an astounding conclusion: hot weather meant warm water which means the fish are at the bottom.
I tied on a nymph, swung it from a riffle to pool and voila! A beautiful cutthroat.
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