[Summit]

Hi guys, hope you don't mind be bugging you guys about some tips After many many encouraging fly fishing posts from you guys I've decided to move up from using CP to Fly fishing for Winter Steel this Winter. For 2 years now I've MOSTLY been using bugs on my CP short float set-up and have been happy with my experiences. After reading from you guy's successful trips with fly fishing this coho season, I got encouraged to give it a go and learn to fly fish for steelies this Winter.
Now a little about my experiences with fly fishing. I'M A NOOB! I've only fly fished a handfull of lakes around 100 mile house and armed with the ol' Walmart combo and a using few flies from local corner stores up in the area. I did had successful days up there(armed with local barstool preachings)--in wich, lead me to slowly using flies on a short-float set-up.
So after GRINDING a lot of "fiancee' faction" for the last few weeks I've managed to get the go ahead on spending some money to upgrade my current fishing gear :thumbup: Now, I was hoping to get some very usefull advise and tips on wich path I should be going if I pursue being a full time fly fisher.
Thanks for your time :cheers:

 

[stone]

Awesome!

I don't know if one necessarily "moves up" to fly-fishing, but it certainly is very challenging. This is because is you probably well know already from fishing for steelhead with a CP, it is very important to present your offering to them where they are sitting. This is especially true for our winter fish, who often won't move very far to take an offering.

Also, with a CP setup, you have a lot of control on the depth of your bait and the drift it floats. It can be very precise with your float telling you exactly what's happening with your bait. I guess this is why the gear guys are so successful.

Drifting a flyline, you will find, is a whole 'nother ball of wax. It's more of a swing than a drift, and you will have to play with different combinations of weighted or unweighted flies and different types of sinking tip lines and leader lengths to get the right swing that catches fish in one particular run.

Hopefully there's going to be a BCFR fishout sometime this winter that you can attend to hang out and pick up some tips from. Cheers!

 

[Summit]

Thanks a bunch, Stone :cheers: I'm planning to start with the CP short float set-up up and down Vedder for Steelies second week of December and hopefully I'll bump into one of you guys up there and I can bug ya into coming with me to Fred's at least for some shopping. I'm leaning towards getting the "Standard" fly fishing set-up for a system such as The Vedder River for Winter Steelhead.
God knows I'll get hooked into this enough to incorparate it to my fishing practices in South East Asia(thinks about those shadows roaming around mangroves chasing baitfish).

 

[young gun]

These fish are big winter fish, chrome bright and rock hard. They move when they want and sleep where they want. A big fly 1/0-3/0 marabou or leech pattern will not spook these fish. Water tempurature, a sluggish beast looking at ur fly in 40degree water is totally different from the same fish barreling down on that helpless fly in 50 degree water. Get the fly down to the fish, either by using a sink tip, or weighting the fly or both. In normal flow a wet fly leader is around 4ft in murky under 3ft but when it get super clear go up to 7ft. Show them something different. If using a low water salmon hook fly, use a "turle" knot to attach it, alot better hookup/landing ratio. Your fly is the least important aspect of fishing, i've caught all my fly steelhead on all different flies, presentation is the key.

I found this site 2 years ago and it helped me alot, so far i've got 9 steelhead under my fly fishing belt. The first couple trips were hard because i wasn't used to the fly water, and didn't know where to find it.

http://www.flyfishsteelhead.com/stories.htm

Cruise through some of those articles, some are stories, others are tips and techniques.

Send me a pm if u have any other questions

 

[Summit]

:thumbup: TY for the tips and links, YG :cheers: What wieght rod is standard for the majority when they go out there and what are the suggested rod weights for a newbie like me?

 

[eimaj]

8wt rod would be just fine. Also allows you to chuck heavier tips. Check out the Echo rods, 4 piece and nice casting. There are better, but the $ tag goes up fast.

 

[eimaj]

Just noted that Bergler has a sweet rod up on the classifieds, 7wt Loop grey. Crazy nice rod, that most could never afford the new price on. It'll handle the old ironheads just fine.

 

[Summit]

Are 9wt rods and up a little overkill for Vedder?

 

[HOOK]

a 9wt would be great for steelhead ,springs and chum on any river however you will find it overkill for coho and pinks. I use an 8wt with a good large arbour reel that has a good drag on it. pair it with a multi tip system and your all set to go. once you get the bug you'll be hooked and will be buying fly rods in numerous weights. so far i have 2/8wt's, 2/5wt's, 1/6wt, 1/3wt, and i think im forgetting 1 or 2 and all have their own seperate reels. Im obsessed i know or at least thats what my family and friends tell me.

my dad just bought an Echo 8wt 10' 4 peice i have played a fish on it and cast it and i can say very nice rod, very nice rod. I was looking at a Sage of the same size and stuff but at almost twice the price i might pick up one of these ;D


have fun shopping

HOOK

 

[young gun]

for summers some guys in the states use 6wt's cus the fish aren't always that big and neither are the rivers they fish, up here i would use a 7wt on most rivers, some u could drop down to the 6wt. 8wt is perfect, but a 10ft 7wt is great too. The ultimate steelhead rod is the blue Loop 10ft 8wt sitting at Micheal and Youngs fly shop right now, with like a $200 price tag. such a nice rod. I would match the rod to the size of the water not the fish, some exceptions. small little creek or stream my 9'6ft 6wt would do fine, chehalis and allouette a 7wt, vedder 8wt. Thompson atleast a 8wt with atleast 175 yards of backin. Spey on big water would be alot nicer. but if you are fishing that little creek with a crazy wind or the vedder with lots of wind then the creek rod might be a 7 or 8 and the vedder might be a 8 or even spey.

you need to match the fly to the rod aswell, using a big 2/0 marabou fly on a 6wt is totally off, no backbone to even set the hook, but that same fly on a 8wt would do great. 6wt flies go from size 8-2, 7wts go 4-2/0, 8wts go 2-3/0

there are some variations to what i have said, and this is all based on opinion, some people might have other views, i think i covered your question.

 

[eimaj]

Dang YG that's alot of info, but good stuff :thumbup:

 

[Sandhead]

If i were starting out on the fly today I would skip the single hander and go right to a double hander...
But i dont fish the vedder much any more...

Just something to think about... And I would totally buy the echo rod

 

[Summit]

for summers some guys in the states use 6wt's cus the fish aren't always that big and neither are the rivers they fish, up here i would use a 7wt on most rivers, some u could drop down to the 6wt. 8wt is perfect, but a 10ft 7wt is great too. The ultimate steelhead rod is the blue Loop 10ft 8wt sitting at Micheal and Youngs fly shop right now, with like a $200 price tag. such a nice rod. I would match the rod to the size of the water not the fish, some exceptions. small little creek or stream my 9'6ft 6wt would do fine, chehalis and allouette a 7wt, vedder 8wt. Thompson atleast a 8wt with atleast 175 yards of backin. Spey on big water would be alot nicer. but if you are fishing that little creek with a crazy wind or the vedder with lots of wind then the creek rod might be a 7 or 8 and the vedder might be a 8 or even spey.

you need to match the fly to the rod aswell, using a big 2/0 marabou fly on a 6wt is totally off, no backbone to even set the hook, but that same fly on a 8wt would do great. 6wt flies go from size 8-2, 7wts go 4-2/0, 8wts go 2-3/0

there are some variations to what i have said, and this is all based on opinion, some people might have other views, i think i covered your question.

Jeez, YG my head hurts.

 

[young gun]

u acumulate a ton of info when u get obsessed with fly fishing steelhead.

 

[steve]

The best part of fly fishing besides just the fishing is there are sooooo many combinations that "could" do what you want to do, and that is why the fly guys that have been around for a while have so many different rods, reels and lines (and opinions on the best). I have always felt that a 5wt and an 8wt are the best two to cover most everything ( along with a couple 3, 4 reels and various lines on multiple spools)...sometimes your heavy and sometimes your light but they will cover everything from just big enough to get a bit on a hook on up; granted that there are some springs and summer run steel that would make quick work of the 8 wt! :happy: But in this world it "to each their own." Learn from those who do and figure out what will work for you! I am blessed enough to have some good friends who make a living fly fishing and have been able to try out a few things before I spend the dough, which I am very grateful for, and thus if I am out there and any friend of mine wants a try I am more than willing...it's the only way to find your style. Good Luck!

 

[Summit]

Would I be pushing my luck if I walk in a place like Hubs or Fred's and ask them if I can try out a few gear to see what suits me best?

 

[Britguy]

well i am still pretty new to fly fishing for steel
i find my 9'6 8wt rod, large arbour reel and versa tip is all i need
hooked into 8(grows each time i tell this story) in one day, only landed two (right place, right time, right set up)
the set up was working fine (keeping the line tight as the fish ran at me was my problem) :wallbash:
the first one that day was my first steel on the fly :happy:
you will get hooked once you get into a fish
then there is soooo much more to learn :-\
looking foward to a fly fish out on the Ved :thumbup:

 

[HOOK]

if you go into a fishing store and ask to test a few different rods (fast-slow action fly rods) and they said NO I would never go back!!!! I was in M&Y testing rods for over an hour casting each one for a good 5-10mins its the best way to see what action you want length you feel comfortable with and so on and so forth. they should have old reels with old line on it for testers. FEEL FREE TO ASK if they wanna sell something to you they will let you, if not go somewhere else.


HOOK

if you want a good salmon rod look at either the 10' 8wt ECHO (U.S. $169.95) or 10' 8wt FLI Sage both nice rods (U.S. $305.00) always ask if they will match the US prices because most places will and if not go somewhere that will because the FLI here is 360 which is good savings ;D

 

[Britguy]

Would I be pushing my luck if I walk in a place like Hubs or Fred's and ask them if I can try out a few gear to see what suits me best?

would you buy a car without a test drive?

 

[eimaj]

Hey summit,

Best bet is to take a trip out to M&Y, I was in at Freds the other day and was told that you can't take gear outside. M&Y will not only let you take it out but will give you some pointers while casting.

Or if your in Chilliwack let myself or maybe another take you out and let you try a few of our rods see what you like.