i love it, its is a lot more fun then bait chuckin. Theres actually an art to it. Unfortunately i dont live by any streams... Just one big ass smelly river.
I try, but I'm not very good at it. I plan on taking some lessons sometime soon, but I have too many other expensive hobbies right now.
how to properly fish the fall river: Go to the Orvis store in Bend. Spend a minimum of $2500 to look the part. Drive to the river. Remember, 22mph is the most advisable speed for such a long, straight stretch of road. Make sure to swerve at random intervals. Park your forest green Subaru in any available slot next to all the other forest green Subarus. Mark your forest green Subaru by kicking it in the quarter panel. Your insurance will cover it later, anyhow. Spend at least an hour rigging up in the parking lot. Walk to the river. You may not fish in the tanks. As everyone knows, they are closed until the hatchery workers go to bed, at which point they become fair game. The big rainbows near the shed fight best in the round pool. Walk immediately downstream until you see the most dense concentration of anglers. You will recognize the good fishermen by those who are in Orvis-approved garb. The good fishing water is in between all those anglers. Elbow your way in and position yourself on top of the largest hatchery effluent pipe. Fish like big pipes. Place your pre-selected fly in the water (remember, you had an hour to rig up; you damn well better have at least tied something on). Cast it in the water. Repeat. Again! Harder! Harder! More! WHIP IT! WHIP IT GOOD! CRACK THAT WHIP! Curse at the 'selective' fish. Curse again. Curse at the other anglers for 'lining' your water. The more you do this, the cooler you sound. If they are unimpressed, throw rocks at the fish to move them within the hole. Larger rocks work better. Although it may take some trial and error, you will likely find that pumice does not work as well as other types of rocks. Curse once more at the 'selective' fish. WHIP IT! WHIP IT GOOD! CRACK THAT WHIP! Pause. If you have tied on a fly which cost less than $3.00, tie on a different fly. The more expensive and garish, the better they work. Curse at the ducks. Curse at the barking little yappy dog that lives across the river. WHIP IT! WHIP IT GOOD! CRACK THAT WHIP! Curse at the homeowners who have tied up the best casting angle to the effluent pipes. WHIP IT! WHIP IT GOOD! CRACK THAT WHIP! Curse at the hatchery workers who are erroneously attempting to explain that you must leave as the hatchery grounds are closed after 7pm. Give up. Walk back to your forest green Subaru. It's the one with the dent in the quarter panel. Drive home (slower - it's getting dark out!). Curse. Kick your dog. Kick your wife. Curse. Call your insurance agent. Drink profusely. Congratulations! You are now a real fly angler. it's funnier if you're from Oregon, and have fished the stream. it's in the pic I posted many months ago a few posts up.
You know, wenahaone, I actually understand where you're coming from. I'm the only sorry son of a bitch out on the rivers and streams of Colorado wearing jeans, wading in sandals in the river, casting fruitlessly where there are no people fishing for a quarter mile... and you know what? Nobody else out there (even the guys covered in gear that cost more than my car) catches anything either. At least at the end of the day, I remain humble in knowing that I don't have to catch two grand worth of fish over the course of a couple of years to make up for my new gear.
totally feel that homie, i believe in keeping it simple. Sandles, shorts, bandanna, flys, and fly pole. No need to look like your going into a war. Plus in the likely confrontation of a bear or moose ill be able to run/climb frealy away with out my gear holding me down
I hear you. The area I usually frequent is not necessarily prime time bear country, but you never know what could happen. They do like to show up near the falls in the summer and fall, as I see photos in the local papers all the time from Anglers running into Blackies and not knowing what to do... so they take pictures and pray. So long as I can book it back to my car faster than all of the other guys, I have a 7.62x54 in the trunk and a Taxidermist on speed dial... you know, just in case Smokey shows up.
heres the only gear you need waders wading shoes/boots flyrod flies goop(floatant) splitshot if you're using something submerged extra tippet optional but definitely helps knowledge of the river chronic
All in all, I agree with you completely. Run it light. Just pack everything you want into a small backpack or, even better, into your pockets and you're really good to go.
check this bad boy out I caught tonight... 22 inch fat brown trout, I've been fishing the hex hatch here in MI
^Nice fish. Thinkin' about going over the coast range for some wild cutties. It's kinda late, gotta save my money, and I've got very important business to attend to...buuuuuuttt...my car gets like 37 mpg and I feel the lushness of the western coast range calling my name.
Goin Camping up On presque isle, lake Erie next week. Plan on doing a lot of fly fishin for Bass and pan fish. Last year i caught a 1 lb blue gill on a chartreuse woolly bugger in addition to a few nice Bass. I'll be sure to post a few pix.