bad fish rising 0 Report post Posted May 28, 2014 got these late run spawners after I spent the morning trying for browns. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FlyFishin'Jam 0 Report post Posted May 28, 2014 Nice work indeed! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Spanky29ca 0 Report post Posted May 28, 2014 We'll done, very nice fish Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bad fish rising 0 Report post Posted May 28, 2014 thanks guys. im getting better at this swing thing. for some reason I prefer this cheap single hand rod over my switch rod though. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FlyFishin'Jam 0 Report post Posted May 28, 2014 I use a sh rod with a skagit set up, wulff ambush clear tip (just to get the fly down a bit) here only because the rivers are so pokey and small, then again an 11ft plus switch you get better mending and line control. The takes on the swing can be absolutely crazy at times even if u have to fish all day for just one hot fish. Had the luxury to get a birds eye view of some anglers swinging flies perched atop a bridge. I'd say you had an awesome day if u just got 1 fish but 2 is even better! And they fight so well! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bad fish rising 0 Report post Posted May 28, 2014 I used to have a 13ft 6in 8WT redington spey. hated it. it was way to heavy for steelhead. I bought a 9ft 8wt TFO TICXR. then the conversion kit turning it into an 11ft 3in switch rod. its to stiff. breaks line, pulls the hooks out & that's only if you get a good hook up. the rod in my pics is a 9wt redington pursuit. im casting a Cortland salmon/steelhead sink tip, the tip is 20ft, fast or very fast sink. this rod is very forgiving n soft it takes the hard bite well & bends well to land the fish. last year I used a titan line with heavy weighted nymphs & shot to land several summer runs. only when I get into 6lb suffix elite did I have troubles with break off. last December I also landed several fish including a giant on a 10ft 6wt ECHO ION with a 7wt rio indi line but this rod doesn't throw the dumbells or big flies well im thinking about going back to a spey rod if I can find something softer in action Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FlyFishin'Jam 0 Report post Posted May 28, 2014 That is the thing with a fly swinging on a tight line with no slack, steelhead can already take pretty hard but like this they can snap 12lb on the take, i try to keep a small loop or section of line in my hand that the fish can take as i prefer faster tapers in a rod (just personal preference). The small loop or section of line you can give, or try to. Often the fish comes up and turns very quickly. People here should give you some great tips for more moderate action rods in the steelhead variety or what you need for specific conditions as that can vary wildly from river to river, def sounds like you are needing a soft tip on the rod. For turning over heavy flies the wulff ambush is neat, def has the weight. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bad fish rising 0 Report post Posted May 28, 2014 i have an S.A. shorthead line but its old. i would like to replace it but going to need help from 1 of my guide friends to pick which 1. captain chuck scribner bought 4 of the TFOS just like mine last fall he should be dialed by now. i also have a 560gr airflow indi. it turns anything over but is a little heavy. i live right by & fish tippy dam on the big Manistee year around. it seems soon as you get dialed into something the conditions change n all your stuff is wrong. i got those fish on 10lb vicious fluorocarbon tippet with a loop knot. more than likely i started with a loop in my hand but fed it into the swing. thanks for listening to me & responding your help is appreciated Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bad fish rising 0 Report post Posted May 28, 2014 18" griller on the same fly today Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FlyFishin'Jam 0 Report post Posted May 28, 2014 Thats a good looking fish! I see you too are a GL swinger, i am just over on North Shore Lake O. We are predicting this run of fish till June, even have a few fish still coming in and a whole load of drop backs hungry coming down which is good news! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bad fish rising 0 Report post Posted May 28, 2014 im fishing at the upper limit for these. last week the run was completely over. Monday a bunch of chrome hens came in. our spawning run started 5 1/2 weeks late this winter. we should be into summer run steelhead & chrome great lakes browns by now on a "normal" year. some nice browns are starting to show up but skamanians haven't shown their faces yet. Im not sure you can call me a swinger yet but I like streamers so strip or swing im in. just for the record these fish have been crashing the fly so swing will be my thing till they stop! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FlyFishin'Jam 0 Report post Posted May 28, 2014 It is a slippery slope and you will be addicted to it. I first caught steelhead in British Columbia, so just brought those techniques here and it works fine, sometimes better than eggs, sometimes it won't work at all but i enjoy it. You will figure out that these fish will also take traditional patterns, classic atlantic salmon flies, dees, speys with gusto which add another level to the experience - swinging patterns with over 100 years of history attached to them has some feeling or soul attached. I guess the only thing that would beat that is the dry fly. Skamania fish are a hoot, they really do a lot of jumping! We get them north in fall, this spring run is our very own strain of wild 'Ganaraska' which has naturalized here over the 100 year or so history of introduction. The fisheries biologist gave me some info i had no idea about as i thought the fish predominately fed on alewife and other baitfish, but they say in the lake now these fish will move in to prey on gobies which give 1.5 times the nutrition of an alewife plus they do not have to chase down or 'baitball' the alewife. Interesting tho, i just thought the bass were eating them. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bad fish rising 0 Report post Posted May 28, 2014 all fish eat gobies!!! and zebra mussels for that matter. the goby is 1 of my best streamers for trout. the steelhead in lake Michigan eat lots of bugs in the scum lines over deep water too. I have tried to catch a skam off the surface for 3 summers now. i've raised a few but have only caught trout & smallmouth bass so far. I have all the time in the world to catch a skater. we catch skamanians all times of the year here. im not even sure they are all our plants but possibly come to our river for unknown reasons. I have "trout bummed" 9 years now with no end in site Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bad fish rising 0 Report post Posted May 29, 2014 these chromers are starting to swell my head!! I fished a bunch of dark old spawners today, which I don't usually do, that didn't want anything to do with any fly. this makes 4 steelhead in 3 days on the swing. this is 1 of the best times ive had with learning a new technique. ps im hooked I need to swing Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikechell 0 Report post Posted May 30, 2014 all fish eat gobies!!! and zebra mussels for that matter. True about gobies ... not generally true about Zebra Mussels. According to articles I've read ... There are fresh water fish that crush and eat snails, mussels and clams, but most are not capable of doing this. While any fish might eat a mussel that's been knocked loose and is free floating ... that's not always true either, since the live mussel will drift, look and feel/taste like a small stone to any fish that can't crush it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites