You have to pay to play with winter steelhead

Sandy River guide, father, Rogaine user and Idylwilde Sig. Tier Brian Silvey reported in from the field after two days of swinging flies for elusive fish.  If you are still reading this and not looking at your reflection in the mirror formed on the side of this beauty, something is wrong with you.  For those of you not residing in the NW, local conditions have been dry making local steelhead rivers low and clear.  Low and clear is good if you like to spot fish and throw rocks at them but not so good for the angler looking to swing flies.  It is generally believed, but not proven, as not much in the way of steelheading is, that the fish feel exposed and become more wary in clear water conditions.  For the angler, that translates to “harder to catch”.  Low clear water, it is also believed, does not encourage new or fresh fish from entering the rivers, which makes this beauty all the more rare and no doubt will cause steelheaders to re-examine their belief system.

"That fish is so bright his teeth look yellow" - Marty Sheppard

This client is just another fisherman in a long line of anglers to benefit from Brian’s invention of “double tube technology.” The fish slammed the Silvey’s Tandem Tube in Red taking the fly on the 1st swing but not getting hooked.  One cast later to the same spot, “it was hang on time!”  Brian commented, “when you hook fish this fresh you never really know if you will be able to land them.  We had the fish to our feet but then she decided to get mad and tail walked across the river taking my client straight into his backing in the blink of an eye.”

Its hard to comprehend how fast this hen must have moved from the Ocean  into the river to remain this bright and still have sea lice attached.  Look closely just above the anal fin and you can see the dark spot which is a Sea Lie? Sea Louse? Sea Lice?  Does anyone know the singular for Sea Lice?  This angler was rewarded for sticking it out in some miserable weather that would have many clients calling it a day.  Any of you out there looking to tie into something like this and get a personal tutorial on the finer points of “double tube technology” benefits from Brian can contact him through his site.

Notice the tube has separated from the hook for better land ratio

Belly Dancer - Brown Trout

Streamer fishing is a new kick for me. For some reason I am kinda an “anti hatch” kinda trout guy. There is nothing more irritating to me than a pod of trout keyed-in on any given bug. I actually get grumpy in a hurry.  My MO is to cast whatever fly I already have tied on to the group, and if I don’t find a player, I just move on.

Big flies are my thing! Big meals.  If 3 out of 10 fish will eat my big fly, I’d rather present my fly to 30 fish proper, and catch 9 and call that good.

My fishing theory is covering water and max efficiency.  I could be totally wrong, but I think a trout will usually eat my fly the first time he sees it, or he won’t eat it at all. To me it just does not make sense to sit in a spot and play “chess” switching up sizes, colors, whatever, to try and talk some fish into eating it.

That’s where this new streamer kick comes in. A guy can cover so much more water in a given amount of time pulling a streamer. On top of that, it is usually the large, confident, and cranky big bastard that is going to move on a streamer.

Take Some Time to Look Around and Enjoy Where You Are

One thing that has been working decent for me is casting up stream and fishing the fly back to me.  I have found this makes the fly swim really erratically as you strip to keep up with the current. (Erratic equals wounded in fish brains) Another thought is fish see it coming straight at them and the “fight or flight” instinct kicks in.  My hope is the small ones flee and the big ones stand their ground. Also seems logical to assume wounded or shocked prey fish would be flowing down with the current.

These are all just theories I talk myself into while out on the water. Many experts have probably already proven or dis-proven this years ago, but when I do crank in a fish or two every now and then like this, it keeps the wheels turning in my head, and my confidence in the Belly Dancer strong.  BH

Sorry you had to put the Beer down to catch this Brown.

Bryan Huskey lives in Idaho where he is a photographer, videographer, angler and plane restoration expert.  More of his work can be seen at his video site or on his website which it opens with a red and white bobber  making him awesome!

They Said: The Salmon will come back someday, it’s just a cycle!

KP: YEAH…. A cycle of, fucking shit up!

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They Said: Why does this video have an hour of “bonus” footage?

KP: It’s for when you wake up after the first hour is done; you have something still playing to watch

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They Said: Wanna see some photo’s from Alaska I took with a disposable box camera?

KP: SHIRLEY!

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They Said: How come this is on backorder?

KP: A. somebody didn’t do a preseason; B. Somebody didn’t pay their bill.

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They Said: Have you always swung?

KP: You mean ….flies?

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They Said: I remember when that river was loaded, just full of big fish everywhere!

KP: What model carriage did you roll back then?

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They Said: I don’t really want to try anymore, I have headache!

KP: Look, if we take off all that split shot, you won’t hit yourself in the head again.

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They Said: I mooched meals the entire time I was there!

KP: Good job Brian!

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They Said: That guy liked to spike it in their end zone!

KP: (Busted a gut laughing out loud.)

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They Said: Just because they catch fish, doesn’t mean they will sell.

KP: hmmm.

Chris Conaty, official “Fly Guy” for Idylwilde recently returned from an annual spring fishing trip.  Its nice to have the “Fly Guy” who is in charge of fly development, raw materials and quality control spend his vacation fishing.  What can I say, the guy is passionate about flies and about fly fishing and being the Fly Guy is not just a job to him but a life time passion that just happened to turn into a job.

Sea Lice and transparent fins = fresh

Recent rains pushed the local rivers high so conditions were not exactly what Fly Guy had hoped for.  Regardless, he put hours of casting in and managed to find a fish.  Actually it is the other way around.  He put a few minutes of casting in on the 1st day and caught a steelhead, then proceeded to do lots of casting for some possible grabs.  When you fish for steelhead, where “getting a grab”,  can be deemed an extremely successful day,  it takes a passionate fisherman to keep coming back even on vacation/ work days.

Double Tube technology developed by Brian Silvey helped  Andy Brown who was fishing with Fly Guy catch this chromer which took the Tandem Tube in Pink and Orange.

One reminder to all of you out there going to the rivers.  Don’t forget to take some time to look around and enjoy the place you are in regardless of how good or bad the fishing is.  The Fly Guy and his best friend David did some looking around and David found this PERFECT set of elk sheds right on the river.   Myself,  I would take finding that perfect pair of elk sheds over a lot of days of catching steelhead.  Luckily for me David gave the sheds to Fly Guy and in an unexpected turn of fate, the sheds will be living in the Idylwilde offices.   Fly Guy and his wife spent hours walking through their house trying to find “just the right place” for these majestic antlers and they just could not part with existing wall decorations to make room for the horns.  From afar I have to respect the quality of Fly Guy’s marriage.  I mean, there just aren’t that many couples I know that can be so in tune with each others taste in art and house decor that can make a decision like this together.  A decision “as one” if you will.  I am okay benefiting from such a strong relationship.

Perfect Set of Elk Sheds - RARE