Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum
Fishing in British Columbia => Fly Fishing Cafe => Topic started by: frenchy on October 24, 2006, 06:36:16 PM
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If you tell someone not interested by fishing you are a fyfisher, he almost always thinks "that's cool" and imagines you like Brad Pitt in the movie. If you tell this same guy you are a bait fisher, he thinks "this guy is weird" and imagines you sitting in a chair and killing poor creatures while driking beers and eating chips.
If you tell another fisherman (or woman), who does not know where you fish and what you fish, you are a flyfisher, he will often think "this guy must be a good fisherman" but if you tell him you are a bait fisher he will often think "this guy is probably a beginner".
Even at a legislative level, bait = bad and fly = good. The first thing that is banned if there is a problem in a river is bait and if there is really a big problem, the river becomes fly fishing only.
Do you really think this is justified?
I know that using bait may increase the mortality of fish, but really, at least in BC, I do not thing using bait is the main problem. IMO snagging the fish may cause much more mortality. And once again when you ask fishermen what to do against the snagging problem, they answer "bait ban". But, actually, the only category of fishers I always see trying to have the fish bitting are bait fishermen (I can only speak about what I see). I see tons of "wool" fishermen snagging and flossing the fish, I also see tons of flyfishermen flossing the fish. Of course there are "good" "wool" fishers and flyfishers, but in all categories there are a lot of fishers that are cacthing fish that are not bitting (they may be aware or not that they are doing it).
I am, of course, not saying that bait fishing is more ethical or more clean than flyfishing. It is just that fly fishing may also have a very bad impact on the fish when not properly done.
At least at a legislative level, "flyfishing with floatting line and dry flies only" would make sense, not just "flyfishing only".
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I'll bite.
I would love to see more lakes and rivers be listed as fly only. I'd also like to see more lakes have gas engine bands especially smaller interior lakes.
I dont think that people that fly fish are necessary above some of the antics that drive us all nuts on the river, but I think it requires more skill to catch fish using fly gear than it does using a baitcaster or spin caster.
I've been doing more fly fishing recently than bait casting recently and it would be nice if more rivers were fly only especially some of BC's more exotic rivers.
In the lower main land I've always thought that Ross Lake should be fly only, anyone know who to contact to make that so?
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So yeah I think flyfishing is better than other methods.
But Spey fishing is where its at
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I don't think one is more superior than another. I have more fun flyfishing than I do bait fishing. When I bait fish I think of it as meat fishing. Its not what I believe for everyone just myself. When I bait fish I do it to bring home meat. When I flyfish its for the fun and the sport. I believe certain parts of rivers should be fly only. I believe the canal in the Vedder should be fly only year round. Also a couple local lakes should be fly only to preserve them. Making some local lakes fly only, catch and release would be something wonderful.
Their is something about putting that fly in the right place and seeing the fish take it that just gets your adrenaline going. My favorite is seeing fish take dries off the surface.
In closing I believe they both have their place.
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i don't fly fish, but i believe you have to have an intimate knowledge of the fish you're catching to fly for them. it is an art form that requires alot of passion....on the flip side.....
to me, true fly fishing is only legitimate when fishing the stills, the chuck, or the surface of the flow.
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i don't fly fish, but i believe you have to have an intimate knowledge of the fish you're catching to fly for them. it is an art form that requires alot of passion....on the flip side.....
to me, true fly fishing is only legitimate when fishing the stills, the chuck, or the surface of the flow.
You kind of contradict yourself. You don't flyfish but yet you have a belief of when it is in its true form. Can you elaborate? Until you actually flyfish how can you have an opinion such as this?
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First off, to answer your question with regards to the use of bait, I feel very strongly that bait should be restricted to river with hatchery augmentation only (salmonoids only). I find that even on rivers such as the vedder I am deep hooking far too many residents/smolts while bait fishing. On a smaller urban creek, I could clean it out nearly completly with a worm and a split shot. IMHO, anytime it's illegal to retain fish it should also be illegal to use bait.
I know that using bait may increase the mortality of fish, but really, at least in BC, I do not thing using bait is the main problem. IMO snagging the fish may cause much more mortality.
Your right, the way snaggers are treating fish these days is a whole lot worse than any bait fishing could ever be. But you know what, there really isn't a concervation concern on the Vedder. The fish these guys are targetting are the chums and chinook, which are heavily hatchery augmented and have very healthy runs.
And once again when you ask fishermen what to do against the snagging problem, they answer "bait ban". But, actually, the only category of fishers I always see trying to have the fish bitting are bait fishermen (I can only speak about what I see).
I doubt that anyone who actually knows whats going on would suggest a bait ban to solve this problem. But a bait ban is still a very useful conservation tool. Take for example the Coquihalla river, which is fly fishing only. If you let bait guys in there it would be shooting fish in a barrel. Those summer runs are so stupid that they would be caught over and over again. Not to mention they would often be deep hooked. By leaving it to the fly guys only, you are going to be reducing catch rates, reducing the numbers of fish caught twice. It also helps to weed out people who haven't learned to properly handle fish.
*I'm not saying that gear fishermen mishandle fish but the fact of the matter is that the more experienced you are the better care you take of fish you are releasing. That and the fact that fly fishing for the most part is an evolved form of fishing. Meaning that most people start off as gear fishermen and as they evolve as an angler they are more likley to get into fly fishing.
I see tons of "wool" fishermen snagging and flossing the fish, I also see tons of flyfishermen flossing the fish. Of course there are "good" "wool" fishers and flyfishers, but in all categories there are a lot of fishers that are cacthing fish that are not bitting (they may be aware or not that they are doing it).
You're right. Lots of bad apples everywhere, especially on the Vedder. Don't be fooled though, the (legitimate) flyfishermen/women are some of the best rods on the river and have some of the best successes for coho.
The one thing I would like to point out is that on this site the main foccus of most people is bait fishing the Vedder. It's unfortunate, because B.C. has so much more to offer in the ways of quality fishing opportunities than the lowly Vedder. When you call for bait bans or make accusations of fly fishermen being snaggers you are blanketing the rest of these fisheries with the same bad light that is upon the Vedder. Most flyfishermen are intent on getting a strike. Most of the time snagging is not a concervation concern. In most placed bait bans are a good management tool.
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I've been doing more fly fishing recently than bait casting recently and it would be nice if more rivers were fly only especially some of BC's more exotic rivers.
Couldn't agree more. Same thing goes for lakes, even stoked ones. We need to have more lakes managed as trophy waters. Its getting to the point where anyone who does know of a quality lake won't ever talk about it. Then we have some lakes that do grow big fish only to have the weekend warriors come in and clean the place out. If you want to eat fish thats one thing, but why do some people seem bent on killing large fish.
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" I have more fun flyfishing than I do bait fishing."
Couldn't agree more with the above statement...Fly fishing for me and IMHO is a passion that some have and others don't....I see more fly guys and I would say most likely over half (and that's probably way low) that catch and release only fish they get...that are out there more for the pure sport of it. Fly fishing takes time to learn, you can go out a few times and still suck at casting, that alone is part of it...You also can ( and most fly guys do ) tie your own flys..that's a whole hobby unto itself and is by far one of my biggest enjoyments....
Salmon are not the only fish in the river, though I think on most boards that is all that's talked about..I fish the Vedder in the summer for trout..and most of the blue ribbon rivers of the world are like that...You have to fool a fish with your presentation, not by egg or wool but by size, shape color and action of an insect that frequents THAT river or lake system....Over 90% of fish taken fly fishing are under the surface of the water...and that is extremely exciting...BUT NOTHING compares to a DRY FLY on the surface....Watching a hatch and guessing right on what to tie on...placing it perfectly and then seeing the SLURP of the fish taking it... or the huge SLASH and splash of one attacking it...insane how it makes your adrenaline flow...and I miss half those hits as the fish spits it before I can set the hook....
I have found that patience is something you have to learn fly fishing...you have to be able to work out what's happening around you, you have to be able to make the perfect presentation and if your lucky...you'll get a fish back to you maybe 50% of the time..and I would say that's a very good percentage for the average fly guy....You have to be able to deal with losing fish on a consistant basis and a lot of guys can't deal with that and as such return to gear..
I'm not going to get into the us versus them argument...I fish both ways, though for me if I'm strictly out for meat then I'd tend to use gear...but to be honest, I've some how become more the fly guy and not the meat guy...I love fish and love to eat fish..but when I get one in on the fly it's so much more like a battle that I respect the fish too much to have to kill it...May sound stupid to someone who needs to show how many fish they can kill to be a big shot in some one else's eyes..but that's how I feel....I have a brand new sage 3113 and milner C.P. it's collecting dust, the spey is next for me and ones on order...That to me is what SPORT is about....
BUT....here's the thing....It doesn't matter how you choose to fish as long as you do it ethically and the right way...I begrudge no bait or gear guy how he fishes because that's their choice and if that's what brings them the same joy and happiness that fly fishing brings me, then damnit that's fine by me... It's the dinks that try and say OUR way is the right way and damn all you other guys that need a good kick in the a$$...and that happens on both sides but probably more on the fly side of it...unjust self righteousness's...total B.S. to me...
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What works for you is the best; period.
You are the angler, it is your choice.
For me it is fly fishing; because I like the endless options. Making my own rods, flies and assorted equipment gives me those options.
As for casting like Brad Pitt; Brad didn't even do the casting in that movie. The casting was done by Jason Borger, it was all staged. When asked what application "shadow casting was good for", Jason replied "when Robert Redford has the camera on you".
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Well said Xgolfman. Thats exactly the way I feel. I have been flyfishing for about 7 years now. Never have I ever taken a lesson on my casting. Its not the best but I do get by. I have finally decided though to take a lesson in the winter to be ready for next year. I will be flyfishing about 75% of the time next year instead of the 50% I did this year. I too am going to be purchasing a spey setup as I have enough single handers already.
My buddy and I were on a system this past weekend. We were targetting coho. We were only there for a couple hours and saw fish rolling. Well the only fish that was caught was a 12'' cutthroat by yours truly. Even though it was not a coho it still got me excited. Sure if it was on my 3wt it would have been more fun but to get the unexpected sure was a nice suprise.
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I got introduced to fly fishing in May 1970. Did the switch between spinning gear and fly gear for sixteen years after that. Then in 1986 went fly only (fly emersion) and never looked back. Haven't caught a Sturgeon on the fly, but that's only a matter of time.
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One more thing, I don't do Spey. I own a Spey rod that many of the Spey clan wish they had, but like I said; I DON"T DO SPEY. Too many elitest for my liking.
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One more thing, I don't do Spey. I own a Spey rod that many of the Spey clan wish they had, but like I said; I DON"T DO SPEY. Too many elitest for my liking.
Newsman...you're going to prevent yourself from enjoying double hand flyfishing just because you think there's too many snobs involved in that sport? The only person missing out is you. Put a line on that spey rod, whatever it is, and email me when you can go. I only flyfish, and I still use both single hand and double hand rods extensively...but I shake my head at people who insist on sticking with a single hander only for drift and swing presentations for large fish like springs, chums, and steelhead.
No false casting, your fly spends a lot more time on the water, more line control, more fish control...think about it. You don't have to surround yourself with those snobs when you're out fishing, so I don't get why that would prevent you from enjoying it.
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...oh yeah, back to the original question. I also flyfish because I enjoy it immensely. There's a lot involved to keep me stimulated. There's a certain aesthetic appeal to the whole process, a certain elegance that I like, and the enjoyment of the fight without any weight on the line is incomparable. Cheap therapy to keep me sane in my high stress profession.
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You kind of contradict yourself. You don't flyfish but yet you have a belief of when it is in its true form. Can you elaborate? Until you actually flyfish how can you have an opinion such as this?
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i said i don't flyfish, i didn't say i never have.
i was introduced to flyfishing long before i ever picked up a drift rod and as a boy i use to tag along with older buddies and their dads when ever they hit fresh water. i believe because of my age (8-12 yrs old.....off and on throught out the years) and the lack of dexterity, i found it difficult to master. i also disliked fishing lakes and streams(..but i kept going because i loved to fish especially when my dad worked), so i opted to fish the chuck where i felt there were more selection of species to choose from. besides, my father preferred to fish deep sea.
as far as my belief, i've seen more fly flossers on the flow than legitimate flyers. doesn't take a genius to know the difference. whether its a fly/spey, cp, level wind....the technique is all the same.
by the way, do you disagree that flyfishing is an art form? knowing how to identify the hatch or produce productive flys? mastering different techniques of casting and retrieving?
other than what i already listed do you feel there are other legitimate ways to fly fish. ie... quick sinking leaders being swept across a flow?
it seems you don't value my opinion, so why don't you enlighten me with your own along with your expertise.
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Please stay calm, I like the answers so far and I do not want this topic to turn in a little war ::)
I really respect flyfishermen and agree that it requires a lot of skills to consistently catch fish on the fly. I am a bad flyfisherman and I do not take enough time to become good. Perhaps, one day, I will tutn into a fly only guy, but so far I am more an opportunistic fisher (I will try what I think will allow me to have the more bites).
With this fall salmon fishery, I am facing a paradox completely new for me and really disturbing: It seems that it requires more skills not to catch fish than to catch fish (I am saying catching not obtaining bites). Whatever is the technique you use, you just have to choose a spot where fish are holding, to cast something that sinks and you will catch (floss) fish. If you have a fly rod, you do not need to be a good caster to read the water or anything. If you manage to put you line in the water you will floss fish. Last week, I saw a guide with two customers. The guide just made the customers flossing the fish. The customers probably never touched a fly rod before and were very happy to catch big fish with the fly rod. Good for them, but If you turn a river into flyfishing only for conservation reasons, this can still happen and I am convinced that flossing may have a really negative impact on the fish. You may catch spawning fish, fish that are very tired, fish that are acclimating to a new environment... All kind of fish that would not bite.
I could continue on the subject for hours.
Just a couple more points:
- I do not often fish the Vedder and flossing/snagging also occur in other rivers
- I like the no engine and fly only lake idea (in lake you cannot cheat with a fly rod)
- I know that Brad Pitt did not cast in the movie, it is just the picture people have about flyfishing (and it may be interesting to see the impact of this movie for flyfishing) (I think I started flyfishing the year before the movie)
- Rod, why did you move this topic? I do not think it is exclusively fly fishing related, IMO it is more a general discussion topic ;)
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sorry frenchy. i'm not trying to sabotage your thread nor am i angry. i just don't like it when someone assumes that i make useless comments without basis or some formal background. i'm partially to blame for not clarifying my experiences.
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Different strokes for different folks!
I do it all ( almost ) ..and enjoy every minute of it. Flyfishing for me is a much more solitary pursuit, I enjoy it when im alone. Chucking gear or bait is fun when im with friends, trolling in the chuck or jigging with my dad is another entirely different and fulfilling experience. As for effectiveness...its the same thing. It all depends where Im fishing and what the target is. Its all exciting stuff and I love it all for different reasons.
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You certainly got all sensitive BlaydRnr. I made sure I worded my post that it didn't offend you but I see it did anyways. I just asked a question. By the way you worded your response it sounded like you had never flyfished before. That's why I asked you to elaborate so I could understand what you fully meant.
I do truly feel its an art form. I also believe if you use short leaders when fishing the flow you avoid flossing the fish. When fishing flows I use no more than a 3 foot leader. Don't need anymore than that IMO.
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Spey fishing also requires less actual effort than a single hand fly rod.
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I enjoy fishing. Let it be gear, drift, fly. To fully master a single technique and able to use it to fish all locations and all conditions is just not possible. Every technique has it's advantage and dissadvantage. So to my opinion. All fishing method is an art form as long as they are used appropriately to suit each condition.
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I enjoy fishing. Let it be gear, drift, fly. To fully master a single technique and able to use it to fish all locations and all conditions is just not possible. Every technique has it's advantage and dissadvantage. So to my opinion. All fishing method is an art form as long as they are used appropriately to suit each condition.
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Quite right IMO...no really good way to flyfish for halibut ;D
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Well said Xgolfman. Thats exactly the way I feel. I have been flyfishing for about 7 years now. Never have I ever taken a lesson on my casting. Its not the best but I do get by. I have finally decided though to take a lesson in the winter to be ready for next year. I will be flyfishing about 75% of the time next year instead of the 50% I did this year. I too am going to be purchasing a spey setup as I have enough single handers already.
My buddy and I were on a system this past weekend. We were targetting coho. We were only there for a couple hours and saw fish rolling. Well the only fish that was caught was a 12'' cutthroat by yours truly. Even though it was not a coho it still got me excited. Sure if it was on my 3wt it would have been more fun but to get the unexpected sure was a nice suprise.
I took a lesson from Kathy Ruddick this year...man is she a blast to listen too and learn from...she had me double hauling in under a half an hour...I didn't think I'd ever pick that up...and she makes you laugh the whole time she's doing it...well worth it...If I'd have caught that cuttie it would have made me happier then a ho... :D...they are such little freaks..love um..
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Jeff, you gotta get that spey and come out..we can form an anti spey spey club...Im getting one..i've watched them too long and like you taught me...keeping your line in the water longer is how you catch more fish...damn things are cool too...
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You certainly got all sensitive BlaydRnr. I made sure I worded my post that it didn't offend you but I see it did anyways. I just asked a question. By the way you worded your response it sounded like you had never flyfished before. That's why I asked you to elaborate so I could understand what you fully meant.
I do truly feel its an art form. I also believe if you use short leaders when fishing the flow you avoid flossing the fish. When fishing flows I use no more than a 3 foot leader. Don't need anymore than that IMO.
you're right, i over reacted....my bad.
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Isn't fly fishing in the Vedder, targetting salmon the same as long lining! Do they rise to the fly? Do they actually bite it? Seems like just another way of flossing. Correct me please, I only fly fish in smaller creeks and lakes!
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Isn't fly fishing in the Vedder, targetting salmon the same as long lining! Do they rise to the fly? Do they actually bite it? Seems like just another way of flossing. Correct me please, I only fly fish in smaller creeks and lakes!
Fly fishing is by far the most effective way to "ethicly" target coho on the Vedder. Most of the fishing is done in settling ponds, large back eddies and frog water. These fish are definitly biters.
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I agree with Biffchan. I catch more coho on the fly than I do with gear.
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Fly fishing is by far the most effective way to "ethicly" target coho on the Vedder. Most of the fishing is done in settling ponds, large back eddies and frog water. These fish are definitly biters.
enough already...ethics lie on intent, not the gear you use. check out the barrel, tamahi rapids, and under the highway bridge. so called flyers sweeping the flow not even bothering to strip there presention nor target holding water, just allowing their line to start up river down the seams of the channels in repetative motion. believe it or not flyfishing is NOT necessarily the most ethical way to fish for coho, but CAN BE the most effective way to conceal flossing.
on the positive side, i did come across a flyer fishing a backside of an unpopular run. how and when got there was a mystery because i started up well before first light and it took me over half an hour of bushwacking to get there. anyway this guy was a 'maestro'. watching him roll his casts to target underlying pools and avoiding heavy folage was amazing. he deserved alot of respect so i waved good morning and steered clear to give him his much needed space...but the reality is, he was 1 of half a dozen flyers i saw, fishing legitimately...sorry
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Your completley mis understanding me.
I said fly fishing was the most effective way to targett coho on the vedder not the most ethical. I say this because it is the best way to get legitimate biters on that particular river.
I agree, with what your saying about intent. I don't know where all this 'ethical' nonsense came from. For me drift fishing or float fishing was always about getting a fish to bite. It never occurred to me that I was suddnely 'ethical' to do this.
I think you are probably riding the fly fishermen harder than need be. Yes some of them are flossers, but the technique you are describing sounds an awful lot like swinging a fly, which can be a deadly technique to entice bites.
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Paul I like the idea of an anti elitest spay club. You and Stone have talked some sence to me, and you are right. No time to do the spey thing this year though, my youngest wants to start tying and selling flies, so I need to teacher my patterns and help her get up to speed with tying. I'm also taking a night school cource to help me build a website. The instructor claims we (the students) will each have a site up and running by the end of the classes.
Stone: in reference to my Spey; It's an 18 foot greenheart. The sister rod to the one owned my Brigadier General Nole Money. The two rods were made in Scotland and shipped to Money and his partner just after they opened their hotel on the Stamp.
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Paul I like the idea of an anti elitest spay club. You and Stone have talked some sence to me, and you are right. No time to do the spey thing this year though, my youngest wants to start tying and selling flies, so I need to teacher my patterns and help her get up to speed with tying. I'm also taking a night school cource to help me build a website. The instructor claims we (the students) will each have a site up and running by the end of the classes.
Stone: in reference to my Spey; It's an 18 foot greenheart. The sister rod to the one owned my Brigadier General Nole Money. The two rods were made in Scotland and shipped to Money and his partner just after they opened their hotel on the Stamp.
Sounds good Jeff, hopefully I'll be good enough by then to not hook my own ear...I learned something interesting tonight...Fishing the spey is only good for swinging the fly, so not useful when your stripping the fly for like...coho's!!! So while I can see it would be a great way to fish big rivers for steelies...The single hander still has it's place ....Might sound naive but I didn't think about that really, was just so caught up in awe of distance and time in water...
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Isn't fly fishing in the Vedder, targetting salmon the same as long lining! Do they rise to the fly? Do they actually bite it? Seems like just another way of flossing. Correct me please, I only fly fish in smaller creeks and lakes!
Fly fishing is by far the most effective way to "ethicly" target coho on the Vedder. Most of the fishing is done in settling ponds, large back eddies and frog water. These fish are definitly biters.
sorry if i'm misunderstanding you, but this is your "quote", not mine.
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I prefer fly fishing hands down. Then ice fishing. Then spin fishing, then barfing, then tying a bent nail onto a shoelace (I used to do that when I was a kid until my mom got me velcro shoes ;D )
The best is fishing little creeks for little trout (and the occasional not so little one), and I honestly think I would rather spend a day in the mountain chasing cutties than a day in the valley going for coho/ chinooks ect. Coho fishing is a bit of a sleeper most of the time, and those darn chums are a real big pain on my gear, but I am happy that they are still around for us to enjoy! Oh, and finally, swinging a fly doesn't mean your flossing. Otherwise those spey fishers would all be flossing, and every fly fisher on the squamish would be flossing.
So there you have it. Different strokes for different folks. Keeps it interesting that way I suppose.
Oh, and remember folks, please spey your rods.
J5
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Newsman...WOW! That sounds like some rod!!! Too big for most of the local stuff, but probably great for the Thompson or the bigger systems up north. Very collectible too from the sounds of it. You will need a "little" 12.5' to 14' 8 or 9wt for our local stuff down here. When you're all setup, email me when you want to go.
Cheers.
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Of course fly fishing is better than other methods and it's got nothing to do with ethics. Most of the people who talk so much about "ethics" on these forums don't really know what the word means.
I have been fishingh for close to 45 years and fly fishing for over 25. I have drift tackle etc and I do a bit of spinning, float fishing and bar fishing with bait every year. But when I do I wish I was fly fishing!
Fly fishing for me is better simply because it is more aesthetically pleasing, more challenging and more involving. Some folks can't handle that or they can't develop the coordination needed to fly fish. Sometimes they can't cope with not catching a few more fish or they can't spend the time it takes to understand hatches, species and fish behaviour. This doesn't make the various "methods" equal or comparable. There's nothing subjective in the choices. Fly fishing is simply superior 9 times out of 10.
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I read an interesting reply to something similar on another site, the went on to explain how he'd been a fly fisherman for many years and would rather be surrounded by gear guys as they were much more helpful and informative then the "New breed" of fly guys, (spey? and I think these are the guys Jeff is referring to as well)...
I would like to defer, I was also talking to a friend who was telling me about the river cleanup on the Umpqua river, He said that on the FORTY miles of fly fish only water, they took out ONE truck worth of garbage...He said they filled a truck or more for less then every mile of river the gear guys were on....
So you see, there are two varying and strong views on this subject...Personally I think it has a lot more to do with HOW people act today then anything else. I gear fish as well, I like the C.P. and think it's a challenging and fun way to fish, but I end up getting bored with it pretty quick, swinging a piece of roe, wool or spoon over a stretch of water to me isn't half the challenge of trying to figure out what depth, i.e. leader do you use, what fly they are BITING...( a lot of times it s the color more then anything else ) ...how you present it etc. That doesn't mean my way is better, it means I enjoy my way more...
I think all the cracks about flossing with a fly line is mainly coming from either guys who don't have a clue about fly gear and how you fish it AND guys who just want to piss in your Wheaties...When someone who's "supposedly" been fishing for years asks " I didn't know salmon bite when in a river" That just shows ignorance and someone trying to be a troll. Admittedly, you can snag a Salmon on the fly pretty easily but all that does is greatly increase your chances of blowing up your rod really quick and ending your day....I don't know too many guys who for want of a colored up chum or spring are willing to drive an hour or more, throw away a few hundred dollars or more on a rod and then go home, to do it...Understand what I'm saying? It happens, like with everyone else but it really sucks on a fly rod and you either want to bust him off ASAP or you want to get him in and released as quick and with out damaging him or your gear as soon as possible...
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This weekend I was out to try to catch my first salmons on a fly. I was with someone who seems to know how to fly fish for salmon and who showed me the kind of water I should look for when I want to find cohos. Even if I already read that here, I was pretty surprised to see that we were fishing deep slow water, trying to find one or two cohos in the middle of 100s chums. I really enjoyed this "hunting" aspect (trying to find a particular fish), but I was not that excited by the kind of water we were fishing. What I really enjoy when I float fish, is reading the water and playing with the current to send my float where I want and I missed this a bit with the fly rod.
Anyway I enjoyed casting my first salmons on a fly rod (only chums, but still pretty cool). I think I will try it again from time to time, but will mainly stick with float fishing, so far...
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I really have nothing to add to this discussion as the original topic was intended...pretty much a boring topic with the same old things being rehashed.
But Frenchy...that particular type of water is only one type of salmon fishing on a flyrod. Contrary to what some nay sayers say, swinging a properly presented fly on flowing water is a very effective (and fun) way to catch salmon and steelhead, and not just a conspiracy by the fly angling elite to disguise flossing with a flyrod. ::)
As with everything, everyone has an opinion, and on the internet people seem to be more opinionated than anywhere else. Continue to meet people who are actually fishing the waters with a flyrod, and who look like they know what they are doing (they often are the ones who have fish frequently on the end of their lines...and don't have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome caused by too much typing on the keyboards ;D) and not just spouting off on the internet, and you too will pick up on the nuances that will make you successful in targetting salmon on the fly. Good luck...I'll be out there on Friday afternoon and all day Saturday flyfishing with my friends.
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Ha Ha that's a good one Stone. I like your sence of humour.
I can add two what you have said; yes look for the fly anglers who actually catch fish and not just talk about it. Ususally these anglers are the one who can fish all day because they dont have wrist or shoulder injuries from bad casting habits or a broken rod from snagging.
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Just read this thread today and for those who thought it went on and on about the same thing you should have read the thread in fishbc about the same basic topic about fishing methods on the T. It was over 20 pages long, a "real broo ha ha" as Donny Taylor likes to say on Sportsnet. Took me at least two nights to get through it all.
I don't know if I agree to sticking to just one method of fishing or if one method is that much more superior to another because I like to use all methods depending on who I'm fishing with. It's kind of like the kid who's enrolled in hockey all year round. Unless he absolutely assured of making it to the "Bigs" he 's probably much better off playing a bunch of different sports. In the end he'll be a much better athlete for it and I feel the same thing about the guy who's capable of all types of fishing.
It would be really tough for me to decide which type of fishing I would do if I could only choose one but now that I own a cabin on a lake and spend alot of time there I guess I would have to pick flyfishing. Besides flyfishing is the only method you can use in all waters; lakes, rivers, and the chuck. (and in the park if you're in to practicing your casting)
Afterall, the most important thing about fishing is getting obsessed with it!