Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum
Fishing in British Columbia => Fly Fishing Cafe => Topic started by: Todd Oishi on December 08, 2011, 12:28:55 PM
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Fly fishing for trout and mountain whitefish in our coastal rivers and streams during the month of December has always been a bit of a juggling act for me. Between Christmas tree hunting, putting up the lights and decorations, Christmas parties and shopping, there’s very little free time left over for fishing. But this past Sunday, my chores were all done and my wife and daughter had a baby shower to attend, so I decided to hit the river in attempt to squeeze in a couple hours of fishing and regain a bit of my sanity…
Upon my arrival at the river, my suspicions were confirmed, as it was free and clear of any signs of spawning activity, which was a huge relief, as I was armed with little more than my 2-weight fly rod, a small flybox full of nymphs and a single spool of 6X tippet. The recent rains along with the cool, crisp Arctic air - were welcome events, as they whisked away the strong, pungent smell of rotting salmon flesh that had plagued the river and surrounding forests over the past few weeks.
As I stepped over the icy boulders and entered the river, I felt an instant chill come over my body, as the cold, rushing water pressed hard against the backside of my thighs. I cautiously moved into position at the bottom of a fairly shallow run that was surrounded by a thick canopy of cedar tree limbs and barren branches. Although this piece of water was ideal for nymphing, I feared that the overhead branches were bound to take a toll on the contents of my fly box.
I’d fished this particular stretch of water several times since last winter and had managed to entice a few rather large trout on each and every occasion. I also recognized the fact that the mountain whitefish tend to be attracted to this type of water – especially at this time of year - so I was hopeful that my efforts would be rewarded once again.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/Toishi/runoftheriver.jpg)
After analyzing the current’s flow patterns and making mental notes of all the potential lies, I decided that the most logical approach would be to start at the bottom of the run and work my way upstream fishing Czech-style with heavily-weighted nymphs. I adjusted my leader so it would match the depth of the water that I intended to target, and used 6X tippet – instead of my usual 7 and 8X – as I felt that there would be a very realistic chance of hooking into a few of the larger trout and mountain whitefish that tend to be found in this type of water.
I gradually worked my way upstream, working my nymph through every square inch of promising water. I had just started to work the inside edge of a long seam in the run, when I started to feel the occasional bump. I immediately realized that I had stumbled across a small school of whitefish. Being notorious “soft takers” I attached both my coiled sighter and drop indicators to my leader system. The results were immediate! My leader tightened and fly rod bent from the take of whitefish after whitefish…
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/Toishi/dec4thwhitefish.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/Toishi/decwhitefish.jpg)
Being that the water was very frigid; the mountain whitefish that I encountered, only seemed to show an interest in my fly when I presented at a distance of about 2 to 6 inches above the river bottom, which is the application that a heavily-weighted Czech nymph is specifically designed for.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/Toishi/cznymph.jpg)
The depth of the whitefish really didn’t surprise me, as they typically feed on insects and eggs that they’re able to dislodge from beneath the smaller stones and gravel along the river bottom, or devour as they drift past their locations. It’s also a well-known fact that mountain whitefish rarely rise to take their prey or other food items, so identifying their depth and keeping your flies within that zone is absolutely essential when targeting them.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/Toishi/IMGP6634.jpg)
(note the intricate, honeycomb-like pattern on their backs that helps them to blend into their natural surroundings..)
After landing about a dozen whitefish and a lone cutthroat, I spotted a slight depression in the middle of the run that appeared only for a brief moment, as a calm window in the current passed overtop of it. Upon a closer inspection, it appeared as if it had the potential to hold a larger whitefish or trout, so I moved into position. The first drift produced nothing, but on the very next drift, the drop indicator on my leader paused and dipped slightly while the coiled sighter tightened. I struck instinctively, and felt the weight of a good-sized fish and saw its brilliant flash through the water’s broken surface. I knew in an instance that it was a trout - and a good one at that!
The trout ran downstream while using the current to its advantage. I stumbled along the slippery, icy bank until I was able to move into a safer position that was just slightly downstream of the trout’s. It made another run, paused momentarily, leapt a foot above the surface of the water, and made a final run before I was able to lead it out of the faster water and into a gentle eddy that had formed below me. In one swift move, I pulled my net from the magnet that held it on my back and gently scooped it into the confinement of the net’s soft, cotton mesh. The timing was impeccable, as the barbless hook dislodged from the trout’s mouth just as its tail slid over the outer rim of the net.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/Toishi/ChasingRainbows.jpg)
My heart was still racing as I stopped to admire its beautiful markings and overall condition, as this was by far the finest trout that this river had produced for me this season. Not wanting to injure this magnificent creature, I left it in the water as I took a few shots with my camera before I carefully released it back into its watery domain.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/Toishi/Dec4thrainbow.jpg)
I paused momentarily to reflect on the events that had just transpired and decided to call it a day, as I wasn’t quite sure how I’d be able to top this experience, and couldn’t have imagined a better way to end what may very well have been my final fishing adventure of this year…
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/Toishi/riverdownlow.jpg)
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Excellent read Todd. Thanks for posting.
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Great read. That's what it's all about right there.
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Great story, almost poetic. I like fishing in December and January as the river is devoid of meat hunters!
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beautiful nice my gosh, great post :)
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Really enjoyed the read Todd, thanks.
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--excellent explanation on how you fish this type of water thanks.
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Great post.
I attached both my coiled sighter and drop indicators to my leader system
What's a 'coiled sighter'?
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Thanks for the kind words everyone! :)
Vagabond, the coiled sighter that I mentioned is used as a visual aid to help detect subtle takes while high-sticking or Czech nymphing. I make my coiled sighters from a 18 inch length of Stren, Hi-Vis Gold that's wound tightly around a piece of doweling and thermoset with boiling water in order to maintain the coils. The principle is really quite simple; you strike when the coils elongate as a result of a fish grabbing onto your fly. The majority of fly fishers tend to miss miss well over 75% of these sort of takes when nymphing in the faster water...
The drop indicator is simply a length of high visibility monofilament that has a series of micro drops of fluorescent epoxy that help you identify the slight dip in the leader as a fish grabs a hold of the fly. Both of these sighters are designed to enhance your ability to detect those subtle takes that aren't recognizable when fishing with nymphs - both with and without indicators...
Cheers,
Todd
:)
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Thanks for the great explanation of the components of your technique.
Fluorescent epoxy sounds like a product with many fishing applications. Where do you find that? One colour or many available?
I am imagining your rig is main line > coiled sighter> drop indicator > leader > tippet. ??
I have been fishing for 60 years and it never ceases to amaze me how much I don't know about techniques after participating for so long. As I ease into retirement I am making a point of better understanding methods even if I don't anticipate ever using them. Sometimes I learn something that could be applied elsewhere or it is a great revelation as to the inadequacies of what I have been doing.
Thanks again.
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You're very welcome Vagabond!
Here's a photo that I took that shows one of the types of coiled sighters that I made (I demonstrate how to make and use them in my
'Art of Czech Nymphing' seminars):
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/Toishi/coliedleaders.jpg)
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That coil sighter is pretty darn cool!
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what a great read! successful results for a nice spontaneous trip in the middle of the hectic month that is december.
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Thanks cutthroat22 and Danny!
Here's a photo of the dropper indicator that I've been using:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/Toishi/epoxydroppers.jpg)
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Do you have a rule of thumb for how you handle the length of line beneath the coiled sighter? What I mean is, are you constantly trimming or adding lengths of fluorocarbon as you move through different runs? Or would you keep it a pre-determined length (within reason), and just, say, adjust your arm height / allow the sighter to be fished on the surface with some floatant?
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Do you have a rule of thumb for how you handle the length of line beneath the coiled sighter? What I mean is, are you constantly trimming or adding lengths of fluorocarbon as you move through different runs? Or would you keep it a pre-determined length (within reason), and just, say, adjust your arm height / allow the sighter to be fished on the surface with some floatant?
I adjust the coil wihtin my leader system so it'll remain a foot or two above the surface of the water when I'm nymphing with heavily-weighted Czech nymphs. The depth of the pattern/presentation is adjusted by simply raising or lowering the tip of the fly rod as the fly is led through the water that I'm targeting. The occasional ticking of my fly, as it makes contact with the river bottom, indicates to me that my fly is at the right depth (for winter nymphing especially). I'll raise the tip of my fly rod (which will lift the fly a little higher off the bottom) if I'm not experiencing any takes in water that I suspect fish are holding.
I only apply floatant if I'm swinging or French Nymphing (an upstream, long-ling nymphing technique) with small nymphs and soft-hackles in slower-flowing stretches of water...
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Thank you, Tyson. I'm really excited to get out and try this technique. I've been juggling between different styles of indicator fishing, and have been trying to dissect my nymphing techniques to determine how I can improve my ratio. I think this is potentially a great system to have in ones repertoire, I just need to pick up a suitable (and affordable!) style of rod to put it all together. Cheers!
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Great read, and some beautiful fish! what river is this if you don't mind me asking?
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great story... nice fish!
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Thanks guys! :)
Wyper, it's a Lower Mainland that I prefer not to name, as is a standard practice for most of my fishing reports. It's nothing personal, but I think that you could appreciate just how crowded it could potentially be, especially with the large number of viewers that frequent this forum.
That being said; whitefish are present in most river systems that drain into the Fraser River, so it's not that difficult to identify and locate them - rainbows of this size are however a little more difficult to find, but I sincerely believe that's what makes trout fishing in our region so challenging and rewarding at times.
Cheers,
Todd
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While we are on the topic of coiled indicators, how long do you keep them in simmering water?
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I'll boil them for at least 15 minutes and then place them imnmediately into a ziplock baggie that's full of ice-cold water. I'll then throw the coils and baggie into the freezer, and leave them there overnight....
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Tyson. I completely understand, I have been fishing a few rivers in the lower main land that are close to home. but have yet to find any rainbow.. they are a hard fish to come by it seams if it is not in a stocked lake... any suggestions? maybe things should be looking for, are there any tell tale signs of trout? should I be fishing higher up the run or lower?? I am fairly new to the hole river fishing thing.
Thanks!
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The part that Tyson talks about seeing a slight depression in the middle of the run is a great tip for rainbow hunting in streams. In the lower mainland streams the number of rainbows is relatively low, and they often only occupy the best little holding spots.
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When you are talking about these "depressions" in the water would that be say like a large rock or bolder or obstruction under the surface that is a shelter from the current? I have noticed they leave "depressions"... is this what I am looking for? I have been fishing mostly along bends where there is shelter on the side, also at the ends of riffles in pools...
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Definitely rocks and boulders are good spots. The way Tyson describes this run though it sounds like to me there was just a slight depression in an otherwise ordinary looking run. Polarized glasses definitely help in spotting subtle decreases in depth. I find that rainbows often hold in much shallower water than many realize and when they do they often sit in slight dips that are barely noticeable without close inspection.
Tyson is an unbelievable fly fisherman and I've never used 'coiled' sighters and have only novice abilities, but drifting nymphs/egg patterns over this kind of water will work no matter what technique you use (indicator, czech nymph). It sounds like you're fishing the right water, maybe just not hitting a system with a lot of trout. With coastal systems, the biggest trick is to go where the food is (ie creek mouths, behind spawning salmon, insect hatches when available) because the systems don't have high enough nutrient levels to feed fish everywhere in high densities.
If you message me you're location, I would gladly point you in the right direction if it's a system I've spent time on.
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Thanks "living_blind" huge help! Sounds like i will be needing to pick up some polarized glasses... I have heard this a few times...
Edit: Living_blind I am not able to send privat messegs... my e mail is justinwyper@gmail.com