Mary Ann and I have been out several times on the Salmon River swinging streamers and soft hackles with our Bamboo Switch Rods. Paul from Boise (who also has one of my Switch Rods) has also joined us. Here are a few photos of our action:
Mary Ann with a nice cast.
A nice Cutthroat that took a soft hackle swung during a BWO hatch.
Paul swinging a soft hackle through a nice riffle.
Mary Ann with a nice bend in the rod.
A nice Bull Trout that took a swinging streamer.
I haven’t posted in quite a while. That’s because I’ve been in Stanley, Idaho all summer just hanging out, doing lots of fishing, and continuing to work on my bamboo fly rods. Mary Ann guides here for Silver Creek Outfitters, www.silver-creek.com , from June 15th through Semptember 15th on the Salmon River. While I’m here, I’ve been writing a fly fishing report on a blog at www.flyfishingstanleyidaho.com . Check it out to see what fishing here in central Idaho is like.
Mary Ann and I just got back from two days in Boise at the Fly Fishing Expo. This is always a fun show, with a very enthusiastic crowd interested in talking about bamboo fly rods. I met a lot of nice folks, and had some great converstations about “Why Bamboo?”, how to build bamboo fly rods, and how to fix up old rods. Several attendees also brought by their old rods to talk about. It’s always fun to pull an old rod out of the rod sock to see what treasure is inside.
Along side my booth was Mike Morin of Cutthroat Leaders. Mike makes some great furled leaders, and I fish with them often. They are a great match to the action of bamboo fly rods and turn over flies in wonderfully smooth manner.
Mary Ann also gave a casting demonstration on “Adjusting your casting stroke for different distances”. She also had the chance to spend a lot of time on the casting pond with folks who were interested in casting bamboo fly rods to see what it’s all about.
I just completed a new Switch Rod for Mary Ann. This one is my 10′ 6″ 3/2 5 wt Progressive Action Rod designed for swinging streamers and soft hackles for trout. It’s casts great with a light Scandi Head or 5 wt Switch Line, perfect for medium-sized rivers and larger trout. I’ll have this rod at the Fly Fishing Expo in Boise next week for attendees to cast, fondle, and oggle!
Mary Ann and I had the chance to get out on the Fall River in central Oregon a week ago. Our bamboo rods were a great match for the slow, spring creek waters of the Fall River. If you haven’t ever fished the Fall, you should add it to your list of waters-to-fish. The gin-clear waters make it great for spotting up fish, and there are plenty to go around. Try the uppper section near the headwaters for some solitude, or venture out on the waters near the hatchery for some great opportunities for rising fish.
Early Morning Photo on the Fall River
The calm waters of the Fall River near the fish hatchery.
I took out a 7′ 6″ 5 wt medium fast bamboo rod, while Mary Ann chose her progressive action 7′ 6″ 5 wt bamboo rod to cast dry flies. We both rigged up with 50″ Furled Leaders from Cuttroat Leaders, and added 6 to 8 feet of 6X tippet. The combination work well, and we got into several fish throughout the day. There were plenty of rising fish mid-day with decent midge and BWO hatches, and small dry flies worked well. After the surface activity subsided, small nymphs suspended about 2 feet under small indicators continued to attract hungry fish. Here is a nice rainbow that took a #16 DD nymph drifted through a deeper pool.
Fighting a nice rainbow
NIce Fall River Rainbow