MJL

I absolutely love the whirlpool. The scenery there is magnificent. Really tempted to get down there myself this winter for the steelhead. It’s great you could hook up with Vinnimon. A few years ago, CharlieD took my dad and I down to the pool for our first trip there for steelhead...I will forever appreciate that gesture and he’s probably the reason I have yet to blank down there for the bows.

I still remember my first trip down there for carp like it was yesterday as well as my first trip there for steelhead…It really pays to chat with the locals who fish down there for the steelhead…They’ve shown nothing but kindness and hospitality to me each trip I’ve gone down during steelhead season and gave me great tips. They put me onto some minnow patterns that worked great (like Gulp and some local streamer ties). The walk down and then up again is always worth it in my books

The whirlpool has quickly become one of my new happy places

Oh no...what have I done?!?!?!

 

Glad to be on the Dark Side!

Now I just gotta convince you to make unnecessary gear acquisitions for 1% of the conditions you might ever face on the river - Victor and Kelfun know I can be very persuasive

Been using Raven mono since 2002 and I’ve been loving it. Raven 10lb in green or smoke is my line of choice to spool the pin with. I find 6-8lb Raven stretches too much and digs in after a battle with a big fish or a log). Around $12 for 1000 yards and I normally only spool up once in the spring and once in the fall – I get out 3-6 times a week (spring/winter/fall) depending on my schedule so I go through a fair bit of line snipping off to re-rig for different pools, etc. Never had a problem with abrasion or breakages. Tried Siglon V and Siglon F (I think…The hi-vis one) a number of times and I just kept losing floats to snags and breaking off on fish (even small shakers) even with a 4lb leader. Prior to switching over to Raven, I used Maxima Ultragreen in 8lb and it was a great line – No complaints.

Awesome report Ant…Great to finally meet you in person after so long. Was a tiring weekend for sure…Feeling pretty shattered with 2-3hrs of sleep the last few days (Cause was entirely fishing related ). Still thinking about losing that monster hen this morning

Thanks for waiting a few extra minutes while I slept in on Saturday …Also many thanks for driving me around all weekend too…Really appreciate it – Rarely get the car on weekends now.

Was a pleasure watching you beat your PB 3 times back-to-back-to-back as well as getting EC1 into his first steelhead as well. Mad fun this weekend!

I want Mariko Izumi for Christmas...Unwrapped is fine

Also

1 - 13' 8wt spey conversion float rod

1 - John Milner Kingfisher centerpin reel (Bushings)

1 - 9wt Sage z-axis spey rod

1 - Tibor spey series fly reel + line

2 - Plane tickets to the Skeena River (I'm sure my dad wants to go too )

Here's hoping Santa will be generous this year...I've been a good boy this year

Nice chrome bullet Stonefly.

I've been in a few situations where I've had to fight fish from the seat of my pants and on a couple occasions, from my belly...Earlier this spring, while fighting a fish, I slid into the river and fell onto my butt...Only thing was water began pouring into the top of my waders

Great report Laz...Well done to the both of you. Beauty fish all-around. Battling the wind and cold definitely paid off

Other things I've also pondered...Really

If quizzes are quizzical then what are tests?

How fast do hotcakes sell?

Why do doctors leave the room while you change? They're going to see you naked anyway.

Are eyebrows considered facial hair?

If 4 out of 5 people suffer from diarrhea does that mean the fifth one enjoys it?

Is it okay to use a spinning reel for floating? How effective is it? Not ready to shell out the money for a centerpin just yet...

Is it easier to get a good drift with a centrepin VS spinning reel?…Sure

Is a centerpin more EFFECTIVE at catching fish than a spinning reel?…No…I believe the effectiveness related to any piece of fishing equipment revolves around the abilities of the angler to use it to its greatest potential.

In the hands of a skilled angler either reel will perform similarly to one another. You can go from free spool to total lock down with either reel too while fighting a fish. It’s up to the angler to be resourceful and find a way to use either type of reel to the best of their abilities – Practice makes perfect. Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of fishing with BBNotty and his son Brendan (who is an amazing angler and does use a spinning reel for his float fishing). Brendan’s ability to control his float down a long pool with his spinning reel rivaled that of most highly experienced centrepin anglers. By opening and closing his bail multiple times throughout the drift, he was able to create seamless, mind-blowlingly-orgasmic drifts (especially to the steelhead) and out fished pretty much every other angler on the river that day (I did give him a good run for his money though )…There are different ways to create a good drift with a spinning reel…Try a few, choose one (or a few) you’re most comfortable doing and like anything, practice.

Was the host named Zeb Hogan?...Sounds very similar to the show Mega-fish (or something along those lines). Here's Zeb with a 'baby' taimen

Been compiling a list of monster freshwater fish I wanna catch at least once in my lifetime since I was a kid: Sturgeon, taimen, mahseer, arapaima, giant amazonian catfish, etc...I'm sure after I catch a Taimen, I probably wouldn't look at steelhead the same again

Holy mother of Gawd...Those are BEAUTIES!!!

With monsters like those about, it kinda makes me wanna rethink the whole idea of skinny dipping

Great post Cliff. Good to see you getting into some fish. Gotta love the peace and quiet you get during those night time steelheading trips

Nicely done Tibbs...That sturgeon is super cool to the max! I've hooked only 1 baby one down in the Niagara about 24 inches long or so but it popped off close to shore...Tempted to try for some BC monsters hopefully soon.

Great report and pics and congrats on some great marks...Keep at it.

Beauty fish Jim…Nicely done…Methinks I spied you on Friday working your spinner magic in a long, deep, quiet pool in the afternoon

Spinners rock!

Mike

Awesome job with the log jams. Basic routine: Lock the spool, bend the rod down to the cork and walk backwards

Too amazing for words Mike

Congrats on a great day out

For my own spinner fishing, I prefer casting upstream (preferably straight upstream if possible) and retrieve with the current or just enough to feel the spinner blade working. With this method, you can control the depth at which you fish the lure much easier. When you take a standard weighted spinner (like a Mepps Aglia, Vibrax, Panther Martin, etc) and cast it downstream, the lure will tend to rise up in the water column as you retrieve it (It may rise out of the strike zone). Light spinners (like the Vibrax) will tend to rise up on their own if you just hold them in the current. I find the down and across method works best in shallower runs and riffles as opposed to long deep pools or runs.

Considering the spinner blade shape is pretty important as well in deciding which spinner to use at what depth and in what current. In slow froggy water or in medium speed current with little depth, I probably would choose a spinner with a Colorado blade because it turns the easiest when you retrieve and you can slow roll them in close to the bottom (great for winter spinner fishing). For deep faster runs, I'd choose something with a willow type blade like a Mepps Aglia Long or a double loon. It takes more effort to crank them in and get the blades turning but they don't tend to rise up on the retrieve. For fishing water between super froggy and in super fast current, French blade spinners are the ones I use the most. Mepps Aglia and Vibrax use these type blades. I use Mepps quite a bit when fishing the classic long, smooth moderate flowing pools. I class panther martins by themselves because they have an elongated type blade like a willow leaf but turn quite easily on the retrieve. Pick a size suitable for the conditions and most likely you can find a way to fish them. I normally carry a bunch of each type of spinner and switch up to different styles during the day.

If you're float fishing and want to try spinners, no problem...Pick up a few spinner blades, clevises and beads and thread them onto your line below the float. Fishing unweighted spinners can be deadly in winter. Rig up your float rod as you would for fishing roe, jigs, pink worms, etc except thread on the Spinner blade + clevice a bead and then tie on a hook at the end of your leader...I find bulk shotting works best in most cases. Cast across and downstream and swing the spinner across the river towards shore...If you're fishing in a spot with some current, you can just hold back on the float a little to get the blade to spin...If not you may need to raise the rod tip or crank the reel a little to get them to turn. Spinner fishing is highly addictive - you may never get used to the way steelhead smash them

Top water steelhead…Hell Yeah!!!

For me it’s my holy grail of fishing. I’ve been blessed to have caught 1 3-4lb chrome steelhead on a dry fly (my only fish ever caught on a dry fly). I’ve also fished for them subsurface a foot or two with original rapalas as well as the jointed model in fast current - Watching them wake behind your lure as you retrieve it in is an insane rush. Like all things fishing, it’s dependant on weather and seasonal conditions (something I’m still learning myself after 7-8yrs of trying for topwater steelhead). I give surface fishing a try once or twice a year either with the fly rod or with lures…I don’t have the sheer dedication to pursue it all the time – It’s definitely not a numbers thing but it does happen to those who are persistent.

(When you encounter a snag, point the rod directly at the snag, clamp down on the reel and pull. Don't put the rod into a full load and walk backwards.)

I thought that was common knowledge Mike

changed blanks. has anybody worked with the rainshadow series of blanks? they are a great price for my first rod tie, and seem to be well respected, at least in the states...

Probably the least expensive option for quality blanks you can find in the market (Great value IMO)…I built 1 of the old RX7 float blanks for a close friend 5yrs ago (2pc, 4-8lb) – Bill Batson told me it was the predecessor model to the current RX7 and the newer blanks are slightly faster in action. Had a chance to play around with the 13’ RX8 blank this summer and tie on a few guides.

Ran a line though it and felt pretty fast and powerful compared to most other blanks on the market. I’m currently looking for a 2pc rod myself (for trib hopping) and may consider building the RX8 or the new 13’ St. Croix Avid when it comes out (Both blanks are under $200CAN I believe without shipping or other fees).

Your tracking looks a lot better than what I’ve experienced in the past with Canada Post, Fedex and UPS. A lot of the time the estimated date of delivery is off by a day or two (I’ve had packages arrive a day earlier too)...If you see the package going away from Kitchener (like to some distant city on the opposite side of the province), I’d be worried then - same if it's been in the holding center for more than 2-3 days. I’ve tracked packages sent via UPS from NY State go up to Toronto, then to the Scarborough UPS store, then go back down to the border to Buffalo, then to Kentucky, then back to Toronto and then to my door in a span of 3 weeks

Beautiful picture Paul. I've been seeing a good variety of birds of prey while I'm out steelheading but they always seem to fly off as I'm reaching for my camera.

2 weeks ago I was fishing alone in the bush off the beaten path at night...Turned around and a pretty big coyote was behind me sniffing my backpack on shore...Really amazing how much wildlife is around even near urban centers

When ordering components, try to find items locally if you can…Ordering long, heavy, expensive or flammable items from the States may be quite costly in terms of shipping, brokerage, customs and other hidden fees. I mostly deal with Angling Specialties when purchasing components (I live 3min away from the shop)…If I want something they don’t carry, I try to order from one of the Canadian vendors like

John Collina

http://www.jccustomtackle.com/

or

http://www.rodbuildersupplies.com/index.php

If not, Mudhole down in Florida has been great getting stuff but be aware that shipping can total to 25-65% of the price of your items based on how they ship it (Fedex or USPS or how big the box is that’s being shipped to you)

http://www.mudhole.com/

I’ve also dealt with Mark Crouse from West Virginia in the past (aka Munich Rod Man). He is one of the greatest thread weavers on the planet. His website is down but his contact info is available if you google it up. He stocks European float blanks (Like Harrison, MSC and Tusk) and builds them for Erie trib steelhead. Also has a variety of metal/rubber butt caps and can turn you a custom reel seat, butt cap, handle if you want.

Rod building is really easy if you’re a patient person who is pretty detail oriented. You can make your own rod tying stand out of a few pieces of wood…If you have no hardware tools whatsoever to make a stand, a cardboard box with 2 notches cut on the sides would suffice…You could also use a telephone book to run your thread through for tension. You can hand turn your rods after applying epoxy if you don’t have a motor (you could also build your own motor out of a BBQ rotisserie). Have some light sandpaper on hand (I like using 3M scotch-brite in grey or maroon) and some brushes to apply epoxy (I prefer small medical spatulas or bodkins better but brushes are probably easier for beginners to use)

With cork, you have 3 options: a) Buy pre-fabricated handles and glue onto the rod or b.) glue your own cork rings together onto a mandrel, then shape them on a lathe and then assemble onto the rod or c) glue them onto the rod and then turn. For a beginner, I’d recommend buying a pre-made handle off of a rod builder and taking a reaming file to it and gluing it on…Saves you from buying or needing to build your own high speed lathe to turn it.

BOF from the Float board builds rods and I think is around your neck of the woods…You might be able to get some tips and components off of him too. Learning off somebody in person is a lot better than watching internet tutorials IMO.

It’s a fun and really addictive hobby once you get into it. I loved getting scrap blanks and factory seconds and piecing them together with hack saws to make fly rod blanks…I also used to salvage old float rod blanks and refinish them for cheap or turn them into something totally different and build them for myself. For me, I love the variety of components and options (like thread colour, decorative wraps, etc) you can use to build rods just for yourself to your own preferences. Haven’t built full rods for quite some time due to my allergies to epoxy but I’ve been playing around with other finishes like varnish, Permagloss and some clear coat adhesives and I’m hoping to be at it again this winter.

Last year I built a float rod for myself out of a used scrap blank for pretty cheap (at least compared to one brand new) - Definitely won't see another one like it on the river

Go for it provided the wifey lets you use the kitchen table

Sounds like a Witzke custom rod with maybe a clough…Ouch!

All the best to the guy in finding it. I'd be pretty devastated too if I lost a couple of my own rods…Witzke’s rods are usually very distinct and identifiable with decorative cork handle inlays (I've seen his rods with brass, wood, sometimes even tiny flies suspended inside bubbles of hard resin put inside the cork handle) and decorative thread weaves on the butt. I had the pleasure of fishing a custom Witzke 13’6” Sage baitcaster in the whirlpool last year and it was truly a work of art. Might not have the sentimental value as the original rod but there are a couple rod builders in Canada and the US I know of who should be able to reproduce the look and feel of the original rod given a few specs and an idea of what materials were used.

Congrats! Beauty fish

Nice catch to the both of you (if you know what I mean )