MJL

Great pics and I'm loving the scenery. You're lucky to have a wife who's into fishing.

Top angling to the both of you.

LOL, so now where comparing Bob Izumi to Lance Armstrong ? Come on guys it doesn't get any easier on your body than fishing, this is a joke to me (you guys are young, I can understand an old man getting a little sore). The next strenuous activity down from fishing is laying in a hammock all day with a Corona, but let me tell you, that Corona bottle really gets heavy at the end of the day, maybe they should design some ultra light beer bottles too, my wrist is taking a beating.

For me, it's not so much the weight that I'll be carrying throughout the day that I'm worried about, it's the motions involved compounded by the weight and carried over a long period of time (years) that I'm most worried about. I'm young and fish hard now, I want to be fishing hard when I'm old. I know a few anglers who had to give up the sport they loved because of injuries to their wrist, elbows and rotator cuffs - prominent in fly fishing, some in float fishing.

An activity doesn't have to be strenuous to cause injury. You can be sitting down at your computer browsing the internet using a mouse and develop Tendonitis and/or tennis elbow - I did case studies on this in school and its surprising how much a problem ergonomics (or a lack thereof) actually is in the workplace. Auto assembly workers who do nothing but screw bolts onto a car without having to lift anything can develop injuries. Casting a rod for 14hrs a day over years can cause injuries. Pain is a sign something is not right. I love fishing and do my best to do it in ways to prevent injuries.

When I'm 80+ yrs old, I want to be able to do this - Definitely worth watching when it hits 2:30

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tc3Z9okcH3A...feature=related

You don't have to feel pain when you're old.

Try casting 10" wooden baits for 12 hours, then you'll know what tired really means

That's what rod holders and trolling motors are for

Sorry for your loss. He sounded like a great man and a special person. Condolences for you and your mom.

Best of luck. Algonquin park is such a beautiful place. I imagine is freaking cold there at this time.

Stay safe and have fun.

For me, I'm probably one of the smallest guys out on the river - I'm not particularly tall or heavy nor am I very strong so finding the best way to lug around a heavy rod is important. Consider the physics of levers. Fishing rods are just that. You have a long length on one side of the fulcrum (where you place your hand) and a short length on the other (butt section). Naturally physics is working against you in terms of what load you have to carry. If you wanted to lift a heavy object, you'd push down with the long length between you and the fulcrum to lift load the short length. You can have the lightest rod in the world but the physics of it is always working against you because of the fact that the butt section of a rod is always going to be shorter than the rest of it out in front of you. There is also the multiplier effect - I'm no mathametician but it's something that I studied in operations management and ergonomics. If you try to lift something farther away from you, the harder it will be and the greater the force needed to lift it. Hence, this is the reason why people can get away with using heavier centrepins - They're located very close to the fulcrum...Stick it at the long end of 13ft of graphite and you've got problems - Ounces seem like pounds.

With that said some things you can do

- Shove the butt end of the rod under your armpit so that it takes off most of the load - You yourself become the counterbalance rather than the 12 inches of cork and a rubber butt cap.

- Find a position that keeps your wrist as straight as possible - A bent wrist kept in that position for hours will always hurt at the end of the day...That's why they used to sell those ergonomic computer keyboards that split in the middle. It screwed with people's minds but at least it kept your wrist straight.

- Switch up the way you hold a centrepin over the course of a day to minimize the repetitive strain on certain muscles in a particular position.

- Take your rod and reel to a physician and have them help you find a good way to hold things to minimize strain and the chance of injury. I took my rod and reel to school and showed my prof...He helped me understand what I needed to correct in my casting technique.

- You can always blow $ and buy a custom rod and reel which may be lighter and better balanced.

One tip I've used from my experience in fly fishing is to use your body to cast. Lefty Kreh advocates this is the best way to prevent screwing up your arm. I tuck the butt section of the rod under my armpit and turn my body during the cast. All the power generated comes from my body rather than just my arm. You can't cast as far but I can cast to 95% of the places I fish. It helps if you use slightly heavier weight on the business end to load up the rod during the cast and act as a weight for zinging it out.

Always stretch before fishing - sounds weird but it really is a physical activity.

These things have helped me. I still do get sore wrists after 2 days of fishing 14hrs each day. The pain is far less than what I used to experience.

Tapered leaders will substitute parts 3 and 4 (I'm guessing part 5 is the actual fly). The tapered leaders have a thick butt section which tapers down to a smaller diameter line (tippet). You can tie them directly to your fly line - Eventually you will have to replace the thin part of the leader with tippet material because of wear and tear and the fact that you may be snipping off flies and changing them which eats up the tippet section. I have them in my pocket but a lot of the time I tie my own using a stiff section of 20lb mono and splice it to a softer section of 8-10lb test...I fish for steelhead and use split shops and such - No finesse required...From what I gather, it's more critical in dry fly fishing to use them because they present the fly in a more delicate fashion (I don't fish dry flies so I personally wouldn't know)

One guide, Ian Collin James ties on a "level" leaders...A 8-10lb piece of mono to the fly line...Seems to work for him just fine

That's the standard way of doing things...For me, I prefer a loop to loop connection for the fly line and the leader. I have a small loop of 30lb mono nail knotted to the fly line and tie either a perfection loop or a double surgeon's loop in the leader and join the two.

I also create loops by doubling over the fly line onto itself to create a small loop. Whip the doubled over fly line using tying thread. Goop aqua-seal or Loon's UV knot glue (I actually use the UV wader repair stuff) over the thread and let cure. Tie a loop in the leader and join...Never had a problem with either connection breaking. Might want to use other knots if you're heading out to salt water - IE. Bimini twist.

Edit

When in doubt take it to a fly shop and have them set it up for you.

Nicely done. Great work on Bowshep's part.

Would that happen to be a Thunder Creek silver shiner pattern lodged in its yap?

Great write-up

Anytime you can get out is great...I know the feeling. A nice fish there.

You do realize that for the next while, you'll be the source of all jokes relating to your man-to-hand relationship if you know what I mean...

I fished the head waters yesterday morning. In total I think I must've walked a little over 4km and saw a couple fish tucked far into a log jam. The creek seemed pretty devoid of fish. Always worth bringing a rod...Stop in at Tightlines and ask for info...If the steel aren't biting, stick a worm on a hook and fish for suckers if they're there.

Awesome report! I've always wanted to do something like that. Sure gets you away from the crowds

WTG

Thanks for taking the time for posting this. I also have a Stradic albeit an older model. I now know that my mechanically challenged @ss stands no chance in opening it up and greasing it. There are so many parts...Knowing myself, I'll probably put something in backwards or leave something out...Off to Aikman's I go!

Fly reels and centrepins are as far as I go...Only one screw involved

Thanks everyone for their comments. We really appreciate it. I'm hoping to do a few more trips for steelhead before switching over to carp.

Oh yeah...and no pic for Victor = me not believing he caught one.... LOL

That makes sense...Victor, another road trip next weekend to catch your first steelhead

You had one smash your float on the retrieve eh? Those droppies can be ravenous, they'd probably

hit anything....maybe even a marshmallow .

Everyone knows you can't catch steelhead just fishing marshmallows bottom...You need to fish them dry/waking style on a spey rod using a long greased line j/k

St. Lawrence in September for you guessed it....CARP!

Well done on the brute especially with the fly rod. My dad and I are planning a trip down there in the near future. The first pic is definitely an inspiration.

WTG

A couple questions I have:

Are you rigging up with shooting heads, full sinking, sink tips or just plain weighted flies + split shot to get down? Are cleats mandatory or can I get away with felt soles? Thanks

Beautiful! Especially love the first two pics but all the fish are gorgeous.

Congrats on a successful opener.

What kind of camera did you use to take the pics?

Beautiful pics of stunning fish. The yap on that big male is massive!

Well done...Looks like an amazing opener you had

Top Angling

Congrats on your new fishing partner. No doubt she will out-fish you in the future...Ladies tend to do that.

WTG on the fish

Beautiful...Simply stunning

WTG

For Part I of my adventure, see here

http://www.ofncommunity.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=18591

Part II Synopsis

The following text does not contain a chrome orgy or X-rated fish porn. It is however rated K for kick-@ss. Grab a coffee, a water and a bag of pop-corn or chips. It’s an epic tale of 2 OFC fishing bums with nothing better to do on a Sunday. Victor tries to ascend to manhood by catching his first ever steelhead. Mike (MJL) tries his best to show him the way of the steelhead force. Overwhelming crowds, spooky fish and a lack of experience threaten Victor’s quest to catch steelhead. Can he do it?

The journey begins

After coming back from opening day Saturday, Victor messaged me on MSN asking if I wanted to do some fishing for steelhead on Sunday…My reply…”Hell Yeah!”

Victor has only gone for steelhead a few times before. He had yet to actually catch one. The times I went with him, we were fishing in -20 degree weather and spent more time picking ice from the guides than really fishing.

I got my rods and reels ready and other gear packed. Victor didn’t have waders so I loaned him my old neoprenes that I no longer used along with boots and gravel guards.

I took a brief nap in the car on the way to the river - having fished 13hrs the day before and slept 2hrs during the night I was dead tired. Victor had the GPS lady to keep him company while I slept. We got to the river at about 4am – There were still people camping there from Friday night. It took Victor a while to get into the neoprenes but that chewed up some time till the morning bite got good – It was quite hilarious as someone who wears breathables to watch; the act of putting on the waders was a journey in itself. In the darkness I tried to be his fishing guide. I helped him rig up his float set-up and showed him the best I could how to maintain a drag free drift with a spinning reel – It’s been a really long time since I used a spinning reel to float fish and even I had trouble remembering what I used to do. He picked up the technique fast.

Dawn breaks and I’m into a fish. Like the previous day, I loose it – I always lose the first fish.

5 minutes later I hook into another one and it comes to hand after a few minutes – a hen of around 3-4lbs.

The second fish I landed was a beautiful resident brown about 10-11 inches. It had red and black spots surrounded by the classic white halos Like the day before, the camera went mental on us…This time it was Victor’s camera.

The roe bite died down pretty fast – I hooked 4 fish and landed 2 (1 steelhead, 1 brownie). I switched up to the little live trout worms and got into 2 more bows. One fish plowed across the surface of the river and nailed victor’s float while he was retrieving it. After that, out came the spinners. I got 3 more steelhead (3-6lbs) on a couple types of mepps and Vibrax.

One fish with the spinner

I’ve noticed over the years, a few fish seem to only have half a gill plate. Not exactly sure why?

Victor not to be skunked got into his first ever steelhead on a big black mepps spinner…Big congrats to him. He fished hard all morning and fought it like a pro – I guess the carp prepared him well for the battle. I tailed it for him. It turned out to be a drop back hen of about 6-7lbs with a beautiful iridescent pink stripe along its side. I handed the fish to him for a pic but as luck would have it, she kicked out from his grip and swam for freedom while I was turning the camera on. In any case, that fish made his day – Heck it made my day. He however was looking for more...

We walked further up river to see if we could tempt some more fish to bite. I toted my 7’ spinning rod along and victor carried his 12’ float and 6’6” spinning rods with him. We walked for a while but the majority of pools, and deeper runs were a little too crowded with people for our taste. We finally found a spot with no people and a few steelhead cruising about the pool. I tied on a small black mepps spinner and had 1 brief take and a couple follows but none would commit to hitting it. Victor tried out a small minnow bait you’d normally use for bass – I guess it was around 4 inches long. One fish followed it right to our feet but turned away the last second…Often people forget that these fish are predators in the big lake when all they see are the long rods, light lines and roe bags. In the end, we saw good numbers of fish throughout the river but couldn’t get another one. For most of the day we were fishing away from the crowds and pretty much had pools to ourselves. At the end of our trek, Victor also learned why man created gore-tex and other breathable materials…He was totally drenched with sweat from the hike.

Victor and I met a couple lurkers of OFC at the river who recognized me. Great guys who I’m sure OFC would no doubt benefit from their expertise in steelheading. It was rude of me not to get your names. If you must know, Victor made me post this report.

We left the river at about 1pm and took a drive to Rice Lake to see what the panfish were like. Victor put on a tube jig and a float and tried to get a crappie…I just chilled out for a bit on the dock and ate lunch. Victor didn’t hook into anything…The guy next to us caught a couple bullheads on worms…Didn’t look like there were many fish near by. Neither of us were ready to go home yet so…

We left Rice at about 2:30pm and headed to another trib to do some sucker fishing. We fished a section of the river that was open year round – we were the only anglers there for the whole stretch. There were a few dozen suckers in the pool but to our surprise there were also a few steelhead lurking too. We grabbed our rods from the car and made a mad dash to try to catch fish – suckers and steel were fair game.

Victor started out with roe, I started with spinners. I got into the first fish, a small rainbow about 6 inches long. 2nd fish was an OOS smallmouth about 1 lb.

3rd fish I “hooked onto” was a real surprise. For a while, a rainbow of around 8lbs had been randomly doing cartwheels in the pool we were fishing…We thought it was the steelhead gods trying to tease us…In reality, the fish had been snagged on the side with another angler’s hook & line…I found this out when my spinner snagged the 15ft of trailing line the fish had on it. The line lassoed around the treble hook of my spinner…Not knowing what to do with so much line out, I tried swinging the fish to shore so Victor could either tail it or net it…He opted to net it. We removed the snagged fly and released it.

There were still a few more steelhead in the pool. I casted a size 1 spinner upstream into the pool and this beauty hen nailed it on the retrieve.

Victor proposed that we have a sucker catching competition (seeing as how I already walloped him with steelhead ). I was up to the challenge. We both used worms and bottom bounced them. The end result…I dominated...The score was 14 to 6 in my favour. He did manage to beat me in the official categories of the biggest and most tree branches landed and the most times snagged up in rocks. The last branch was a biggun which he fought valiantly before it came to shore – It had to be a good 36-40 inches long…We released it of course. In total we fished from 4am to about 5:30pm – At the end of the day we were both too tired to care about anything else except sleep, dinner and our next fishing trip.

Another big congrats to Victor for his first steelhead. You are on the path of a silvery enlightenment.

Hope you enjoyed

Watch it mister...you dont weigh that much and the water is pretty cold this time of year....

 

What I lack in stature, I make up for in speed. The good lord built me like a Ferrari. Small, lightweight and agile (Pretty good looking too). Not only can I get to my baitrunner when a carp takes in record time, my ability to flee from a fight is unrivaled in the animal kingdom...That plus I figure there's at least 15km between either of us at any point in time. Thank goodness for fiber optics, copper cables and the internet

A long lean fish...A beauty nonetheless. Congrats with the fly rod.

AMAZING report Rich!

I love eating fried smelt...Never fished for them myself but it looks pretty cool. Good job on the trout...Love the colours on the brownies and specs. Thanks for sharing

Top Angling to you and the missus

I find that all four of you look good.

Even Cliff?

Sorry I had to