First Fly Rod

Yesterday I received my first fly rod ever. I have been wanting to try for some Trout or Dollys in the upper Squamish and now I'll be able to give it a whirl, perhaps in the next week if I'm lucky. I bought an entry level set-up to begin with just in case I don't like it, which of course is highly unlikely.

Rod - Dragonfly 9' 6 weight.

Reel - Dragonfly with two cartridges.

Line - Sinking tip line #4.

Leader - 10 Lb Maxima Ultragreen.

Flies - Egg sucking leeches and a few other patterns.

I can't wait to give it a try.

My Steelhead flies arrived

The flies I ordered off of ebay awhile back showed up and are in good order. Can't wait to try them out next weekend.

Stamp River December 17th, 2006

Three of us went over to Port Alberni on Saturday night, hit Cactus Club on the way in and then drove through an amazing amount of snow until we came down off the hump into Port Alberni. We had two boats arranged for Sunday morning and were picked up by the guides at 7:00 am. Two of my buddies are Steelhead vets while I've never caught one so they went in one boat and I went in the other.

We fished until about 4:00 pm, the river was high with some nice green color to it and good visibility. The day was awesome for me even though I came home empty handed, I did manage to hook my first Steel and then watch it cartwheel across the surface and shake my hook. Talk about working ! It was like non-stop casting all day from the minute we hit the flow until we pulled the gear to head in. I am sore all over from balancing myself in the boat (it was pretty rough in spots) and casting I don't know how many times.

My buddies hooked nine for the day including a couple of wild ones which they released and at least one summer run. They bonked four for the day and were all smiles (between yawns) on the way home.

I have only been fishing the rivers since late September and have learned so much since my first feeble attempts at the Vedder bridge. Sunday was no exception, it was like going to school for the day. I learned so much about fishing fast water (free spooling your line while thumbing it and maintaining float position) and spotting likely areas the Steels would be sitting. Casting accuracy as well was huge, we fished using a grid system which allowed for great coverage. The best part was one my guide told me to cast in between the hanging boughs of a cedar and a pine tree and take the belly out of the line while free spooling as the boat drifted. Ten seconds later, wham ! my first and only Steel on for the day.

Lastly, there were a few other boats out and as one of them drifted by one of the guys thought he saw Brendan Morrison. Turns out a few of the 'Nucks were out for the day too.

Pics to follow.

Cheakamus December 10th, 2006

Woke up around 9:00 am this morning and decided to head up to the Cheakamus. Left downtown at 9:45 and was fishing by 11:05 am. I was the only one there for awhile , not a lot of traffic as one might expect but someone did show up an hour or so after I got there.

Visibility was good, color not bad but nothing to report other than a couple of very red cohos that I saw nearby and a nasty looking chum that found my line. It was nice out though, the rain had pretty much stopped. Stopped in at Big D's in Squamish on the way back and called it a day.

Oncorhynchus keta

salmon dog, salmon dog, woof, woof !

Steelheading this weekend?

I've been invited to go Steelheading with a few of the guys from Fishing with Rod and if that doesn't work out there's talk of going barfing (bar fishing) instead. Regardless, a day outside walking up and down the river(s) is always better than a day spent at home.

Some recent purchases

I recently purchased and am waiting for the following steelhead lures to show up:

Alaskabou #4 Chartreuse & White Marabou



Popsicle #2 Steelhead & Salmon Marabou



Red Egg Sucking Leech #6



Egg Sucking Leech #6 & #8

Steelheading - December 2, 2006

The snow here in Vancouver is slowly melting away to nothing more than a few puddles on the roads. It's time to think about fishing this weekend and my thoughts naturally go to Steelheading. It's possible that I'll be heading out on Sunday but with regards to where, that is the question. I should know more by Friday or Saturday night. Stay tuned.

What's here and how to get there.

I deleted almost everything on this site and re-dedicated it to fishing. Fishing has become my pursuit, my passion and my way to get closer to things that really matter to me. Above all, fishing gives me a chance to relax and enjoy being outside.

To the right you'll see the menu of available items to look at should you feel like it. At the top is something called furl which allows me to share my bookmarks with anyone who clicks the link. This is where I keep all of my fishing related links.

Next you'll find fishing videos and photos, a collection of various rivers and trips for your enjoyment.

There are two sections dedicated to digital photography which to some may seem incongruous but to me, are a perfect fit as they produce the medium that allows me to share my experiences.

Next, you'll find previous posts and the archives section which are self explanatory.

Lastly, you'll find my rating system or "stars" for various articles, posts, rants, etc. Use the chart to decide what you want to read. Notice I gave this post 5 stars.