Kinda catchy isn’t it? I suppose if you’re actually reading my very sparse blog, you’ve learned that I am an avid addicted fly fisherman, and somewhat of a Star Wars fan. Like Star Wars, fly fishing is much like wielding the force. There is the light side of the force,
and of course there is the dark side of the force.
The light side being represented by the fly fishing purists, that would never fish for steelhead with a nymph, or any other means other than skated or swung flies for such anadromous fishes
The dark side being a product of those who will by any reasonable (up to and including using spinning/casting gear) means (sorry this does exclude the use bait) necessary to chase, coerce, and catch said fish.
Personally, this matter is somewhat of a big grey area to me. While I do very much enjoy the art of casting my Winston BIIM-X 12’3” spey rod and swinging such flies as these, I will, by no means under favorable conditions, ignore my 9’6” 8wt Scott with a thingamabobber and nymph attached. Would I rather catch a steelhead on the swing? You BETCHA! Is it the only way to fish? Gosh No! I spend too much time tying those fluffy, flashy, bunny and marabou bugs for them to just sit in a box. And the answer to your question is… yes, every one of them. Which brings me around to the real reason for the post, I said in September that I’d try to post more, and well, I’ve kinda failed on that. So, instead to keep you, the reader, entertained, and not be too terribly bored, here’s a bit of fish porn from the last couple months. All steelhead were caught swinging one of those flies or one similar.
*note: The rather large buck was caught on my 5wt Sage XP swinging one of the flies in the picture, as was the last picture.
