Michael Exl
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Well I was supposed to go down to Crooked Island in the Bahamas in June, but the lodge owner has been banned from the island so that shot. But I’m supposed to hopefully go check out Pelican Bay during the summer for the shop I’m interning at. I’m also planning on heading up to Alaska, but that is still up in the air. All I know for sure is that I will be chasing carp pretty much everyday up to this fall in about 2 weeks after classes are out.
But saltwater does not make a chinook a chinook, a coho a coho, or a pink a pink whereas saltwater is what makes a steelhead a steelhead.
Every single time someone posts something about Great Lakes steelhead, there is always someone that chimes in with the argument you just presented. So, I guess I will step up to the plate for my fellow Great Lakes steelheaders. To start with let’s ask ourselves a hypothetical question, are we not all homo sapiens? Yet there are characteristics that cause us to have different traits. Yet we are still the same thing. If I move to let’s say Germany, I’m still an American. All that has been done is that I have been transplanted to a different location. This is identical to what has happen with the steelhead. Steelhead were first identified in the late 1700s. So obvious there were none in the Great Lakes at the time, so they characterized the fish by having a life cycle that includes an anadromous stage. Move up in time some decades and we see steelhead from the McCloud River are being sent to various states in the Great Lakes region. So we have steelhead taking by train and placed in the Great Lakes. So along the way was there a fisheries biologist that told each fish they are just now a lake run rainbow. Nope, but would have been funny. So what do the fish do once they get to the Great Lakes, they display the same behavior they did out west by spawning in the creeks and rivers and running down to the lakes. So we have identical behavior just no salt. Sounds like the same thing to me so far, just sodium free.
If you really want to get into more I got a couple of interesting points to bring up since you brought up the browns. To start what about the species of salmon found in the Great Lakes. Should they all be called lake runs now? All the west coasts guys never bring up this point and I find it very interesting. We have chinook, cohos, and pink salmon in the Great Lakes along with Atlantic salmon, yet they are never brought up in this debate. I have never fully understood that. You’re so passionate about steelhead, yet you overlook several other species in your argument. Getting back to steelhead, they are supposed to be found only in the Pacific Ocean if you go according to the books. However, what do you know we have them in the Atlantic down in Argentina? So does that mean they are not steelhead since they are not from the Pacific Ocean, nope, don’t think so I haven’t heard any problems with this issue either.
Tim,
I grew up in NWI, so it was nice having access so close, but not the most pretty. At least the St. Joe isn’t that far of a drive for me when I’m back home. Even if I have to go into flipping Notre Dame to fish. I need to start hitting the big rivers in MI more.This thread makes me want to head out and go after some steelie. I don’t get to post as much since, I’m down at Purdue during the peak runs, but I’m planning on doing some damage soon here in Indiana. It’s really nice having steelhead in the systems almost year round. I just feel bad
I’ve caught some in my lake on clousers and other streamer patterns I’ve messed around with. Just stick with baitfish imitations and you should be fine. If you want to try at night I would have some flies with glowing fibers in them. They should work well.
Larry talks about the fly in the Seychelles episode of Hunt for Big Fish. The main point to take from it is to tie the legs in at a right angle so they stand up more. I usually just do this with my rubber legged gotchas and have great success.
Neal,
Talk you out of it, no way man. Two-handers are awesome. Heck I would be doing some over-hand beach casting with that bad boy. I enjoy casting my two-hander as much as landing fish with it. There is just something about spey casting that is intoxicating. You also have to remember one important thing too, chicks dig the long rod. ;D
-Mike
I like Patagonia’s waders. I finally replace my pair after 4 years of use and I mean heavy use. They had a very small pin hole leak and they took them back and gave me a new pair at no cost. Can’t beat that.
Welcome to the world of spey casting ;D Its going to take a lot of practice. Simon is pretty amazing, I was lucky enough to watch him cast first hand and pick up some tips. Just keep with it.
The length is not the only thing that you would have to get over with the new Sage Bass rods, the grip is a smaller diameter. Feels funny for a while when you casting it.
Sage Xi2 or the Z-axis. I hear you on wanting a new stick. I want another Z-axis so bad right now. Just hard to fit in the budget with going to the Bahamas and Alaska this summer.
Tim,
I thought I might as well treat myself to an early graduation present. It was a trip to Chile or a rod from Sweetgrass, I couldn’t pass up Chile I’ve been wanting to head there for some time now.I’ve heard that it is pretty windy down there. Not too much of a concern to me, I’ve been in some nasty wind before and been fine. Just another factor that adds to the excitement and experience.
Thanks for all the advice guys I really appreciate it. I got plenty of shad patterns so I’m covered there. Thanks again.
Well the White is definitely in the picture. I’m going down with a couple of guys and our lodge is right on the Norfork, so its mostly out of convience. Just have to wait and see what happens.
I’m not calling into question anyone who responded ability to determine, I’m saying in general there is a lot of people that focus on how well, mostly how far they can cast a rod as the key determining factor for buying a rod. I myself am in the same boat as you Peddler, I can nail down a rods ability and performance using various lines pretty accuratly. Although one rod that everyone should demo before buying is a two-hander, a bit off topic with this thread, but it can take a quite a bit of time to pin-point the right line for the rod. Nothing beats messing with various tip lengths and grain weights to nail down the perfect line for a two hander.
Its all fine and dandy how a rod casts in a parking lot or at a casting area at a show, but nothing beats the time actually fishing it on the water. Thats why companies like Sage and Scott have demo rods. How a rod casts is only a small part of what makes a good rod. The thing that I am most concerned about is how is it at fighting a fish. Is the rod going to have enough power in the butt section to handle a large fish. Another thing that you might consider is this going to be a good all around rod where I can use a variety of fishing methods.
Sage ZXL hands down. I have been messing around with some demos I got from the Sage rep in my area and the ZXL would be the best suited for a dry fly rod. The other demo I have is the Z-axis. With the Z-axis you will have a more well rounded rod for various applications, but if you want a true trout rod for dries go with the ZXL. I’m actually going to add one to my arsenal in the near future.
