G.Loomis IMX-PROc Creek Fly Rods for Trout

One would think Fly fishing creeks for trout would easy. It's actually quite challenging. Stealth is the upmost importance but when you have successfully acquired position, next your skills must come to play. The first time I fished creek water I was surprise by both how inadequate my skills were for the situation but also how poorly my rod performed in the same situation. Successful creek fly fishing takes much more than just any short fly rod. 

A creek fly rod needs to be a moderate action. One needs to be able to slow down their stroke and allow time to create successful presentations. With that moderate action the rod tip also needs to behave to help with consistent, accurate casting loops. 

A creek fly rod also needs to load with limited amount of line out. A proper cast starts with good feel even at short distances. 

And with those characteristics the rod also needs to track true to set up accurate cast. Modern graphite with advanced taper designs coupled with precision wrapping techniques produces rods that track true.

All of these attributes had to be collectively taken into consideration to produce a truly fine and modern creek rod. 

IMX-PROc Creek

G. Loomis IMXc Creek Fly Rods have all the right characteristics to meet the goals of challenging creek angling. In addition I have found an exceptional fly line for this type of trout fishing. The RIO Premier Creek Fly Line. This fly line loads the rod with very little line off the tip of your rod enabling the caster to set up for short, precise cast. It's a joy to fish with. Find them in our Fly Shop.

Rod Features

• Conduit Core Technology
• Chrome single-foot guides
• Chrome stripper guides
• Hook keeper
• Custom premium grade cork grip
• Custom reel seat with wood insert
• Tube and cloth rod bag
• Handcrafted in Woodland, Washington

Specs -

MODEL	LENGTH	LINE WT	PIECES	HANDLE	ACTION
IMX-PRO C 279-4	7'9"	2	4	Custom half wells	Moderate - Light Presentation
IMX-PRO C 379-4	7'9"	3	4	Custom half wells	Moderate - Light Presentation
IMX-PRO C 479-4	7'9"	4	4	Custom half wells	Moderate - Light Presentation

Shop G.Loomis IMX-PROc Creek Rods

"The Gorge"

Gorge Fly Shop Team - 541.386.6977

GorgeFlyShop.com  |  Join our Team |  Contact Us

"Fly Fish the World with Us"

Friday's Featured Fly - RIO's Parachute Adams - Purple

RIO Parachute Adams - This is one of those "Don't leave home without it" dry flies!  The Purple Parachute shines as a mayfly imitation anywhere trout swim.  An ever-popular pattern in rivers and streams, it's also a sleeper stillwater fly.  Deadly during a Callibaetis hatch and as a generalist attracter when insect activity is low.  

Shop RIO Parachute Adams - Purple   

Shop Trout Flies Here

"The Gorge"

Gorge Fly Shop Team - 541.386.6977

GorgeFlyShop.com  |  Join our Team |  Contact Us

"Fly Fish the World with Us"

RIO Video - How to Fish a Soft Hackle

Really good info in this video. Doesn't matter if you want to swing soft hackles on single hand rod or two hand trout spey rod, all information applies.

RIO's How to Fish a Soft Hackle

Watch Video

Simon makes a great statement in this video regarding how easy it is to soft hackle fish and yet you can make it as technical as you want. If performing on a single hand rod it can also play as a precursor leading to trout spey in the idea of swinging flies downstream.  

What gear do you need:

If I covered all the possibilities of gear choices it would make this article way to long to want to read. While you could swing a soft hackle with any trout rod there are some choices that would make this technique more fun and productive. A good 10' 4 weight would be hard to beat. A rod like the Sage X Simon is fishing is an excellent choice. 

The fly line is probably the key importance to this fishing. RIO's Single Hand Spey is an excellent choice but even better today is the Single Hand Spey 3D version. This intermediate tip version breaks the water tension and keeps more contact with your flies. The intermediate tip section tapers into a hover section that leads into the rest of the line which is floating. In addition to better fly contact the line also provides a more solid anchor for single hand spey cast. One note about the Single Hand Spey lines is they also cast overhead beautifully. 

RIO Suppleflex Leaders and Tippet will take care of the fly connection equation. The only thing I would add is the Tippet Rings. These little rings make rigging easier but also adds some dimension to your two fly setup.

A selection of soft hackle flies does not have to be complicated and can very likely include some nymph bugs you may already have. I like to mix my rigs up with a bead head fly on the dropper leader and non-weighted soft hackle fly on a longer tippet. With this setup I can get a gauge on what the fish prefer very quickly and adjust my flies accordingly. 

A revelation I came to when just starting out soft hackle fishing is I often found myself catching fish in water that many anglers ignored or just boated quickly through while indicator fishing. These areas I could take my time, slow down and in many cases found some of my best catches. 

Warning: Soft hackle fishing can be addicting and serious anglers will most likely lead to the two hand rods specifically with modern offerings such as the little Sage Trout Spey 1 or 2 weight. With modern lines and modern rods spey techniques can easily be learned and the longer rod provides many benefits in casting as well as landing your catch. 

The possibilities in soft hackle fishing are endless yet the overall idea can remain fairly simple. It's a relaxing technique for the wade angler and can provide success in a variety of water types and conditions. 

Greg the Dirty Angler