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Fly Water Travel Hosted Travel - Las Buitreras Lodge - Argentina

Just north of the Straits of Magellan, in southeastern-most Argentina flows the incomparable Rio Gallegos. For many a seasoned rod, this lovely, low-gradient system and the charming Las Buitreras Lodge that serves it represent the pinnacle sea trout experience. The beauty of the Gallegos watershed is otherworldly, and it’s likely for guests to find themselves fishing alongside silver foxes, guanacos, rheas, flamingos, and wild horses. Fishing for the mighty sea-run browns of the Rio Gallegos can be very challenging, and as a result, incredibly rewarding. Here, with highly skilled guides, the warm charm of the Argentinean culture and the extreme beauty of this pristine and unpressured system, guests find themselves having the trip of a lifetime year after year.

Dates: January 21 - 28, 2023

Availability: 3 spots

Itinerary:

• Thursday, January 19: Depart home
• Friday, January 20: Arrive Buenos Aires and overnight
• Saturday, January 21: Fly from Buenos Aires to Rio Gallegos and transfer to the lodge
• Sunday, January 22 - Friday, January 27: Six full days of guided fishing on the Rio Gallegos
• Saturday, January 28: Depart the lodge. Fly to Buenos Aires and connect with your return overnight flight to the States.

Rate: $7,490 per person for a 7 night/6 day package based on double occupancy

Fly Water Travel Specials

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Tight Line Nymphing Small Streams

Upstream a boulder sets up a small slick. Landing the a case caddis nymph just up and inside from the boulder sets up for a great drift. Rod tip high with line in control the caddis ticks its way down right into the thick of the slick. Quick as a flash of lightning the sighter jolts to a stop. I snap a hookset on another wild brown sitting undetectable in gin clear water.

Time and time again this method shows me fish hiding in plain sight. Fish that don't move for anything except what drifts in their feeding lane.

I never have and probably never will claim to be a trout expert. While deep into my middle age, the first two thirds of my life I never even lived near trout water. Over the past dozen years or so tinkering in trout streams I have come to one solid conclusion regarding this species. There are days they move and there are days they don't!

In recent history I got a chance to explore some of the famous Pennsylvania spring creeks. A friend and a true local of this water took his time and shared with me what these spring creeks are all about. What I learned in a week is with my limited western trout knowledge I would have failed miserably in this land of small and clear water had I'd been on my own trying to do it myself.

While much of the time trout were willing to move for flies in an equal amount of time they didn't move at all. Lucky for me my friend was willing to share his knowledge of tight line nymphing and continually he showed me fish that I could easily claimed are not there.

Back at home I proceed to put these "euro" methods into play on some late summer, clear and small streams. Just like in my recent experience soon I was setting hook on fish that I was sure wasn't there.

So what does this all add up to...
While I'm not ready to closet all my other trout gear and go all in on euro I am excited for what I've learned and it has added much insight to my understanding of trout behavior that goes well beyond the usual match the hatch and don't blow the cast, you suck as a trout angler personal profile.

My understanding has advanced in the way of how trout move, or don't move and how to match the situation for any given trout attitude that one may encounter during his hour on the stream.

If you find trout moving with reckless abandonment feed them a streamer. If you find them rising to a hatch, match the hatch. If you find them foraging the runs, swing a fly. If you can't find them at all...I recently learned a trick that will show you where they are. Are you interested?

Some say it's boring! You can't get bored with euro if you are properly engaged. It takes much effort to keep in contact and control of your fly. I guess if you stood in one spot that would get boring but that's true no matter what tactic you choose.

My limited outside instruction included this tidbit; Methodically pick apart your water and believe every rock, depression, seam, etc, holds a fish. Give that fish the opportunity to eat but if he doesn't eat let him be and continue on.

When I started seeing fish come from unlikely spaces is when I started to believe every rock held a fish. Pretty soon the world opened up and the idea of random fish went out the window.

As excited I am to learn a new technique I believe I'm even more excited about a deeper learning of trout and their behavior. Tight line techniques have supplied me the confidence that I am fishing where fish are. Now I can go to work on what makes them commit to a fly. It no longer feels random.

Find Euro Nymphing Gear at "The Gorge"

I'll see you on the water...But you won't see me!

Greg Darling 

Gorge Fly Shop
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"Passion For Fishing Is A Lifelong Pursuit Of Discovery"

Thomas & Thomas Contact Fly Rods - Free Fly Line

Contact Series

Fly Fishing techniques are reaching deeper than ever thought possible. Weighted flies, long leaders and highly sensitive rods are letting anglers get down to where fish do most of their feeding.

Thomas & Thomas Contact Series
Utilizing a proprietary resin T&T calls StratoTherm, Thomas & Thomas is able to produce rods that are light weight, responsive, durable and can transmit every tic into your fingertips.

Flexible while quick dampening, the T&T Contact casts without the shock waves in the tip so you can have confidence in putting the fly on target and it staying there ready for immediate action.

Features:

• Four piece multi-modulus graphite blank incorporating Thomas & Thomas’ latest proprietary composites and curing process, with stealth natural graphite finish.
• Titanium-frame ceramic stripping guide and single foot RECoil guides with subtle olive wraps.
• Small fighting butt and western grip of select Flor-grade cork
• Up-locking, black anodized aluminum reel seat and burled black ash spacer, with down-locking available by request.
• 1086-4 Model features wells grips with larger hardware and fighting butt.
• Includes aluminum rod tube with machined bar-stock aluminum collar and cap.
• Blue powder-coat with pewter Thomas & Thomas logo.

Contact 1086-4 Handle - 10'8" 6wt

Chile Brown Trout

I got some time in Chile with the 1086-4 this past spring. What impressed me is this rods feels like a 5 weight in hand yet cast and fights fish like a 7 weight. While labeled a 6 weight it could easily play the role of a serious steelhead rod and still be a lot of fun on above average size trout. It's truly a rod that covers a wide range of utility.

Find Thomas & Thomas Fly Rods at "The Gorge"

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Thomas and Thomas Exocett SS Rod Series Review

Big Flies! Big Fish!

We place big demands on fly rods in this modern day of extreme fly fishing. Flies are bigger, lines are more aggressive, our casting is more aggressive and we go after big payoffs! It's no wonder we are in constant search for the next better fly rod to appear on the market.

A bit over a year ago my friend and guide Lance handed me a rod to fish that I will say without hesitation has since changed my understanding about rod actions.

You see, I'm a big fly junkie! If I need magnifiers to tie on a fly than that fly is too small! I don't even like flies in the double digit range unless it's on the big (?/0 = aught) size. Streamers, sliders, frogs, beetles, hoppers, sculpins and crawdads, whatever is on a predators menu is fair game.

The rod that I experienced was the Thomas & Thomas Exocett SS 250gr.

The game was for big migratory brown trout in Chile. The freestone river was extreme in diversity from high winds to slot canyon bluffs. Casts were either short and precise to pockets or across stream long.

No Tip Quiver

The first characteristic I picked up on with Exocett SS was it's ability to make short upstream one backcast flips and not express a tip quiver. Up till that time with my personal rod each flip ended with a disturbing little tip quiver that inherently pulled my fly a foot from target every cast. No matter how much I tried to adjust my cast my rod did this. Guess what, most of today's fast action rods do this with heavy flies.
Exocett SS has amazing dampening action and does not quiver.

Lifting Power

Next, I notice the extreme power to lift. Heavy flies and lines don't always pull easy from the water. This fact can consume a lot of your arms energy throughout the day. Exocett SS is way easier to lift heavy flies and lines from water. Like quite noticeably easier.

Since this first encounter I've tested this rod against many others in lifting power alone and the next best rod I found is still no comparison to the Exo SS.

Fighting Power

On my last day at end of day I hooked a giant! Due to the big browns advantage in situation I still can't believe we landed it.

We were fishing boulder pockets and a big brown thrashed the surface hard just downstream from where I was wading. Lance yelled to me to throw across stream and swing my headbanger fly across where that brown just jumped. I did! He nailed it, hard! I returned a hard hook set. Immediately he turned head for downstream.

The quarters where tight in a canyon with rapid after rapid. If he would have made it past the first downstream rapid there would have been no way to hang onto him.

With rod bent through the cork, butt in my gut and two hands on the grip I battled that brown from rapids and brought him to lance's hand. He was the star of the trip easily surpassing 30". I don't think the rod I brought could have done it.

Since that first encounter with the SS250 I've also had the privilege to experience the SS160 and the SS350 grain models.

The Exo SS160 is a hopper/popper dream rod. Precise and easy, cast after cast. On missed strikes it will pick up gobs of line and make one shot recast back on target with precision. It also handles mid size streamers with ease.

I took an Exocett SS350 to New Orleans and battled some bull reds. It's was absolutely perfect for this fishing. Easy short, precise cast with powerful hooksets and quite capable of reaching out to those far out targets in the wind.

Our last day was a fish frenzy. With my regular rod I would have had my arm in a sling by the end of that day but I wasn't sore at all. The Exocett SS powered through every fight and begged for more.

The Exocett SS's will adapt to many lines but my favorite "big power" line thus far is Scientific Anglers Amplitude Smooth Titan Long. The rod is quite capable of shooting the entire line. For the SS250 run the WF7 for easy flies but go up to the WF8 for the heavy stuff. Run a WF5 or WF6 on the SS160 according to your needs. These rods adapt well to lines so be willing to match line according to fly size and worry less about the rod.

The Exocett SS also comes in a 200 gr and a 450 gr both of which I've not yet had the pleasure to fish. I'd like to change that soon.

For your viewing pleasure

Get More "On The Hunt"

I'll see you on the water...But you won't see me!

Greg Darling 

Gorge Fly Shop

"Passion For Fishing Is A Lifelong Pursuit Of Discovery"

Chile Fishing Report 03/21/2019: Greg's Edition

Just back from 2nd annual trip to Chile. It would be hard not to make this an ongoing annual trip from now til ???

I apologize now for sparse details about location but it must remain so as I am under a honorary oath to do so. If interested in this experience you can contact me direct.

What I can tell you is this game is for migratory brown trout. Like steelhead, much of your success involves how many fish are in the river. This years warm weather had us concerned. Those concerns where soon laid to rest.

What I've learned about fishing for these migratory's is they are moody! Sometimes it's everything you can do just to get one to show itself and other times they are aggressively willing.

New this season, I added an approach of big top water beetle fishing. Glad I did seeing that three of my catch came to hand this way and several other fished appeared for the offering. The visual is epic!

I've caught many brown trout but these fish are different. They are shouldered and strong. Fish of recent migration appear much more silver like. A couple of my catches jumped more than I've ever seen. Full body out of water type of jumps.

This fishery will test you and your gear to the max!

We're back home now and recovering. Muscles aches and sleep deprivation are on the mend but all we can think about is next year!
Greg

RIO InTouch Big Nasty 3D and 4D Sink Tip Fly Lines

New for 2019

RIO has come out with three new Big Nasty Fly Line Profiles this year to add to the existing InTouch Big Nasty Floating Fly Line. 

The big news is these are 3D and 4D lines which refers to triple density and quadruple density fly lines. By integrating different densities RIO has produced fly lines that not only sinks faster but keeps you InTouch with your fly by eliminating sink tip sag.

RIO InTouch Big Nasty 3D F/H/I
F/H/I stands for Floating / Hover / Intermediate and is a perfect combination to flies in the top two feet of the water column.

SKU	Line Size	Color	Head Length	Sink Rate	Total Length
6-21534	WF5F/H/I	Green/Gray/Orange	39ft 12m	Float/1ips/2ips	90ft 27.7m
6-21535	WF6F/H/I	Green/Gray/Orange	39ft 12m	Float/1ips/2ips	100ft 30.5m
6-21536	WF7F/H/I	Green/Gray/Orange	40ft 12.2m	Float/1ips/2ips	100ft 30.5m
6-21537	WF8F/H/I	Green/Gray/Orange	40ft 12.2m	Float/1ips/2ips	100ft 30.5m
6-21538	WF9F/H/I	Green/Gray/Orange	41ft 12.6m	Float/1ips/2ips	100ft 30.5m
6-21539	WF10F/H/I	Green/Gray/Orange	41ft 12.6m	Float/1ips/2ips	100ft 30.5m

RIO InTouch Big Nasty 4D F/H/I/S3

F/H/I/S3 denotes Floating / Hover / Intermediate / Sink 3 tip which is perfect to get flies in the 2 to 4 foot depth range. 

SKU	Line Size	Color	Head Length	Sink Rate	Total Length
6-21934	WF5F/H/I/S3	Black/Gray/Green/Orange	39ft 12m	Float/1ips/2ips/3ips	90ft 27.7m
6-21935	WF6F/H/I/S3	Black/Gray/Green/Orange	39ft 12m	Float/1ips/2ips/3ips	100ft 30.5m
6-21936	WF7F/H/I/S3	Black/Gray/Green/Orange	40ft 12.2m	Float/1ips/2ips/3ips	100ft 30.5m
6-21937	WF8F/H/I/S3	Black/Gray/Green/Orange	40ft 12.2m	Float/1ips/2ips/3ips	100ft 30.5m
6-21938	WF9F/H/I/S3	Black/Gray/Green/Orange	41ft 12.6m	Float/1ips/2ips/3ips	100ft 30.5m
6-21939	WF10F/H/I/S3	Black/Gray/Green/Orange	41ft 12.6m	Float/1ips/2ips/3ips	100ft 30.5m

RIO InTouch Big Nasty 4D F/I/S3/S5

F/I/S3/S5 gets busy with a Floating / Intermediate / Sink 3 / Sink 5 tip capable of reaching down to 4 - 8 foot water column. 

SKU	Line Size	Color	Head Length	Sink Rate	Total Length
6-21945	WF6F/I/S3/S5	Black/Dk Gray/Lt Gray/Orange	39ft 12m	Float/2ips/3ips/5ips	100ft 30.5m
6-21946	WF7F/I/S3/S5	Black/Dk Gray/Lt Gray/Orange	40ft 12.2m	Float/2ips/3ips/5ips	100ft 30.5m
6-21947	WF8F/I/S3/S5	Black/Dk Gray/Lt Gray/Orange	40ft 12.2m	Float/2ips/3ips/5ips	100ft 30.5m
6-21948	WF9F/I/S3/S5	Black/Dk Gray/Lt Gray/Orange	41ft 12.6m	Float/2ips/3ips/5ips	100ft 30.5m
6-21949	WF10F/I/S3/S5	Black/Dk Gray/Lt Gray/Orange	41ft 12.6m	Float/2ips/3ips/5ips	100ft 30.5m

Big Nasty fly lines are geared to throw streamers. The focus would be species such as brown trout, rainbow trout, pike and musky. They cast extremely well from a boat as well as for the wade angler. The coating is engineered for moderate to cold temps. The InTouch Ultra-low stretch ConnectCore provides maximum sensitivity and hook setting power.

Find all RIO Fly Lines at "The Gorge"

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Fly Rod "Feel" or "Function"

Forty foot cast with 30mph downriver winds

I recently encountered a situation where one day I fished a fly rod with great feel and the next day I fished a fly rod that provided excellent function. My question to all of us is...Do we buy rods to feel good or to get a job done?

In the realm of fly fishing "easy" I don't even feel this is a question to ask. If the casting is easy and we are getting it done with a rod that feels good than great! Go with that. But as we push the limits of fly casting, fly size and casting situations, is "feel good" going to get the job done?!

On the day I fished the "feel good" rod we had wind, long casts, water load casts, and long mends to contend with. The rod I chose performed these task quite well, especially tight looped, long casting. It certainly didn't fail with water load cast and long mends and had I not fished a more stout rod the next day I'm not sure I would have known any different. This feel good rod is one you would pick up and swing and say "oh yes, it feels good." It's also a rod you would take to the pond and really enjoy casting.

The next day, I was handed a rod that even at first feel seemed clubby. One false swing and the quick label would be "broomstick." For fair comparison I used the same line and reel from the feel good rod. Keeping an open mind, my guide and I went to work.

This particular outing for both rod test days was an endless array of casting situations in which it demanded everything but the standard, off your strong shoulder, trout casting. It was back hand casting, steeple casting, reach casting, roll casting, throwing mends at cast and water load casting. Currents were strong and pockets were small. The species was brown trout and let's call their size "Predator."

The rod I quickly labeled "broomstick" proved to have some qualities which made my day easier. Water loaded casting proved to be much easier with ample reserve power to lift line and a weighted fly from the water. On short, heavy fly upstream flip casts I noticed the rod tip did not quiver which really helped to keep the cast on target and provided quick connection to the fly once landed. Across stream mends were also easier which I can't say I fully understand as to why.

Late in the day a beast was hooked. Once again the "broomstick" proved to have the upper hand. This beast of a fish grabbed the fly on a downstream swing and immediately turned into the raging current. It was a situation were you either put the wood to him and trust the tippet or helplessly watch him defeat you on a downstream run. While the outcome could have gone either way, the "broomstick" turned him and kept him under my control. The tippet held and after a hard battle of give and take the beast came to net.

Scientific Anglers Amplitude Anadro, Lamson Litespeed, and for now, the rod remains a mystery

Together this day with these situations have caused me to re-evaluate my idea of what makes a great fly rod. The fly rod I would have put back on the fly shop rod rack proved itself to be to right tool for the task. I remember writing a statement a long time ago that read. "before you buy a fly rod know what it is that you are buying it for." I believe I needed to be reminded of that.

Greg Darling - @bassprogreg

Gorge Fly Shop
Read more Greg's Post...

"My Passion For Fishing Is A Lifelong Pursuit Of Discovery"

South America Adventures - Morrison Files

Limay River

Hi Lyndsey,

Hope all is well.

I wanted to get these to you earlier but just didn’t have a chance. This was one of those trips that after twenty one days we did not want to come home. It’s the longest I’ve been away from home since I was in the service (50 years ago). The trip started on the Alumine River in the northern Patagonia region with eight of us, seven guys and Jeanette. We have fished with all but three, we met two on the trip to Christmas Island and another one on the Middle Fork of the Salmon. After the first 9 days two of them went home and we were down to six. We got in a van and went southwest to the Limay River and what a river it was. It’s about the size of the Snake, quite a bit shallower and crystal clear, a deep spot might be 20 feet or so. A couple of the pictures show how clear the water is, at 10 feet deep you could still see all the colors of the rocks. In April the big browns are in this system and get up to 30+ pounds.

 Every fish Jeanette caught was on a dry and she caught a bunch. We camped on the Limay for three nights and fished it a total of four days. Then back in the van, we went on a sightseeing road trip back north, we went the equivalent of Eugene to Vancouver Canada. The scenery was unbelievable, it was an area they call the Seven Lakes Region. If you google seven lakes region, Argentina click on images and you’ll get an idea of what we saw. Anyway next year we want to find a way to spend at least three weeks there, that’s how good it was.

Good Friends...Good Times

The good news is I did not break a fly rod, that’s just about a first. In some areas we used the 8wts especially if we were fishing deep and with streamers. On the big browns you strip set the hook or they’ll get off. In one picture there are four of us, the other couple are friends from Emmet, Idaho and were working as guides for Diego the outfitter. That was another thing that made the trip, having good friends along. They also guide for Jeff Helfrich on the Middle Fork of the Salmon, and the Rogue. April 7th to the 14th we’re going to Petersburg, Alaska with Dino, Seda, Jeff and another friend from Vida (upper McKenzie) steelhead fishing. That should be a good time too. That’s when we get to try our luck with the switch rods.

So there you have it, take care,

Art

Winter Troutin' 2016

Ice on my rod guides and Trout in my hand, Priceless!

Why do I do it? I can give a dozen reasons not to do it like frozen guides, icy cold water, lethargic fish, frozen reels, numb hands, frozen snot and the list goes on. Now clear your mind for a minute and focus on the fishing. You're in a stream with no one else around. The air is crisp and clean. The sounds you hear other than your own can only be of nature. The fish that eat are the strongest in their environment. Just like you, they're not lying around being lazy. Just like you, winter trout have learn to embraced the cold and strive to live a life of solitude and peace even when it would just be easier to rest back in deep holes and sip on midge larvae all winter.

Those words are as much to encourage myself as they are to encourage others. You see I don't need another excuse to not go winter troutin' but when I put it all aside and finally get to release a strong beautiful fish like the one in the picture all of the excuses to not do it are erased.

How to do it

coffee break

I set out on this cold winters day to float about 5 miles of river in my Outcast Stealth Pro. I especially like to float this time of year. It's so much easier to cover water this way instead of trying to access everything on foot. Snow, mud and ice on foot makes trekking very treacherous. It's much easier to float plus I get to cover a lot of water. I'm only looking for the most active eager fish and I find them in current on seams where the water is alive and oxygenated.

On this day I had three rods with me. That's another advantage of floating, you can carry multiple rods.  My tried and true Winston BIIIX 4110-4 Microspey with a Bauer CFX #4 Trout spey reel. I loaded it with the Airflo Switch Streamer line of 330gr and 10 foot of T-7 Sink Tip. I must confess I modified the Airflo line. Everything is perfect about this line except the abnormally large running line part of it. I couldn't take no more so I chopped it at the back side of the head and applied a RIO Braided loop so I could connect it to RIO SlickShooter mono shooting line. I'm not suggesting everyone should do this. Try it first and you might be fine with it. I made it through last year fishing it but winter freezing temps finally made me give up on it. Too thick to work in icy guides and shooting lines such as mono are much better for this cold weather fishing.

Peregrine Falcon

My next outfit is the new Sage ONE 3110-4 Trout Spey coupled with a Lamson Litespeed #3 reel and the RIO Intouch Switch Chucker #3. The Sage rod feels great! I'll be doing a full review on it in the near future once I've had a chance to fish it some more with some different lines and heads. Right away this grip on the Sage feels so great...It just fits me and the rod balances perfect. What I didn't like on this day was the Switch Chucker. I just don't get this line. It just doesn't turn over for me easy. Maybe it's me or maybe I expect too much from it. I started out with 8 foot of T-7 sink tip but backed off to a 10 foot fast sinking polyleader. It still seamed difficult to turn over.  Maybe it needs a 5 foot polyleader or just a regular leader. I will fish the Sage rod again soon with the RIO Skagit Trout Max heads and also try my favorite scandi the RIO Scandi Short VersiTip. I wished I had the VersiTip with me this day. It would have been ideal for some of the slower riffles that were holding fish. The sink tips I was fishing were too much for them.

Mr Brown hammered a streamer in icy cold water

My third outfit was a 9' 7wt unnamed rod let's consider it a prototype coupled with a Bauer CFX #4 Trout Spey reel. For lines I had a RIO 0.024" Powerflex shooting line looped to a OPST 225gr. Commando head and 8 foot of T-7 Sink tip. I can't begin to describe how fun this setup is. Just think about what you want to achieve and do it. Roll cast like a dream, overheads easy and spey is just too fun. Set you anchor and let it rip or perform a touch and go cast. These super short commando heads bring life to single hand rods in ways that one should not overlook. I found myself fishing small micro seams that I used to pass over because my two hand rods were just to much for these little pockets. With OPST Commando heads or the RIO Skagit Trout Max heads I am now seeing new water to fish and it's paying off. The trout on the top of the page came on this outfit on a micro seam.

Towards the end of my float is a long great swing run. Another advantage of floating is I was able to set up on the opposite side of the river of were it could be foot accessed. A nymph angler was across the way so I stayed clear of him. I was backed up tight to the bank and needed to Snap T cast to set up my swing. A minute later the nymph guy yelled down and said "Nice Snap T!" I yelled back and said you are the first person on this river to know what that is. I went on and caught a couple and he also caught a couple. When I left I rowed my boat across river and up the back eddy to the guy. Got out and chatted. Yep he lived in the NW and had been spey fishing for 20 years on the peninsula and BC. He continued to fish as we chatted and I couldn't help noticing the double spey he was doing with his single hand nymph rod setup. The only reason I bring this up is that it doesn't matter what technique you're doing out there anyone can benefit from some two hand techniques. After watching him perform endless double speys I had no reason to doubt any word he spoke of his steelhead experiences. He wasn't thinking about what he was doing, he was just doing it.

So back to the question "Why do I do it?"
 I think the answer to that is somewhere in this article

More articles like this one in Trout Spey Chronicles

Greg Darling 

Gorge Fly Shop Internet Sales Manager | Product Specialist

"Fly Fish the World with Us"

Gearing up for Meat Eating Trout

meat eater

Hi, my name is Ryan and I have a streamer problem.

Some would say I have an addiction. 

Some would say it’s not “real” fly fishing. 

Some would say you might as well fish with a spinning rod. 

I would say bite me!

 I have been a die-hard streamer guy for over a decade now and I will do my best to try to explain why and how I am setup for slinging big flies to monster trout.

There are 3 reasons I have become a streamer junkie:

• Streamer fishing is active fishing or what they would call power fishing in the tournament bass world. You are casting and moving a lot, and really looking for fish that want to play ball. It isn’t a finesse game, but it will work when you can’t move fish other ways. 

• Streamer strikes are often vicious and jarring. Once you have felt a few big trout crush a sculpin pattern it is hard to go back to watching a bobber… 

• Streamers will move the biggest fish in the system. If you want to catch big fish regularly, then you better learn how to feed them some meat! 

Sculpin pattern

There are some important things to think about when considering the whys, whens and hows of streamer fishing. If you think about a simple energy used to energy gained equation, it is easy to understand why a trout would eat a sculpin, dace, leech, or another trout. How many midge larvae does it take to equal the calories in one sculpin? A bunch, I would say. Another crucial aspect of streamer fishing is understanding territorial behavior and reaction strikes. Trout, particularly large trout, will defend their area even if they don’t eat what they attack. Large trout will also strike invaders for no other reason than instinct. If a big “thing” is suddenly slapped in front of them or jigs right through their field of vision, they will often strike with malicious intent.

There are many ways to fish a streamer, and I can’t possibly cover it all here, but there are a few major categories: slapping the bank, swinging, and jigging/twitching. As you dive into the streamer chucking realm you will find out when and where to use each of these, and often I will use all of them in the same day. Now don’t get me wrong, if there is a good steady hatch I will put the streamer rod down, but when the insects aren’t prolific, you will most likely see me with a leech or sculpin on my rig. And I can tell you that I have caught as many sporadically rising trout on a well placed streamer as any dry fly I have tried to present.

Meat Locker

Rainbows on the Yakima River

So let’s get down to brass tax; gearing up for the streamer game… Let me start by saying that you can fish streamers on any trout rod and line you already own, but a dedicated streamer rod will make your life easier, and give you the ability to fish effectively, especially with bigger flies. For me, a single hand trout streamer rod should be a 6 or 7 wt that isn’t too fast. Some of my favorites are the Winston BIIIx, Sage ONE, and G Loomis NRX. I know these are top end rods, but trust me, you want a rod that performs well and is light enough to cast all day when you are throwing big flies. The fly line is equally as important as the rod. For most western rivers you will need a sink tip line. My favorites are the RIO InTouch Outbound Short full floater (WF6) and intermediate/type 6 sink tip (WF6I/S6), the RIO InTouch Streamer Tip intermediate and type 6 and the RIO InTouch 15ft Sink Tip type 6. Of these the 15ft sink tip is the most versatile and the outbound short is easiest to cast. I prefer the type 6 tips for all of these because I rarely if ever wish my flies would sink less, but often wish I could get deeper.

Winter Brownie

Now let me tell you that not all streamer fishing has to be aggressive and with big flies. Fishing a streamer in smaller water or quiet pools requires some finesse and working the fly in a seductive manner. For smaller water, i.e. spring creeks, small freestones and slower tailwaters, etc. you will like a shorter rod in a 5wt as it will really help your accuracy and will load quickly. There aren’t as many choices in short 5wt rods these days, but a few I can recommend are the Loomis Shorestalker 8ft 5wt, the Scott G2 8’4” 5wt and the Winston 8’6” 5wt BIIIx. If you are in really small water or fishing for smaller fish don’t hesitate to throw small streamers on your 7’6” - 8’ 3 or 4wt too! You will also not typically need a sink tip line for small water, but a good all purpose line should get the job done.

Trout Spey Chronicles

Microspey, trout spey, small ball, whatever you call it, trout sized spey/switch rods have changed the streamer chucker’s game for good. How I would have killed for one of these rods 10 years ago. The ability to make long casts with big flies and sink tips across a river and into that deep slot has always been the bane of a streamer nut, but we did it anyway. Now we have rods and lines that can do it with nary a thought. If you find yourself deep in the throes of streamer addiction, grab a trout spey rod from Winston, Sage, Loomis or Echo, put an Airflo Streamer Switch or OPST Commando head in the appropriate size and a T-8 through T-11 tip and huck meat!

Sculpins

Reels for the streamer game need not be too complicated, but having a good piece of equipment that won’t fail you when you hook a monster, is wise. Some of my favorites are the Tibor Back Country Wide, Lamson Litespeed, Ross Evolution and Galvan Torque in the appropriate sizes. I try to avoid very heavy reels as it is a bear to cast with those all day. Just make sure you have something that is dependable.

Leader and tippet should be fairly short and strong. I rarely use anything less than 8# or 3x for streamers and mostly 2x or 1x. I am a big fan of fluorocarbon tippet, but for the most part good mono is just fine. Leaders on your sink tip setup should only be 3-6ft long with a heavy butt section to help turn over your flies. I like to build my own with Maxima or heavy Rio shock or saltwater tippet in 30-50# and then double uni knot to my tippet off of that.

Streamers are as varied as the anglers that fish them, but my most successful flies have been heavily weighted rubber legged buggers, bunny leaches, and big articulated sculpins. My favorite fly, one I dubbed the Mohawk, is a bunny or squirrel strip/bugger mutant. It can be tied with a cone, bead, or dumbbell eyes, but it should be fairly heavy. Some other really good choices are the sculpzilla and skulpin bunny. Colors should range from natural olives, tans and browns to bright colors like yellow and chartreuse, but the go to when all else fails is black.

BB - Before Beard

The bottom line is this: if you want to try a new technique, or are sick of watching a bobber, or want to find out what the biggest fish in your local water is, grab a big meaty streamer, drop it in and find out!
If not...Then Bite Me!

The Bearded Pescador

Ryan Van Duzor
Gorge Fly Shop | Product Specialist
541.386.6977

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