Just a question to my fellow Steelhead Vagrants - have you been catching a suprising number of Dollys in the steelhead water lately?
I've often caught them in the Skagit, especially in the faster tailouts and riffly heads where they like to grab just as you begin to strip in.
But the fish this year have been 50% on the swing, and often in prime 3-5' walking pace steelhead runs. And a LOT of 'em too - in rivers that normally don't have high #s of them like the upper Sky.
I know these fish are very nomadic and Basin-Hopping is common, but any thoughts on this phenomenon??
Not like I'm complaining I had a 27 -28" Dolly just about take my 12' rod out of my hand with a vicious strike and a very respectable battle yesterday. Not a steelie, but still a lot of fun.
All kidding aside, the last 3-4 years I have caught a ton of them on the Skagit system but very few on the Sky. I also noticed a big drop off in my dolly catching when I switched to a double handed rod and a longer bellied line. Less stripping seems to yield less char.
I usually catch a lot of dollies but have only got one this winter. I think this is the first winter ever that I have caught more steelhead than dollies.
Don't knock it - I've found super-industrial spawn sac material that can take 5-10 good Snap-T's before disintegrating. Hang one off the back end of an Intruder (flyfishing's version of the Bait Diver) and I promise all your winter catchrates will improve.
I know that for some of you that might just mean 1 fish, but then again anything added to 0 is still an improvement. :devil:
And don't forget Barbless Hooks - they really gobble these little morsels!
And ya better stop badmouthing my "Sac Attack" or I'll have to rename it! Maybe something more PC like "Low-Hol-U" for the upcoming C&R season! :hehe:
Hey I'm happy with one fish and I'm happy when I get 6. But I wish I could be like that guy over on the other fly fishing board that begins with a WFF. This guy must be God himself or at least Gods son. His worst day ever was 6 steelhead and he got a fish that was 42" and twenty four pounds and one that was just under 40" that weighed in at 30 pounds!
Boy am I glad we don't have that type of BS here. Brian you can catch all the dollies you want just don't say they are 17 pounds each or that it was a Barbie doll you C&R'd.
And don't be ashamed of the egg sac thing lots of fishermen with hip boots fish that way.
I saw that guys posts over the last year. I liked what sink tip had to say. I'm happy with Dollies if I'm not catching Steel. I haven't caught Steel since I fished out of Maupin in Oregon last year. I may be suckin' but I do have fun. I cheerish my time on the river. It is a gift whether I'm catching or not.
I hear you Matt - I cherish my time on the rivers too. I'm happy with what I get and enjoy swinging a fly thru a fine steelhead run as much as the next guy.
OC - "And don't be ashamed of the egg sac thing lots of fishermen with hip boots fish that way." :hehe: :hehe:
That guy has caught many big fish if you check out the Gallery. But But Butt, There is no fly rod in hand in any of the pics, for that matter no rods of any type at all. And some of those Steelhead look like plastic ones, really.
I think the guy said he is retired Coast Guard, got to wonder if he was a water demolition expert?
Didn't fly fishing luminary Gary LaFontaine write about using a "SPAWN SAC" fly to imitate sucker eggs for spring trout and Kokanee egss for trout fishing in fall. Hmmmm...... I suppose your spawn sacs work at least as well as Gary's did.
Those fish look like they might have already spent a little time with Mr Taxadermist.
The first pic (in the dark) looks like the line of the fish has been manipulated for artistic effect (if it's even real).
Sinktip - you're understated appreciation of his angling prowess was worth the time it took to register. :razz: :razz:
Flytyer - there's always some famous flyangler to give one a model for 'slumming" if one feels the need to justify one's actions. Fortunately - I DONT!
I have always caught a bunch of dollies on the Skagit, and this year has been the same. I caught my first on the upper Sky the other day and have been hearing about plenty of others. I hope that people don't start killing them just because they can. Also caught my first native of the year the other day a beautiful 15lb. buck. I hope it's a good return year before they shut it down.
It is nice to hear that folks are finding and enjoying their encounters with the NW's native char. It is not surprising that some of you are finding more of these interesting fish. Spawning surveys indicate that in the last decade or so there has been at least a 10 fold increase in the abundance of these fish in both the Skagit and Skykomish systems. There are only a fraction as many in the Sky as the Skagit (only 5 to 10% as many) due to the limited amounts of spawning habitat available to them in the Sky.
Monitoring of the populations have also noted not only more adult fish but also a substantial increase in the exceptionally large fish. Recently it was found that 5% of the Skagit spawners were more than 8 years old and had previously spawned at least 4 times. On the average about 1/2 of the fish survive from one spawning to the next.
I'm a card carrying member of CLA (Char Lovers Anon). I dig the char take, appreciate their unique lifestyle, and find much challenge in fishing them (dry, wet, sinktip, strip, etc). Sure, they can be easy, but they smart up real fast! (sometimes) Not to post for the world to see, but the Skagit char fishery is world class- if these were brookies avg 20+" and 5+ fish days... are you kiddin me? I do hook quite a few steelhead bycatch however. Still looking for that 40" char- thinking of trying a red "sharp steelie."
BTW this is the funniest thread I've seen in a while. Read sinktip on WFF and laughed out loud (been wanting to post similar for a couple weeks). Actually I'm just waiting to buy the book. Anyhow- funny stuff, and the egg draggin cop car. holy moly. Fishin's good- get out there! (just beware the sea kayak eagle watch flotilla - what up with that- seeing more Seattle sea kayaks on 530 than dollies this year! If I see one on the river befoe 11:00 I'm givin 'em the business.) Peace out. PS: did you know dollies can see in the dark
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