Definition Of Insanity

[silverlaker]

So after much thought, I decided to pursue permit with a Tenkara rod. Hopefully a guide(thanks Jimbo) will take my spey gear in trade(sorry Midger)for days on the water.
briansII

[stanbery]

Brian
that inches had to put up a really big fight right?

Very cool video as well.
Jon

[briansII]

Seeing Tech/Joe's steelhead report, I thought it was time for Update #3.

It's been several months, and the Tenkara and permit thing didn't pan out. Not sure what I was thinking, but I didn't have enough time to travel far for steelhead. No time to travel out of State for permit, and there are no good spots for permit in the vicinity of Fresno. Soooo, it was back to chasing steel. I'll have to turn in my 2014 Steelhead Card, with only a few check marks in the caught column. Of those few, none were adult fish.

It's a new year, and I've been out once for steel. Fish(BIG)sighted, but no grabs. This year might be the year I take some time off, and travel to greener pastures......but I've said that before. Until then, insanity will keep me swinging for the b@$&*%ds.



I don't remember, but I think my self imposed gear buying restriction was for 2014 only. If so, Whoohooo!!!!!!!!!

briansII

[midger]

I don't remember, but I think my self imposed gear buying restriction was for 2014 only. If so, Whoohooo!!!!!!!!!

briansII

Actually no. I'm pretty sure it was a lifetime restriction on buying new gear.

I thank you Brian for reminding me I needed to get my steelhead card info turned in. I just went online and sent it in so I won't get the nasty gram from dfg like I did last year.

[briansII]

Actually no. I'm pretty sure it was a lifetime restriction on buying new gear.

I might be insane, but no way I'd sign on to that!

Anyway, I may have slipped this month, so that contract is null and void.

So there. My conscience is clear.

briansII

[NorcalBob]

PS: I'm with the light skinned guy with the striped shirt!!!
That sure sounds like most of my conversations with my spey exclusive fishing buddies!!!

[midger]

PS: I'm with the light skinned guy with the striped shirt!!!
That sure sounds like most of my conversations with my spey exclusive fishing buddies!!!

I'm with you on that Bob. I've got a couple of "swinging" buddies and we've just agreed to accept our differences. Steelhead are hard enough to catch without stacking the odds against you, or that's my motto.

[briansII]

PS: I'm with the light skinned guy with the striped shirt!!!

I have stripes. Two white ones down my back!

You guys just don't understand the ways of the swing......... It's time to evolve to a higher plane, and not catch fish like me.

briansII

[TECH]

You guys just don't understand the ways of the swing......... It's time to evolve to a higher plane, and not catch fish like me.

briansII[/quote]

Ha! Spoken like a true Jedi steelheader The force is strong with that river. You will land a beast one day, they are in there!

[briansII]

via Imgflip Meme Maker

briansII

[Ants]

I am doing the steelhead thing all wrong.
First, I see posts of big fish and figure it is easy. There is no clue as to how the fish were caught.
Then, I get my hands on a borrowed two-handed rods and get the first lessons. (There is risk with the 2-handed artillery)
Then, I decide to get some Driftboat time on the oars and get excellent guidance (and results) on nymphing steelhead.
The Fly Buy casting lessons got my two handed casting stroke to vertical (big improvement).
The next step is to look for Brian's footprints knowing that I only have 3,000 casts to go.
I get it (I guess).

Ants

PS The cartoon you tube is great.

[BrownBear]

... But those voices had me back out the next morning chasing chrome....

That's where it's all at.

I passed a significant anniversary last year, 50 years since I caught my first steelhead on a fly in 1964. I was so taken in that at the first opportunity I moved to Eureka and started hanging out with the old timers. Went all the way through graduate school in the 1970's majoring in steelhead, both with fly rods and text books. And I still couldn't get enough.

"Fish of a thousand casts" can cover it at times. But it's like making that one perfect golf stroke that keeps you going back and trying again.... Some days for some reason you really hit the steelhead and feel like you know what you're doing. Then the next day, and the next week, on the same river with the same flies you can't buy a fish....

There is a pattern to when, where, how and what they hit. If you keep your eyes open you catch glimpses of the pattern and over time it starts to feel more like a fish of 500 casts or even a fish of 100 casts. Then you lose sight of the patterns and the count soars back up.

I found the real "insanity" of steelhead fishing in the hearts and instincts of those old geezers that I fished with back in the 1960's. But it was more like autism. They couldn't put how to do it into words, but they could find the fish and hit them like savants. The more I fished with them and the more I pressed them for answers, the more they insisted "Keep using your eyes, and sooner or later your heart will catch up."

[TECH]

I found the real "insanity" of steelhead fishing in the hearts and instincts of those old geezers that I fished with back in the 1960's. But it was more like autism. They couldn't put how to do it into words, but they could find the fish and hit them like savants. The more I fished with them and the more I pressed them for answers, the more they insisted "Keep using your eyes, and sooner or later your heart will catch up."[/quote]


That is awsome!!

[briansII]

Installment number ..... ?

Bad....make that GOOD forecasts of lots of rain and wind, didn't materialize until late this morning(Sunday). Saturday, I could've fish all day without my rain jacket.

The monochrome world of anticipation




Spent the rest of the morning flailing around some perfect looking water. Took a midday break to run an errand, then hit another spot to end the day.


Sunday morning starts like Saturday, but I'm early, and walking a different path....so I guess it's not the same.


I'm already on cast number 20 something, and take a minute to enjoy.


The weatherman finally earned his pay.
Click for video


The drive home was wet, and gnarly at times. 1 hour away from home, it's dry, and 75 degrees!

What? That's it! No fish pictures again!!

Guess I should add, I lost a fish on Sat. afternoon. Got a couple glimpses of it, and it looked to be a decent 1/2 pounder. I was playing it hard and fast, until I realize the importance of the moment. I backed off and was positioning to ease it into slower water when it came unbuttoned. Sunday morning I hook into something much more substantial. After a couple seconds it rolled on the surface. This is it! My Holy Grail. Kept the rod low, changed directions when the fish did, and never gave the fish any slack......well, until there was slack. That sick, close to puking, slit your wrist slack. Later, I think I foul hooked a sucker. No, I didn't hook myself. Most of you guys know what a foul hooked sucker feels like. This felt like that.

The end.

briansII

[midger]

Keep at it Brian and it will happen. I just watched the April Volkey Shorelines episode where she, her photographer Adrienne (I think that was her name), and another "traditional fly tyer/fisher" were all fishing using different techniques. The traditional spey caster tied beautiful flies and he caught fish his way with his flies. April didn't do so well, but she still fished her way. The photographer fishing down and dirty did the best, again her way. It matters not how you fish, but whether you are content fishing that way and happy with the results you get.

I don't really care how anybody fishes as long as it's legal and I really hate it when some pompous * claims that their way is the only way to fish and to feel satisfaction with your fishing.

I could care less if folks decide to not catch fish their way.