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Getting set up..............................................pg.4 USGS and River Levels..............................pg.7 How to reduce 90% of the River...............pg.8 30% your line weight..................................pg.10 Etiquette.......................................................pg.14
egginer Guide
Beginners Guide
Beginners Guide
Local fishing shops are a great source of information. They can answer all your questions and get you set up with the proper gear.
sensitive rod. You know that the river is long and fairly flat in the section you are fishing. This means the fish can run for quite a distance. You also know that the river has a little bit of color. You also know that you can wade into the river, so overhanging branches are not a concern. Armed with this information you will know what gear to bring. We would want a long sensitive rod matched with a reel that has enough spool on it to load a lot of line in case the steelhead decides to run. Since the water has a little color we can use a thicker diameter line. Lets talk about rods! You know that you need a long rod to be able to cast across the river and that since steelhead are lite biters you will also need a sensitive rod. So lets walk through the process of choosing the right rod. First thing you should do is check the spine. Not all rods are equal. The spine is located opposite the rod guides. The purpose of the spine is to add strength and flexibility. Fatigue can set in if the spine is not properly aligned. There are a few different ways to do this. When I am in a store I simply take the top of the rod in one hand and place the butt section against the base of the display shelf and bend the rod. The rod will jump, showing the stiffest side of the rod. This is the spine. The spine should be opposite the rod guides. Now how do we determine if the rod is right for the job? On the side of the rod you will see some writing that
Getting Set Up
By Dan Gregory
looks like this 66, 6-12, 1/81/38, Fast, Medium. You probably figured out the first set of numbers. 66 is the length of the rod; 6-12 means the rod can handle line weights of 6 lbs. and up to 12 lbs. The next set of numbers tells you the lure size that this rod was built for (1/8-1/38oz). Fast is the power this tells you how stiff the rod is and medium is the action. The action will tell you how quickly the rod loads and casts. So if you had a rod with a light action it would flex more than a rod with a heavy action. A light action rod would be used for casting light line and lures while heavy actions rods are just the opposite. Lets move onto reels. Choosing the right reel is a little easier than choosing a rod. Just like a fishing rod, reels have a specific purpose as well. A spinning reel is meant for distance and maximum spool load, while a bait casting reel is meant for finesse. Although a bait casting reel is great for drift fishing because you can control the line feed as your bobber floats down the river and keep your presentation in the strike zone, it also limits your casting distance. So be aware of the purpose of each reel and match it to the fishing conditions as well as the rod you will be using. On the side of your fishing reel you will see some numbers just like you did on the fishing rod. They will look something like this... 1/45/8, 6/200 8/140 10/120, 5:1. Okay so you may recognize the first set from choosing a
rod. The first sets are the lure weight this reel can handle. This may or may not be on the reel you choose. The second set of numbers 6/200, 8/140, 10/120. This means line weight/yards. The 6 tells us that we can load 6lbs test while the second number (200) lets us know that with 6lbs test we can load 200yrds. The last set of numbers (5:1) is the gear ratio. 5:1 tells us that with every one crank of the handle the spool rotates 5 times. This can be helpful with line retrieve, especially if you need to retrieve line quickly. With this information you can now match up your reel to your rod and get the maximum potential from each.
Photo by J-RG
can make or break your fishing experience. For many first time fishermen the success of their first fishing trip will determine their love for the sport. This article is meant to ease the confusion while providing information to help in your purchasing decision. There are many different types of rods, reels, and fishing line. There are rods for bass fishing, steelhead, salmon, trout and rods for ocean fishing. All these rods are built specifically for their own purpose. Ocean rods, for example, are built to be stout where as steelhead rods are built to be sensitive. So choosing the proper tool for the job is 4 NorthWest Salmon and Steelhead
important. When embarking on a fishing trip you should know what youre fishing for, where you are fishing and the conditions you will be fishing under. Are you fishing from a boat or from shore? Are you fishing for trout or King salmon? Is the water clear or dirty? If you are fishing from the bank then ask yourself if the river is wide or small? Knowing the answers to these questions will help you purchase the proper gear. So, youre probably asking yourself, where do I start. Start by reading this article then visit your local fishing shop. They will have the knowledge to help you make a good decision. Plus if you schmooze a little with the
owner or even just keep your ears open, you might receive valuable information regarding local rivers and fishing locations. Local fishing shops are a great source of information. They can answer all your questions and get you set up with the proper gear. Okay so you did your research and you now have a little more information. You now know where you are fishing, what youre fishing for and the conditions in which you will be fishing. Lets make a hypothetical scenario just for an example. All right you are planning a winter steelhead fishing trip on the Calawha River in Forks, WA. You know that the steelhead are light biters so you want a
any complicated calculations. We are just going to talk about language. What does mean and median mean? Well the mean is average and the median is the middle value. Your probably saying, Wouldnt that make the mean and median the same thing? No the median is the value between the lowest point and the highest point. While the mean is the level the river is normally flowing. With this information you can gather up the proper gear and turn a potential bad day into a productive fishing experience. For instances; if the river is flowing a little faster than usual and has a little more color, you will want to use stronger fishing line and maybe scent as swell. If the river is low and clear; then you will want to use smaller line and gear so you dont scare off the fish. I hope this article helps ~Tight Lines~
Gator Gator rods rods are built are built tough tough andand built built to endure. to endure. Land Land thatthat lunker lunker with with confidence! confidence! Pick Pick yours yours up at up your at your local local tackle tackle shop shop today. today. YouYou just mayjust need may a bigger need a net! bigger net!
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Etiquette
Etiquette
Etiquette
By Dan Gregory
Lets talk about etiquette! This is an important topic to cover. One thing that can ruin a good day of fishing is a fisherman with bad etiquette. You know the guy! The one that just hooked into his first fish of the day and is whooping and hollering oblivious to the fact that he is playing his fish into everybodys line. This can be very annoying. Not to mention the fact that you cant fish until he lands the sucker. So Rule #1 : If someone hooks into a fish you should bring your line in. Rule #2 : When you hook into a fish the polite thing to do is move down to the end of the line so everyone else can keep fishing and you wont tangle up anyones line. Have you ever gone down to the river and were limited on good fishing
holes? Well take a chapter from the drift fishermans etiquette. The rule says that it is impolite to hog a good hole. As long as no one is wanting to fish it then it is fair game, but if there are others behind you then work the water and keep moving. You can even rotate every now and then so each angler has a chance to fish the whole hole. Rule # 3 Dont be a hog. Work the area and either rotate in line or move to the next hole. How about this one! Fishing with inexperienced anglers. This can be rough. They dont know when to cast or what or even how! Your lines get tangled and you exchange apologies. After four or five times you are bound to get annoyed . When you are fishing with experienced anglers they know when to cast and where. For example
when you fishing with a float fisherman and a drift fisherman they know to take turns casting so the lines dont get tangled. And as a experienced angler it is up to us to teach those who are not so experienced. We all started somewhere. Why not set them off in the right direction. Then maybe they will eventually spread their knowledge someday. Rule # 4 Know your skill level. Crowding out is an issue at times. Everybody wants to fish a good hole. If you know the river then you know the good holes. Chances are you may be the first person to it. So youre enjoying the brisk morning when someone walks up and says good morning or Have any luck? Then they cast in about four feet from ya. Huh! I mean I dont own the river, but a mind if I throw in next to you would have
been nice. Now his buddy comes walking up and they exchange hellos and he starts fishing too. Pretty soon you get crowded out of the hole you were first in. It is just plain inconsiderate. Rule # 5 Be considerate of others. (you dont need permission, but it is appreciated) I will say that there are more rules, but these are the most common issues on rivers these days. Not everyone thinks of etiquette when they go fishing. A little etiquette goes a long way. I havent run into too many people that were rude. Most are in fact fairly polite and easy going. I usually chat up just about anyone. Never know what they will tell you. Maybe they will spill the beans about a secret spot! We can hope right. The main thing is to have fun and treat others with respect.