The first day out I chose wisely and had the ECHO 2 10 weight in hand when we made our first stop to fish. It was a quiet spot I had fished before for roosterfish but I usually ended up with triggerfish, fun but not a roosterfish.  On about my third blind cast over some Sargasso covered rocks, my bullcandy fly was hammered and the fight was on. We at first thought it was a roosterfish because it did not run for the rocks to break me off like a pargo or cabrilla would do.  After 5 minutes of tugging the line went tight and it did not move so now we knew it was a pargo and a big one at that.  I gave it some slack and when I felt a head shake, I pulled hard and the fight was on again. Then it happened again but this time we moved the panga to where the line went straight down and we saw what was on the other end…a huge pargo.  But this pargo wasn’t in the rocks, rather it was tangled up in the Sargasso weeds that covered all of the bottom.  It freed itself and after some time, we netted the fish.  I have caught some big pargo in Baja but this one was HUGE….weighed in at 25 lbs later that day. This was the maiden voyage for the Cuervo Especial, the new super panga for Capt. Francisco Munoz of the Baja Big Fish Company.  He was so excited that the first fish to hand was such a big one that there were high fives all around.

The second day out we tangled with big jack crevalle right out of the harbor.  Within seconds of leaving the harbor, we spotted the jacks crashing bait and I made my first cast…and hook up.  Once again I was using the ECHO 2 10wt which proved the best choice for these jacks which are notorious fighters.  I landed the estimated 20lb fish but the school had moved some so we followed about 20 yards and I was hooked up again.  This fish was a tad bigger and just as aggressive as the first. From here we moved down the coast to look for roosterfish, found a few small ones and moved further south again.

We stopped to fish off the big rock in Nopolo where we saw some people hand lining from the rocks. We also found another school of jacks and I was once again connected to a “Toro”, the name they go by down this way.  This one was much bigger than the last and gave me the best and hardest fight of the day. Unfortunately the jack took the fly deep; he was bleeding badly so we gave him to the people fishing from the rocks. The three of them packed up and headed home with their dinner, they were very grateful.

The third day out had us heading north rather than south for some sightseeing with my wife on board and wouldn’t you know it, we run into a school of jacks again.  This was a large school of the biggest jacks we had seen yet and all I had taken out with me that morning was a ION 10 wt to play with. I waited to get in range, made a cast to the side, near the leader and watched him turn the group as one onto my fly.  After that it was pandemonium as we watched a huge jack inhale the fly, then tear about 200 yards of backing off my reel, this fight lasted a bit more than 30 minutes and wore me out.  I always have ‘heat’ on the fish but this guy would not break, heck he hardly even bent.  He was finally netted, bottomed out a 30lb Boga making him the biggest jack of the trip and released in better shape than I was in. It took about 15 minutes to even think about casting to another fish, no matter what the size.

One thing I took away from that last tussle was, I’m using the 12wt next time………………plus I finally landed a golden grouper of which I had been trying for 10 years.

This is a product review from an unabashed Echo AirFlo addict.  Briefly, here’s the deal.  Timmy’s TR Spey rods are a marvel.  I was intimidated when I read the promo material.  I am no expert caster and expected the rod to be difficult to cast.  It ain’t!  Very user friendly.  Second point:  again and again, on the river, I have had accomplices “bum” my AirFlo Skagit Compact heads, giving up on their (brand omitted) heads.  They cast their line.  It is a hassle.  They put one of my Skagit Compact heads on their rod, and it goes out like it is supposed to.  No bull.  Guide friends have done it.  Forsaken their “supposed-to-fish” brand lines because they just couldn’t push the sink tips out into steelhead waters.  End of story.  Go fishin,” y’all.

BTW, if you are interested in hatchery and wild fish issues, check out my wordpress blog for all the opinion and science you can tolerate, especially a recent post on the historical expectations of salmon hatcheries in the PNW.

http://fishingwithjay.wordpress.com/2010/06/22/perspectives-on-salmon-hatcheries/

Thanks.  JN

Why do we like these from the beach?  It isn’t why most people would think.  Different here than from SoCal, we do not have to fight surf and need additional length to lift line over breaking waves.  Instead we are finding that many clients enjoy learning a new casting style while tackling these beaches for sea run cutthroat.  Teaching the standard Double and Single Spey, Poke and Snap T, all of which are relavent to fishing our beaches here.

Another reason they have become such a great tool here is many of our beaches have a significant tidal current which allow for a swung fly for these anadromous trout.  So for steelhead anglers looking to scratch that itch while many of our rivers are closed, this has been a savior and the fact that Echo is making one of one a few 4wt switches out there makes it even better since the 6wts tend to be too much for these fish most of the time.

Happy fishing this summer to everyone, don’t leave home without your Stroft!

First fish on a two handed rod,

The next time out I used it only in the two handed mode and not only caught 42 surf perch, but I landed some nice big ones like this about to burst mama.

Then I got this big boy on the Switch and I have to admit that the extra almost  2 feet of stick hasn’t hurt the feel.  It’ll also handle the big boys as I snagged a 4 foot leopard shark  and the extra length help lead it on to the beach.

Now all I have to do is decide if it is going to Baja with me this year.

Jay Niederstadt

Detection of IHN (Infectious Haematopoietic Necrosis) in wild steelhead being held for broodstock for the Snider Creek program on the Sol Duc is a hot-button topic lately. IHN is a nasty, particularly troubling fish disease.  Fish pathologists tend to take  detection and treatment of this disease very seriously, sometimes choosing to cull (a polite term for killing)  infected fish.

http://ospreysteelheadnews.blogspot.com/2010/02/more-information-on-quillayute-ihn.html

This is a complex issue, as is every instance where hatchery fish and wild fish; science; state, tribal, and federal co-magnagers; and traditional belief systems are in play.   Please follow developments, keep an open mind, and be prepared to speak up for wild fish – they need our support.

I’m posting a personal story about trying to stand up for wild fish on my wordpress blog. Check it out to see how I almost got taken to the wood-shed back in 1977.

http://fishingwithjay.wordpress.com/2010/02/20/jay-nicholasstanding-up-for-wild-fish/

JN

 It’s really a place you should visit and fish, it’s one of the most beautiful and unspoiled places on the planet and no matter what they say bring along an Echo 12wt because even thier “small” fish are too much for any 10wt !! Hell maybe I’ll get down there someday and open up a fly fishing haven that will turn the fly world on it’s ear I truely love the place..

-Capt. John Ford

PS- I would some pics but I have not figured out how to yet ? I won’t allow me to browse my computer files ?? Where’s a teenager when you need one

It used to be you had a big winter rod and a smaller summer rod. Advances in fly lines made the way for the ultimate compromise to combine The big and little rods to do all the work. A 13 ‘ 7 weight was the middle ground.

It is so nice to just keep it simple with one rod for the year. My one rod has gone through it all and seen above average abuse. Thrown in the boat or the back of the truck countless times and wet for days….make that weeks on end, from constant days of guiding and playing. Scratched, mangled, and trampled it has stood the test of time and not broken!

It is fun to have a variety of rods though. Little sticks for those small “a” run summer steelhead and big trout. Long rods for those big rivers and “b” run fish. Casting a variety of line lengths and an assortment of rods has its challenges and I find a challenge pretty fun.

On the contrary to a challenge I also find easy, effortless, and simple to be quite pleasurable. It is just nice to be dialed in. I found by using this one rod 80% of my time spent on the river over the last two years has given me confidence in my approach. With that comes success, whether it be on the Sandy, Grande Ronde, Clearwater, Klickitat, Deschutes, Skagit, or John Day Rivers. My Echo Dec Hogan 13′ #7 weight has landed steelhead on them all! The best steelhead rod ever in my eyes. Guess I have to give the TR 13′ #7 a try. That is… if this thing ever breaks.