Rajeff Sports

We recently changed site hosts and are in the process of getting everything back up and running.  The Blog has been offline during this change, but should be completely back up by the end of the week.  Thanks to everyone for you patience.

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

 Just returned from taking another group of anglers to Panama’s Pacific coastal fishery. As always the trip was fantastic with perfect weather and a great group of anglers. I have been fishing Panama yearly since about 2003 and I am amazed at the size and variety of finned creatures there. Our recent trip produced many big roosterfish over 50lbs but the problem as usual was the only big rooster taken on fly was around 30lbs, now that’s nothing to cry or moan about in anyone’s book My issue with the fishing there has been the lack of the knowledge of the captains in the fly dept. I have fished with most outfits there and many many Captains who are considered the best in Panama. Don’t get me wrong these captains know where the fish are and most work hard for their anglers, the problem is associated with boat handling and approach when fishing areas with fly anglers. These guys are used to positioning the boats for guys throwing giant poppers on braided line spinning set-ups, which is a hell of alot of fun by the way… but it is not as intimate and quiet as approaching an area that holds GIANT roosterfish for the fly angler. There is no question in my mind that Panama can produce many world record fly catches for a host of species, the fish are there to do it but the lodge owners and operators need to change their mind sets if Panama is ever to become a top destination for fly anglers.

 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

For two years I have used this same set up for Steelhead with an Airflo Skagit Compact in the Winter and Scandi Compact in the Summer/Fall

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.

Positively.  Yes.  They do.  Despite a century of attempting to “improve” on mother nature, there still exist genetically distinguishable, highly productive, native, indigenous steelhead populations spread across Washington, Idaho, California, and Oregon.  Same deal for salmon.  Ditto for trout.

Yes, our wild anadromous and resident salmonids are in trouble.  Yes, our legacy of messing with rivers, harvesting fish, and playing mad scientist (some would say, playing God) with hatcheries has taken a terrible toll on our wild native fish and their home waters.

Point here?  There is hope.  It ain’t too late.  We still have wild steelhead, wild salmon, and wild trout.  They are resilient creatures.  They have been on the receiving end of our best and worst intentions – and still survive in many places around the lower 48.  Not everywhere.  Some runs have perished.  Some runs are on the brink.

As passionate anglers, it is crucial to understand that we could loose it all.  We could loose our wild steelhead runs.  Dang it, we could loose our hatchery runs too.  The best hope for conserving wild steelhead, salmon, and trout into this century is for us all to understand the both the biology and management politics – and advocate for the conservation, protection, and restoration of our wild native fish here in our home waters.

For a little more discussion on this issue, check out my recent wordpress post on wild McKenzie River rainbow trout.  This is a river that has been stocked with hatchery catchable trout for many decades, yet behold, wild rainbow still flourish in the McKenzie.

http://fishingwithjay.wordpress.com/category/salmon-conservation-issues/

JN

Stroft is a well known monofilament line across the big pond. Over there, the name has become synonymous with the pedantic precision normally associated with brain surgeons and fricken’ laser engineers. When I first looked at their product spec sheets, I could understand why. Mono down to 9x? Yeah they do that—it’s right there after 8x and 8.5x.

Looking through their product literature, they use phrases like “diffusion of silicon and PTFE molecules”, “hygroscopicity”, and “multi-leveled tempering process.” We don’t know what that means, and quite frankly, we don’t care. It’s the best line we’ve ever used, period. Their GTM mono is rated the #1 best overall fishing line by the TÜV in Munich, and that’s a sentiment being echoed by anglers across the globe. Of course, Tim wasn’t content to just take everyone’s word on it; we’ve been testing a myriad of Stroft mono spools against domestic competition for several months. Stroft’s tensile breaking strength and diameters are always spot on, and their knot break strength is unmatched. In short, these guys rock, and it’s our pleasure to announce that we are now the exclusive distributor for Stroft in the US.

Product details and pricing are now available on our main site. For more information, ask your local tackle dealer or give us a call here at 1-360-694-2900.