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George Douglas' Kype Fishing Magazine. Each issue comes with its own DVD on steelhead salmon and trout fishing.
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FREE FISHING DVDFULL LENGTH MOVIE
K.I.S.S. Keep it Simple
STEELHEADERS
Bead Fishing inAlaska
TROUT, SALMON & STEELHEAD
FISHINGTROUT, SALMON & STEELHEAD
FISHING
Yellowstone Trout Streams
VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1, 2009
Subscribe to KypeSubscribe to Kype
FREE !with a subscriptionto Kype Magazine
Subscribe now for one year (four issues)of Kype Fishing Magazine and DVD Combo,and receive a free copy of Battle of theGuides DVD, a limited time offer.
$39.79US FundsIncludes Shipping USA-Canada
$39.79US FundsIncludes Shipping USA-Canada
Order at Kype.net Castle Douglas Productions
PO Box 2024 • Anacortes, WA 98221
Order at Kype.net Castle Douglas Productions
PO Box 2024 • Anacortes, WA 98221
D ave Gantman with a nice, chrome steelhead caught on the
South Umpqua River near Cayonville, OR. The river was
low and clear on a chilly day in February. He hooked this fish
using a pink and white River Rat Steelhead Jig on a 9’ 6” spin-
ning rod.
Dave explained that this hen was one of two fish landed in two
consecutive casts. Furthermore, these two fish ended the day with
a “bang,” as they were caught directly in front of the boat ramp.
Being the owner of River Rat Jigs, Dave has a great appreciation
for these BIG steelhead that confirm the value of his product.
See his article on page 6.
This photo was taken by Chris Burt, who captured this great day
on the river.
CONTENTS OF KYPE
Publisher’s Cast, Welcome to Kype!............................................4
Jig Fishing Series, Getting Started..............................................6
A New Breed in Fishing Gear......................................................8
Bead Fishing in Alaska.............................................................10
The Ultimate Fly Fishing Experience, Yellowstone.........................12
Alaskan Steelhead, Challenge on the Situk..................................14
The Skagit River, Rockport to Marblemount................................18
K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple Steelheaders!.........................................20
Kype-Tales, Straight from the River............................................22
The Kype Vise, Freight Train.....................................................24
Sweetheart Steelheading on the Kalum......................................26
A Glaring Difference in Shades.................................................28
Misconceptions of the Dolly Varden...........................................30
Kype MagazineCastle Douglas Productions.LLC
PO Box 2024Anacortes, WA 98221
www.Kype.net
Kype StaffPublisher: George Douglas
Editor: Jeff WardenStaff Writers: David Gantman
Dake SchmidtMichael Steiner
Gary PorterSid Snow
Jimmy MacJames Pierce
COPYRIGHTKype Magazine
Copyright © 2008 Castle Douglas Productions LLC.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. May no part of this publication
or DVD be copied or reproducedin any way without written
permission from the publisher.
FREE FISHING DVDFULL LENGTH M OVIE
K.I.S.S. Keep it Simple
STEELHEADERS
Bead Fishingin Alaska
TROUT,SALMON & STEELHEAD
FISHINGTROUT,SALMON & STEELHEAD
FISHING
Yellowstone Trout Streams
VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1, 2009
Kype MagazineVOLUME 1, ISSUE 1, 2009
Publisher’s Cast Welcome to Kype!
4
BY G EORGE DOUGLAS
Over the years, in my
dealings with even the
best of fishermen, the ques-
tion inevitably comes up—
what the heck is a kype? And
since the word will be
splashed across the cover of
each of our magazines, I
feel compelled to
set the
record straight and satisfy
the curious.
A kype is a hook that
forms on the lower jaw of
a male trout, salmon or
steelhead, during spawn-
ing periods. This is their
badge of power and dom-
inance that is unique to
only these species. It's
an explanation point,
similar to the rack of a
male deer—a sign of a
warrior—a sign of
strength. Only the
brutes, only the stout,
only the herculean bucks
will display this
emblem of pure
power.
These kype-
busting bucks are known
to burn out drag systems,
shatter graphite, and snap
leaders as if they were a
strand of hair, and with such
a mark of strength, thus—
the title of our magazine,
KYPE.
Our corporate name,
Castle Douglas Productions,
was named after the town in
Scotland, where my family
fishing tradition began.
Castle Douglas Productions
is proud to present Kype—a
new and innovative maga-
zine that includes a DVD
with every issue, featuring
exciting river shots in our
quest of sport fishing's
finest: trout, salmon and
steelhead.
Our goal at Kype
Magazine is to live up
to its name and provide
our readers and view-
ers wi th a quar te r ly
magazine and video
combo that will shake
you to your core and get
your blood and fishing
instincts pumping.
Our HD cameras will
continue rolling in our
pursuit of the biggest and
"baddest" fish on the
planet. We will take you
on our fishing excursions
to teach, encourage, and
document the mighty
runs of these majestic
fish.
Please join all of us on
the Kype staff, in our
celebration of launching
our new magazine by
enjoying this introductory
issue of Kype. We wel-
come you as a part of our
new readership and look
forward to providing you
Things are different todaythan when we were kids.Our time was spent out-doors regardless if we werefishing or not, just be homeby dinner. Not today. Let’sget the kids out of the houseand into the great outdoors!Although they might bringtheir IPod, they’ll gain anappreciation for nature at itsbest. Teach them catch andrelease and to respectthese beautiful creatures.
TAKE A KID FISHING
Joe Douglas lands asweet brown on aLake Ontar io Tr ib .
with a quality publication
for years to come. Be
sure to visit our website,
check out our blog, share
your thoughts with us,
spread the word, enjoy our
products and services, and
get involved!
Make no bones about
it—it's appreciated!
Tight Lines,
George Douglas
Publisher
Place your order at Kype.net Castle Douglas Productions
PO Box 2024 • Anacortes, W A 98221
Kype Beanie w\ Bill(One size fits all) $19.95
(US Funds, Includes Shipping USA-Canada)
GEAR
Trout - Salmon - Steelhead
Photo Contest!Kype Close-Ups, River Scenes,Fishing Scenes, Fish Pics with RiverBackground, Be Creative...
WIN a KypeNoodle Rod!Rules & Instructionsat Kype.net
StaffW riters W antedFishing Guides who want to
share their knowledge and
expertise through articles.
Drop us an
email at:
Kype Long Sleeve ShirtM, L, XL $24.95(US Funds, Includes ShippingUSA-Canada)
It’s
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Back View
5
Jig Fishing SeriesGetting Started
6
BY DAVE G ANTMAN
If you are reading this
article, chances are
you're probably one of the
many anglers hooked on
the pursuit of the elusive
steelhead. In my experi-
ence, success in fishing for
steelhead is primarily about
improving your percentages
while on the water, whether
it be making sure your knot
is secure or just being in the
right place at the right time
with the proper tactics. The
purpose of this article and
the series of articles to
follow, is to help you—the
fisherman—increase your
percentages by utilizing the
steelhead jig during your
future fishing excursions.
To do this, I would like to
start by telling you the story
of why I became a true
believer in the application
of jig tactics. Afterwards, I
will provide you with the
basics needed to get started
with jigs.
Why I Fish Jigs
It was a cool and cloudy
morning on the South
Umpqua River, Oregon. I
was with my friend Chris
Burt, an avid steelhead and
salmon fisherman. On this
morning, Chris had invited
me to join him on a stretch
of water that I had never
fished before. I was excited
knowing that we were to use
tactics that I had very little
experience with, jig fishing.
Chris had caught fish
here on the South Umpqua
the previous week using
jigs. I had heard that people
fished the South Umpqua
by side-drifting with yarn or
bait, so I was intrigued. The
first spot we approached
had good depth and the
speed was just right, it
looked like a prime spot for
a steelhead to hold. The first
pass Chris made with his
jig, he hooked up and land-
ed a 6-7 pound wild
Umpqua River hen! After
taking a picture and admir-
ing the fish, we released her,
unharmed.
As the next spot became
visible in the distance, I
realized how popular this
area was, with people lin-
ing the bank and multiple
guide boats side-drifting
the main slot. We talked to
a few people to see how
they were doing and no one
had caught anything yet
that morning. Needless to
say, we were feeling pretty
good about Chris's catch.
As he maneuvered the
boat into position, I made
my first pass through the
tail-out of the run. At the
very end of the drift, the
bobber went down, and on
the end of my line was a
nice hatchery buck with my
1/8 oz. pink jig stuck solid
in the roof of its mouth!
This is when I knew we
were going to have a good
day of jig fishing. By the
time we reached the take
out we had successfully
hooked up and landed 7
winter steelhead—all of
which were on jigs.
Every boat we passed,
we were asked if we had
any luck and what we were
using. It turned out we were
the only boat on the river
that had caught fish. What
was the difference? It was
our use of jigs that made the
difference. The other
anglers were all using bait
and/or drift-fishing tactics,
which in these low and clear
conditions were not doing
the trick. Ever since that day
BIG
BU
CK Ph
oto by Matt Siegumd
7
of success, jig fishing has
been nothing less than an
addiction for me; they are
always in my tackle box
and are now one of my
favorite ways to catch
steelhead.
How To Get Started
There are two primary
ways to fish jigs for steel-
head. The first is using a
float setup on a spinning
rod, the second is using an
indicator rig on a fly rod.
You can rig the float system
very similar to a bobber and
eggs. All you need is a float,
swivel, leader material, split
shot, and jigs. The weight
of the jig and split shot com-
bined should be the same as
the buoyancy of the float.
The key to success with
this system is adjusting the
depth of the float so the jig
is suspended approximately
12-24 inches off of the bot-
tom at any given time. Float
fishing is considered by
many to be the most effec-
tive way to catch steelhead.
This is because the bait used
is in the strike zone 100% of
the drift. You can also, if
necessary, extend the drift
for 100+ yards to fully
cover a run, flipping the bail
and allowing the line to
freely feed off of the spool
as the float moves down-
stream with the current.
Fishing jigs on a fly rod
can be extremely effective
when fishing small streams
and creeks where a light
presentation is essential to
avoid spooking fish. It is
also useful when fishing
drop-offs into pools. The fly
rod should be set up very
similar to a nymph rig with
a strike indicator; trailing
the jig with an egg fly can
also be deadly. Again, try to
keep the jig slightly sus-
pended so the fish does not
have to move down to pick
up the bait.
When choosing a jig,
there are a number of
factors to consider; the
most important of these are
size and color. Most of the
jigs you will see in your
local tackle shop come in
sizes 1/16, 1/8, and 1/4
ounce, The size best suited
for the majority of condi-
tions is 1/8 ounce however,
1/16 works extremely well
in low clear water, where
1/4 works well at high water.
When fishing a float, just
about any size is manage-
able as long as the float is
balanced. On a fly rod,
slightly smaller jigs are
more user friendly. A fly
rod will cast a 1/32 or 1/16
ounce jig far more effec-
tively than the larger sizes.
Also, the smaller jigs will
generally work better in the
smaller water more suited
to a fly rod.
Being a steelhead fisher-
man, you probably under-
stand the importance of
color. Different shades of
pink are almost always safe
choices in the majority of
fishing conditions. A good
way to choose color is by
fishing bright jigs during
low-light conditions or
when the water is off
color—dark colors when
the water is low and clear—
neutral colors during nor-
mal water conditions. Jigs
come in many different
styles; the most popular
being made with marabou
feathers. Don't be afraid to
try patterns made with
more modern materials–just
remember to follow the size
and color guidelines and
they should catch fish.
Hopefully, this informa-
tion has gotten you excited
about fishing jigs for steel-
head and will have provid-
ed enough information to
give you a solid start. In
future articles I will go into
detail on all of the different
aspects of jig fishing, such
as float fishing with jigs,
fly fishing with jigs, jig
choices, ideal jig water
and conditions, tying jigs,
and more. This is all in
the hope of helping you
become a more success-
ful steelhead fisherman.
Support your local
tackle shops, and—tight
lines.
w w w.RiverRatJigs.comw w w.RiverRatJigs.com
541-954-33561950 Franklin Blvd., Suite #1
Eugene, OR 97403
Don't Leave HomeW ithout Your Rat!Tied on HooksPowder Painted Heads for Durability
A New Breed In River Gear
8
BY G EORGE DOUGLAS
Turning through the
pages of this magazine,
you'll find one of the most
unique and exiting concepts
that has ever hit print
media: selective products
that have earned our seal
of approval through a gen-
uine field-tested approach.
As the Publisher of Kype,
you have my word that all
products and services fea-
tured in Kype Fishing
Magazine have passed
scrupulous review and have
reached our highest stan-
dards, ultimately deserving
our Kype endorsement.
With that in mind, each
and every issue, Kype
Magazine will feature
gear, tackle, clothing, and
much, much more--all
of which you can
believe in.
Unlike other magazines,
Kype Fishing Magazine
does not accept advertising
without products first pass-
ing our field test. If those
products do not reach our
standards, you will not see
them in our magazine.
Think about that. You as
the reader will see only the
best, the most practical, the
most durable—only the
stuff that works. Turning
through the pages of this
issue, you'll see products
such as SeaBear, because
Seabear is noted for pro-
viding some of the best
Salmon in the world,
period. You'll also see
Electric Sunglasses, which
upon trying a pair
last year, I
instantly
knew they were the best
polarized sunglasses on the
market. Our guides, lodges,
rods, fish scent, wax hats
and other products, have all
exceeded my personal
expectations.
W hich brings me
to a product line
all of us at
Kype are very
excited about.
Literally years
of research,
planning and
perfecting of
this material
and designs
has finally come together.
The material is called
Amphibian Skin—a fabric
designed to be used in dry
conditions as well as in
extreme conditions such as
snow and rain.
As you well remember,
the traditional measures
fisherman took in the
past, was to pack
their rain gear in
the back of the
truck and head for
the river. If it was
cloudy, you'd go
down to the river
in a sweatshirt
with your fishing
vest over it. Then, a few
sprinkles of rain would
send you hiking back to the
truck to get your rain gear,
which, after putting it over
the sweatshirt and vest,
would bulk you up, limit-
ing your access to your
fishing gear when you need
it most.
Another method was to
buy rain gear that had
built in pockets
to replace your
vest. Well,
we all know
that rain-
wear can be
very hot and
uncomfort-
a b l e — n o t
s o m e t h i n g
you want to
wear unless it's raining.
Most rain jackets can
weigh you down and can be
very restrictive, hindering
free motion, which is espe-
cially needed for fly casting,
not to mention the annoying
sounds the material makes
with each move.
Furthermore, when an
angler places a rain hood
upon their head, it blocks
his or her ability to utilize
valuable senses. Number
one would be hearing.
Sound is obviously a very
important part of fishing
and safety. I can't tell you
how many times the sound
of a fish surfacing has pre-
ceded a great catch. Also,
your peripheral vision is
blocked with a hood. Very
important for awareness--is
Waterproof Beanie$24.95 includes Shipping
Waterproof Fishing Shirt $129.95
your ability see that fish
jump, that fly hatch, that
boat coming, that lighten-
ing, or a bear in the midst.
In an attempt to find a
solution, I searched diligently
for material that would live
up to my standards and
would be part of my every-
day fishing attire, whether it
is raining or not. It had to be
completely waterproof,
breathable, stretchable,
warm, comfortable, soft,
quiet, yet tough enough to
endure brush and abrasions.
Finally I was able to cre-
ate Amphibian Skin which
met all of these qualifica-
tions and more. That is
why I am proud to manu-
facture and offer this
product to our readers.
I'll come right out and
give you an honest summa-
ry—this stuff "ain't" cheap,
but it's certainly the best.
Here are my recommen-
dations for the serious
angler to keep warm and
comfortable on the river.
1. Get a good waterproof
hat that has a wide brim to
keep the rain from dripping
into your shirt and protect
you from the sun and glare.
Hats that allow you to add
wax are your best bet for
staying completely dry.
(see ad on page 19)
We have found that
wearing a Waterproof
Beanie under your hat,
adds extra protection from
heavy rains and keeps you
much warmer. Purchase
your wax hat a little bigger
to allow room for the
beanie.
2. Wear an Amphibian
Skin shirt over your chest
waders. In cold tempera-
tures, wear Polypropylene
long johns and fleece shirts
under your wader straps.
3. Get rid of your fishing
vest! Anglers pack way too
much gear. Trim down by
getting your hands on a wad-
ing belt with storage. I will
repeat, bulky vests hinder
fluidness, organization, and
they create annoying sounds.
4. This one is a must. A
wading belt is mandatory for
safety. As mentioned above,
some have compartments
built in for extra gear (not
too big or bulky).
5. I prefer lightweight
waders that are stocking-
foot. In the winter, I wear
fleece pants and socks for
insulation. I prefer wading
shoes with felt bottoms and
metal cleats built into the felt.
6. For cold weather, get
a good pair of wool finger-
less gloves. Do not get the
kind that have the flap to
cover fingers or you'll
loose fish when your line
gets caught on it. Also, do
not buy the kind of gloves
with four fingers exposed
and the thumb covered. You
must have all five fingertips
exposed to tie knots and to
feel those hits.
7. The Neck Guard is
optional for harsh conditions.
Keeping your neck warm
and dry can make all the dif-
ference in the world. It also
gives you the ability to pull it
up just under your eyes to
block wind and the cold.
When an angler is uti-
lizing all of the above
items, they will be warm
and dry on the river. Their
senses and movements
will not be hindered in any
way. They will be organ-
ized without being overly
bulky. Do I need to men-
tion how great they will
look and feel? That alone
will contribute to a suc-
cessful day on the river
and ultimately, more fish.
9
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Castle Douglas ProductionsPO Box 2024 • Anacortes, WA 98221
W ATER-PROOF Shirts,Beanies & NeckGuards
10
BY DAKE SCHMIDT
With thousands of
places to cast a line
and with opportunities
around every corner, Alaska
is the place to be for salmon
and steelhead.
Kodiak Island is one of
those special places where
the summer sun and silver
salmon fade with the
tourists into the autumn air.
When the leaves turn color
and fall off the riverside
alders as fast as the temper-
ature drops, it only means
one thing to me – the
almighty steelhead. Though
not in great numbers in
many rivers here on the
island, it only makes these
trophies all the more sacred
when that chrome bullet is
in your hands and you're
smiling big for the camera.
Probably the most well-
known steelhead treasure on
Kodiak Island is the Karluk
River. This tranquil, deso-
late, treeless place is a
breeding ground for all five
species of salmon—humpy,
sockeye, chum, chinook,
and coho—as well as steel-
head, rainbows, and Dolly
Varden. The average size of
the Karluk steelhead can be
a healthy hen at 26-30 inch-
es, while bruiser bucks with
forest-green backs can push
36" and weigh upwards of
16 pounds. By the late sum-
mer and fall, dead and dying
salmon produce a powerful
stench that overwhelms
your senses, while the short
tailed-weasel (ermine), red
fox, and Kodiak brown bear
scavenge the river banks for
easy, but necessary, food
calories before the harsh of
winter.
After months of fish flesh
and unfertilized salmon
eggs floating down-stream,
it doesn't take a rocket sci-
entist to tell you that flesh
and eggs should be the
"meat and potatoes" of your
fly box during October and
November. For as aggres-
sive as steelhead are, they
can also be quite
picky. In my
experiences, I
have found that
most dark leech
patterns, large
nymphs, and flesh
flies work well
from day to day.
Dead drifting or
b o t t o m
bounc-
ing any of these can pro-
duce an intense strike where
setting the hook is done by
the fish, not you.
Since its conception on
the world famous Kenai
River, bead fishing has
become a deadly alternative
to glow bugs and egg-suck-
ing leeches. During the fall
months, trout beads have
helped anglers across
Alaska to land monstrous
Dolly Varden, rainbows,
and steelhead. This is the
time of year that I blow the
dust off the bead box and
give my flies a rest.
First, we need to set up
our bead, peg and hook - a
simple process that is easily
mastered. Typically 10-12
lb. test does fine; keep your
leader long, at least 10 to 13
feet. Slide your bead on the
leader and fasten your hook
to the end with your own
trustworthy knot.
Trout beads come in
many colors and sizes.
You may want to
experiment with
some to find the
right color, but in
my book you can
never go
wrong with
pink or
o r a n g e .
T h e
s i z e
Guide, Dake Schmidt(907) [email protected]
Kodiak Island, Alaska
W alk in / Wade Trips For Coho, Sockeye, Pinks,
Rainbows, Dolly
Varden and Steelhead.
• Custom tours available• Site Seeing• Museums
• State Parks• Wildlife and Bird Viewing
Bead Fishingin Alaska
Photo by Dake Schmidt
of the bead should vary only
between 8 and 10 mm. -
they both work equally
well. The hook you use is
very important. It must be
sticky and razor sharp, and
for me that means
Gamakatsu - C14S Glo-Bug
in sizes 4-8, to be specific.
Now, you don't want the
bead on the eye of the hook
or it will cover the point,
barb and gap. To solve this
problem, you'll need a round
toothpick. Slide the bead up
from the hook two inches
and press the tip of the
toothpick into the hole and
break it off clean with the
surface of the bead. Repeat
on the opposite
s i d e
and
your rig is
done. The purpose is for the
fish to inhale your bead, and
when the hook is set, it
imbeds into the meaty flesh
of the outside corner of the
mouth.
This great method
ensures a solid hook set
without the chance of your
prize fish being hooked deep
in the throat or tender gills.
If there is one thing I have
learned in my 25 years of
drifting nymphs for trout in
Colorado, it is that using the
proper amount of weight for
the water conditions is just
as important as matching the
hatch. If you are not getting
your edibles down to the
bottom where the fish are,
your opportunities of suc-
cess will dwindle greatly.
Fishing beads in Alaska is
no different. In a natural set-
ting, salmon eggs are very
dense and drop surprisingly
quickly to the moss-laden
rocks and gravel. Fish are
quite fond of picking food
off the bottom where the
current, camouflage, and
aerodynamics are in their
favor. Steelhead will always
stay within inches of the
river bottom, so remember
to check your lead regularly.
Ready to fish, I stand in
the river and gauge the
average flow,
d e p t h ,
a n d
c u r -
rent in
front of me and
use the far riverbank as my
12 o'clock. I decide how
much lead it takes to hit bot-
tom by casting to my 11
o'clock upriver, tapping bot-
tom at 12 to 1 o'clock and
swinging it off the bottom
near 1 to 2 o'clock. Most
strikes will occur from your
12 to 2 when your slack
tightens and your set-up
comes off the bottom. If you
have too much lead you will
snag or have to pull it along,
which would take away
from its natural drift. If
there's not enough weight,
you'll float the offering right
over the top of the fish.
Either way, a small BB's
worth of weight could be
the difference between a
tired casting arm and a tired
catching arm.
Work the runs well and
hit all the water in front of
you, then simply take a
few steps downstream and
repeat. Before long you
just might be holding that
Alaskan steelhead of a
lifetime.
Dake Schmidt lands this thick Karluk River Metal-head on Alaska’s Kodiak Island.
11
Photo by Dake Schmidt
Photo by Dake Schmidt
Trout•
Salm
on•
Steelhead
ERUPTING SCENT FORMULA
Castle Douglas ProductionsPO Box 2024
Anacortes, WA 98221
$12.95US Funds
$12.95US FundsIncludes shippingto USA-Canada
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The UltimateFly Fishing Experience
12
BY M ICHAEL STEINER
I 've done a lot of fishing in
my lifetime, but fishing
Yellowstone was the best
fishing experience of my
life! I don't know what I can
say about fishing this amaz-
ing park that has not already
been said, but what I can do
is give you an understanding
of what it was like for me on
this first time experience
and share some insight I
picked up along the way.
Not even a mile into the
park, my fishing partner and
I experienced our first taste
of Yellowstone and it's
wildlife, as a Bison was 25
yards off the road. By the
time we made it to the motel
we had already seen a wolf,
mountain sheep and about
hundred more bison! I was
already in heaven and hadn't
even taken a cast yet.
The first night we came
up with a game plan, map-
ping out which rivers we
wanted to fish -- thus, maxi-
mizing our fishing time. We
decided to keep it close to
our home base of Cooke
City, Montana. Our destina-
tion list was the Lamar
River, Soda Butte Creek,
Slough Creek, Cache Creek,
and the Gibbon River.
Soda Butte Creek was our
first stop. We decided to
fish the meadow sections
downstream from Icebox
canyon. I was told by a
friend to start at the actual
Soda Butte, since you can't
miss it. It's a big mound of
calcium carbonate formed
more than a century ago by a
hot spring. The first morning
was a little cold so I started
with a Bead Head Olive
Woolly Bugger. I found my
first undercut bank and
made a few casts, and with-
in the first ten minutes of
fishing was hooked up with
my first ever Yellowstone
Cutthroat Trout! This was
the moment I had been
dreaming about for months.
I landed a solid, 15 inch,
chunky, Yellowstone Cutt.
My trip was complete after
ten minutes of fishing! I had
found paradise and it was
called Yellowstone!
The rest of the first day
only continued to get better.
I had decided to switch to a
traditional nymph rig under
an indicator, and focused my
attention on the deeper
undercuts, pockets and
pools. This way I was able
to cover more water and see
different parts of the stream.
I had a lot of success fishing
this way. I don't think many
people go to Yellowstone to
fish nymphs, but there was
hardly any bug activity due
to the cooler temps. I didn't
come all this way to wait for
a hatch to come off; I was
there to catch fish!
I kept it simple though.
When I came across a new
section of stream, I tried to
compare it to somewhere I
had fished before. That way
I had in my mind what drift
I wanted to make and what
presentation I wanted to
give the fish. This worked
well for me, making my cast
more efficient. I ended up
fishing the great looking
water and by-passing the
good water. Yes I may have
passed up some fish, but I
was maximizing actual fish-
ing time. This is how I spent
the remainder of the first
day. It paid off with lots of
fish to the net and plenty of
good pictures.
The flies that worked best
The Gibbon River drops off Yellowstone’s northern escarpment into thepark’s lower volcanic caldera region. This creates Gibbon Falls.
AM
AZ
ING...
for me on Soda Butte were
B.H. flash-back, Hares Ears
and Blue Copper Johns.
The Lamar River and
Slough Creek were next.
There was a little more
angling pressure on these
two streams. So the plan
was to get as far away from
the road as we could. This
was easy, since the Lamar
River follows the Northeast
entrance road a good way.
Find a place to park, put the
road to your back side, and
start walking. The weather
had cleared and the temps
had gone up. Now we were
starting to see some bug
activity.
Right around 11 a.m.
the small Baetis begin to
pop. The hatch was on, so
we did what the bugs told
us to do. We spent most of
the day casting small
Baetis patterns to rising
and willing Cutthroats. It
wasn’t too hard to figure
out. Make good drag-free
drifts with the right flies,
and inevitably, you'll get
takes! Between the hatch-
es, small terrestrial pat-
terns such as ants, beetles,
and bee patterns brought
plenty fish to the net.
Later in the day we hit
Slough Creek a tributary to
the Lamar River—just
below the campground and
had some outstanding fish-
ing on Green Drake patterns.
This is where I landed my
first Yellowstone rainbows
and cuttbows. The biggest
fish we encountered, during
our week, were on this sec-
tion of stream. All of the fish
13
Trip of a Lifetime!Yellowstone Horseback Fly-Fishing Trips
Trip of a Lifetime!Yellowstone Horseback Fly-Fishing Trips
Stillwater Outfitters714 Hwy 212 Cooke City, MT 59020
Phone: 888-341-2267Email: [email protected]: w w w.Stillwateroutfitters.com
CONTINUED O N PAGE 29
Lamar
River
Sod
a B
utte C
r.
© 2008 Tele Atlas
Image © 2008 DigitalGlobe
Alaskan SteelheadChallenge on the Situk
14
STAFF REPORT
Hey, Fishermen! At the
end of the day, it is
time to take off your
waders, put down the rod
and reel, and sit back in
your favorite chair with this
exciting DVD!
Forget your precon-
ceived notions of fishing
shows you've seen in the
past! Battle of the Guides is
a refreshing take for today's
fisherman who wants to
enjoy watching two pros go
head to head in a steelhead
fly-fishing challenge.
It takes place on Alaska's
picturesque Situk River,
where Guide and Publisher,
George Douglas, takes on
Dake Schmidt, one of
Alaska's highly viewed
back-river guides.
In a discussion with our
Publisher, George filled us
in on some history.
"In my opinion, full-time
guides are the best anglers
on the planet,” Douglas stat-
ed. “They have to be,
because when they're work-
ing, they aren't fishing for
themselves—they are there
to make sure their client
comes out with a good day's
catch and an education in
fishing. They have to know
the tricks of the trade, as
well as the best times to be
at the right spots. A guide
has to be on his toes every
step of the way if he expects
to be top in his field. When
working as a full-time guide
on the Salmon River in
upstate New York, I knew a
few top-notch guides in the
area who caught fish consis-
tently, and in turn, they
made me a better angler as I
was competing with them
daily." This was very impor-
tant as word would spread
fast throughout the north-
east, as to who the best
guides were in the area.
When asked how he came
up with the idea for this
DVD, he explained,
"Anglers are generally
unaware of the competitive
nature between local guides.
A story that captures this
competitiveness is one that
starts with my lovely wife,
who would drive my clients
and I to the ramp on the river
at 2 A.M. We'd drift down
stream and stop under the
light of a nearby bridge,
where we rigged up. As
other guides and their clients
started showing up—they'd
think they were first on the
river, since we left no trace
of being there behind, no car
or trailer—my clients and I
would fish each hole and get
first shot at the fish for the
entire day. The other guides
One of the most interesting and intense parts of our tripto Yakutat was our visit to the most northern surf shop inthe world. Jack Endicott, owner of Icy W aves Surf Shopwas nice enough to take us surfing. As we waited for aset to come in, a large Stellar Sea Lion began barking atus. Three of us, one of him, no problem. In fact, he even-tually left...That is, until 45minutes later when hereturned and evened up thescore. Later on, Jack told usthat they are very territorialand will sometimes pull thesurfer under by their shockcord and hold them under untilthey panic, then let go.
SU
RF
ALA
SK
A
Dake Schmidt starts off his day with a 15 lb. buck onthe Situk River, Alaska.
didn't catch on to what was
happening until the end of
the day, when we'd all meet
up with each other at the
boat ramp."
He continued to explain
that the steep competition
between the community of
guides on the Salmon River
was something he really
enjoyed. "When I moved
out west to Washington," he
said, "I missed the competi-
tiveness— and wanted to
somehow recreate that
guide-to-guide rivalry in an
all-out clash. Thus, Battle of
the Guides."
The challenge takes
place over the course of
three days, factoring in
fluctuating water levels and
weather conditions. It's not
a 'how-to' type of film, but
it illustrates the passion and
urgency to produce hook-
ups as every guide is
expected to do. The chal-
lenge becomes intense
with a few outbursts of
emotion when things go
wrong—a fish is lost, the
time-clock is ticking
away, and the final count-
down approaches.
The film is sure to have
the best of steelheaders on
the edge of their seats, as
the challenge gets tight
and George and Dake
become animated in their
pursuit of catching steel-
head in order to out-fish
the other. It's a must-see
for fishing fanatics, as well
as fishing guides, yet also
a great film to inspire
those who are novices.
Fast-moving and motivat-
ing, this DVD combines
great fishing scenes with
an awesome soundtrack
that is sure to entertain!
15
Battle of the GuidesHigh-Def DVD Widescreen
FREE !with a subscriptionto Kype Magazinefor a limited timeSee page 2
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www.Kype.net
AlaskanSteelhead
Castle Douglas Productions
PO Box 2024 • Anacortes, WA98221
The Skagit RiverRockport to Marblemount
Sauk River
Rockport
Mt. Baker
Rt.
530
Rockport Cascade Rd.
ð
Cascade River
Rt. 20
Marblemount
š
The Skagit RiverRockport to Marblemount
18
BY SIDNEY SN O W
Located ninety minutes north of Seattle, the Skagit River carves through the beautiful Skagit Valley. Castinginto blue, green pools while gazing at the snow-capped peaks and a shoreline full of Bald Eagles, is one ofthe most therapeutic experiences an angler could have. I have decided to share with you the stretch of riverthat I most often fish, Rockport to Marblemount. For boaters, the float is fairly easy. For bank fishermen,there are many opportunities for access. Although there are several additional spots that are excellent, belowis a list of five locations to get you started.
* This hole is found where Swift Creek pours into the
Skagit River. Access is easy with parking adjacent to the
creek on Rt. 20. A short walk down a path and your making
your first cast. The head of the hole offers a great drift—
allowing you to cast into the fast seam and swing into the
slower, holding water toward the end of the drift.
The lower half of this run widens and becomes less
defined. It's tough to fish from shore. The slack water on the
right becomes deeper, which calls for a long, difficult cast.
Fishing from a boat will offer many more opportunities,
especially fishing the next luscious pool below.
* This unique pool is home to one of the biggest bends on
the Skagit River. This particular hole holds hundreds of fish
during salmon runs. Due to its depth, it is very difficult to
fish. Many whirlpools and back-currents create erratic drifts.
Personally, I like to fish above this pool and target fish
as they exit. The best way to do this on foot, is to endure the
tough, grueling hike down through the woods after parking
around mile-marker 99. Watch out for private land and try
to find the trail (if you can call it a trail) along the river.
You'll be heading down-river. This hike may be well worth
your while, since it also provides access to location #3.
* Yes, the same grueling hike will place you in one of the
best places to catch steelhead on this river. The reason why
will be evident upon your arrival. The fish will exit the big
pool below and run up the south bank. They are temporarily
trapped in this slot and can only escape by shooting through
extremely fast, shallow water. So what do they do? They
HOLD! Precisely what every fishermen wants. In the pic-
ture, you see a slanted tree to the right...That landmark indi-
cates the top of that slot. Watch out trying to get there. The
current runs very fast, and the gravel will slide under your
feet. Be content with fishing the safer, lower half of this slot.
19
Clarks Cabins in
Marblemount, also has a
trail that leads down to the
river. At the end of this trail
lies a decent pool, which is
a good way to get into
some Dolly Varden. This
location may not be a good
choice during the summer
months, however, since
there's a tire swing for
kids and—believe it or
not—sometimes adults.
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Castle Douglas ProductionsPO Box 2024 • Anacortes, W A 98221
W AX HATS
Publisher, George Douglas 20pound SteelHead
BattletheElements
BattletheElementsRope Swing
* At mile-marker 101 lies a big, deep, hole, popular among
locals. You can't get much easier access as you can spit into
the river from your car on Rt. 20. The photo, however,
shows the prime water that runs above the hole. You'll
notice the gravel bank to the right of the photo. This illus-
trates the easy bank fishing that wraps around this entire
bend and also some distance above it.
The catch is, getting to this location. When you park by
the big hole, grab an energy bar, because you must walk up
a ways and work your way through some swampy woods.
Watch out for private land and getting stuck in mud.
* This is another popular hole that is located at the mouth of
the Cascade River. This is heavily fished by locals, but
mostly by access via Rockport Cascade Road (left of photo).
Fishing from the north bank and down-river from the
bridge, you'll find another rocky shoreline that will allow
access to a few great spots, including a nice drift into a big
pool across the river from the fishing pressure (To the right
of the photo). The river is wide enough where you will have
plenty of room. Don’t pull up too quick. Leave your drift
down a few extra seconds to pick up some nice Dolly
Varden that hold near the bank.
BONUS LOCATION
TO P Q UALITY WITH O UTSTANDING PERFORMANCE
Photo by Dake Schmidt
K.I.S.S.Keep It Simple Steelheaders!
20
BY JIMMY M A C
Take a trip to your local
sport-shop and notice the
enormous selection of tackle
for trout, salmon and steel-
head river fishing! You could
fish a different rig every day
and you still couldn't fish it
all in a lifetime! For someone
who wants to take up steel-
heading for the first time, this
selection is very intimidating.
Add the reputation of steel-
head and it seems catching
them is an impossible task!
I notice anglers tying up
fancy rigs that take them ten
minutes to complete. Their
fishing vests must weigh thir-
ty pounds as it is packed with
hundreds of possible options
for the angler to choose from.
When it comes time to rig up,
they fumble through pocket
after pocket, (mumbling
choice words—with warrant-
ed frustration, as they search
for a particular rig. Nowwhere'd that dang thang go?)
Folks, what happened to
the good ol’ days when we
would walk down to the
pond and cast out a bobber
and worm? You wait for that
tiny twitch in the bobber and
the excitement builds. Then
there's another twitch before
it takes off, submerging fur-
ther under the surface. You
wait for a couple of sec-
onds—and WHAM, you
give a huge hook set with
your ultra-light Ugly Stick
and enjoy the nice little fight
as you pull up a six-inch sun
fish. Those were the days!
Now, thirty years later I
am battling ten to twenty-
pound metalheads. After a
great day’s fishing, I find
myself at the local pub,
telling about the biggest fish
of the day. I am often asked,
"What ya gettin' em on?" I
lower my head, think for a
second, and blurt out a com-
plete lie—"Stone flies."
Perhaps my fishing ego
is too large to tell the
truth—that they were
caught on a simple bobber
and worm—as if I am less
of an angler, as if others
will look down at me unless
I am using something fancy
and different.
Back to basics, my friends.
The more I go back to basics,
the more fish I catch. The rigs
are easy to tie, which keeps
my line in the water. There
are very few snags due to the
float, which keeps my pres-
entation off the bottom, and
when my float goes under, it
is usually a fish.
Drifting nightcrawlers,
egg sacs and jigs from a float
are some of the easiest and
most effective ways to catch
steelhead. But it's not as easy
When you caught that trophy fish, what shirt were youwearing? What did you eat for breakfast? What songdid you listen to? These are just three superstitionsout of thousands that fishermen will think about andlive by, ritually. Do thesesuperstitions work?Absolutely! Although thesuperstition itself may not beresponsible for catching fish,it is a key factor in one of themost important aspects offishing: confidence. Thesport of trout, salmon andsteelhead fishing requirescomplete confidence and con-centration. If you feel moreconfident wearing your luckyshirt, then that shirtbecomes one of the mostimportant pieces of yourfishing arsenal.
IS IT BAD LUCK TO BE SUPERSTITIOUS?
George Doug las Sr. putt ingh is lucky hat to good use.
21
as walking in the river and
casting a bobber and worm
and holding on tight. The key
is to perfect this technique
and place it in the right spots.
Most anglers will start
fishing this spot by first
walking out into the river to
make a cast to the outer
bank. Big mistake.
Remember, just because you
have waders on, it doesn't
mean you have to use them.
There have been many days
where I had my waders on all
day and barely got my feet
wet. Fishermen will often
trounce on the water where
the steelhead are holding,
before their first cast!
Steelhead will often hold in
the inner slack-water and
feed, especially at first light.
The fish have found a
good resting spot and they
get a great look at your pres-
entation moving slowly
toward them. Rarely can a
steelhead resist the tempta-
tion of a juicy nightcrawler
or egg sac drifting through
their holding water. Dolly
Varden also love this tech-
nique, exclusively with
nightcrawlers. Having said
that, dollies will often stir up
the slack-water during the
fight, therefore, spooking the
steelies. So, in order to target
steelhead, start with egg
sacs, then eventually move
to crawlers. Don't get me
wrong, I love catching Dolly
Varden, but you must get
your licks in for steelhead
first, then play with the dollies.
With so many varieties of
floats on the market, choose
the one that works best for
you and one that's easy to
adjust along your line.
Adjusting the float must be
done until you have reached
a good depth where you are
not hitting bottom too often.
Also, use enough weight that
helps your presentation to
drift along the bottom, and
also enough weight to where
your stick float is straight up
and down, not on its side.
Once you achieve the ideal
depth and weight, your pres-
entation should be right in
the faces of the fish and
hopefully it will end up in
their jaws.
There are many different
rig schemes for float fishing.
Here is a simple one: drop
down to a six-pound test
leader from a ten-pound
main line, and add three, size
7 split shot,18 inches above
your hook. Spread out the
split-shot a few inches apart.
Make sure the hook is not
too big. I use a size 8 or 10
Mustad fly-tying egg hook.
Yes, tiny! Again, the length
of your leader will vary, so
try to “guesstimate” the
depth of the water and work
your way down. K.I.S.S.
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WA 98221
Noodle Fly RodsAvailable See web site
Dake Schmidt
Kype-TalesStraight from the River
22
BY G EORGE DOUGLAS
In the fall of 1990, I was 22
years old and had some-
how managed to convince
my wife to move to a small
town in upstate New York
that was nestled alongside
my favorite river. Within a
year, I passed my fishing
guide exam and was ready to
take to the river.
I approached Dave
Barber, a lodge owner and
guide, who I had known
from lodging there over the
years. Sure enough, he gave
me a chance and scheduled
my first guide trip.
It was a cool, crisp morn-
ing on the Salmon River, not
yet light out. Dave brought
along two other guides and
we took a large group down
the river in four driftboats.
All the guides seemed
confident and ready to go,
except me, not so confident.
I had fished this river for
some time, but had very little
experience rowing a drift-
boat. In fact, I only had float-
ed the river one time prior to
this trip, a few days before,
when I practiced with my
new drift boat.
I remember trying to look
like I knew what I was doing,
as we drifted down the river.
I was actually pulling it off
for the first couple minutes --
that is -- until I hit a rock, got
stuck on it and pirouetted on
this rock for what seemed to
be an eternity. I'll never for-
get Dave looking back at me
with a look of disgust on his
face, as I splashed my oars
trying to get off this rock.
The other guides hooked
into some Kings right off the
bat, while I was still fum-
bling around with the boat.
Eventually their three boats
lined up on the bank of a big
pool and they, along with
their clients, began drifting
along the bottom.
I rowed steadily until we
caught up to them, my
clients fishing along side
them as well. After an hour
or so of watching them reel
in a couple more fish, and no
luck from our crew, I sensed
my clients were losing faith
in me. Dave continued flash-
ing looks of frustration and
disgust.
Then it hit me. I needed to
get out of there right away.
First off, this wasn't the type
of water I ordinarily fished.
Secondly, I was too nervous
fishing along side Dave and
the other guides, who were
experienced and quite adept.
I took my clients for a
long journey down river, to a
place I was very familiar
with, in fact, I headed right
for my favorite rock which is
known as "the flat rock."
I anchored right there,
allowing the crew to step off
my boat, directly onto the flat
rock, which is barely covered
in water.
Instantly I felt more con-
fident. This was pocket
water, the type of water I
loved to fly fish, and had
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Castle Douglas Productions
PO Box 2024 •
Anacortes, W A 98221
and tried to chase her, but she
popped off. I actually only
had her on the line for five
seconds, tops. Not even
enough time for the clients to
see it.
As I stood back up on the
rock I couldn't believe that
male coho was still sitting
there, since the male will
usually stay with the female.
Within a couple casts it was
FISH ON once again! The
second this fish was hooked,
it exploded with an aerial
show that was incredible,
cart wheeling, tail-walking,
and the most acrobatic leaps
I had ever seen.
"WHOA—THERE HE
IS!" I yelled. "Get down here
and bring the net!"
They were stunned at this
amazing sight. They jumped
off the boat and began wad-
ing down to me. I met them
half way and handed one of
them the fly rod.
These coho can eat you
alive if you're not used to
fighting them, and that's
exactly what happened. This
guy "got tore up.” He dropped
his rod a bit too low and this
fish screamed down-river.
I grabbed the net and
headed down-river chasing
the fish, yelling instructions.
I had a couple chances to net
the fish, but both times he
was just out of reach. I con-
tinued chasing him down,
now into some treacherous
white-water, which I had no
business being in, but my
inexperience and adrenaline
kept drawing me further and
further into danger.
All I remember, is seeing
the fish, and a second later,
being in water over my head
and getting tumbled by the
current.
Now what happened next
was something I can not
explain, other than giving all
due credit to a divine nature.
When I finally got my
footing and came up out of
the water, the fish was in my
net! Amazing!
It was a big, male with
bright red spawning colors
pushing the scales to 20
pounds.
Later on in the boat, the
clients seemed to be more
amazed that my hat ended up
back on my head, than they
were that the fish was in my
net. They said when I went
under, all they could see was
my hat floating. When I
came up, I surfaced right
under the hat—right back
into the hat. Crazy stuff.
Word traveled fast, as it
often did in that small fishing
village when a trophy fish
was caught. This 20 pound
coho was an incredible fish
for this river, as coho are a
very rare species. One I will
never forget.
Looking back, now much
more experienced, I'd never
place myself in a dangerous
situation and risk my life to
catch a fish—never.
However, since it did hap-
pen when I was young and
thinking I was invincible, it
has become one of my
favorite stories, that is sure to
provoke one to ask, "did that
really happen?" I usually
answer like this: when you
have guided full time for
years and have caught hun-
dreds of fish, you have no
need to exaggerate.
23
taken plenty of fish right off
the flat rock itself.
Usually that time of year,
you could step up on the flat
rock, able to see some kings
holding in the slot, but on
this day, no luck. I saw
nothing.
"That's ok, they'll move in
soon," I said to my clients.
But, four hours later, still noth-
ing had moved into the slot.
"Hey George, it doesn't
look like this is our day.
Maybe we should pack it in,"
one of the clients groaned.
"Guys," I answered, "don't
give up yet, there could be an
evening push coming
through here."
Eventually, though, they
stopped fishing and just sat
in the boat—the morale way
down.
There wasn't anything
more I could do, other than
just keep fishing—and start
praying.
I walked down-river, a
hundred feet or so, and
climbed up onto a smaller
rock. I covered the sides of my
polarized glasses with my
hands and I couldn't believe
what I saw in front of me. Two
coho salmon holding side by
side, a male and a female.
My heart began racing as I
motioned down the clients,
but by this time, it was the
old case of the boy who had
cried wolf. They had lost
faith in me. They were done.
I took a cast and drifted
down near the fish, then
saw the female coho swim
over to my egg pattern and
hammer it!
"Fish On!" I yelled, as the
coho shot down-river like a
missile.
I jumped down off the rock
BIG
CO
HO!
Send YourFish Tales to
24
TIED BY DAVID FRASSINELLI
The Kype ViseThe Freight Train
Not too often will you encounter a fly as diversified as
the Freight Train.
This particular pattern is a gem for steelhead and it does-
n't stop there. This fly has taken nearly every species of
salmon from Kings to Pinks. The color scheme is brilliant
and drives fish crazy. There are a couple of extra steps to tie
this fly, but will be well worth your efforts. Reports of huge
salmon swimming out of their way to
hammer this flashing, fiery, attractor
fly are quite common. This tells us
that this bright pattern can be seen
from some distance during normal
water clarity.
The pattern can be tied in different
sizes to accommodate different fish.
Tie them up on small, trout nymph hooks and drift them
through your local trout streams.
During the filming of Battle of the Guides, George
Douglas casted out the Freight Train into the depths of
the Situk River. He actually tied them on a smaller steel-
head hook. As you watch the film, you'll notice this fly
lodged in the corner of the mouths of steelhead after
steelhead.
Don't be afraid to break free into your own variations
of this pattern. This fly can be tied slightly darker. For
example, replacing the florescent orange and red che-
nille with darker shades of the same colors will keep the
same color scheme, but will offer more of a blend and
less of a contrast. This darker ver-
sion of the fly will work better at
times, especially as the sun
becomes more prominent.
You can also change things up a
bit by alternating the color of the
crystal flash or the amount of
strands. Many anglers choose to
lighten up on the crystal flash and often feel it can be a mis-
take using too much crystal flash on this fly.
Tie up some extra stock with a variety of sizes and
shades. Start with this fly at first light and don't take it off
until action slows down. Don't be surprised if you end up
fishing the Train the whole day!
...this fly lodged in the corner of the mouths of steelhead
after steelhead.
Hook: 6 Tiempco 7999
Purple HackleSilver Oval TinselFlorescent Orange
ChenilleFlorescent Red Che-
nilleBlack Chenille
Pearl Crystal FlashBlue Crystal FlashPurple Crystal Flash
Black ThreadRID
ET
HE
TR
AIN
A Freight Train lodged in the upper lip of this nice spring steelheadcaught on Alaska’s Situk River.
M ATERIALS
25
1. Tie on Hackle for the tail.
2. Tie on the Tinsel and let it hang. Be carefulnot to bunch up this part of the fly.
3. Tie on the Orange Chenille and wrap 1/3 ofthe way up the shank. Then switch to Red Che-nille and wrap 2/3 of the way up the shank. Tieon the Black Chenille and wrap the last 1/3 ofthe way up the shank.
4. Wrap the Tinsel spaced evenly up to the endof the Black Chenille.
5. Tie on the Purple Hackle for the head andwrap.
6. Now take the Flash, using 5 strands of eachcolor place them on top of the hook, and tiethem off.
Freight Train Instructions
SweetheartSteelheading on the Kalum
26
BY NOEL G YGER
Ever had a "fishing hole"
where you knew the
success rate was almost 100
percent? That's usual on the
upper Kalum River for
spring steelhead. Jim Teeny
started calling these river's
massive fish "sweet-hearts"
and we use that happy term
often.
For the Kalum River
presents an angling para-
dise, with uncrowded water
in a wilderness setting. I'm
lucky enough to live here
and to have the opportunity
and privilege to angle for
steelhead in the springtime
when other nearby famous
rivers such as the Copper,
Bulkley, Kispiox, Morice
and Babine close.
Steelhead action on the
Kalum usually begins on the
15th of March and remains
strong until around May 1st
most years. The latter part of
the season is a little more
difficult because the water
rises steadily and flows
increase as warmer weather
causes more run-off.
These fish aren't tiddlers
either! Average Kalum
River steelhead run from
ten pounds on up. Fifteen
pound fish are common.
Determined anglers take 25-
pounders with a little luck
and a few days on the water.
The largest Kalum steel-
head I ever saw was
released. It probably
weighed 32-pounds accord-
ing to a traditional formula
of girth squared, times
length, times
1.33, divided
by 1000. This
fish had a girth
of 24.5 inches
and a length of
40 inches.
The Kalum
River, a tribu-
tary of the more
famous Skeena
River, waits
just outside of
Terrace, B.C.
Canada, a town
of about
15,000, located
about 600 air
miles from
Va n c o u v e r .
Kalum steelhead winter
over in the river and wait to
spawn in late April, May
and June. But steelhead
aren't your only option.
Sometime in April, or more
likely the first week in May,
massive Chinook Salmon
sneak into the Kalum river
and lurk in steelhead pools
like submarines with scales.
Unless you plan to spend
most of the day following
big Chinooks up and down
the river, scale up to heavier
gear. Twenty pound leaders
and line aren't too much
when the river's flows
increase with warming
weather. 50, 60 or even 70
pound Chinooks boggle the
mind and break up light
tackle types! Just ask Larry
Schoenborn, host of FISH-
ING THE WEST, about the
need for such tackle. A TV
show shot back in May of
1991 demonstrated the
problems of "appropriate
tackle" when you mix fif-
teen pound steelhead with
fifty pound salmon and
aren't geared up for the lat-
ter.
Kalum River fishing is so
good that most systems pro-
duce. I prefer float fishing
that suspends a lure or bait
under what some call "bob-
bers" and use a drift boat to
cover all five miles and 22
pools of the Kalum River
with ease, although it does
take about eight hours to
cover everything. The only
times I go to shore is to land
a fish, water a bush or man-
age a shore lunch. Best of
all, floats help you control
your bait or lure location
and make bites evident even
for beginners.
All sorts of rigs work.
Most of the time I use dime-
size roe bag looped onto
size two barbless hooks.
Salmon roe seems the best
bait, and bait doesn't mean
killed fish either! Some
look down on bait fisher-
men as fish killers. They
think that every fish swal-
lows the bait. This is simply
not the case with the proper
rig and good technique.
In England, catch and
release "coarse fishing" is the
most popular and affordable
form of angling. In British
Columbia ninety-five per-
cent of my steelhead caught
with float rigs are hooked in
the upper jaw and returned
uninjured. When the float
goes under (and your heart
skips a beat) you set the hook
in their jaw. This simple, but
sophisticated approach is
much, much easier than try-
ing to figure out underwater
drifts with traditional bot-
tom-bouncing rigs.
If you're new to float
fishing techniques check
Dave Vedder's book Float
Fishing for Steelhead. It
KALUM STEELIE
offers more than enough
information to help you take
steelhead or salmon first
time out. There's full cover-
age of baits and complete
instructions on how to use
floats with artificials such
as Gooy Bobs, cheaters,
Spin and Glos, Corkies or
just plain wool on the prop-
er size hook.
Fly fishing also works,
but you're limited because
only a few special pools
best suit usual fly rod tech-
niques. Most of the typical
systems work here, but local
knowledge of the best holes
can radically improve your
chances. You can pick up a
guide, special flies and
other tackle locally.
But while catching
Kalum steelhead isn't diffi-
cult, it's most important to
conserve and protect the
totally wild stocks—no
hatcheries here. We do this
with catch and release that
normally avoids the dreaded
net shrink and limits the
size and number of your
catch only by your creativi-
ty and your listener's gulli-
bility. But the truth needs no
gilding here.
A guided day also seems
a good way to learn and
practice catch and release
with larger fish than most
catch, let alone release. Start
with barbless hooks or
hooks that have very small
barbs to insure easy releas-
es. Don't have barbless
hooks? Simply mash hook
barbs flat. Do gear up so
you don't stress a fish by
playing it too long—a prob-
lem usually caused by too
light a line or poor tech-
nique. Not bashing fish
about in the shallows seems
basic. Always keep the fish
off the rocks and in deep
water. To stay dry as you
manage this, try chest
waders or at least hip boots.
Even in the lust for pho-
tographs don't pick steel-
head or salmon up by the
tail and lift them high into
the air; this puts too much
stress on their backbone. To
control trophy steelhead or
salmon best, hold their
mouth with one hand and
support the belly with the
other hand so your prize is
horizontal and at least partly
submerged. Many pros use
a glove or grip sock to grip
the steelhead's tail. For large
fish consider gloves on both
hands. Always stay away
from the gills. Do not use a
standard woven mesh land-
ing net as the mesh can
cause excessive scale loss
and split fins; European nets
that avoid knots reduce this
problem.
The bottom line is sim-
ple. Keep fish in the water
as much as possible, take
the hook out gently, then
hold them up for a quick
"kiss" and photo, then let
them go. If you do this cor-
rectly you will not need
hemostats or pliers. If the
fish has the strength to wig-
gle its tail, let it "kick" out
of your hand and swim free.
Do not hold it back. If your
catch seems exhausted,
pump it a bit with its head
into the current so water
flows over its gills and it
starts to wiggle free. Then
celebrate, with a loud YA
HOO!
Any style of fishing is
welcome here. Sweet
Steelheading!!
Check out my website at
www.noelgyger.ca
27
Early morning sunrise on the beautiful Kalum River.
SK
EE
NA
TR
IBU
TAR
Y
KA
LUM
RIV
ER,
BC
The KalumRiver flowsdown fromKalum Lake
from the north.The river even-tually spills into
the worldfamous,
Skeena Rivernear the town of
Terrace, BC
N
A GlaringDifference in Shades
28
BY G A RY PO RTER
River fishing without polarized sun-
glasses is like searching for coins in
the sand without a metal detector. Vision
advantage, while on the river, should be a
fishermen's priority, advancing polarized
sunglasses to the top of the list of essential
pieces of fishing equipment.
Its practical advantage is safety,
enabling you to see hidden dangers--spot-
ting holes and determining depths that are
ordinarily camouflaged under reflections.
When wading in streams and rivers,
anglers will often come across obstacles
hidden under the water--sticks, clusters of
line and tackle, rocks,
and other river
debris--all of which
can trip an angler and
send them down-
river, face first. This
can lead to anything
from twisted ankles
and knees, to drownings, but at the very
least, a wet day on the river. It may not be
as great of a hazard on smaller streams,
but when fishing rivers that boast power-
ful currents, this can become quite danger-
ous. Polarized glasses will become your
best friend under these circumstances.
Eye safety is another practical advan-
tage. Besides acting as a shield from
hooks and split shots from flying back at
your face when trying to set the hook on a
snag, polarized glasses were designed to
protect your eyes from harmful UV rays,
as well as prevent
reflective glare, elim-
inating eyestrain and
fatigue.
Safety aside, how-
ever, polarized glass-
es provide an excit-
ing FISHING advan-
tage. By cutting through glare and reflec-
tion on the water, polarized lenses enable
you to spot fish more effectively. The thrill
of spotting a fish,
casting to it, and
watching it hit your
drift, is a rush like no
other, and believe
me--it's addictive!
There's no doubt an
angler can gain a
huge advantage spotting fish and know-
ing exactly where they are laying.
Salmon are particularly easy to spot,
since they are so large.
Chances are, like me, you've been
through at least a half-dozen pairs of cheap
polarized sunglasses. Over a fishing sea-
son or two, the lenses become scratched,
they end up popping out, the screws
become loose and you ultimately twist a
hook in its place to keep them together. If
I've seen it once, I've seen it a thousand
times.
If you've been saying for years, "one of
these, days I'm going
to get a good pair of
polarized sunglass-
es," and season after
season passes with-
out doing so, now
there's a great prod-
uct that will surely motivate you to com-
plete that task.
Upon trying a pair of Electric
Technicians, you'll instantly realize that
quality matters. You'll ask yourself, time
and again, why you didn't get your hands
on a pair of these Electric's long before.
Customers rave that they are smooth,
comfortable and soothing, and say it's
boosted their fishing confidence by being
able to see into the depths of the river
effortlessly. The word is out--they now
have even bigger fishing tales to tell.
There are none like it on the market, so be
self-indulgent and treat yourself to a pair
today or be sure to put it on your holiday
wish list this season!
Color: Black Clear Fade, Lens: Grey
Color: Tri Tone Brown, Lens: Bronze
Color: Tortoise Shell, Lens: Bronze
Color: Black Gloss, Lens: Grey
Color: Black Gloss, Lens: Bronze
Kype is proud to offer you thebest in polarized vision withElectric Technicians. Ordernow at Kype.net119.95Shipping Included
29
we landed here were
between 14 and 18 inches.
The patterns that worked the
best on these two rivers
were tiny Baetis, beetles,
and the Green Drakes until
the hatch ended.
The last two rivers we
fished were my favorites.
The first is a small tributary
to the Lamar River called
Cache Creek. This creek is
only accessible by hiking
the Lamar river trail 2.75
miles until it intercepts the
Cache creek trail, then
another .25 miles to the
actual stream itself. The hike
was well worth it. I can't tell
you how many fish we
caught. I just know it was
one of the best days, if not
the best day, of fishing I
have ever had!
You could catch as many
8-14 inch Cutthroats as you
wanted. I fished a size #18
parachute Adams almost the
entire time and could not
keep the fish off. I think the
key to this stream is the lack
of pressure it receives. Or
maybe we were lucky and it
was just one of those days!
I would suggest designat-
ing a day to hike in and fish
one of the smaller streams.
There's a lot to choose from.
Not only will you have soli-
tude but you'll be able to take
in the surrounding beauty
Yellowstone has to offer.
Up to this point we had
focused our efforts on the
Lamar River and its tributar-
ies. We caught Yellowstone
Cutthroats, Rainbows, and
Cuttbows. Now it was time
to round out the grand
slam, so we headed even
further west.
The Gibbon River was
our last destination, and this
river has it all: meandering
meadow stretches with deep
undercuts inhabited by big
browns, riffles with ram-
bunctious rainbows, and
pockets holding voracious
brook trout.
We started fishing down-
stream of the Cascades
through the second meadow
section. This was “on your
knees” fishing to wary
brown trout and brook trout.
If you're into stalking fish,
this is the place for you. One
bad cast and the fish were
gone.
I was able to land a good
number of brookies on this
section of stream using
small terrestrial patterns. I
also managed to miss a few
larger browns. We continued
down river to the next stop -
- Gibbon Falls. The water
drops 88 feet, forming a bar-
rier to migrating trout. The
river here is a succession of
riffles, runs, and pools—
custom made for a nymph
angler. I worked my way
through the pockets and
pools with a size #14 B.H.
Hares Ear under an indica-
tor. I managed to land a cou-
ple of brown trout -- the
largest close to 15 inches. I
reached my goal: I landed a
Cutthroat, Rainbow,
Cuttbow, Brook, and Brown
trout in the park. The flies
that worked the best on the
Gibbon were small terrestri-
al patterns through the
meadow and classic nymphs
through the pocket water.
As I looked up at the
Gibbon Falls it really hit me.
It was no longer about the
trout. It was about the water
and country the trout lived
in. This was an incredible
place not only to fish, but
also to see and be a part of.
If you are a trout angler,
Yellowstone is the perfect
place. You have so many
rivers to choose from to fit
every style of fishing.
This was just a taste of
what I experienced. I don't
know if there are enough
words in the English lan-
guage to describe the beauty
I saw and the excitement I
felt! Yellowstone is one of
the most beautiful places
you will ever visit and the
fishing is phenomenal.
Every penny you spend on
this trip will be worth it.
If a 28 year old fishing
guide from Pennsylvania
can do it, so can you!
Fishing Yellowstone StreamsCONTINUED F R O M PAGE 13
Michael Steiner lands another trout in the pristine, wilderness country ofYellowstone.
TR
OU
TH
EA
VE
N
Misconceptionsof the Dolly Varden
30
BY JAMES PIERCE
It's a few hours into a day
on the river and you're
sensing this is going to be a
slow day for steelhead. One
slight change in your tech-
nique and presentation, can
turn a tentative day into an
action-packed adventure
with Dolly Varden.
One day while watching
her uncle bring in a "bull
trout" on the upper McCloud
River in California, fifteen
year old Elda McCloud told
him he should call the fish
"Dolly Varden" after the
character in "Barnaby
Rudge", an 1860 Charles
Dickens's novel. "Dolly
Varden" was known for her
colorful dresses—one of
which was green with pink
polka dots. Needless to say,
the name stuck.
There is much confusion
as to whether Dolly Varden
is in the char family or is it
simply a bull trout?
Fishermen and biologist
have debated this question
for years. Presently, the
species that run these west-
ern Washington rivers are
now classified by the
Washington Department of
Fish & Wildlife as bull trout,
a separate species from
Dolly Varden, but still call
them Dolly Varden.
Dollies are sometimes
looked down upon by fisher-
men. This injustice began
years ago when declines of
salmon were blamed on
Dolly Varden. It was
believed, back then, that
they ate too many salmon
eggs and fry. Between 1921
and 1940 there was a bounty
put on Dollies where anglers
were paid for the tails. The
bounty was lifted, with evi-
dence showing that man is
primarily responsible for the
decline of salmon. These fish typically range
in size from 12-22 inches,but can grow as large as tenpounds in these westernrivers. Dolly Varden is apretty fish with olive greenbacks and colorful sides sim-ilar to a brook trout.
Smaller Dolly Varden tend
to eat terrestrial and aquatic
insects. Stone-flies and leech-
es seem to be a delicacy for
these aggressive feeders. It’s
been reported to me that egg-
sucking leech patterns will
produce some heavy hits. As
they grow larger they begin to
prey on other small fish. Tie
on a streamer and hold on
tight!
Typically Dolly's do not
hold in the faster current.
Similar to steelhead, they
tend to hold inside of the
seams in the slower water.
They tend to prefer a mix-
ture of half gravel, half rock
bottom, with a slight slope.
There are two easy tech-
niques you can use to fish
for Dolly Varden, while still
being able to catch steel-
head. The first technique is
plugging a hole with either a
Rapala's or Hot Shots. Run
them close to your boat, only
twenty five feet should do
the trick. The second, is bot-
tom-bouncing nightcrawlers
close to the bottom—which
is pretty much a sure thing.
You'll often see the fish
nearly choking on a nice,
juicy worm. They are
irresistible!
On my first guide trip,
we nailed a few Dolly
Varden, which resulted in
my clients leaving happy,
and at the same time, I felt
fulfilled seeing them enjoy
the action. When the hook
is set and you feel that
strong pull back, you are
loving life! Dolly Varden
are not only fun to catch,
but you'll enjoy a decent
fight and a great view of
this colorful fish.
Despite all the confusion,
misidentification and their
bad reputation, these fish
have proven to provide
excellent sport fishing
opportunities.
Brent Welsh lands a big Dolly Varden on the Skagit River. His wife Eliz-abeth landed a few of her own earlier that day.D
OLL
YV
AR
DE
N
A FREE SERVICE!!!Kype Fishing Adventures has an affiliate program with some of the best fishing guidesand lodges on the planet. Give us a call and let our experienced staff customize yournext fishing adventure. We take great care in recommending appropriate fishing des-tinations to our clients. If needed, we obtain the lowest airfare and best flight sched-ules to each destination we represent. We handle all arrangements from airline tick-ets to netting the last fish of your trip.
Fishing Adventures
CONTACT INFORMATION:[email protected]
Photo by Dake Schmidt
Great Lake Tributaries for 10to 20 pound Brown Trout.40 pound Monster Kings.And up to 20 pound chromeSteelhead. All in your eastcoast, back yard.
Washington State: Majesticrivers pour through lush andpristine wilderness. Fishingunder snow-capped peaks andhooking into big steelhead andsalmon.
The Skeena River System inNorthern British Columbia.One of the biggest runs ofSalmon and Steelhead in theworld. First class all the way.
Yellowstone National ParkRegion. Some of the besttrout streams in the world,all within 100 miles of eachother. This trip of a lifetimeawaits you.
Fishing Alaska, need we saymore? Untouched, remoteterritory teeming with hugeruns of fish. Don’t put thistrip off any longer.
Oregon is jam packed withriver after river that areworld class fisheries. Some ofthe most beautiful riverstwisting through picturesqueterrain.
Suggestions for your next fishing adventure...
