Fly Casting Essentials

Here are a series of casting instructional videos that are worth the watch if you got the time and have any casting geek in you at all. Bill Gammels 5 Essentials will help you develop better casting mechanics and understanding the physics behind the cast. 

Essential #1 - Eliminate Slack

Essential #2 - Timing

Essential #3 - Vary the casting arc

Essential #4 - Power Application
 
Essential #5 - Straight line path of the rod tip

Wild Reverence "The Plight of the American Wild Steelhead"

Occupy Skagit 4-6-13

About

Bringing attention to the mighty Skagit River, Catch and Release angling and its Wild Steelhead

Description

What is Occupy Skagit?

• A gathering on the Skagit River, April 6th in support of restoring the C&R season. The activity will involve 'fishing' without hooks in as many visible places as possible on the Skagit and Sauk; from the bridge at Concrete upstream to Bacon Creek on the Skagit, and upstream on the Sauk to the bridge at Darrington.

• This is a 'Wade In' Our purpose is not to disrupt traffic, be violent, disrespectful, trespass, harass, or engage in illegal activity of any kind...you know, just like when you go fishing.

• This is a parallel action to mesh with attendance at the WDFW Comissioners Meeting the following week in Olympia.

Why is Occupy Skagit?

• At the time of the ESA listing of Puget Sound wild steelhead, it was generally acknowledged by NMFS that the most robust large basin population in the region was in the Skagit; in fact on its own it probably would not have been listed. After reviewing the evidence, it is our belief that a well managed, catch-and-release (C&R) season on the Skagit would not be inconsistent with the recovery of its wild winter steelhead.

• This will require a petition from WDFW to NMFS for a permit that establishes basin specific allowable impacts (as is currently being done with Puget Sound Chinook).
Who is Occupy Skagit?

• You are. If two people do it, no one will notice. If two hundred people do it, we hope to garner some attention. Sometimes you have to dump a little tea in the harbor to get noticed.

The Other Side

Well it's not to often I get a chance to fish the big river anymore for sturgeon, but sometimes you just need to give it a go when you get the opportunity. But like almost every other time I have gone, I end up staring at the same scenery for way to long and piss off my Attention Deficit Disorder.

Sturgeon fishing really is a social thing, catching up with good friends and enjoying some peace and quiet. It was a lot of fun, but really if I was going to get skunked in sub 40 degree water, I wish I was swinging some water. Note to self, go sturgeon fishing when the water is warmer and there are fewer winter steelhead waiting for a swung fly.

One Thing to Avoid

Sparks can explosions in your raft cooler. It leaves a fluorescent stain that will remain on your gear forever, even after a good wash. Thankfully war wounds on a great pair of gloves only give them character.