Bucket list opportunity? Atlantic Salmon!

Has anyone else out there wanted to see what fishing for those East Coast Atlantic Salmon would be like? I know I have. Ever wonder if there are any parallels between the techniques we've learned swinging flies for Steelhead and those used for Atlantics? Well, if you have a desire and would like to see what its all about and join one of our own (Brian Chou, in partnership with Thomas & Thomas) for a 5 night, 4 day Spey clinic  from 9/22-9/27, on the Gaspe Peninsula at Camp Brule, located on the Petite Cascapedia, there are currently 2 spots left. Please contact Kevin, the lodge owner, for rates/availability and any questions. He can be reached at Kevin@CampBrule.com .

Here is the current fishing report from the past week up at the Brule. 

Tongass 2013, Capital Style

My daughter Lillian with her first salmon. Photo: Jennifer Palmer

It’s an amazing thing, life, learning, and showing those most important to you the little things that you have experienced in the outdoors. This year I was blessed with an invitation for my family to spend some quality time in Juneau, Alaska. Not exactly a fishing vacation I have been accustomed to, but an adventure none the less, with friends and family.  This trip was also the first time I got to take my daughter Lillian and girlfriend Jennifer to Alaska.

On the way to Mount Roberts. Photo: Michael Davidchik

Juneau, the capital of Alaska is found in the Southeast Panhandle of the State, right in the heart of the Tongass National Forrest. Here the Juneau Icefield holds thirty different glaciers, bringing tourists and cruise ships to its shore via the Gastineau Channel. The sheer size of the tourist ships parked in Downtown Juneau is a sight to see. Air taxis in the form of Otter Planes and helicopters are flying people back and forth to tourist destinations, including fly fishing adventures via Bear Creek Outfitters.  The Goldbelt Tram is also location right on the waterfront where tourist can ride to Mount Roberts overlooking the town with lots of hiking opportunities.

Lillian and the Mendenhall Glacier. Photo: Michael Davdchik

With fishing a priority, but not the priority, we were blessed with many options to choose from for the family to experience. Spending time viewing glaciers, watching bears, hiking, photography and shopping for the ladies kept us busy with at least a few hours of fishing tucked into part of the day. The Mendenhall Glacier and Viewing Center provided a great opportunity to be close to sockeye salmon spawning with black bears searching for dinner. Within a few hours we got to see three black bears, one of them chasing fish down a creek that fed Mendenhall Lake. We literally stood there and saw one charge down the creek and pull one from the spawning bed lying in. The glacier itself covered all shades of blue and with the blue bird day we had, we were able to enjoy it in its majestic splendor.

Hmm, dinnertime. Fuzzy Photo: Michael Davidchik

Creeks were full of spawning salmon and I finally got to explain the life-cycle of salmon and steelhead to Lillian and Jennifer. Though we have salmon at home, standing in a tidal flat below a creek, they could see in detail, in the crystal clear water what they were doing.  And with that they were able to witness the importance of a life-cycle that rejuvenates the ecosystem. They got to see how sea gulls, bald eagles, humans, bears and dolly varden rely on this yearly occurrence to live. I only hope that by teaching this to Lillian at a young age, it will help her appreciate and understand why we protect this resource.

Hungry Dogs doing their thing. Photo: Michael Davidchik

But enough with the lessons, the fishing was fun and perfect for newcomers and both Lillian and Jennifer were able to experience fishing in the Tongass. Lillian caught her first Chum and Pink Salmon on the first day, though I found myself casting for her because I was too stubborn to take out a spinning rod. My rational at first was I did not want her to snag salmon while they were on their journey and remarkably that did not bother her because she was having too much fun enjoying the surroundings around her.

A Chum Dog that got in the way.  Photo: Michael Davidchik

It was not until the day before we left we figured something out. While all the fishermen in town were fishing in the Golden North Salmon Derby we were hearing stories of ridiculous catches of Silvers being caught just outside the channel. Being stuck on the road system wasn't so bad and we didn't have too much company.

Jennifer fighting one of many. Photo: Michael Davidchik

Success!. Photo: Michael Davidchik

While running around in the afternoon to a couple different locations to fish, I finally broke out the spinning rod for Lillian. Though she had not hooked anything we finally stopped at a creek we had been leaving alone due to time. As soon as we got there Lillian turned to me before I could get my pack down and asked if she could cast. “Sure,” I replied. Casting a spinner, I thought she was going to catch the trees on the other side of the creek, but it went in and when the spinner started to turn, her rod dropped to the water. “Daddy, I think I got one she screamed.” Yes she did, but this time I saw something that we really had not seen yet on the trip, chrome. Minutes later I watched as she brought the fish to the bank and I tailed it for her.  Our first silver of the trip and finally I started to see things come full circle. My seven year old caught her first salmon on her own and I saw a smile on her face that I will never forget.  

Lillian posing, while fighting a fish. She is a girl after all. Photo: Michael Davidchik

The smile says it all. Photo: Michael Davidchik

Juneau is a great location to experience Alaska without roughing it with the family. Yes, to some that may be weak, but for those who want to choose an experience with those not used to camping in the dirt for long periods of time, or don’t want to pay the high cost of your average Alaskan fishing trip, this may be one for you. Southeast Alaska and the Tongass National Forest, The American Salmon Forest have a lot to offer. Though not highly talked about like Bristol Bay or the Kenai, the Tongass  holds its own in different ways and I won’t mention many of its secrets. 

Douglas Island Pump House Photo: Michael Davidchik

Big thanks to Christine and Mark!

Shocker Butt

This crap is why gear fishermen or at least normal people think fly fisherman are idiots. Great marketing dumb-asses. They should have at least thrown extreme into it to make it look more stupid.

I need to go fishing...................

Searching for Elivis

Elvis Shaking Dem Hips

What do two steelheaders do when they find themselves in Tennessee? They search for Elvis of course. ….. Well not the hip shaking, pelvic gyrating, ladies’ man that made Memphis famous, rather the head shaking, line ripping, non-anadramous red-headed step child to the Northeast Striped bass.

Yes, Tennessee is well known for Bill Dance and BASS Pro Tournaments, Tailwater Browns and Rainbow Trout and numerous warmwater species, but Striper fishing has always intrigued me. Though not native to the area, this non-native species has been introduced and flourishes in many of the rivers and reservoirs of the South. The Tennessee state record is sixty five pound six ounces and forty to sixty pound fish are caught in the Cumberland River every year.

Striper Photo: Brian Chou

Stripping and swinging flies for stripers is not an easy game and though similar to their Northeast cousins, it is not the same, or at least that is what I have been told. Striper fishing has always been on my list regardless of location. Fishing for them as a child, I never caught one of size or on the fly and finding myself in Tennessee I finally got my chance.

This year the rivers and reservoirs were filled, dams were pushing water higher than normal and decreasing our odds for fishable water.  Weird, kind of used to them odds. But despite the conditions, Brian and I were able to find some fishable water with some assistance from our friend Mike Anderson.  I have heard striper guys are a lot like steelheaders in the Northwest and after all, I had to give it a try.

Mike Anderson Photo: Brian Chou

Brian had fished for stripers in the Northeast, but fishing for them in Tennessee was a little different. From what I gathered it falls somewhere in the middle of streamers fishing for trout combed with tactics gathered from Northeast striper fishing. Oh that and our flies where larger and had the colors of shad and rainbow trout that were stocked in these river systems.  The local live bait fishermen also used trout for stripers, ugh. Over the years it appears that they have learned to love the stocking truck.

Check! Photo: Mike Anderson

The patterns used were basically clousers hybrids, but with the size of saltwater flies I had only fished in Baja. They were tied on 4/0 hooks with mega large dumbbell eyes. The retrieve was purposeful and erratic with pauses between every other strip.  These flies were matched with 9-10 weight fly rods and 350-500 grain shooting heads with 20-30 pound leaders.

Fishing was tough but despite Elivis’s perfect conditions to hide, we found a few. I wish I could compare them to their anadramous relatives, but found the fights to be full of heavy head shakes, strong steady runs and at times, backing. Though 9-10 weights were heavy, on the larger fish, the backbone helped to gain leverage, especially if one sounded under the boat. Though they never jumped, the smaller ones would thrash a lot at the surface.

Yes, the Fish Was on the Other Side of the Boat Photo: Brian Chou

This is easily a fishery I wish I could find the opportunity to fish more. Tennessee really does have a vast variety of fishing opportunities as well for numerous species to catch on the fly.  The cultural heritage and Country Music History makes of the Tennessee a well chosen location to vacation with family and friends and one I will return to in the future.  Searching for Elvis was just the icing on the cake for a great family vacation.

Elvis Photo: Brian Chou

On another note, not that far away.

Dry Fly Bob

Back in 2005, for the first time, I walked into a run on the Grand Ronde River with this spey rod that I had been tinkering with for a few years. Back in the good old days of the RioWindcutter matched with my first spey rod (which I could barely cast at the time) and a box full of crappy wets, leeches and nymphs.

As I walked down into the run I looked down stream to see a line of guys and gals swinging flies through a picture perfect run. As I get to the water an older gentleman, about my father's age approaches me and with a raspy voice and cigarette in hand and says, "You know you don't need sink tips and those big ugly flies to catch steelhead. All you need is a floating line and a skater." That would be my first interaction with Bob Evans, a guy I learned to appreciate over the years who earned the nickname Dry Fly Bob.

Over the years I would camp along the river and spend many days fishing the Ronde, Snake and Clearwater, but one thing that I could always depend on was a report from Bob when I got to the area. Though it took a few years to earn respect from Bob, it did not take long to get to know him. One year while camped upstream from him and spending several cold days alone on the river, I got to spend several mornings standing next to him in the early morning before the sane man got up to fish the river. Standing on the banks, headlamps on in the wind, Bob and I got to chat about life, fishing, baseball and family. This became a tradition over the years.

Bob though stubborn, and opinionated was actually opened minded despite what came out of his mouth to those dragging flies or fishing bobbers. He made it a point to let me know that it didn't really matter how one fished. Bob's style or search for what he perceived from swinging flies was something personal. Something that I see more and more myself these days with less time on the water then past. The search for perfection in that moment or what it meant to him far surpassed catching  fish, rather achieving the gratification of challenging oneself in the moment, understanding the process, and in the end, understanding oneself.

Recently,  I heard the sad news of Bob's passing. Bob passed away while chasing a riser somewhere on his beloved Henry's Fork in Idaho.  I did not know him well, but fishing the Grande Ronde will never be the same without him. I learned a lot from Bob, about steelhead, myself and of course dry fly takes. Though this seems like dribble in my mind trying to put together what Bob meant to me, I know he will be missed by all that had the pleasure to know him.

Hardy Bought Out

Chrome St John,  My Favorite Hardy Being Put to Work. Photo: Brian Chou

Well like all big companies, there is always the chance of being purchased during periods of economics. Hardy recently got purchased by a US company. Read more care of The Guardian.

Swing the Fly

Swing the Fly, check it out.