This week’s picture is brought to you by Alan.
Southeast Alaska. The Pink Salmon were running in full force in the creek… but I headed out to the estuary to see if there was a bright humpy around. A couple of casts later one hooked onto The Spanker with a gusto and took off with the reel screaming! After about 10 minutes of fighting I landed him, snapped the photo and released him. A lot of people over look Pink Salmon but on light gear in saltwater, they are real fighters!

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A few days ago I took our 2 boys out for an afternoon fly fishing trip. We had a great time at a mountain lake and even caught a few fish. They are 9 and 6 which is probably too young to have the coordination and determination to really fly fish but I’ve found a few tricks to keep them interested and allow them to actually catch a few fish which may help them develop a real love of fly fishing later.

Every kid is different but it’s usually a good policy to simplify everything you can. For this reason we fish lakes and ponds for now. Current and wading is probably too much to put into the equation at an early age.

My boys show a lot of interest in casting but not a lot of proficiency. For now we just practice for a few short minutes before and after actually fishing. It keeps them interested but doesn’t mess up actually catching fish.

When it’s time to catch fish I usually cast out either a dry fly with a dropper or an indicator with nymphs dropped off of it for them. I let the indicator or dry sit still and have the kids watch it like a hawk. I reel in any extra line so that when it comes time to set the hook they can do so and then just reel. Sometimes I have to set the hook, especially for my 6 year old. They always get to reel them in though.

I find that if we keep our sessions short it works much better. Don’t expect to go out and spend a day on the water. It’s best to fish only as long as the kids’ attention spans, which isn’t generally very long these days. We do about an hour and that works great for us then we move on to something else, usually throwing rocks. It’s better to keep it fun. Be ready to move on even if you haven’t caught all that you know you might.

Depending on the child, kids can usually start to do most everything on their own at around 12 years old. It’s a good idea to get them into a class or go with a really patient guide so that the parent isn’t the bad guy if things don’t always work out (this is also a good policy for significant others as well).

Get your kids out on the water as much as possible. Fishing is something they can enjoy for a lifetime, it will generally keep them out of trouble, and it will be something that you can do together for a long time to come.

This week’s picture is brought to you by Dylan.
Dylan pulled this nice whitefish from Roaring Fork River. Nothing wrong with a fight with a big white fish, nice catch!

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It’s obvious that weather affects fishing. Weather can affect different trout water types quite differently though. Here are a few of the key weather effects that may change your fishing success.

Warm sunny weather in the Winter, Spring, and Fall can trigger hatches on rivers and streams but hot bright sunny weather in the Summer can pretty much shut things down. In the cool months focus your river fishing on the warmest part of the day and in the hot times focus on mornings and especially evenings for good caddis action.

Lake fishing for trout is notoriously variable according to weather. Bright sun and calm water, especially in the Summer, can totally shut down the fishing. Look for overcast conditions or at least light breezes to stimulate fish feeding on lakes. Larger lakes seem to be more affected by weather while small ponds often show little to no change.

Pay attention to the Barometer also. Rising pressures usually stimulate feeding and falling pressure can shut down the fishing. Pressure changes affect lakes the most but can also change the fishing on large rivers. Small fast flowing creeks are the least affected by pressure changes.

Remember that most hatches occur at almost the same time each year according to length of days, temperature, and water levels but some can be delayed or hurried by unusual weather. Spring and early Summer hatches happen faster when it warms much sooner than usual and are delayed when it stays cool longer than usual. Fall hatches can happen sooner than normal if it cools down sooner than normal or can also be delayed if it stays warm.

Getting in tune with the weather can increase your chances of knowing what to expect even before you hit the water.

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This week’s picture is brought to you by Dave.
I was lucky enough to take a one week remote float trip in the Bristle Bay region with Brightwater Alaska Inc. We caught graying, rainbows, dolly’s, chum, sockeye, and king’s. We camped along the river at the end of each day, enjoyed great food, and a lot of laughs. The mosquitoes were out in force, but the fishing kept our attention away from them so long as we had our repellent applied. We did not see or hear another human for six days only the great out doors. What a great experience!

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Sometimes I just need to fish but life is busy so I might only have an hour or two. Many of us are lucky enough to have some fishy water nearby, even if that’s just a pond or neighborhood lake. Here are a few tips for maximizing your limited time and making the most of quick trips.

Keep a rod in the car at all times. Most rods are 4 pieces and fit nicely under or behind a car seat. I keep a 5 weight for its versatility.

Keep a reel rigged with the leader ready to go and wound loosely onto the spool. Nothing takes as much time as reconstructing leaders.

Keep a lanyard with all the basics with your other equipment. I hang 2 small fly boxes, snips, floatant, tippet spools, and a couple other necessities on my lanyard - plenty of stuff to get me by for a few hours.

When possible, wet wade to avoid the time it takes to put on waders.

Most of all just get out and fish, even when you may just have an hour or two.

This week’s picture is brought to you by Dylan.
I fish every weekend and love it. My favorite fly is a black hares ear. I tie all my own flies. Hope you like my picture.

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I have often watched master fly casters and marvelled at how they were able to cast so smoothly, even when they are casting long distances. Many experienced casters could be great casters if they could just figure out how to achieve that smoothness. Here’s a quick tip to help you smooth out the lumps in your cast.

Apply the correct amount of power and apply the power evenly - Many experienced fly fishers overpower their forward casts in an attempt to gain distance and actually send detrimental shock waves into the line or worse, cause a tailing loop by overloading the rod too early in the stroke.

To correct this - Get out on the lawn or on a pond with no fish around and practice casting with the absolute minimum amount of power necessary applied to your forward cast to make it straighten out. With some practice and adjustments you’ll find that you are able to smooth out your cast by applying less power and, with the power applied smoothly and evenly, you will actually find that you are able to cast farther with less effort.

Remember that your stops still need to be deliberate and your pauses between strokes need to be long enough to allow the line to straighten. If you get out there and practice this simple technique you should be able to smooth out those shock waves and then proceed to practice applying more and more power, but applying it without shock waves.

This week’s picture is brought to you by Jared.
This picture was taken somewhere in Colorado, that somewhere must be a secret because you don’t see a brown of that size very often!

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Fly fishing can be all about timing. Here are a few timing things to remember.

Anyone who has ever caught a big hatch just right knows how cool it can be to catch fish after fish on dry flies. Remember afterward to write down the day and time that it all happened along with other details in a fishing journal or elsewhere so you can try to time it right again.

Remember that good casts start with good back casts and good back casts are made with a well-timed stop and a long enough pause to allow the line to straighten. A straightened backcast will load the rod correctly for a great forward cast.

When a fish takes a dry fly, especially in slow current or still water, remember to wait a second or so before setting the hook. This allows the fish to turn with the fly in its mouth and you’ll have a better chance of setting it correctly.

Remember to time your fly selection according to hatch progression. Start with a nymph just before the hatch, move to an emerger as the hatch gets started, use an adult while the hatch is in full swing, and look for spinners to eventually fall back to the water well after the hatch.

Keep these simple timing things in mind and you’ll hopefully be on the water at the right time making great casts with the appropriate fly and setting the hook well as you catch a bunch of fish.