Brazda's Fly Fishing

Time for the steelheaders season. Phil and I get an unexpected day of fishing together, we land 7 of 11 in three hours, yea I’d say it’s on!

Swing time on the Methow, leaves are hitting the ground, Chinook are done spawning, weather is getting wet, the masses have subsided, NOW IS STEELHEADER’S TIME.

No need to nymph for your Methow steel a well presented swung fly will do the job.

As some have experianced the colder weather HAD the fishing a little tough for the first half of the day, they seemed to have gotten used to it, as the swing  game has been on for a few days, having lots of good grabs and pulls and fish on the string and even landed a few every day some nice large fish looking for the Clearwater rather missplaced and generally great normal steelheading as things go. Looking forward to the Salmon being done and the trout anglers off the water onto warmer fishing. Look for good swinging in the next three weeks!

With the rain falling we would expect to see some fresh arrivals into the river for a few days to come, they have really been on the move lately, mostly heading too far up to fish and not so many to replace them yet. The lower stretches have slowed down quite a bit and the Carlton fish have moved on too far.
With cooler temps next week and increasing sun we should see some great evening angling, maybe a resurgence of dry fly skating if we get new arrivals. The Damn counts are way down so we are relying on new arrivals from the Pateros pool where the Bait and jig guys are doing well, I see there jet boats driving down every morning so there must be some good stuff happening. It is simply a normal steelhead season and a welcome one at that, the Methow can not take another Alice in Wonderland season as last year, the bar has been set too high. It has spawned new guides, popping up from everywhere some not even old enough to get into the Antler bar and most have no clue of raft etiquette, when you come across such an individual let them know how it is on the Met, no bullshit, stay off the steelhead water until past the tail out simple as that, if they can not find a path through then they shouldn’t be on this river.

October is here and the sun keeps its face smiling on North East Washington, the new weather report is for more of the same 60-70 and mostly sunny, not what I consider the best for angling but the best for keeping others off the water. I live by the thought you can catch steelhead two ways, go where nobody is and catch whats available or go where they are mostly at and fish better than the other guy, lately it’s been best of both.

I guided my first Saturday of the season, thinking I would be passing a lot of occupied holes, instead I found the river completely the opposite. There where plenty of steelhead to be caught and nobody but my clients and me to enjoy the time in the outdoors. It has the reminisce of early seasons before the Met was in re-discovery and before the closure years. Judging from the calls of people wanting to know where to camp I figure this is the last week of low pressure.

The swing game continues to produce although I have not been swinging for a couple days, when they attack on the swing out its pretty evident.

I have a cancellation for Tuesday and Wednesday and will be getting some swing time in there for myself, anybody wanting in on a day at a reduced rate let me know soon.

With an Indian summer in the works we have to find steelhead in the worst of conditions, this day the fish gods where with as we found a fare share even in the bright sun, Steves first ever steelhead a true wild fish with the attitude to match WILD!

Better fish weather is on the horizon at the begining of next week, I’m looking forward to it as the water temperature resembles July in Montana, even seen hoppers ON THE WATER, maybe a clue in there somewhere, but I have to get them on any. The skate remains the tool in the shade. 

Wenatchee River, Steelhead have been showing on the lower stretches, good swing angling is close at hand, dry line and bombers playing the follow up game will be the best.

After a billion phone calls asking whats happening and nobody actually wanting to pay for fishing I am succombing to the peer pressure. I figure WTF everybody will know sooner or later and its been a fantastic first few weeks fishing mostly alone with clients and friends. SO the action is good, we are back to reality steelhead fishing no over the top bite that was all the rage last year. You catch them when you find em and don’t when they are not there, its that simple, no magic bugs or technique just fish the water they live in  good enough and you will catch them.

Nymphing has been good and so has swinging, they both have there zones of efficiency, the big news is the dry game, if your willing to let it happen it will. You will need to devise a plan of attack for the comeback game as most of the steelhead are NOT getting a good hold on the dry, stick with it and tweek the plan everytime you get a fish up and vola dry fly steelhead ripping around at the end of your string.

Above are some pics of days past a few of a guy named Ben Frost a musician from Iceland, what great guy to fish with, over the top intelligent, “boy did I feel like the wrong world” he was patient as ever we caught his first steelhead and then his tenth, a very enjoyable two days. The other people you will recognize as Nate Mcdonough and his fiancee Janessa, they came up Friday the day I got cancelled by jackass dude. Nate is going to be pulling some oars for us “if we get some more bookings” and Janessa caught her first steelhead last friday, she backed me up with a nymph rod after I rose this fish on a dry, good teamwork.