Hi !
Thought I'd follow Wes' advice and post an introduction at the start instead
of lurking for a year or two as is my habit <g>
My name's Brian and I'm a compulsive Washington FFer. My favorite is
Steelhead - I'm out chasing them in the Puget Sound and OP rivers every
chance I get. Have fished trout in lakes and streams for about 23 years,
Steelhead for about 12. On any give day in March or April (especially after
a good rain) you're likely to find me drifting down the Skykomish or Sauk in
my Puma. If you see a guy float by with a couple spey rods sticking out the
front of a narrow aqua-colored raft there's a good chance it's me.
My newest obsession is chasing silvers off the beaches. I'm just learning
these fisheries (have been lucky enough to get a few off Bush Point last
year and usually do a couple boat trips at Seiku in September), but am still
a real *newbie* at this and am looking forward to learning more about the
habits of Silvers and how to tie some of the patterns.
It's exciting that so many list members are into the SW scene - I don't
usually get to hear much about it since my flyfishing buddies are steelhead
and salmon addicts.
Also Hola! to a few names I recognise from other lists - John Abbott,
Matthew Kaphan, etc.
One last thought - I noticed a Leland Miyawaki posts to this list. I met
an angler named Leland over 12 years ago on the Snoqualmie river above Fall
City. I knew nothing of Steelhead at the time and was there to fish for the
"trout" i'd been told were in the river. It was a beautiful July afternoon
and I arrive with my 6wt, floating DT line, and an assortment of adams and
elk hair caddis in sizes10-16. I'd caught a lot of Montana trout on these
patterns and was confident I'd catch a few here, too. I waded out at the
head of a run above Fall City and was fishing a riffle just below the pool's
frothy head when I noticed another angler in the tailout. He was wading out
past his waist and was double-hauling casts far across the river to the
slack water on the other side. I watched him for a bit before returning to
my own fishing.
I caught a few "trout" (big smolt migrating downstream) on my drys -there
was a good hatch going that afternoon - and was about to leave when I saw
the angler below me fighting a fish. I decided to go down and watch the
action. About half way down the gravel bar I saw the fish jump - a chrome
hatchery steelhead somewhere over 10lbs. You can imagine my shock! I
watched as he skillfully played, landed, and released that fish. I was
amazed, especially when he told me he'd taken it on the surface
"grease-lining a Purple Peril". That moment is still etched in my memory,
the graceful purple and brown fly hanging from the jaw of the largest
brightest trout i'd ever seen, and was the inspirational start of my own
ongoing pursuit of Steelhead on the fly. We talked for a bit that afternoon
and then we each went on our respective ways.
I ran into Leland a few more times that summer, and next. We talked
Steelhead flies, equipment and strategies. He seemed to be on the river a
lot - and then one day he was gone and I've never seen him since. I still
feel indebted to him for helping me get started. On the slim chance that
this is the same angler, I just wanted to say Thanks!
If not . . . it was still a good escuse to tell the story of how I got into
the chasing this most challenging, frustrating, and addicting of fish.
See you on the rivers and beaches,
Brian Lencho
Seattle, WA
