kevbine

The last place on earth you need to be fishing more than one fly at a time is the Elk. Cutties may be the easiest trout in the world to catch, we only nymph for them in desperate times. Of course last summer was different as the river was drastically altered by the flood and the dry fly fishing was hit and miss until the middle to late August.

The Elk if you want big wild cuthroat on dry flies and beautiful scenery. The Bow if you want big rainbows and browns using a variety of techniques and a prairie landscape. You should do both...

What a catch. I liked that show...

I actually dont think you're supposed to clean textured lines the same as the smooth Rio lines. SA sells a pad, maybe a bit like scotchbrite ( a 3m product!) that you run the line through. The friction releases mini silicone balls from the line and makes it slick again... Soaking it in soapy water wouldnt hurt though.

I switched most of my lines from Rio Golds to SA Mastery Textured, which is a toned down version of Sharkskin. Not as loud, expensive or hard on your rod guides and hands. Love it! Super slick, floats nice, doesnt coil, these lines dominate. I am sure i'd like the full on Sharkskin as well though. If you're getting one for a really stiff and fast rod, get the GPX taper as its a half line heavier. If you love the action your rod has with a regular line then get the Trout taper. I've only really seen these in two colors, bright green, which is high vis and may help in nymphing, and a stealthy tan...

If you have the right board and are semi athletic, and maybe a background in canoe or kayaking, you will be fine starting out on the river. River boards and very wide and have rounded edges: this makes them stable and not "catchy" when going across different currents. I have been out with several first timers and there have very few wipeouts. I am talking about gentle sections of the Elk, class 1-2. Not the sections with 90 degree corners into logjams. The kind that sunk a few driftboats and pontoons last summer, yes stay away from those if you're a novice! Paula: tailing redfish, that sounds amazing! I rented a flats skiff for a couple days in the Keys in April, we're gonna look for tarpon and other critters so it should be interesting, having never poled a skiff before...

For river SUP if you are using a leash then it has to be a releasable one, in case it wraps around a rock or a log. Several people have already drowned this way. I've been into SUPpin on the Elk when its high and brown and closed to fishing, a lot of fun and a great way to enjoy the river. Actually the other cool thing about it is when you go for a float and the river is running quite clear, you get to investigate possible lies and you also get to spot fish as you have a great vantage point. The river SUP boards are really wide and intended for whitewater so for the most part in class 1-2, you dont fall off. On a hot day this summer i'll grab an old rod, tie on a big old foam bug, and go for a float. I dont think it will ever be super effective but still might make for an interesting adventure :} I would love to try one on the flats, that would be super fun, as long as the wind stays light. SUPs dont work well in the wind, unless you going downwind only! Paula, where did you fish in Florida? I am headed there in April, Naples for the most part and a couple days in the Keys... Kevin

Using the dirty worm for cutties is a sign of desperation for sure! The beauty of fishing for them is seeing the take, we all know that it is not for the fight, rainbows fight much better. I do understand that many times if u r on an SE BC stream before noon it can be difficult to get a cuthroat to rise. Patience my friends, patience!

I own a lot of reels, from trout to spey to saltwater, Hatch, Loop, Ross, Galvan and Sage. Someday soon i am hoping i have enough that i dont need to spend money on reels for quite a while! Anyways i find the Sage 4200 series to be totally kickass for the price, nice looks, good tight feel and the drag worked great in the salt, spent a week fishing the beaches and everglades in and around Naples, Florida... As was mentionned earlier, on 4 wt. you dont usually need much of a drag, palming the spool on a hot Crowsnest rainbow is one of the funnest things you can do! I have a Sage Click on my z-axis 490-4, nice combo...

My boat: 2007 Clacka 15' LP, I use to row a Hyde low side with a g4 bottom and then switched to the Clack. It is lighter and rows better in my opinion, it is also practically indestructable and requires zero maintenance which is awesome considering Idaho Falls is a bit of a drive! I would consider upgrading to the newer Clack model, the Flypod. This boat has cool really cool storage and the capacity to store twice as many rods ie 4..

My boat: 2007 Clacka 15' LP, I use to row a Hyde low side with a g4 bottom and then switched to the Clack. It is lighter and rows better in my opinion, it is also practically indestructable and requires zero maintenance which is awesome considering Idaho Falls is a bit of a drive! I would consider upgrading to the newer Clack model, the Flypod. This boat has cool really cool storage and the capacity to store twice as many rods ie 4..

Went to visit my folks in Florida in nov. 2010, they live in Naples which is great fishing for tarpon, snook and redfish. The girlfriend and I took a trip to the Keys to look for bones. We were on DIY style trip which is ironic as I am a fishing guide but in general too poor to hire a guide! Anyhow we fished and camped in the Islamorada area for a couple days, the place is famous and hence the fish are spooky as all get out. Believe it or not i had a couple shots at bones that day on the oceanside flats along the highway, I blew it big time! You are standing there and scanning the water for fish for hours and all of a sudden the fish are there and you so much as flinch and they scatter instantaneously! It is a beautiful area, I will return but will def book a guide this time around? Anyone else fish the Keys?

I have a One 890-4 for saltwater use and maybe for very large bull trout. I used this Fall in Florida, the fishing was terrible as a severe cold front had just rolled in. The only thing i could do was keep trying and trying which really means casting for 8 or ten hours a day towards mangrove shorelines. This particular rod is so light and powerful that it made all this casting practice an absolute pleasure! The setup: Sage One 890-4 with a 4280 reel loaded with a Rio saltwater F/I 8 wt. line...