Steelhead Chronicles | Fly Fishing For Summer Run Steelhead | Episode #1 

I have not read all the comments, so this may have been mentioned, but when you are swinging flies you should never set the hook. Just let them eat, and let them turn. If you do anything, you wait for them to take line off the reel, and then you can gently sweep to the bank. It's a hard process to trust and takes a long time to learn (if ever) but they will hook themselves. If they don't take line off the reel, there really isn't anything you can do. Great video by the way!

Side pressure my dude, side pressure

You said it "wasn't a beautiful release"; I'd say that's the one thing I'd argue with you about lol. It WAS a beautiful release. Super fun vid and I just love how stoked you get; it's contagious

Great to see you not give up and finally get that solid hook up on your first steelhead on the swing!! Wondered what brought you to that run since to me it seemed so flat and open? I'm not familiar at all with your fishery that far upriver and on such large systems. I'm a Western WA guy and Olympic Peninsula coastal fisherman with smaller higher gradient streams. Your determination and ability to analyze the situations is going to help your future adventures as you get more into steelhead on the spey rod. I still consider myself somewhat new even at 6 years in steelhead spey fishing, since making the change from more conventional methods my first fly caught steelhead was my largest fish ever in all my years of steelhead fishing and all by myself! Later that same morning I caught my second as well! It was a moment that hooked me for life as far as spey fishing method and learning a new approach to catch these beautiful creatures sparked a new interest in how I approach these creatures. Best of luck in the coming season, obviously i didn't see this until January so I'm sure you'll be tying flies and dreaming of warmer temps! Cheers, Chuck

Thank you for sharing your day on the water. Just Great.

Hey bro awesome video a few tips when it comes to spey. First try not to set the hook let the fish hook its self and take some line. This will be extremely hard to do at first but once you get it down you won't loose as many. Second when spey casting your forward cast I notice you drop your rod tip pretty low. When you go to send your line stop your rod tip higher and will allow for a more powerful cast. Just a few things to work on but your doing an awesome job and out there at the right times. Keep up the good work and keep practicing. Congrats on a gorgeous fish!

Thanks for sharing these bud, awesome footage. I'm in Orofino and love watching your videos. It's only a matter of time till this page takes off, keep it up. Hope to see you out there sometime.

Congrats brother! Worth every minute!

What a great vid!! Great editing and the great attitude is the best part!! Keep it up!!

Good On Ya Great persistence, great video and great fish.

Great video! You are so lucky to live in Idaho. Even if you drive from the south part of the state. Me been from Nevada (Las Vegas) .I only get to hit the Clearwater river once a year. Watching getting your first fish on the swing is awesome and reminds me of my first Steelhead too. 😃🙂👍🏽

That was pretty cool. Love the big water. :)

great job buddy! you stuck with it, learned as you went, right up to a great success and a nice big steelie. im jealous and will see you on rio soon!

Keep it up man and enjoy the journey.

good swing. good fish!!

New subscriber here! Some beautiful waters your fishing on. I love river fishing. Tight lines bro 🤙

Looks like the Coldwater river. using a Redington spey fun stuff.

Good show man! Keep at it!

And use mustard 2 X hocks for tying streamers. Won’t bend out ever. Great steelhead jig hooks and fly hocks. Sharp. Also' tie a lot of minnow patterns in hot pink, WHITE , purple and pink and white. Tie them 3 to 5 inches long , don’t be afraid to use big flies when swinging.. in dead winter downsize.

Great videos! It's awesome to see you experiencing and vocalizing all the emotions that steelheaders share. Keep up the videos and keep up the swing. Dry line steelhead will change the trajectory of your life. I'd suggest putting together a couple of dedicated chase patterns for those nippy fish, that you can change to with confidence. Small muddlers in black and orange caddis are my favorites for summer/fall.

Love the vid, came back to watch it again. For your snakeroll, try and imagine that you are writing the letter e. started at the bottom and making your way up and around then back.

Good job m888 persistence pays off 💯🤙🏻 Waiting for my first tug and run on my Spey rod YLTSI!!!!!

One thing I've learned from all my missed fist (went 0/7 one day!) is to let them eat and then sweep to the bank. Love to see this video though. Keep it up!

“It’s off?!!!” Welcome to swinging 😆 Now your an addict too Congrats!!

Great video and fish!

Man this is cool! I live in Lewiston and have been going back and forth on getting a Spey setup. I think this sealed the deal for me!

This is definitely something I want to get into. My next rod will definitely be a spey of some variety.

It's off........a phrase you will repeat throughout the years. It's what keeps you coming back.

Great video. I won’t rub it in with the hook sets lol. Really love the b roll and all of the editing. What tip were you using?

I rarely start short. I have no confident in short cast. I approach far up stream with long bombing cast. It’s a habit I’ve have. I watch to many people drop in on top of the fish. I want to believe that I become the environment with the fish. I spend a lot of time on large rivers. I fish cautiously and methodically , because I’m old.

Excellent video. You might consider a higher and slower lift at 15:20. Glad to see you using a longer line, which is exponentially more difficult than a Skagit.

Love your videos. I have yet to try the Clearwater for steelhead. No specifics, but you up above Lewiston and below Orofino?

Great videos man, and always start with WHITE! On Great Lakes steelhead swinging streamers.. WHITE

Congratulations and thanks for the footage. I grew up on that river, but don't live there now. What length and rod weight are you using? Probably a 7 or an 8 weight I would imagine.

amazing effort, seems u were up pretty early everyday

"Are you the guy from RU-vid" Everybody

What line were you using? I have that same setup, lined with switch indicator and I really want to start swinging flies. Mines a 7WT, 11’6. Trying to figure out what’s a good bet.

God foto

How do you like that Reddington Rio

How do you like your Claymore for Scandi and traditional casting?

How long before you got into Spey?

Whats the river?

Raise it high say good bye. Keep it low there coming home.

Those last light losses are the most painful. Practice holding a loop on a dry line

What's the rod set up

Nice video your man ! You hooked me as a sub ! You are on your way ! Thanks Richard 🎣😎

Grand’e I mean

Sweet video… been nonstop thinking about the swing and working on cast. I subbed. Check out our videos when ya get a break from fishing.

So is that why we petitioned to close our rivers here in Oregon? So that upstream anglers could keep fishing during this year of epically poor returns? Have you even seen the counts over the dams? My crew kept off the Columbia tribs even before our request to the regulators to close the rivers went into effect. Quite disappointing that our efforts to save native fish down here were not reciprocated by those upstream. Disregard if this is *not* a Columbia River tributary being fished in 2021.