Ideas?!?!

[Riveraddict]

I think that most everybody on here knows by now that I am the "Skagit Crusader". Now that I am at an age where I have more fishing days behind me than I have to look forward to, I am becoming much more aware of my own personal mortality. Add to this my passion for fishing and Skagit casting... I have put in enough time fishing, and in such a variety of circumstances and venues, as to only reinforce my feeling and belief that the Skagit approach is not just a justifiably distinct methodology of its own, but that it is also one of the most versatile ways for utilizing a fly rod. This circumstance has spurred me to start the undertaking of a project that has lingered in the back of my mind for some time now... a Skagit casting video. I have teamed up with Jeff Mishler, who shot Dec's video, and we are hoping to make this gig a little different than the standard "how to". Of course, with some of the actual instructional bits, there's just no getting around the "usual" do-this-then-do-that approach. But, we want to incorporate as much actual-on-river examples as possible. The steelheading aspect we pretty much have established our agenda. But, along with that, I would like to include something(s) away from the "mainstream" steelhead/salmon focus - Speying/Switchrodding for trout, smallmouth bass, striped bass, white bass, bluegill - something that would go beyond the "usual" PNW focus of salmonids and push the boundaries of the Spey/Switch concept to new horizons. On this part, we could use much help/advice/suggestions as possible!

These are few of the parameters that we would be looking for:
- stream or river situation, from 50' wide up to ???, and wadeable.
- species of fish that can be caught on a fly: swung, strip-retrieved, or dead drifted - any or all would work
- would like to have situations conducive to light Spey's (4's or 5's) or Switchrods (5, 6 or 7 weights) as the "heavy" stuff will be exampled enough in the steelheading part.
- doesn't necessarily have to be a "trophy" type of fishery. For example, catching decent numbers of 9" to 14" bass would be preferable to working all day for one, two, or three fish of better than 16", because shooting time would be limited to two or three days most likely (got to stay in budget!)

And, we will not name the venue being fished unless otherwise directed.


......in process....

[Hooknsteel]

if you include footage of fish catching i'll buy 100

[Miguel Morejohn]

I heard some rumors that a production of this nature might be coming together...this is wonderful news to have it validated. I think that producing a film about the Skagit casting and fishing methodology featuring the originator and if done right (Jeff's talent's behind the lens as well as on the river are exceptional) could potentially be destined to become a classic like the Lani Waller's series. For me the Skagit casting method has such depth and a seemingly endless learning curve to it. I am looking forward to seeing how this important production evolves. Thanks for the preview of ideas and giving the board an opportunity to give some input.

[greenspey]

That sounds like a fantastic video, I look forward to it. I would suggest the Bow river in Alberta (but generally around Calgary). It is well over 50 feet wide and it is a trophy brown trout fishery where there is plenty of water where you can swing a fly. Much of the fishery is walk and wade accessible and the fishing even right in the city (of Calgary) is pretty strong with browns over 20 not being unusual. It's also cheap considering your production costs are (likely) in US dollars and the CDN dollar is currently some 20 cents cheaper so your dollar goes 20% further. There is also a reasonably sized population of people who swing the big rods in the area.

[fishmhard]

Are you limiting this strictly to rivers , or have you considered jumping way outside the box with potential stillwater applications? What region nationally are you thinking of ?

[wiscokid]

How about swingin for these big and mean river monsters. There are a number of rivers that have a moderate gradient and nice structure for using switch rod and short skagit heads w/ big flies. Just an idea.

[sixrivers]

I've been wondering how long this was going to take.
You're going to get bombarded by everyone and their brother about the best ditch in their part of the country. I'm probably no different, so, if you ever want to come back to your old haunts in the Alagnak braids we have a jet boat there and a couple catarafts and camp gear enough to house a camera crew and a couple casting gurus.
As far as the video, I would like to see comparisons while casting that show why a particular skagit cast works better than traditional. Actually make the cast using the same terminal tackle to show why that particular system can't drag that ball of feathers out of the water as well.
Another thing that I have not seen much is detail consisting of why someone picked the fly, leader length / material and sink tip to fish a particular run and why they are CHANGING to something different as they pass through the rest of the run. Reading runs and your thoughts about what it takes to reach a certain target and why. Details. Details that include sink tip lengths and materials and different knots or loops That are easy and work, etc.
Was it Dec that said you were the most inquisitive angler he ever had the pleasure of hanging with? If in this video you let just a little bit of that streamside knowledge come out, the end result will be a far cry from your normal how to cast vid!

[wilson]

You've got several great shad fisheries out West. Columbia, Umpqua, Sacramento, just to name a few. Covering them wouldn't be a bad idea for any new video. I'm sure your technique would work for them just fine especially with the lighter speys that are coming out. (Just bought one for this very purpose)

I never had a chance to partake in the Columbia fishery when I was living there in 2006, but any thoughts on dividing up large rivers into fishable stretches from a fisherman's perspective would be valuable to anyone. That'd translate well to the EC fisheries that have the same characteristics like the St. Mary's, Niagara, and even EC tidal fisheries for shad and stripers.

-Chris

[Gillie]

I would vote to stick with steelhead but focus on line control, mending, how to swing the fly through the sweet spot......in short, how to fish with the spey rod rather than simply how to cast it.

Dec does some of this in his video but there is still no definitive video out there on fishing the swung fly for steelhead. This is particularly true when you talk about deeper techniques and working sink tips in different types of water.

If you combined skagit casting techniques with fishing techniques you would have a great video.

[sean]

Rhode island tidal rivers for striped bass or the cape cod canal would both be excellent venues to show of switch systems with skagits. Since moving from seattle I spend most of my time swinging flies on lightweight setups. I could also get you out on the reefs just offshore where we use spey casts to swing flies through rip currents.

Guaranteed you will catch good amounts of fish for the film but just having a two handed fishing focused film would be sweet.

-sean

[wintershope]

I vote walleyes and smallmouth bass, that would be epic.

Also atlantic salmon would be interesting.

[rckrego]

I second that. I've seen tons on the casting, very little on the fishing. And frequently get, "Oh, just fish it like you would a single hander." Well that would mean wading in to my knees and highsticking seams. Not really why I bothered to try to learn how to do this. Hahaha.

As for the fish, I'd love to see some switch rod skagit casting streamers to resident brown trout in places like Michigan, or the Upper Delaware, or the Southern tailwaters, especially some place with gnarly cover: big root balls or log jams with massive brown trout lurking under them with vegetation behind and no room to backcast. Perfect for a sink tip swung in there with a big offensive fly attached to it. Also, would love to see the same techniques used for northerns.

[chromedome]

I wouldn't try to make the subject matter of the video too broad. It will dilute from detailing the most important aspects of skagit casting. Stick to steelhead and maybe a little on Atlantics where there are glaring exceptions from what you would do with steelhead. If you must address still water, or a variety of rivers, do it very briefly, and in a separate section.
I would like to come away from the video knowing ALL the reasons you advocate a STRAIGHT cast, for example. And in great detail I would like to know how one consistently achieves straight casts, especially when strong winds want to push that leader away from straight. I don't understand, for example, why, with weighted flies in deep water, a downriver curve of the leader is such a bad thing, providing it is not excessive, and I would hope you would clear this up.
I haven't tried skagit yet partly because I've wondered about mendability. You might touch on this.
I have a feeling you will have enough on your hands just to thoroughly teach us about skagit casting without getting involved with a variety of fish species and seldom experienced (eg. still water) water conditions.
Finally, from what I've read on here, if someone is to do this kind of video, you're the man!

[Steve Egge]

I think I hear your pressure to get down a video on the method and nuances so arguments such as those taken place on this board about Skagit being a distinct system can be laid to rest. There is no one better to do it and be able to explain the subtleties.

Of the video's I've watched, I like Dec's a lot because he shows the application of the cast towards fishing. You have such knowledge to share, and I appreciate that you share it freely on this board and as a guide.

So... It is a bigger project … but could be done together. Call the first one “Skagit casting”, call the second one “The Swinging Guide’s Secrets” or something that (should sell outside the fishing industry with that title). How to approach a big river, how to learn clues from the shoreline, all the stuff you talk about that as a client you go “that is a nugget of info I don’t want to forget” You could talk about reading water … how to fish it based on the water speed and depth, then hook a fish in the bucket. Show how the Perry Poke can allow you to fish otherwise impossible places and lay a cast out with straight turnover. You could put a “Big Honking Floater” the camera could see from a distance and talk about how fishing and line control affect fly speed and presentation in different circumstances and how to adjust your presentation to the river conditions.
Talk about what happens to your fly on a blown turnover and why not to accept it. (getting back to casting). Talk about your thoughts on hooking fish and how hold the rod and line for a best chance of turning the take into a landed fish. You could even talk about river etiquette, why not to fear fishing fished over water, etc (just some thoughts).

For other fisheries, you for sure could show swinging for rainbows up in AK, but also the Yakima for closeness. Small mouth in the John Day/Grande Rhonde along tailouts swinging a popper. Put a Skagit Short on a 4 wt and show the application!

Get to the end of the production and say … I think I put almost everything I know on that DVD (ok so it would be a 10 set collection…but you could trim it down a bit). If it doesn’t make them a better Skagiteer, its not from anything on the teaching end.

Can I pre-order now?? Great Idea … Cheers …

Steve

[Subtropicalspey]

Hi Ed,

I’m very excited to hear about the planned video. I have two suggestions.

(1) Beginners at Skagit casting should be told exactly where to put the equivalent of the “nail knot” when setting the anchor. As a beginning Spey caster I lined up the anchor with the leader/floating tip junction and hit myself with the line until I figured out (with Simon’s help) that you need to put the end of the heavy segment (the Skagit line/floating tip junction) in the spot in front of you.
(2) Jocelyn LeBlanc is an English-speaking French Canadian guide on the north shore of the St. Lawrence. He has ideas for using 7 or 8 weight Skagit set up to fish for Lake Trout during the month of June in the Quebec wilderness (accessible by road). All the fish are 4 pounds and above. He explains the fishing on http://www.nsfa-adventures.com/NSFA_...e_trout_Quebec.. If interested in his ideas you can e-mail him at brooktrout@globetrotter.net.