Chinook salmon have arrived at Riggins Idaho and along with the salmon so have the salmon anglers. As the salmon are staging at the mouth of the Little Salmon River waiting for the water temperatures to rise before beginning their migration up the Little Salmon anglers are making the most of this opportunity lining the bank and hoping to entice a chinook to their line.

 

Although the river is crowded at many of the popular fishing wholes anglers are still doing very well and many are going home with their limit of salmon for the day! The Little Salmon is still running high and the water temperature is still cold enough that many of the salmon are holding in holes just below the mouth of the river. This annual phenomenon of the staging in the Main salmon offer anglers a rare and exciting chance to hook into these majestic fish in numbers that really are not common. They normally stage for a few days however this year with the weather conditions keeping the Little Salmon from warming it is making for great fishing opportunities.

 

 

While many anglers are joining in with the crowds there are a number of spots available for the angler who is willing to search them out if you are one of those anglers who prefer to have room to fish and time to enjoy the fight against the salmon. Look for seams of water anywhere below Riggins and give them a try it seems that they are stacked in many of the wholes all along the Main Salmon River now as we found out over the last couple of days.

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

With a little searching and trial and error you will be able to find a whole which is holding good numbers of fish. I expect over the next several days as the temperature rises that they will start moving up the little salmon as well and it to will be offering some great fishing this year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Good friend of me and fishing buddy Randy has a young pup which enjoyed pointing out the fish as we fought to bring them under control. It seemed as though he was enjoying the excitement just as much as we were he didn’t let a fish get by that he wasn’t right there and keeping an eye on what was going on and he got very up  set if we lost the fish before we got it into the net.

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

As you can see Louie was right there making sure that we were taking care of business and not letting the salmon get away before   we had it in the net.

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some of the Salmon we were able to get into the net they were averaging 10 to 12lbs and were 30 to 32 inches long however we did get a couple that were over 15lbs my camera batteries died before I was able to get pictures of them though. I know I know another fish story I’ll get some fresh batteries before I head back so I can get you some Pictures of the larger fish just to verify this story though.

 

 

 

 Grab your Gear and come on down to Riggins and join in the excitement this year is turning out to be a very good year as we hooked over forty salmon between the four of us fishing over to days and this is when the weather was cold and wet now that the weather has straightened up it should only improve.

 

 RR Smith

Salmon, Steelhead, and Trout Gear

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It seems like it was a long time coming but the salmon have arrived at Riggins and are starting to move up the Little Salmon River. Today June 6^th 2008 is the first time since the river blew out three weeks ago that the flows have dropped below the five year mean and while the river is still high we have started to catch some salmon between Riggins and Rapid River. The river temp is still quite cold up it too is starting to come in it was 47 degrees yesterday and while we all now that 50 degrees is when things start to get exciting I expect with the dropping flows and wormer condition the river will be at the 50 degree mark within the next day or two.

 

Most of the salmon are currently being caught at the confluence of the main salmon as the temperature there is above fifty degrees and early in the season this is a normal hot spot for the salmon angler. For those who have a boat capable of handling the higher flows in the river fishing the Salmon River below Riggins is producing some nice numbers over the last two days. Most are either plunking eggs or using quick fish set up with anchovies.

 

For the brave at heart the Little Salmon is producing fish but with the high flows it is like tying into a freight train once the fish makes a move from the slack water into the main current so plan on loosing more fish then you will be able to land. I was fish with a good friend of mine yesterday who hooked into a nice salmon and once it hit the swift water and headed down stream it literally burnt up his drag system before he could do any thing with it. He tried palming the spool and all that did was burn his hand. The fish broke off when it finally came to the end of his line taking his line with it. He will be buying a new reel in the next couple of days as the heat from the drag actually melted most of the drag components to the spool.

 

So if you have been waiting for the run to begin its time to get your gear and get on the river fishing will be getting hot over the next few weeks so don’t miss out come on and join the excitement.

 

RR Smith

Salmon Steelhead and Trout Gear

Fly fishermen going after small stream trout or pan fish can use almost any reel to simply serve as device to store their line. However if you are going for powerful fish like pike, steelhead or salmon, having a reel with a smooth drag and is capable of quickly taking up line are a must have quality in your fly reel, having a reel that is well balanced and light weight is also important to the fly fishermen who spends all day on the river. Keep in mind that if you are after these qualities you are going to have to shell out more of your hard earned cash but you will be glad you did if like me you spend most of your day casting and fighting the powerful steelhead and salmon.

When looking for a trout or pan fish fly reel I look at weight and balance more then any other quality. One trick I use instead of having to take a fly rod with me to assure the reel is balanced is I will wrap pencil lead around the reel seat until the rod will balance at the grip point of the rod and then I just weigh the lead and I know how heavy of a reel I can use.

Now when it comes to picking out a fly reel that I will be using for salmon and steelhead I want to make sure the drag has a full range of adjustment, and works smooth. You’ll want a reel that can keep up with the fish should they suddenly make a run at you as well as being able to hold enough backing when they decide to head down stream on one of their powerful runs as well. Once you find a fly reel with these qualities you can start looking at the weight and keep in mind what weight fly line you will be using as well remember your fly line weight needs to match the weight your fly rod is designed for. Finding a reel with these qualities is the most important part. You can always balance the rod and reel by adding weight to you rod. Balance is the key more then weight as a light rod and reel that is not well balanced will tire you out faster then a heavier setup which is well balanced.

One thing that I have noticed is that the true diehard fly fisherman is always asking is which rod reel combination do you prefer and I have to save after using several different setups that it is one that is well balanced. I truly have no preference as to the make and model as long as it feels right.

I have listed a few of the fly reels that I have tried over the years just as a starting point for you, which one is best is something that you will decide as you determine your needs and type of fish you are after. (They are in no special order or preference.)

Pflueger 1195 Automatic

Because of its ease of use and convenience, Pflueger’s Model 1195 Automatic Reel has been a common fly reel for many trout anglers. It has an aluminum alloy frame which features a lever controlled internal coil spring. As the angler presses on the lever the reel automatically winds in the line. It’s rather heavy though weighing in at 9 ounces, but you’ll like its affordability.

Scientific Anglers Concept 2

There are four Concept 2 fly reels and they normally range in price from $35 up to $56. They are made from light, tough, composite polymer graphite and feature a quality disc drag system. Sizes range from trout/pan fish to saltwater game fish. The Model 58s built for heavy fresh and light saltwater fishing and has an exposed spool for palming strong fish into giving in. Amazingly it weighs in at just 4.3 ounces.

Cabela’s XSS

The XSS stand for “Extreme Saltwater and Spey,” These are made for the larger game fish and they too have it all from the large line capacity to their oversize paddle handle and graphite, cork and Rulon disc drag. The reel was designed for anglers who target big, fast game fish. The Size 1 is the smallest of the three, and handles 7 and 8 weight lines and 225 yards of 20-pound backing this fly reel is capable of handling most salmon and steelhead and will run you about $175.00.

Orvis Battenkill Disc Drag

Many fly anglers are familiar with the Battenkill made by Orvis’ and is one of their best-selling fly reels. It is available in three models ranging in price from $79 to $89. It is machined from cast aluminum, the reel features large disc drags and exposed rims for palming. The smallest reel handles line weights from 2 through 5 and weighs just 4 ounces. The largest in this model only weighs 5 ounces and handles 6- to 9-weight line.

G. Loomis Venture

Made with the quality you’d expect from G. Loomis, the three fly reels in the Venture

line are machined from cast aluminum to be tough, yet lightweight. These reels are a simple, classic design, but have quality features. The Model 7 selling at around $100 is the largest of the group, and weighs a mere 3.4 ounces; it handles the 7 weight line with about 150 yards of 30-pound backing.

Sage 2500 Series

Sage, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of premium fly rods, also makes outstanding reels. The four in its 2500 line ranging in price from $300 to $375 are more then capable of handling any fish you will be going after. With a large-diameter spool for fast line retrieval and the offset 3:1 gear reduction disc drag it is very responsive to the tiniest adjustment and would make for a good choice for the serious fly fisherman.

Well these are a few of the reels that I have used over the last few years some I own some I have used and some I wish that I had but just how many fly reels can you use at one time anyways. I hope you have a better idea as to what you need to be looking for in your fly reel and it helps in your decision making. As always good luck and good fly fishing.

RR Smith

Affordable Fly Fishing Reels