Fishing North Coast

Author: Rick Chapo

When it comes to fly fishing, tying a knot is not the most glamorous of subjects. Without a knot, however, you'll not be snatching the Muskie of your dreams.

Fly Fishing Knots

First thing first, we need to get the lingo down since we wont be using illustrations in this article. Three basic terms will cover practically any aspect of the knot tying process. "Tag end" refers to the last ten inches of so of line you are holding in your hand, to wit, the pointy part you will be pushing through and wrapping around things. "Standing end" refers to the rest of the line. Yes, very complicated and difficult to understand. "Wrap" refers to the action wherein you move the tag end of the line one full revolution around the standing end. The wrap can also be called a turn, but you have the general idea.

As with practically anything in fly fishing, there are an infinite number of variations to knots. Mysterious variations include the Steroidius Double Flip [good for catching professional athlete fish], the Marigold Hammer [good for catching the neighbor's plants while practicing in your back yard] and the Wifeous Annoyous [a complex knot that gets you in trouble with the wife since you're supposed to be painting the garage], but you probably start with the "Aarrgg, Dammit..." knot common to beginners.

Fisherman's Knot

Other than tying your shoes, the easiest knot to learn is the fisherman's knot. Get your hook in one hand and tag end in the other. And a one and a two...

1. As you proceed, keep everything slack. We will be passing the tag end through loops we create. DO NOT tighten anything until told to!

2. Pull the tag end through the eye of the hook.

3. Bend the tag end back to the standing end and wrap four or five times. Make sure you do not tighten the wrap. [You should now have a closed loop through the hook.]

4. Take your tag end and push it through the loop formed by the wrap. Do not push it through the hook eye, just the bigger loop of line.

5. You will have just created another loop and should pass the tag end through again.

6. Slowly pull on the hook and stag end until the knot is tight.

Watch those fingers.

Congratulations! If you've tied the perfect knot, it is time to hit local fishing spot. If you've made a mess of it, try again. Either way, you get to avoid painting the garage.

Author: Rick Chapo

When fly fishing, many anglers prefer to catch and release their fly fishing prizes. Still, what should you do when you're the prize?

That's Gotta Hurt

If you become a fly fishing fanatic, you will inevitably hook yourself one day. Of course, this has never happened to me, but my "friends" have done it repeatedly. Being a thoughtful and observant person, I've seen how they go about unhooking themselves from a fly. Again, this is never happened to me. Ever. No, I won't take a lie detector test.

The Barb

The best hook removal method depends on the location of the hook barb. The barb is the part of the hook that keeps the hook from simply sliding back out of the fish or, in this case, you. The essential question is which direction will result in the least damage from the barb.

A "friend" of mine once managed to hook himself through the flap of skin between the thumb and forefinger. The hook penetrated from the top of this hand through to the palm. The barb had gone all the way through the skin. In such a situation, the best method is simply to cut the line at the base of the hook and push it the rest of the way through the skin. This technique will result in a minimum of damage.

Another "friend" of mine once slipped on a rock and hooked himself something fierce in the meat section of the palm about an inch below the pinkie. There wasn't anyway to push the hook through, so it had to be pulled back out the way it went in. The problem, of course, is the barb could have caused a lot of damage on the way back out. So, what's the solution?

There are two solutions [excluding the hospital] to avoiding barb damage. The first requires two people. The hooked individual should press the hook slowly toward the curve of the hook. Put another way, you want to compress this curve of the hook. This sounds brutal, but actually should cause the barb to retract from the meat of your hand. The second person then applies pressure to both sides of the entry point to pull it open. The hooked individual should then GENTLY slide the hook out trying to follow the curve of the entry path. Sounds painful, but it works.

If you're alone, follow the same instructions but you'll have to do without the pressure. Just go slow and easy. If the hook doesn't slide, don't force it. Just head off to the local emergency room.

Catch and release is a good way to fish. Even if you catch yourself.

Author: Sammy Salmon

Fly fishing is very different than fishing with a lure or worm type baits. The fly fisherman uses a artificial fly consisting of bites of feathers, foam, hide, fur, yarn, and other materials to be tried on to a hook that make it appealing to the type of fish you are catching. Every fly fisherman has his own type of flies he like to use some purchase them and then some of us like to tie our own. Fly tying is more of an art with basic training which most people can learn over a short period of time.

Dry fly fishing is the best classic form of fishing. The artificial fly is cast so that it floats on the surface of the water. As the fly passes over the fish it will rise to the surface and strike or take the fly.

With the fly rod you will attempt to stop the fish from spitting out the fly and get it tired enough so you can land it in your net. With fly fishing you will see all the action as you cast the fly and play the fish for a strike. The fly is very visible on the surface to the fish. You will see the fish take the fly on the surface however trout and other fish tend to feed under water so if you see the fish rising to the surface it is time to use a dry fly.

Wet flies will sink under the surface of the water an may be passed in front of the fish there bye causing the fish too strike at the fly,

Nymph fishing is very popular after the flies lay eggs on lakes or in streams and they hatch out as nymphs. As the nymphs make their way to the surface the fish will take them. When they get to the surface they will hatch into a flies.

When nymph fishing the imitation nymphs you us will be weighted to stay below the surface of the water. This will be far more of a challenge for you as the action all take place under the surface of the water and you will not be able to see if a fish is about to strike.

Most fish can be caught on a fly but the most common are trout, salmon, chars, and most game fish. In most areas the trout are the most popular and you will find them feeding mostly on small insects in shallow water. If you live on the coast you find salmon fishing with a fly rod a very rewarding challenge.

Hooking a 30 or 40 pound salmon on a fly rod will give you a work out running up and down the beach trying to play the fish out to land it .

The fly fishing sport has gained ever increasing popularity over the years. Most will agree it just not about catching the fish but in the delivery of the fly and the skill and knowledge in the pursuit.

Some fly fisherman regard fly fishing as the holy grail of fishing. It is more relaxing and some say a better past time than golf. The sport of fly fishing see people from all walks of life. Some say it is more environmentally friends than the other type of fishing because it does less harm to the fish then other styles of fishing.

The art of fly fishing will get in to your blood and you will peruse the quite of the streams or the solitude of the ocean beaches to capture you prey. Most anglers will catch and release if they are fly fishing.

Salmon Fishing

Author: Bob Matsen

Where to fish for salmon or the Chinook or the king salmon. The pacific salmon range from California to Alaska. These anadromous species can be found in most pacific coastal waters, streams and rivers that have a good flow of water and temperature as well as a suitable habitat for going up to spawn. You will find that they may be as many as three spawns per year, spring, summer, fall.

The average size of the Chinook can be from 16 to 20 lb. but you will see larger fish up to 55 lb. taken from the remote areas along the pacific coast.

The Chinook will return to the river in which they spawned from at the age of 2 to 7 years old. The salmon will travel over 7000 miles at sea to return to its spawning grounds. One of the longest river spawns is the 2000 miles battle up the Yukon River located in the state of Alaska.

With the advancement of man a lot of the smaller streams have been choked of with pollution and silt from local construction. Some of the streams have been filled in for housing and commercial use. There has been a increase of volunteers to clean up the streams and repair the gravel spawning grounds. With some success the salmon have slowly been returning to these devastated areas.

The salmon use solar navigation ,smell, day light and rain fall to help guide them to the spawning grounds. Most need a gravel bed of course gravel to spawn in. The female will dig out a spot and lay her eggs and the male will fertilize the eggs with jets of milt. Both fish die with in days of spawning.

The spawning fish feed many bears ,bird like the eagles and people on the run up to their spawning grounds. The decaying fish supply food for the river or stream organisms which provide food for the fry after the hatch. The fry will spend up to 18 months in the river and stream systems before heading out to sea to repeat the process all over.

Before you fish for salmon you will need to check the regulations in the area you are planning to fish in every area will have different regulations. Time to fish size limits and the number of the fish you may keep. State Regulations must be followed as the fines can be very large if you get caught fishing with out the proper license or are out of season. Always check with the regulatory body for the area you will be fishing in. Better to have what you need than to lose a boat or vehicle or go to jail.

If fishing in early spring or late summer or in the fall be aware that you may see bears of all sizes after all you are fishing in their favorite spot. Give them a wide berth they are hungry and will protect their territory. Better to play safe than to have a bad encounter you will lose if you come into contact with a bear.

Trolling from a boat will help you avoid the bears. The down rigger is very popular to get the bait down to the level to which the salmon are at. Trolling depth will vary from 10 ft to 150 ft a lead cannon ball from 2 to 10 lb. will be used .Hootches , and anchovies work in most location best to check with the local guides to find out what is working on the given days you are fishing.

No matter what you fish with or which method you use a Chinook salmon will give you a fight you will not soon forget. Sammy Salmon

Fishing Flies 101

Author: Cameron Larsen

The world of fly fishing can be a confusing one, beginners are forced to learn new lingo, new techniques, and digest new info regarding fish and their behavior.

This article is an overview of fly fishing flies, and mostly fly fishing flies used primarily for trout. Although we will touch on other species as well. When you browse a fly shop, a catalog or an online fly shop, you will see flies organized into a few broad categories. And then perhaps sub-divided again into smaller categories. But lets us first look at these broad categories. Generally you will see Nymphs, Dry Flies, Streamers and nowadays probably Beadhead Nymphs or just Beadheads. First off all these are common trout flies, and many can be used for other species as well, streamers are especially useful for virtually all game fish.

Nymphs-are flies used below the surface of the water, fish consume anywhere from 70-90% of their diet underwater, so nymphs tend to be the most common type of fly used. Most of the time nymphs are used in conjunction with weight placed somewhere from 1-3 feet up the tippet (leader) from the fly. This way the nymph will sink under the water to where an eagerly awaiting fish will oblige your desire and chomp it. And really that is all you ever need to know to fly fish like a master. OK there is a little more to it than that. Popular nymphs include: Hare's Ear, Pheasant Tail, Prince Nymphs, Stonefly nymphs, and Copper Johns.

Beadheads- Beadheads or beadhead nymphs migrated to America from Europe and became wildly popular. (Well not the actual nymphs, but the fly patterns.) Unfortunately fish are not stupid, and while they are still the most popular category of pattern today, they are not the panacea we all though twenty years ago. Yes, fish do evolve. Beadheads are simply nymphs with a little, usually gold bead, by the eye of the hook. They allow faster sinking, a different 'swimming action', and the bright bead attracts fish. Popular beadheads include all the nymphs named above with a beadhead tied in front of them.

Dry Flies--Dry Flies are the classic fly requiring the graceful casting that most non-fly fishers think of as fly fishing. Dry flies are tied to float on top of the water, and provide for remarkable strikes from fish as they rise to the surface eagerly attack your offering. While being the most dramatic form of fly fishing it also requires the most stealth and patience and can cause the most frustration. But the rewards are exhilarating. Popular dry flies include: Adams, Elk Hair Caddis, Stimulator, Wulffs, Parachutes.

Streamers-Streamers are 'flies' or patterns tied to imitate smaller fish, leeches, and crustaceans. To think that fish only eat insects is foolish snobbery, although a thought maintained by some. Fish eat indiscriminately, and that includes everything available to them, even the bit of your sandwich that fell into the water. There are times and places where minnows and leeches make up the majority of a game fish diet, and unlike many nymphs and dry flies, streamer type food is available year around. Popular streamers include Woolly Bugger, Muddler Minnows, Egg-Sucking Leech, Mickey Finns. Many of these patterns are available either as a beadhead or the similar conehead.

These categories can be broken down again, and even again. Dry flies in particular have a wide variety of sub-categories, including parachutes, which is taking standard dry flies and tying the hackle in a different fashion. You can also throw in a terrestrial category which is nothing more than a dry fly, whose origin was not the water. Such as ants, hoppers or beetles.

There are also specialty flies and these are generally classified by fish species instead of fly type. The exception is egg flies, which just look like fish eggs and while they are widely used for salmon and or steelhead they are also popular for trout. Besides salmon/steelhead flies, there are also bass flies which are also used for pike and other fish. And saltwater flies, which once again can be broken down further into species. As these are highly specialized, the fly angler interested in them probably already has an extensive knowledge for their area, if not they should consult an guide or fly shop in their local vicinity. Cameron Larsen

Author: Rick Chapo

You can buy flies for fly fishing, but you'll want to tie your own at some point. Undoubtedly, your first fly will be the Frankenstein Fly.

Of Flies...

There is a particular fly for every fish, location and situation. There are basic flies like the Woolly Bugger and millions of exotic ones. You can buy thousands of them, but it will set you back a pretty penny. So, it's time to tie your own.

The first step in the fly process is getting some educated advice at the bookstore. You'll need to browse the fishing section for the hundreds of books on the subject. You'll see books like "Flies for Idiots", "Be One With The Fly", "I Fly, You Fly, We All Fly" and other mythical titles. Pick the one that seems tailored to your needs, buy your tools and supplies and head home.

One of the first flies most people try to tie is the Woolly Bugger. It can be used for most situations and seems fairly simple to tie. Since this is your first time, you'll actually be tying the Frankenstein Fly whether you realize it or not. This is true regardless of the specific fly you try to tie.

With the Woolly Bugger, you'll use a jam knot, a fluffy piece of marabou, lead wire and so on. You'll follow the directions in detail. You'll wind. You'll strip fuzz. You'll wrap like you've never wrapped before. In the end, you will have followed every step in agonizing detail. As you finish the last step, whip finishing your fly, you'll step back to admire the best Woolly Bugger.

At this point, you'll look at the book and your masterpiece. Then you'll jump on the Internet and pull up pictures of Woolly Bugger flies. Then the neighborhood will shake with a piercing scream. Yes, you've created something that faintly looks like a Woolly Bugger, but strikingly like Frankenstein.

Congratulations, you've tied a Frankenstein Fly. Welcome to the league of mad tie scientists.

Have Faith

Tying flies is definitely an art. You will almost never get it right the first time. Don't be discouraged. Keep at it. Who knows, maybe the fish will find your Frankenstein Fly to be a tasty treat.

Author: Cameron Larsen

Fly anglers are schooled at an early age, (well any age, I suppose, but early into their foray of fly fishing), about the big three, mayflies, caddis and stoneflies. I need to digress again, this is trout anglers, if you began fly fishing for other species, you were probably schooled about other things. But the importance of mayflies, caddis, and stoenflies are hit upon early and re-learned repeatedly. With good reason for sure.

These insects are of huge importance to most trout habitats, and their hatches provide spectacular fishing. But they are not exclusive to trout's diets, and in some locales they make up a lesser portion than you might think.

Trout, like all fish, are opportunists, they feed on what is available. However, they do seem to have preferences for whatever reason. For example many observers have noticed trout's propensity for hitting beetles. Biologists tell us beetles are loaded with protein, therefore trout perhaps know what is good for them, or maybe they just like the taste. Like beetles trout also go wild for ants. In some locations the mating of carpenter ants takes place at the same time as more well-known mayfly hatches, yet the observant angler readily switches to the ant pattern because trout hit these much more readily. Perhaps it is because they are not water borne, but more than likely there are other reasons. Some have claimed it is because when ants or most likely to take flight is during the mating season, when they are filled with pheromones, and the smell attracts the fish.

Ant migrations occur when the winged adult begins its mating season, and hundred of thousands of these terrible fliers are out for there the taking. Each colony will produce a huge abundance of these specialized ant, knowing full well the vast majority will end up not fulfilling its prime obligation. Their ineptitude is the booty for trout and likewise trout anglers.

Weather also plays a huge part, especially in the mountains. Where warm winds swell up the mountains ant swarms get trapped, depositing countless millions of ants, to hungry waiting trout. These are the conditions of the famed 'ant falls' of the Rockies, Sierras, and Cascades. Most likely to occur on the first warm summer days.

Each species and each locale follow slightly different protocol, but the result is the same, fish love ants so be prepared.

Many fly angler's will resort to ants when nothing else is happening. Chance ants must hit the water daily, and being chance feeders, trout will gobble them up. So in a sense ants are always in season, and they are a decent choice wherever you might be. Fish them close to the bank, as ants live there, look for likely ant habitat including rotting logs. Lakes and rivers bordered by old growth are prime locations to cast the ant.

Beavers also leave primary ant habitat in their wake.

While most seasoned trout anglers learn the conditions thatlead to their favorite mayfly hatch, they often over look the 'ant hatch' occurring right under their nose. Careful observation and an expansion of your knowledge will lead to expansion of arsenal to trick your wily prey.

So..... those pesky things are good for something?

Author: Terry Price

There are many great reasons you may want to book a boat charter ranging from pleasure boat cruising to an excellent fishing charter to your favorite fishing destination. This brief article will give you some excellent tips and recommendations on doing your homework prior to hiring a fishing charter. The first thing you want to do is make sure that your new captain is licensed for charter fishing. If you are chartering from a large marina, you will find that the marina requires their captains to meet certain qualifications before they will allow them to run a boat for their fleet. Even if you are fishing a lake where a coast guard license may not be required, it is good to find a captain that is qualified. Obviously, for safety reasons, a trained, experienced captain will give you peace of mind. When selecting the right charter company, make sure you contact the local tourism authority as they are an excellent source of good charter operators.

Remember that captains and mates will not share all of their secrets about their charter, but remember that you are paying for the trip so ask questions about the best season, tackle and more. You will be glad you did. You will find that it is best to take your own gear on fishing boat charters. For the most part, the gear is used heavily on a charter boat and you may have grown accustomed to your own gear instead. Most captains are amenable to the idea.

One very important thing to remember before you your fishing charter is to get LOTS OF REST the night before. Stay away from fried foods the night before and eat a light dinner, because a day's fishing on the water is going to take a lot out of you. Be sure you take along a carbonated beverage or a beer to help with a churning stomach as seasickness medicine can vary in effectiveness. Another good tip is to let the marina personnel clean your fish for you, as it will avoid delays for everyone. Finally, take lots of sunscreen lotion along and a camera to capture the action-packed day on film. It is a good idea to read more about this awesome hobby and learn more about it before you head out onto the sea or lake. Have fun, and enjoy this excellent time on the water!

Author: Neels Theron

When you start looking around for fish bait recipes you'll be amazed at - and often amused by - the assortment of "trusted" "secret" and "sounds-gory-but-it-works" fish bait recipes you will come across!

If you want to learn how to prepare your own recipes, then get ready for some often gruesome kithen work... not to mention the aromas you will have to contend with.

Of course, if you want to avoid all of the preparation in the kitchen, you can buy commercially prepared fish bait recipes, but this can add quite a bit to your weekend fishing budget!

There is no shortage of advice available about fish bait recipes. First you have to decide what kind of fish you're aiming to catch, as they all have different tastes.

The smell of the bait is often very important. For instance, river salmon is known for a keen sense of smell to go with their eyesight, and you should try to take advantage of this when preparing your bait.

The smell of bait also fades in the water, so you should have enough bait to be able to change your bait often to keep that irresistable smell hanging and drifting around there in the water.

California salmon fishers recommend using tuna balls. Canned tuna in oil or water can be placed in a mesh bag and tied shut when used below a float. Chopped herring or sardines make great bagged baits too.

Some fish bait recipes are really very simple. For instance, if you're after bottom-feeding fish like carp and catfish, you can simply use bread, small pieces of cheese, and even canned corn.

However, the following doughballs recipe for carp is often used:

You start by mixing 1 cup of flour, 1 cup of yellow cornmeal, and 1 teaspoon of sugar. You then take a 1-quart container of water and pour just enough of it into the mixture to make a heavy dough. Then roll the dough into balls of 1/2 inch to 1 inch. Now you mix the rest of the water with 1 cup of molasses and pour it into a pan. Bring the molasses and water to a boil, and when the mixture is boiling, you drop in a couple of doughballs. Cook them for 2 to 3 minutes.

Many homemade fish bait recipes feature the use of marshmallows to assist in floating the bait, and some belive the color also helps to attract the fish.

Here follows a basic fish bait recipe using marshmallows:

Fill a bowl with 1/4 cup garlic powder and a small cup with water. Put about 5 miniature marshmallows in the water and make sure that they are soaked. Then put them in the bowl of garlic powder and stir them around so the powder coats them evenly. Put them in a jar for later use.

Many websites feature discussion forums where the detail of fish bait recipe preparation can be found. Here you will often find people who spill the beans about great family traditions and "secret" recipies that never fail...