Best fly rod for the Driftless region

Someone searched the above title and my blog popped up.  I haven't really addressed this question and I love talking about fly rods so I thought I would give it a shot.

First off, fly rod choices are very personal.  Some people only fish bamboo others swear by fiber glass.  Graphite is the most popular choice today and is what most fly rods are made of.


The first important decision is fly rod weight, but that isn't the first question you should think about.  First off, how many rods are you going to buy?  One? Choice is made for you, get a five weight.  Two? For the driftless region I would get a 3wt and a five weight. Three? My first two were a 5 and a 3.  My third was a 6'6'' 3 wt fiberglass slow action rod I built for small stream dry fly fishing.  I love small streams and native fish so I went the small route.  A short about 7' 1wt or a 0wt would have also been a nice choice. I picked a short 3 because I already had a reel and line for it.  That saved me a hundred on line and a reel.  If you love catching big fish and do some warm water fishing (bass and pike etc.) I would get a 7 wt.  Great for steamers for trout and could toss a bass bug without a problem.  Think about an extra spool for the 7wt reel; you may want a shooting head for steelhead someday.  I picked odd numbers because my first rod was a 5.  A 4wt and 6 wt would also do well but for long term species flexibility I like the 3-5-7 range.  I use an 8' 3 wt nearly every time I go out fishing in the driftless region.  It's a Winston Ascent which is supposed to be fast action, but since it's a Winston it's a little softer and fishes nymphs and dries pretty well.

That brings me to the second most important choice.  Action.  Fast? Super fast? Slow? Medium? It's mostly a personal preference but certain actions fish different types of flies better.  A very fast action rod will generate very tight loops and demands a very well timed casting stroke (think Scott S4).  It's best for people who can cast better than me and fish dry flies more often than I do.  Medium fast action rods can still form a tight loop when fishing a single dry but can be cast a little slower to make bigger loops that are best for two fly rigs and indicator-nymph rigs.  Medium and slow action are for very relaxed casting strokes and delicate lay downs.  Think very slow sections of spring creeks with gin-clear water.  The Driftless region has more than its fair share of water like this, so a slower action rod would be nice sometimes.  Unless its windy.  Forget about casting a slow action rod in the wind.  Cutting wind takes tighter loops and a more powerful stroke which is not a slow/med action rod's forte. 

Next is length.  Is 9 feet too long for the spring creeks of the Driftless region?  Not really.  9 feet is a good fly rod length.  It may get tight is some spots but I like a 9' 5 wt over an 8' and I think it mends better than a 8'6".  For a 3 wt I like an 8 footer. It gets you into a light weight rod that is more fun with smaller fish and a little shorter for the tight brush and trees.  My go to rod (unless there is wind) is an 8' 3 wt.   4 wt? not sure, maybe split the difference at 8.5 feet. 

Now the tough one: cost.  Basically which brand is for you.  Fly rods fall into 3 main price categories: around $200, about $300-500 and above $600.  I have no data for this but considering the choices available in the $200 range I would say most people are buying in that range.  In the $200 range I love the Winston Passport.  The 5wt was ranked higher in a head to head test over a lot of really expensive rods. TFO makes some really nice rods in that range.  Echo also has some great $200 or under rods. I also like the St. Croix Imperial, which is a great rod for the money.  For the $300-500 range I wouldn't know.  I don't own a rod that nice. If I had to pick... I would go with the Winston GVX.  It has the same taper as the Winston Boron rods but is made with only graphite.  It is made in Twin Bridges, Montana with the same exacting standards and finish as the rods that are almost $300 more.  Other interesting rods in that category are the Sage VXP based on the super popular XP from a few years back ($500) and the Sage Flight $300. The Echo 3 also looks pretty sweet at $300.  Red truck is a new company that makes a pretty high finish and sweet rod for $300.  The Diesel has a aluminum tube with a bottle opener on it.  As far as I know, its the cheapest rod to offer an aluminum tube. The Orvis Hydros is also quite a lot of rod for the money at $500. It is made with the same technology as the Orvis Helios but without the $775 price tag.  Over 600?  Take your pick.  I can't imagine one of those rods being bad.  Just make sure you get the appropriate action for your casting stroke and fishing techniques. Many of those high priced rods are built as super fast action rocket ships for huge casts.  Not really necessary in the Driftless region.  You need a good all around rod since hatches can be more sporadic and less consistent out here compared to the west.

  If you are just starting out and think $200 for a rod is out of control, there are a few options that will get the job done.  Don't buy a kit rod that has everything in one box.  The line will be crap and it will cast limp noodle.  A rod will cost at least a $100.  Try the St. Croix Rio Santo, the Reddington Pursuit or the TFO series 1.  Find the cheapest reel you can, don't be above a Pflueger medalist ($23) and get a decent line (~$50).  So, for less than $175 you can get a serviceable outfit that will get you years of enjoyment.  If you are new to casting a fly rod and are getting a 5 wt only think about trying a line size up, so a 6 wt line for the 5 wt rod.  It will let you feel the rod loading a little more and make your timing better to start with.

I hope all this helps. I love writing about rods.  Maybe someday I'll try reels.

First trout of 2011

I know, this fish makes the #18 midge look big.  He still counts though.

I got back out to Hay creek on Saturday.  It was super nice out and above zero so no frozen guides. I thought the fishing would be pretty good but it was still really tough.  Maybe I am just fishing a tough spot.  The only thing I got a bite on was size 18 midge nymph.  There was actually a little hatch when I first got there and I saw two rises in the first pool I fished.  After that, I didn't see anything break the surface.  I was fishing deep, which is usually the best tactic in the winter but maybe they were feeding on midge emergers.  I didn't see any fish up high just hugging the bottom so I figured not.  I just got one little 9 incher.....  It was nice out and I didn't get skunked so I guess it was a good day.  A frustrating day but a good day. 

The light on the river as I was leaving was great.  Looks like this one needs to be straightened.  I was scared of falling in. 

These were the guys walking around on the snow.  I saw these and adult midges with the fluffy white antenna. 

My guess is stone fly. Anybody have a better guess?

Rivers in the winter offer their own unique type of beauty.

My best winter shot so far. I love the reflection. 

South East Minnesota Winter 2011 Hay Creek

 
      I have lived in Minnesota for almost six years now and I have gone winter trout fishing almost every year.  Out here, the trout season closes in late September to allow the resident brown and native brook trout to spawn.  The season officially opens up for catch and release on January 1st.  I have always wanted to get out on the first but have never made it.  I’m either too hung over or its too cold.  Too cold is more often the reason out here in the frozen tundra of Minnesota.  It not only gets cold but it stays cold.  So cold for so long that the ice on lakes and even the St. Croix river gets so think you can drive your truck out on the ice.  You could, but I don’t. In fact I have never been ice fishing.  There is something funny to me about driving a truck out on the ice and then drilling a bunch of holes around it.  The trout streams in SE Minnesota are typically spring creeks.  This means the water that flows in them likely came out of the side of a rock somewhere, or rather came out of a spring.  The water flows though limestone bluff country and eventually out into a creek somewhere.  This keeps the spring creeks cool in the summer and warmer in the winter since the water coming out of the spring is a constant temperature year-around.  What this means is the spring creeks in bluff country don’t freeze over as easy as a lake or a non-spring fed streams.  They do freeze over though, and it sucks to drive all the way out there to find a frozen over stream but that’s the way it is in Minnesota, cold.  Very,
cold.

     To avoid the frozen over experience look for a stretch of days with the air temperature around 30 degrees.  This January has been really cold but I finally got out this Saturday.  Wednesday-Friday was pretty warm; I think one day even busted 32.  I headed down to Hay Creek outside Red Wing and found that the whole steam was pretty much ice-free.  Who knows if it was frozen over and thawed or clear the whole time.  In any case, I was pretty happy to see open water.  I fished the pasture section where the TU chapters had come in a made some really nice stream improvements.  I didn’t see another car parked at any of the spots which is usually the case in the winter.  When I go out I dress really warm, too warm for the weather, actually.  This helps keep may hands and feet warm since my core is a little overheated.  I can’t manage line or cast with gloves on so keeping hands warm is pretty hard and impossible if your core is cold.  I don’t like to go out unless it is at least 20 but I have fished in 10 and that was okay I guess, not ideal.  40 is about perfect, out here that happens in March at least once and those days are absolutely the best ever. 

     Casting in freezing temps is pretty tough too.  The water that is pulled up from the stream freezes to your guides and eventually stops line from being able to pass though.  Try to cast shorter than normal to reduce the amount of striped line, you can get a few more casts that way before you have to de-ice.  I heard spraying rain-ex deicer on your guides helps but I haven’t tried that.  I’m worried about it ruining my rod finish or messing with my sharkskin.   For now, I can deal with the ice without solvents.  A shorter rod is handy too, the most iced up guide is the tip and a shorter reach to the top is handy.  I use an 8’ 3 wt.  Also, try to keep the line moving while stripping it in.  If you stop it will freeze in place and will keep you from being able to pull in line if you get hit and are fighting a fish. Czech nymphing is a good way to go in the winter.  No iced up guides that way. 
Fish are usually pretty sluggish in the winter and you need to get the fly to them, they will not chase flies in the winter.  They are usually hugging the bottom in a slightly deeper and slightly slower section of the stream than they are in summer.  Fish usually pod up in the winter so where there is one there should be more.  If you spot a pod and drag a few flies right trough them with no luck, those fish are likely not feeding and in a holding lie.  Try to find a little faster water than that or maybe a little bit more broken up to find feeding fish. 

    In the winter nymphs are the way to go.  In fact, nymphs are usually the way to go no mater what season but since there are lots of insects on there surface in the summer and it is more fun to catch trout with dry flies that type of fishing gets a lot of attention.  I bet quite a few people disagree with that but trout eat most of their diet subsurface.  That’s just the way it is.  Two nymph rigs are a great way to go in winter.  I like to use a 7.5’ 5x leader with a bead-head fly (18-16) tied to that and about 10-12 inches of 5 or 6x tippet tied to the bend of the bead-head hook.  I tie a midge nymph (#18) as the trailer fly.  Remember to open your loops when casting a two nymph rig.  Casting gets tricky with an indicator and the two flies.  Opening loops means slow down and lengthen your acceleration during the forward and back cast.  The faster and shorter the acceleration the tighter the loop, do the opposite.  Slower and a little longer will open up your cast and cost distance but it should keep you from tangling up as much.  Also, be sure to keep the length of tippet between the flies pretty short.  Two feet is impossible for me, if you are have a lot of tangles try shortening that tippet length. You can go as short as 8 inches in my opinion.  
    I headed out to the water with my 3 wt, waders with long underwear, two base layers, my 700 fill down jacket and the warmest hat with ear covers I own.  It turned out I could have not worn waders and been fine but I wasn’t sure if I was going to have to cross anywhere so I wore them anyway.  It was actually a pretty nice day out for January in Minnesota.  The temperature was about 24 degrees and there was just a touch of wind every now and then.  I first tied on a size 18 gold bead head pheasant tail and put on a small thingamabobber (by far the best indicator I have used, adjustable, durable and visible. What more do you want?). I tried that in two pools that looked dynamite and didn’t get a touch.  Takes are pretty subtle in the winter but I set the hook on a few stalls of my indicator and got nothing.  I switched to an orange scud (#16) in the next pool down and got a few bites right away.  One hook up, but I lost him.  I lost the scud in some dead brush across the stream and decided to go to a midge nymph, size 18, black with a little peacock thorax.  I got a few more bites and hooked two but no luck getting any in.  The barbless size 18 hooks were being pretty though on me.  I should have had three fish at least, but I went home skunked.  I could have gone to two nymphs but with all the ice I was having enough trouble casting.  If I was Czech nymphing I would have tied another one on for sure.  I felt okay being skunked after I talked to an older guy with about 17 tippet spools on his lanyard and a sieve on his belt who was also skunked.  My logic here is if you know what to do  with all that gear you are better than me.  Plus, he was telling me about every hole in the stream, its name, average fish size etc.  We both agreed to was tough out there that day. I passed him on my way back and he said got one that went 12”.  Good for him, I couldn’t shake my skunk.  It was good to get the line wet (and frozen) and get a few tugs.  Maybe in a few weeks I’ll give it another go.  It sure was good to get outside and listen to a stream for a few hours. 

The Science Behind the Felt Sole Ban

There has been a lot of attention lately about the ban of felt soles.  Currently, New Zealand, Vermont and Alaska have banned felt soles and the legislatures in Oregon and Montana are considering a ban.  The main themes of opposition are that (1) there is no scientific proof that felt is worse than anything else and (2) it is just a ploy by gear manufacturers to get everyone to buy new boots.  Since I am a scientist and not a gear manufacture I'll examine the first point. 

Do anglers traffic invasive species from one watershed to another?  First off, how are invasive species being spread?  Multiple studies have correlated the spread of invasive species with angler movements.  Correlations are a risky business though.    Here is an example of a incorrect correlation: Every time I go fly fishing, I get a headache the next day.  Fly fishing gives me head aches.  What actually happens is I always get trashed at the bar with Steve after fly fishing because we suck and don't catch fish.  So the booze gives me a head ache, (or maybe sucking at fly fishing) but fly fishing in general does not cause a head ache.  So are anglers the booze or fly fishing?  Anglers may have entered the area infected with invasive species after a recent increase in fish stocking.  Did the anglers or the hatchery fish introduce the disease?  There is no study that directly shows that an angler introduced an invasive species.  Is it likely?  Yes.  A study by Kiza Kristine Gates, a masters student at Montana State University, showed that large amounts of sediment can be transported on waders and boots from one watershed to another.  Specifically, she measured an average of 16 grams of sediment that can be washed from boots and waders.  16 grams seems like a lot. Wet boots can have a lot of sediment on them by the time one gets them back to the car but how much of that is from the stream and carries invasive species?  I bet most of it is dry (and likely uncontaminated) soil from the bank or trail.  Extrapolating any spore or snail or whatever count from the 16 grams is a little dubious in my opinion.  In any case, do anglers transport soil with or without invasive species present from one watershed to another?  From Gates's work, I say yes it is likely but how much is up in the air. 

So we know transfer is likely but what about felt?  Is it worse or better than other materials?  For the transport of sediment there is no data.  My guess is felt transports a little more than rubber-soled boots because rubber washes off cleaner.  Still, no testing has been done on the different materials. 

Another factor is whether invasive species can be killed on the boots before transfer to another watershed.  Drying will kill most invasive species and rubber dries pretty quickly.  Felt can stay wet for weeks.  Sterilization is also not as effective on felt.  Felt mops up and holds on to everything in the soil due to the inherent structure of the material.  Spores or single celled didymo can sponge into the sole of a felt boot and sluff off once knocked around rocks or whatever in the next stream or drainage.  A study by Kilroy et al. in 2006 documented the survivability of didymo and scientifically examined felt compared to rubber.  After sterilization there were nearly 3,000 times more (11,000 to 3.9)  live didymo cells on felt-soled boots than on rubber-soled boots. 

The clear advantage of rubber boots is that they likely transport less sediment, and invasive species survival is greatly decreased either due to drying, easy cleaning or sterilization.

The unaddressed issue that seems to make a felt sole ban seem ineffective is that the same study by Kilroy et al.  showed that leather boot tops and neoprene actually had higher cell densities before washing than felt soles (table 3 below).  There were not as many live cells after washing but there were still live cells present.  Anglers can't become complacent about invasive species even if they switch to rubber soles.  If gear is not sterilized properly the difference between wearing felt or rubber soles becomes irrelevant.  It only takes one cell to transmit an invasive species like didymo. 

As others have stated the only way to stop invasive species is to ban fisherman and boaters.  Clearly, that is not an option.  Unfortunately, there will likely always be careless or uninformed individuals that will transmit invasive species.  I don't know what the answer is, but I think it is clear that we need a combination of increased angler awareness and more research to eradicate invasive species after they are established.   Banning felt soles may slow down the spread of invasive species but it is far form an effective solution.  For now, be informed about the streams you frequent and soak your wader bottoms or any part of your waders that touched the water and your boots (compeletely submerged, water gets inside too) in a dilute bleach solution (1% or a little more than a 1/3 of a pint glass in a 5 gallon bucket of water) for 5 minutes or if you don't want to bleach your $450 pair of patagucci waders use 1% dish detergent for a couple hours (or 2% for 10 minutes, see chart below).

These are the recommended cleaning procedures form a regional New Zealand counsel:
At least one minute of scrubbing in:

• hot (60 degrees C) water, or
• 2% solution of household bleach, or
• 5% solution of salt or nappy cleaner, or
• 5% solution of dishwashing detergent, or
• 5% solution of antiseptic hand cleaner.

Not sure what nappy cleaner is but contact time is important.  You can go more dilute for longer if you are concerned about your gear.  

Leather boot tops and Neoprene wader bottoms actually collect more cells than felt.  Live cells still remain after extensive washing.  (Kilroy et al. 2005) 

Live cells are still found on leather and neoprene after 36 hours (Kilroy et al. 2005) 

Soaking waders and boots in a moderate amount of dish soap for an hour is all it takes to kill Didymo (Kilroy et al. 2005) 

Cottonwood lakes and Golden trout

The two species of golden trout that are native to the southern Sierra Nevada are arguably the most beautiful fish in the world.  Others are more colorful, but not many.  Others inhabit beautiful places but few as dramatic as the southern Sierras.
The three distinct species of rainbow trout Native to the Southern Sierra are called Oncorhynchus mykiss aguabonita, Oncorhynchus mykiss Gilberti and Oncorhynchus mykiss Whitei.  Only the very southern most populations of these adventurous trout escaped the massive glaciers that carved their way though the Sierras.  These populations were isolated in a unique and challenging environment where they evolved into the magnificent fish we see today.   The most stunning being Oncorhynchus mykiss aguabonita commonly known as the Volcano Creek/ Golden Trout Creek or South Fork Kern golden trout.

A nice golden.  

A golden release

It is easy to imagine a fish inhabiting a coral reef that is emblazoned with dramatic colors but the colors of the South Fork Kern golden trout are equally as dramatic and yet they inhabit cold water creeks high in the mountains.  What set into motion the evolution of such amazing and bold color in an environment where camouflage and stealth have been driving forces for millennia?  One theory is based on the presence of brightly colored volcanic rocks and cold, snow-melt water in the spring that may have influenced enzymatic pigment reactions during early fish development.  However the golden trout's color pattern came to be, it is truly a feast for the eyes.  Their backs are olive-gold and their sides are pure gold with purple iridescent par marks that can be retained throughout adulthood.  The spots are large and dominant near the tail and their fins are tipped in crisp white.  The bellies range from the brightest crimson to a fluorescent orange. 
    In their native range, all golden trout are voracious feeders due to a short season and nearly no fishing pressure.  Dry flies are destroyed within seconds of drifting down a likely lane.  Fortunately for the golden trout their native range is protected by forbidding granite guardians that soar to 14,000 feet.  The lowest passes through to golden trout country are between 10,000 and 11,000 feet and once you have cleared that elevation there is still a 4 mile hike down into the valley.   Golden trout  can also be found in a number of lakes from the high Sierras to the Wind River range in Wyoming.  While these populations are not native, the beauty and majesty of the golden trout still lure travelers and hopefully inspire people to value and protect such an amazing fish in its native range.  California no longer exports golden trout eggs or hatchery trout so the remaining populations are all wild and are resources worth protecting.  Please practice responsible catch and release for all golden trout regardless of location or abundance. 
    A few years back I visited the Cottonwood Lakes and was lucky enough to catch and photograph a few beautiful South Fork/Volcano Creek golden trout.  The golden trout in the Cottonwood Lakes were initially used as brood stock for the rehabilitation of golden trout waters and, I assume, the export of golden trout to other lakes in the Sierras.  Today, they are reported to be nearly pure golden trout with marginal contamination of hatchery rainbow trout.  The fish in the Cottonwood Lakes do not count towards the completion of the California Heritage Trout Challenge.  You have to catch each type of golden from their native ranges.  The South fork of the Kern, Golden Trout Creek, or Volcano Creek for Oncorhynchus mykiss aguabonita and the Little Kern River and its many feeder creeks for Oncorhynchus mykiss Whitei.

Cottonwood lake #3. 

Muir lake, I think.

    Our trip started with a hair raising drive from Lone Pine to the parking area located in the  Cottonwood meadow campground at almost 10,000 feet in the eastern Sierras.  We got on the trail about 9 am and had only a 6 mile hike into the Cottonwood Lakes.  Six miles with packs under normal conditions is no big deal but the rapid elevation gain really took a toll.  We ran into a group on their way out, and they said they had a great trip but it rained for about an hour every day at 2 pm.  I thought that was a rather specific claim and maybe they meant around two or between one and threeish but no, at exactly 2:00 it started to rain.  In fact, it did rain at almost exactly two everyday we were there.  After the elevation sickness and massive head aches eased, we had a great time.  It is truly a beautiful place and the fish are magnificent.  There was a consistent hatch every evening at about 6:00 as long as there was no wind.  The lake turned to glass and it seamed that raindrops on the lake surface seamlessly transitioned to trout rising everywhere.   I got a few shots of fish breaking the surface with my telephoto.  The water is crystal clear.

There are five lakes in the Cottonwood chain and we caught fish in only one (Lake #3).  It was the closest to the outlet stream and we were there in late July so maybe they were just coming back in from the stream after spawning.  The fish were not huge but golden trout rarely are and actually, the big ones I have seen pictures of just seem unnatural, like body builders that just took things too far.  The classic native and wild golden should be about 10 inches long with a sleek and slender body and colors so bright you can't do them justice in a picture. 

    As far as gear goes, it depends whether you are going to a lake or a stream in the native range.  For the lakes, the rising fish can be a ways out.  I would take a 9' 5 wt to reach fish rising and bring a 3 wt for nymphing during the day.  Bring some wooly buggers to slowly strip in.  If you get adventurous, try a two nymph rig with a cone head bugger as the lead fly and tie on a zebra midge trailer about 12 inches back.  Cast it out as far as you can and let it settle.  Make one long strip and let it settle again.  For the streams, take as light a rod as you dare.  I have a fiberglass 6'6" 3 wt that I built for small stream fishing.  I would also take a faster action 3 wt in case the wind picks up. All dry flies will work, so take your pick.  I like stimulators, ants, and parachute Adams (12-18).  You could use a dropper but why? Check out the video in this post.

Feeder stream between lakes

Cottonwood Lakes #4 and #5

    I encourage all trout fisherman to explore the Golden Trout Wilderness and when you have seen how beautiful these fish are and how amazing the landscape they live in is please donate to California Trout or another charity that is helping to ensure we will always have native golden trout. 

Day hike to the top of New Army pass

New Army pass

The golden trout wilderness has the best signs!  Who hiked that in?