Gear: What Should I Wear On The River?

So your new to fishing in the great Northwest. You have no idea what and where to buy outdoor clothing. Here we will cover what is basics in the Northwest. We all know that it rains here, a lot. So being protected from the cold and elements will make for a pleasant day of fishing. No one likes being cold and wet. So here I'll provide you with the musts as far as protecting yourself from the unforgiving weather here in the Northwest.

Waders: There's a million pairs of waders out there. Starting at $69.99 and going upward of $600, getting the right pair for the right dollar amount is important to any consumer. The beginning fisherman won't want to spend a lot of money on waders right out the gate. A "good" set of waders will cost the average angler between $80 and $200. Some long johns underneath a pair of breathable waders is great in colder weather. Some things you should look for:

• Adjustable Straps
• Breathable
• Neoprene or plastic can get hot and quick, stay away from these
• Poor comfort
• Bootie Fit
• It sounds ridiculous, but one, you don't want uncomfertable feet, and two, it will increase the longevity of the wader if they fit properly. With all the walking we do to get to and from our fishing spots, chafing can cause problems.
• Seam Seals
• A proper seam should be overlapped, tapped, and glued
• These are weak points. Quality is important here.
• Research
• Look into the brand, consumer reviews, and make sure your getting the bang for your buck.

Good waders mean you stay dry. It's bad enough your in the rain, lets not get soggy. 

Wading Shoes: Good wading shoes should provide not only comfort, but good ankle support. They should provide traction, stability, and comfort throughout the day. And don't forget, a good wading shoe is also safe. You'll navigate rocks and slippery stream bottoms. No one wants to fall. Some things you should look for:

• Ankle support
• Probably my number one thing I look for. River bottoms are not smooth and you can expect to twist your ankle once or twice on any given fishing trip. Make sure this section of the shoe is rock solid.
• Drainage
• You want a shoe that moves water in and out freely. Cheaper boots will hold water. You don't want heavy feet.
• Tongue
• Make sure it's sewn so that it keeps your boot free from debris. Nothing is worse than a rock or sand in the boot.
• Soles
• Felt
• Felt is great for gripping slippery smooth rocks. The con for this sole is that they wear quickly if you do a lot of walking along trails.
• Rubber
• Good for walking long distances. There made up much like the bottom of a hiking shoe. 
• Sizing
• Go one size bigger then your normal hiking shoe. These have to slip over your waders booties. So if you can, try them on before you leave with your waders on.

Rain Coats: Rain coats that keep everything out are almost non existent unless you want to spend some serious money or get plastic industrial rain gear. But the idea is to keep the rain out. Always bring a change for your upper layer of clothing.  Some things you should look for:

• Seams
• Good seams keep water out. Overlapped, tapped, and glued seams are the best. Always check the quality.
• Material
• Most material repels water rather than keeps it completely out. Most standard raincoat fabrics are okay for the Northwest.
• Comfort
• You don't want a stiff jacket. Makes doing your normal tasks a chore. 

Remember, try them on, make sure they fit and are comfortable for you. Remember, you will most likely be wearing layers underneath a rain coat. So don't go to small here.

Some other things anglers should consider:

• Headwear 
• We loose most of our heat through our head so keep it nice and warm.
• Gloves
• Neoprene is good here.
• Sunglasses
• You can actually damage your eyes from the reflection on the water.
• Nitrate Gloves
• This keeps dies from baits and scents off your hands.
• Sunblock
• Sunburns suck, and so does skin cancer. Protect yourself from the sun.

And always bring a change of clothes. That means everything from the socks to the shirt. If you take a nasty spill in a river and fill your waders your risking hypothermia. Or if your waders decide to spring a leak, your in the same danger. Water here in the Northwest is cold. Make sure you have a back up plan. 

Having the proper gear isn't only comfort when your fishing but safe. I can't stress enough the cold and rain can get the best of you here. No one wants to cut there fishing trip short due to hypothermia or because someone is cold and miserable because they weren't expecting rain. It's not fun and not fun for your friends and family. So remember BE SAFE! Buying the right gear will keep you safe all season long.

For other tips and advice, check my links below. Not only is it informative, but will get you going in the right direction!

USEFUL LINKS

Get the Right Fishing Reel

Get the Right Fishing Rod

Fishing Gear: For the Elements

Tackle Basics: The Must Have Tools

Drift Fishing: A How-To Guide
Float Fishing: A How-To Guide

Questions? Comments?
Contact me at patrickhvr@gmail.com

*Disclaimer: Products are personal recommendations.

Reel Recommendations: Steelhead

We all have to start somewhere. I cover rod selection here Rod Selection For Beginners . Now it's time to cover a good spinning reel. So what should we look for in a reel?

A good reel will have metal components such as the gears inside and a good set of bearings. Another thing to look at is the reels ability to keep the elements out. I've heard tales of fisherman hooking the "big one" only to have the gears in reel completely disintegrate. And the equates to lost fish at any size, and no one wants that to happen to them. Another thing to account for is "backlash." Backlash is important for two reasons. It prevents tangles and when you get a bite, you don't want your reel to spin backwards. It could mean the difference between landing the big one or getting nothing at all.

I picked up a lot of reels. All brands from Okuma, Abu Garcia, Penn, but only one stuck out to me after spending a few hours at the reel display case. The Shimano Sedona 2500 FD. Why this reel?

It felt "tight" as I picked it up and played with the display model. No funny jiggles, noises, loose joints. After fishing with it for a day, I'm in love. This reel casts like butter. It's completely silent. Has a huge drag selection for super fine tuning. And has zero, and I mean zero backlash. This makes for immediate fish hook ups. The 6.2:1 gearing is great for river fishing and I had zero issues with knots or malfunctions. 

Now of course some of us have brand loyalties, or just prefer something different. But if your looking for at a good start, this reel, hands down, is the one of the best. Especially for the price. If your in a budget you can't go wrong. $59.99 at most retailers. 

Shimano Sedona 2500 FD specs:
Shimano Sedona 2500 FD

For other tips and advice, check my links below. Not only is it informative, but will get you going in the right direction!

USEFUL LINKS

Fishing Gear For The Elements

Reel Recommendations: Steelhead
Rod Recommendations: Steelhead

Float Fishing: A How-To Guide

Drift Fishing: A How-To Guide

Fishing Gear: Must Haves for Any Tackle Box

Questions? Comments?
Contact me at patrickhvr@gmail.com

*Disclaimer: Products are personal recommendations.

Drift Fishing - How to Drift Fish: Steelhead and Salmon

I grew up drift fishing. It's a technique used by all fisherman, no matter the species, to catch fish. This should be one of the first techniques any fisherman learns. The idea is to give your bait a "tumbling" presentation as it floats down the river. You can find some information about rods here under my Get The Right Fishing Rod  post and a reels here under my Get The Right Fishing Reel post. Lets start with a shopping list:

Hooks: 

• For steelhead from size 2 to 1/0. Salmon 2/0 to 4/0. DO NOT buy cheap hooks. Spend some money. This will prevent the hook from bending out. No one wants to loose a fish to that. Also learn how to tie your own egg loops. Get yourself a leader storage container. Tie a bunch of pre-made leaders and be ready to go fishing. Egg loops are important to keep bait on. You can find out how to tie your own egg loops here: Link

Floats: 

• This isn't bobber or floats. This is corkies, foam balls, cheaters, and anything that keeps your bait suspended of the bottom. 

Weight: 

• Hollow core is the best here. Fill your box with assorted lengths. These can be easily snipped so that you can adjust the amount of weight you need to get to the bottom of the river. A snap swivel with a tag lead is the way to do it. About 1" of tag line is good to crimp your weight too. Thread the tag end through the hollow core and crimp it with a pair of pliers. This way if you snag bottom, you just pull the weight off without loosing your set up. It keeps your rigging time low and keeps our rivers free of line. Remember keep your rivers clean.

Swivels: 

• There's a couple different swivels you can use as far as the weight goes. You can do a 3 way swivel, tie your tag line to one eye and your leader to another. Or you can do a snap swivel that slides up and down your mainline with your mainline and leader connected to a barrel swivel. I prefer the snap swivel method with a bead between my snap swivel and barrel swivel. With a free moving weight, your bait can adjust to the contours of the river bottom. 

Line and Leader 

• It's good to stick to a mono line throughout the set up. This isn't like float fishing where your main line isn't in the water. Mono appears invisible in the water. Steelhead and Salmon can be line shy, especially in clear conditions. 10-15lb is good for Steelhead. Salmon depends on the species. 20-25lb is a safe bet. 

Corkie's, yarn balls, and foam float balls

Weight, swivels, beads and hooks. The Basics

Pre tied egg loops with corkies attached. Good to be prepared.

When you cast your freshly tied drift rig out, cast slightly upstream, but not to far upstream. If you cast to far upstream you'll hit bottom to fast and your bait won't be in the sweet spot. You want to "feel" your weight tagging the bottom as it drifts out in front of you. It's important that its tapping the bottom. You don't want it sitting on the bottom dragging through the rocks. If your properly fishing a drifting set up, it will feel like your "ticking" the bottom. This is ideal. If it drags or hangs up, reel in, snip some weight off your pencil lead, and try again.

Your presentation should resemble "food" tumbling through the current. If your weight is snagging on the bottom your bait is essentially stopping on the bottom, not appearing "natural." This is a proven technique and works. Once you've perfected it, you'll be pulling in more fish in no time. But remember practice makes perfect. It can get frustrating in the beginning.

For other tips and advice, check my links below. Not only is it informative, but will get you going in the right direction!

USEFUL LINKS

Get the Right Fishing Reel
Get the Right Fishing Rod
Fishing Gear: For the Elements
Tackle Basics: The Must Have Tools
Drift Fishing: A How-To Guide
Float Fishing: A How-To Guide

Questions? Comments?
Contact me at patrichvr@gmail.com

*Disclaimer: Products are based on personal recommendation.