Hi, some very good comments, both from you and the other anglers. I have fished for Steelheads here in Taupo Lake and the rivers for the past fifty years. The style of fishing has changed from the old days and so has the gear. The gear has got lighter, and the technique’s have changed including the latest introduction learned from Competition Angling which is commonly called Euro Nymphing. The Tongariro River that I mostly fish for the trout that are running up from the lake to spawn during our winter varies in size from 3 to 10 lbs (the huge fish of over 20 lbs caught by Zane Grey have not returned). Our fishing is done in deep fast running water, my son has started with Euro Nymphing last year and has been successful in the shallower water of 3 to 5 feet. So we bring four rods to the river, 6 Wt nymph indicator setup, a 3 Wt Euro Nymph set up and a 8 Wt swing set up with weighted deep running wet fly. Plus a spare rod. Last year we busted the tips on two rods and the but end on one rod. Last year was one of our better years with some huge Brown Trout in February and some very good Rainbows in July & August. My son’s best day in the tail of the pool was 28 trout caught on the nymph, all released. This year we had some huge floods of over 400 cubits and the migrating trout were swept back to the lake. Thats fishing. The origins of our steelheads came from the Russian River in California in the nineteenth century. What spoiled it for us was some big mouth American called Zane Grey who had such amazing time here he just had to write a book all about it called Anglers Eldorado, and told the whole world about it! Still, our visitors are some of the friendliest knowledgeable and polite anglers you will ever meet on the river! Cheers mate. Harera
Love it! I get a lot of comments from people in NZ and I'm jealous of the fish you have there! Our average steelhead is in the same range as yours. The one in the thumbnail is estimated at around 13 pounds based on rough measurements. But your fish that live in your rivers year round are mind blowing. Maybe one day I'll visit!
Thanks, you will have to make the effort to make the trip here, it’s well worth the expense and effort. Read the book The Trout Bum by John Gierach, good intro. I have met a lot of Americans on the rivers here, many of them on their third trip here. All agree that you need at least three months to fish just the South Island, the North Island has wilderness rivers that you have to treck to and camp to fish well. Amazing wilderness fishing, dangerous and fascinating. But, no bears, snakes or poisonous insects! Cheers mate, Harera
I really like how thought out this series is. You start at the very beginning, which is great ,covering safety and fundamentals and what fly rod to use and other gear. Very good info. for everyone from beginners to the experienced. And it couldn’t be presented at any better time .The Steelies and lake run browns are starting to really enter the rivers. I will be looking forward to each and every video in this series. It’s already got me making plans of a few trips to the tribs! Awesome idea and stuff Bryan! Oh, btw, I loved your reaction to that eagle attacking a heron. It was awesome and glad you didn’t edit it out. Spontaneity is very special. Great work my friend!
Yeah... you can actually see the heron fly by in the back ground and then I turn to watch it while talking and then the eagle dove out of the tree at the heron. A little territorial war I think!
Excited for this series. I also fish Great Lakes tributaries and fell in love with euro numbing for trout. I’d like to know more about mono rig setups for steelhead.
That is coming but honestly... pretty simple. Long 15# mono section to my sighter section to a tippet ring and then my tippet. I'll be covering it though. Next video is a recent steelhead trip video. Should be out tomorrow evening.
I appreciate how you went through your evolution of gear, that is something we fly fishers do with rods, reels, vests, sling bags and everything else you can imagine. We need to find what is best for each of us.
I've been euro nymphing for just a year now. Started with small trout fishing through the spring and summer. Now with the same technique I'm pulling out few steelheads on every trip. The best part is, I'm doing this with a 10-6 3wt and a micro leader setup. I'm curious how the 6wt feels. Tried to find a Diamondback dealer in Canada but all have to be shipped from US. So I went with a Echo Shadow X. Loving the euro nymphing for steelhead. Your videos are very informative and helpful. Keep em coming!
Just seeing this now... The Diamondback 6wt is honestly incredible for steelhead. Blows me away! If you like to euro for steelhead, you will not be disappointed!
I love my switch rods!!! I have a #3, #5 (2), #7 and #8!!! Being a middle aged man who has been in a # of accidents ( sports/car etc) it still allows me to fish all day without being " bedridden " afterwards. 😊😊😊
Glad you're out there on the water - and many thanks for your steelhead series! Have fished in Pulaski and there's nothing like these fish for an exciting fight. Years ago I used a noodle rod with a fly reel and line. The noodle rod absorbed the rush and protected the tippet. Times certainly have changed and that Diamondback sounds like a real winner!
I have a noodle rod that I used one time. Never got a bite on it. 😂 I'm too much of a fly fisherman to use it. It was great for using a float and getting a long drift. In the right areas I would probably do really well on it!
@@WhiteDogTrailCompany Back in those days euro rods didn’t exist! Made do with the noodle rod outfitted with fly reel and line. Drifted egg patterns for steelhead on 5X tippet. As an experiment didn’t break off a King salmon to see if the rig could handle it - which it did. Landed that 25lb silver after quite the ride. :) One day would surely love to try steelhead euro style. Makes total sense. Am trying it out on Maine rivers. Am guessing it’s a learning curve to feel the nymphs the way you do!!
Id love to learn more about covering larger rivers. My home river is the Rouge in southern Oregon and I am so unfamiliar with that type of water. I get up in Colorado and the playbook for where the fish are and how to fish for them seems to be very different.
Yeah... big water is definitely a much bigger challenge... especially with euro. If you are going to euro it, just try to break down the water you can reach into sections and fish each section methodically. But in big water, those fish can be anywhere.
The angler’s height must also be factored into the length of fly rod. At 5’7” I can cover water much better with a 10 or 11 foot rod. A taller person might do fine with a 9 foot rod.
I think the first 30 steelhead I ever caught had my heart pounding every single time. I'm probably more calm now but when all hell breaks loose on the hookup it is crazy! God I love that. Hope you can make a trip!
Great content on tightline for steelhead! I hit on this same process and predicament. I ended up building a rod based on the 10' 7 wt sage one blank. I found a reel seat that I could interchange the butt on and built a fighting butt and a bottom handle like a switch rod would have. This has been a fantastic fishing tool for me but I would be very interested in how this Diamondback works!
The Sage One blank is very fast action which is tough for euro nymphing. Euro rods are typically strong butt section, light tip section and slow action down to the middle of the rod. I wonder how you would like the DB too... I think you'll find it protects tippet and fights fish very well but it'll be softer than the Sage One.
I used to use bigger spools of fluorocarbon lines instead of tippet too. You can definitely do it. I try to look at breaking strength and diameter to see what my best options are.
Ironic I found this today, after going out yesterday for the first steelhead trip of the year. Euro nymphing has increased my catch five fold on our local river here in Central Ohio. My buddy has become quite adept at swinging flies, and I became enamored with the amount of water he could cover. Previously for steelhead I had drifted with an indicator, but decided to try swinging, bought the skagit line set up, last year was the first for it, and then yesterday. After consideration though, for the Erie Trib I fish, I started thinking maybe a euro set up would be better suited for me, the trib just isn't that wide. My buddy travels and fishes larger rivers so for him the switch rod set up is great. So this morning after kicking it around did a search for euro for steelhead and this came up. Subscribed and ooking forward to the further installments. I'm hoping my Fenwick Aetos 9' 8wt will be satisfactory as I don't want the expense of having to purchase another rod. Also have a 10' Echo ION XL in 5wt, do you think that would be better suited? I use an Echo 3wt euro set up for the stocker rainbows and it's perfect.
A 9' 8wt will be suitable for the smaller Erie tribs. A euro specific rod for steelhead will give you more reach but use what you have and good luck!!!!
a rare review for DB 10'10 6wt rod. i was specifically looking for it. I think it can also be used not only for euronymphing but also for topwater fishing for steelhead or salmon, like riffle hitch flies or bombers ?
Brian. Your content continues to improve. Love the production value and the way you work through it all step by step. Would love to host you up here in Squamish BC one day. Show you around and spend some time on the water. Keep it up. Rarely have I learned so much - primarily because you explain the ‘why’ of what we do. Bless brother.
I'm a Why kinda guy. Even in my day job, I break down technical information for my customers and it is always about the why! I don't do anything without understanding why it is important. I'm glad people relate to that.
Thank you for all your help im leagly blind and cant see an indacater after 5 feet i dont like spinning rod if i use one with a float i cast and hold on let it swing out caught more fishon my 8 wt redinton path but fly line i can see with no indcater bit i cought my biggest fish last year contact nymphing so i need to figure what size monno rig to use i used 12 lb last year but nee to make changes .
Wow. Awesome job. I’ve been euronymphing with a diamondback ideal nymph in the salmon river for the last couple years and love it. I do have trouble switching to the one fly regulation and would love to hear some of your strategies. (When using a split shot dropper is your egg pattern still weighted?). How often are you moving up the river?
Yeah... the single fly makes it hard to get down for sure!!!! Part of day 1 was getting adjusted to the weight I needed to get good drifts. I basically do the dropper with the double surgeon and then adjust split shot on the tag to get the fly down. I don't usually fish a weighted egg pattern. Glo bugs and estaz flies are typically unweighted for me although my buddy did get a fish on a weighted estaz. My squirmies are weighted if I use them and my stoneflies are weighted if I use them. I typically focus on egg patterns in fall and spring. In terms of covering water... it is a little different than euro nymphing for trout because you have to fish water that is not already being fished by others. So, Yes, I will move quite a bit and cover water. When we find a good spot and fish are moving and refilling the spot we will sit on that spot and change between fishing it and resting it for a while before hopping back in to fish it. We were able to get several additional bites doing that.
So I’ve been here uninvented around Pennsylvania and Appalachians for about four years now and wouldn’t look back. I’ve obviously been hunting smaller trout. I have an 11 foot three set up with a sage ESN I think I’m gonna get that diamond back six weight 1010. However, what size beads are most of your eggs tied on? What’s your leader set up? I think this would be great for some of the Erie trims for me however I never really thought about your own nothing for steelhead so I’m very curious. Thanks for the vid, just subed!
Thanks for subscribing! I hope you enjoy the rest of the channel! If you invest in the Diamondback 6wt I think you'll be very happy with it for steelhead. I go into my setup and flies a bit more in the later volumes of the steelhead series but here are the basics. I use a 15# mainline to my sighter material that in the range of 15#-12# to a tippet ring and then the tippet that matches the conditions. I like the Rio Fluoroflex Strong Tippet as I get a better breaking strength for the diameter. I will also tie my flies in various weights! That is crucial to be able to match the conditions. I'll tie some weightless, some with 3.3mm beads and some with 4mm beads or maybe even heavier. You can add a little split shot to the line if you have to. But that way you can adjust the weight so you can achieve the right drift for the conditions! Here is the link to full steelhead series. ua-cam.com/play/PLuLwf7ym7i7Y6QY7Q-Nnmt9_AU8-bBKke.html Good luck!!!
Liked you brought up purchasing large enough boots if you fish cold weather. As a 9.5 shoe size I thought 11's were too sloppy, until I got them wet. I too froze from tight boots. I now where 11 always.
I've had some rough trips where I was honestly worried that I was not getting feeling back in my feet over an hour later. One trick I learned is that I needed to stop flexing and moving my feet when they were like that. I kept squeezing the blood out of my feet. Just keep your feet still and let the blood flow and they return to normal much faster.
The reel I currently use was not intended for that rod but it balanced the rod well. I use the Sage Spectrum C currently. It is not a full frame reel but that works for me because my steelhead waters are regulated to using a fly line a lot of the time. My mono rig for steelhead is 15# so it isn't super thin and I haven't had a problem with the 15# and that reel. I am looking for a longer term reel for that setup though which would be a full frame reel. I'm considering the Diamondback, Redington Tilt and maybe a Lamson. I have not decided yet 😂
Great video. Any steelhead video out there talks about the use of split shot but when euro nymphing, like during trout, we'd use heavier point flies. Curious what type of tungsten bead sizes/hooks you're using when typing up your flies for euro nymphing for steelhead. Assuming you're not using split shot, are you in the 3.8mm - 4.6mm tungsten bead size and 10-12 hook neighborhood? Nobody talks about this and I'd love your thoughts on this. Thanks!
I definitely have that planned in my section on flies. But yes... I tie my flies in various weights to accommodate different types of water. I'll use beads up to 4mm or even larger but will also tie in thicker lead. My Sexi Stoneflies will have multiple tungsten beads and lead wrapped in as well. Each fly may weigh as much as 1200mg. I'll show all of that in the video where I tackle flies. I cannot use a double nymph rig where I fish for steelhead so making a heavy fly can be critical. I may still need to add a small split shot on a tag end in big and heavy water but hopefully not often.
I have watched your entire series about Euro nymphing . I am new to this style of fly fishing but I am very passionate about it. I fish the Adirondacks and I have never caught so many trouts with any other techniques. I have just watched this video and I am already anxious to see the next one. On another note I will soon purchase a Dimondback Ideal nymph 2 weight. The 10 foot version seem to get better reviews but I like the extra reach of the 10 foot 10 inches. What are your thoughts on those two rods?
Right now I'm torn between the 10'10" 2wt and the 10'10" 3wt. I like the extra reach so I like a longer rod. I feel I have more versatility with it. Joe Goodspeed recommended the 2wt for me (my fish are usually up to 22") but I throw some pretty heavy tungsten weights so I'm thinking 3wt maybe? I dunno... hard decision.
Great video...I own the DB 10ft 1 wt and catch 25 inch browns on it. surely the DB 10'10" 6 wt can handle any steelhead.... Joe Goodspeed is "the man"....when you euro streams where only one fly allowed are your flies weighted (esp egg flies) or do you use split shot and unweighted egg flies? thanks
I am almost always regulated to 1 fly and I find I have to add some split shot to a dropper tag to get the right drift. Some of my flies will be weighted but most of my egg imitations are not.
exactly what I have been doing since I first started steelheading at SR in 1979!!! I guess brilliant minds think alike (LOL ;)) I really have enjoyed your videos over the years and watching your progression. ......@@WhiteDogTrailCompany
Before I had a euro nymphing specific rod for steelhead, I used switch rods for salmon and steelhead. My steelhead switch rod is as 7 weight and my salmon switch rod is an 8 weight. If you wanted to tackle both fish, I would use the 8wt. The 7wt wouldn't handle a strong salmon well. There are no euro specific rods for salmon on the market. When I asked Joe Goodspeed at Diamondback if he was planning one, he said they were not planning to make a euro rod for salmon. So the 8 weight switch rod it is.
Been waiting for this video since it was mentioned in a past video Worth the wait. I mostly only swing for steelhead with a spey rod but definitely want to type this technique. I would second the thought about some discussion on the reel and though lines were mentioned maybe a little more detail would be appreciated.
Oops, better late than never. Casting and retrieving with various line and rod tip manipulations. The speed of which would obviously be matched to the fishes activity level. I’ve had success with sculpin and egg, sucking, leach type streamers. Variations of George Daniels sculp snack is a good one
@WhiteDogTrailCompany , thanks for your help. I'm thinking about purchasing a pair for the upcoming salmon season here in Anchorage, Alaska. Thanks again, and for the great videos you put out.
Really enjoying all your videos!! I stumbled onto your website after inquiring about euro nymphing for steelhead. I live out in Northwestern Oregon and when I've inquired from fly shops about euro nymphing for steelhead, i get the impression that they think I'm talking crazy talk. Do you know of anyone out west euro nymphing for Steelhead? If not, what am I missing? Thanks
I wondered the same about out west. LOL I don't know anyone out west who steelheads at all. It may depend on the size or your rivers as to whether euro nymphing would be effective. The larger the water and the further you have to reach, the more difficult it gets to euro nymph effectively. It may also be a cultural thing where many steelheaders like to swing for them. I think it is incredibly effective in a lot of situations though... so give it a go!
@@WhiteDogTrailCompany There are a number of great steelhead rivers that seem to be the close to the size that i've seen you on in your videos. The Nehalem, Wilson, Trask, to name just a few. euro nymphing on the Deschutes for trout is a pretty popular...and these are the same runs the steelhead run through...I'm definitely going to try it with my 7 weight switch...if i'm even remotely successful there will be a Diamond Back 10' 10" 6 weight in my quiver asap! Thanks for your reply!
Liked your video, but wondering I was recently considering a Diamondback Ideal Nymph rig for Euro nymphing but the 6wt is not the typical weight for Euro nymphing. I will assume it the application steelhead fishing and will assume a 2 or 3 wt would not cut it.
The 6wt was specifically designed by Joe Goodspeed at Diamondback for Great Lakes Steelhead. The 2 or 3 weight is for trout and not steelhead. They would probably land some steelhead but would be under gunned for them and if you landed fish, it would likely take too long to land them and you would wear the fish to exhaustion. I'm between the 2wt and 3wt myself for a trout rod. Joe recommended I get the 2wt for trout as my typical trout are 16-18" and up to 22". I can tend to throw pretty heavy flies in heavy water and was thinking the 3wt would be better for that. Still haven't made my decision on that.
The colder the water gets, the more you'll find fish hugging the bottom of the river which is great for euro nymphing. However, it'll depend on the type of water you are fishing and whether euro nymphing will give you a good drift in that location. The key with euro is being able to reach the spot and get a good drift. If you can get a good drift, then yes, euro is great for winter fish. If you are fishing a deeper, slower pool then that is not good for euro and you may opt for a different technique (likely an indicator set to the proper depth to get a good deep drift). I have found my share of steelhead with euro in the winter. Outside of steelhead, I find my best winter fishing is done with Euro Nymphing. You can drift flies slowly and directly in front of fish which is incredibly effective.
I think tippet choice depends on a lot of things and I'm starting to change my thoughts on tippet now that I have the Diamondback. I'll get into it in detail in upcoming videos in the series. Water conditions, the type of water, the type of tippet and the rod you use all play a role in selecting your tippet. With my Diamondback 6wt I am comfortable with using the Rio Fluoroflex Strong 3X (8.8lb) or Rio Fluoroflex Plus 3X (8.5lb). Both are .203mm diameter. My buddy on the last trip used regular Fluoroflex 3x which was .203mm but only 6lb. I highly recommend a stronger tippet for the diameter and to me it is worth the money. I could put a ton of pressure on fish with the good tippet and the Diamondback and not worry about breaking it. The DB protects the tippet incredibly well whereas other rods may not protect tippet as well.
Yes! Thanks for the feedback. I have those items planned. All of those will vary depending on each body of water you are fishing. I plan to get into all of that when I break down the leader setups and when I cover types of water.
Awesome video! Haven;t ever tried steelhead or salmon fishing definitely will get into it. I just got into fly fishing this passed summer and then picked up euro nymphing and also watched all your other volumes as well! Very much appreciated helped me land my first bow in MA out of luck on a euro rig but one thing I could not find info on was; With tippet line I know you can change tippet length depending on water depth BUT if I start out with 5-6' of tippet can I still just fish that in 3' of water at first and move myself in to the river and reach the 5' water depth?
You should just each cast by how the flies slow down. You want the flies to slow down in the slower water near the bottom, but not contact the bottom too much. If I'm using longer tippet in shallow water, I'll just lift the sighter further off the water to get the right drift. Then when you move to deeper water, you can let the sighter get closer to the surface of the water. If you get really deep, you can submerge the sighter if you have to.
@@WhiteDogTrailCompany hmm yeah I’ll have to give it more attention. Went euro nymphing in MA hooked 6 and landed 2 really don’t know how I did it though and really wish I did. My biggest struggle was trying to get the nymphs to slow down on a tight line when I casted out 30-35ft. Is the tippet supposed to be vertical with the sighter angled or in line even when the sighter is angled? Not sure if this makes sense…
@@JoshTheFlyGuy Euro Nymphing is much easier to do the closer you cast. You fill find you cannot keep a feel on the flies as much the further you cast. If you are casting 30-35 feet away that is very far. In that case I would use lighter leaders and not rely on feel... you will rely on sight much more in those situations that are further away. If you haven't see my Euro Series on the basics, i would highly recommend it. Also I go through Sight vs Feel in my Fly Selection videos of the series. I break all of that down in part 2 of the fly selection videos. ua-cam.com/video/kxvmV_alaGE/v-deo.htmlsi=eGCtFWj0TJDH0Slg
Ahh this is very true I did experience this. The feel definitely went away and I had to rely on looking at the sighter. Yeah I’ll go back to your basics video again. Thanks for the response!
Right now it is a Sage Spectrum, which I'll go over in Volume 2. It was not intended for the Diamondback initially but it was the perfect weight and size to balance the setup. I use a fly line (required by some regulations for where I fish) so I don't need a full frame reel. If I were using a mono rig more regularly I would probably use a different reel. Although my mono rig is 15# and I've never had it slip through. The tippet on the other hand will slip through but it is pretty much never on the reel except when I'm not fishing.
it was nuts! I was after Steelhead when I had a big male coho take a jig leech!, I was fighting it like i hade a state-record steelhead on. When i saw what i had on i pointed the rod at the fish, so he could break off .. he didn't he just took all of the maneline and like 85% of the backing off evidently the Ideal Nymph 10'10" 6wt: with the Ideal Nymph Reel in 3/4 has just enough power to land big red zombie fish. I now keep a spare line on me because of that lol. you need to talk about the Ideal Nymph reel it has really nice drag!
Haven't done reels yet. Video was too long and had to push it to the next video. It is the Sage Spectrum 7/8 though. A 6.5oz to 7oz reel balances the rod well. The reel I have on it was not initially intended for that rod but it balanced it well so I used it. If I bought a new reel I would go for a full frame reel probably. It doesn't matter for me currently because I use a euro fly line due to regulations in my waters but if I used a mono rig it would matter more.
Stream etiquette should be a entire video on its own as most of the new people have absolutely none it's getting pretty ridiculous anymore 😉 Tight lines not much better than catching fresh chrome👍🏻
I try to stay away from people whenever I can. For the most part, people are friendly but I've had my issues on the river just like everyone else. I usually leave those situations and go find different water... and I've found I've been successful doing that and that I've learned more on those days than on days where I stay and fish the same spot.
@@WhiteDogTrailCompany Hi, I have had problems with anglers jumping in ahead of me for the past few years and it has happened with people who should know better. I am talking about Guides with a couple of their customers jumping in to the head of the pool which I have been working to all morning! Now I am an ex army Sargeant Major, and when I yell out you can hear me all the way, yet these so called professionals ignore the river etiquette because it involves their business. Well in the old days if you did something right one other person heard about it, now when you did something wrong a dozen would hear about it. Times have changed, people don’t give a f… but we now also have the means to pass the word to thousands! So, I now don’t bother with talking to the Guide, I talk to his clients in great detail and pass it on to the other guides and the Rangers. The rover is strong and dangerous with no memory for us humans and we have to be so very careful, but bad manner’s from Guides really pis..s me off! Enough rant, enjoy the fishing! Cheers mate. Harera
@@WhiteDogTrailCompany, I guess I'm not unusual in that I like to check out rivers, especially in low water, so that I can identify fish-holding pockets for when the water's higher and "better" and you always can find a spot and avoid other people. I also have to say I had an experience lately with a young fellow who's a guide in VT and it was one of the most refreshing encounters I've had on a stream. We spoke streamside, I had already fished the spot before he arrived and was finishing up lunch. He offered to fish somewhere else and I deferred, telling him it was just the boot I needed to check fish the faster, heavier water above the pool and offered it to him. Not all fishermen are this gracious, that's for sure, maybe it's because we were both euro-fishing, and knew by our setups, or our personalities that we were already beyond the "catch all you can, screw the other guy" mentality of the young(er) fishermen we may've been in our youth. .who knows why, but I suspect as we age, we tend to approach life differently and find pleasure in things personal to ourselves.
Certainly not for steelhead. I still use Sage on my normal (not steelhead) rivers but to be honest, I feel the backbone is weak on it! I'm going to be moving to a Diamondback 2wt or 3wt for my regular trout fishing very soon. Maybe a Xmas give to myself
@@RGJR02 very good in the 6wt. Haven’t held the other rods but I hear they are very good as well. I did read the 2wt is a little slower due to the lighter weight.
No... It is a Sage Spectrum 7/8 on the Diamondback 6wt. It was intended for another rod but it perfectly balanced the Diamondback so it got repurposed 😂
That is coming in another volume but simply it is 15# mono to a section of sighter to a tippet ring. below the tippet ring is the tippet and that will depend on water conditions and type of water I'm fishing.
@@flycast4224 Yeah. Pretty much dead on. My tippet is between 8-12# and my sighter is usually 12#. Some slow water conditions may require lighter tippet but I don’t like going too light. The more turbulent the water the more you can get away with.
@@flycast4224 Will totally depend on the water I’m fishing. I tie my flies in various weights for different water. It’s about getting the right drift. I’ll be covering that too.
If you edited out 1/2 the words, the video video would have been as informative and nicer. Saying things like, 'we have to understand ....' is just extra words.
You had a fast action 9ft 9wt. it didn’t protect tippet because it was a fast action rod. A 9 foot Redington crosswater is a cheap lightweight slow action rod and would protect lighter Tippets well. Nobody learned anything about euro nymphing strategies for steelhead in this video, they were directed to buy the diamondback rod that you caressed for a half hour. This is a diamond back advertisement, nothing more!
You are correct on the 9wt. It is a fast action and as I was editing, I wished that I had mentioned that while recording it.. but I missed that point. The entire rod section was about my experiences with the gear I've used. I was blown away by the Diamondback and how it worked in everyday use and in tough situations and I want people to know that. I didn't record this to sell Diamondback Rods... I don't get anything for that nor do I care to. The point was to help find the right gear for them and based on my experiences, if you want to euro for steelhead, I would highly recommend that rod. The rest of the series will cover more topics that will help people learn strategies for euro nymphing for steelhead but as it is a series, I start from the beginning and work my way through topics. I do appreciate the comment because you pointed out something that I missed and is helpful to people.
Hi, some very good comments, both from you and the other anglers. I have fished for Steelheads here in Taupo Lake and the rivers for the past fifty years. The style of fishing has changed from the old days and so has the gear. The gear has got lighter, and the technique’s have changed including the latest introduction learned from Competition Angling which is commonly called Euro Nymphing. The Tongariro River that I mostly fish for the trout that are running up from the lake to spawn during our winter varies in size from 3 to 10 lbs (the huge fish of over 20 lbs caught by Zane Grey have not returned). Our fishing is done in deep fast running water, my son has started with Euro Nymphing last year and has been successful in the shallower water of 3 to 5 feet. So we bring four rods to the river, 6 Wt nymph indicator setup, a 3 Wt Euro Nymph set up and a 8 Wt swing set up with weighted deep running wet fly. Plus a spare rod. Last year we busted the tips on two rods and the but end on one rod. Last year was one of our better years with some huge Brown Trout in February and some very good Rainbows in July & August. My son’s best day in the tail of the pool was 28 trout caught on the nymph, all released. This year we had some huge floods of over 400 cubits and the migrating trout were swept back to the lake. Thats fishing. The origins of our steelheads came from the Russian River in California in the nineteenth century. What spoiled it for us was some big mouth American called Zane Grey who had such amazing time here he just had to write a book all about it called Anglers Eldorado, and told the whole world about it! Still, our visitors are some of the friendliest knowledgeable and polite anglers you will ever meet on the river! Cheers mate. Harera
Love it! I get a lot of comments from people in NZ and I'm jealous of the fish you have there! Our average steelhead is in the same range as yours. The one in the thumbnail is estimated at around 13 pounds based on rough measurements. But your fish that live in your rivers year round are mind blowing. Maybe one day I'll visit!
Thanks, you will have to make the effort to make the trip here, it’s well worth the expense and effort. Read the book The Trout Bum by John Gierach, good intro. I have met a lot of Americans on the rivers here, many of them on their third trip here. All agree that you need at least three months to fish just the South Island, the North Island has wilderness rivers that you have to treck to and camp to fish well. Amazing wilderness fishing, dangerous and fascinating. But, no bears, snakes or poisonous insects! Cheers mate, Harera
I really like how thought out this series is. You start at the very beginning, which is great ,covering safety and fundamentals and what fly rod to use and other gear. Very good info. for everyone from beginners to the experienced. And it couldn’t be presented at any better time .The Steelies and lake run browns are starting to really enter the rivers. I will be looking forward to each and every video in this series. It’s already got me making plans of a few trips to the tribs! Awesome idea and stuff Bryan! Oh, btw, I loved your reaction to that eagle attacking a heron. It was awesome and glad you didn’t edit it out. Spontaneity is very special. Great work my friend!
Yeah... you can actually see the heron fly by in the back ground and then I turn to watch it while talking and then the eagle dove out of the tree at the heron. A little territorial war I think!
Excited for this series. I also fish Great Lakes tributaries and fell in love with euro numbing for trout. I’d like to know more about mono rig setups for steelhead.
That is coming but honestly... pretty simple. Long 15# mono section to my sighter section to a tippet ring and then my tippet. I'll be covering it though. Next video is a recent steelhead trip video. Should be out tomorrow evening.
I appreciate how you went through your evolution of gear, that is something we fly fishers do with rods, reels, vests, sling bags and everything else you can imagine. We need to find what is best for each of us.
Exactly! People fish and adventure in different ways. Doing what's right for you is all that matters.
Thanks for the video. I steelhead more than trout fish, so glad you are making a series on steelheading. Ray
That's awesome and I'm jealous! I wish I could get out sooo much more than I do.
I've been euro nymphing for just a year now. Started with small trout fishing through the spring and summer. Now with the same technique I'm pulling out few steelheads on every trip. The best part is, I'm doing this with a 10-6 3wt and a micro leader setup. I'm curious how the 6wt feels. Tried to find a Diamondback dealer in Canada but all have to be shipped from US. So I went with a Echo Shadow X. Loving the euro nymphing for steelhead. Your videos are very informative and helpful. Keep em coming!
Just seeing this now... The Diamondback 6wt is honestly incredible for steelhead. Blows me away! If you like to euro for steelhead, you will not be disappointed!
I love my switch rods!!! I have a #3, #5 (2), #7 and #8!!!
Being a middle aged man who has been in a # of accidents ( sports/car etc) it still allows me to fish all day without being " bedridden " afterwards. 😊😊😊
I learned a lot from the euro nymphing series and hope to learn as well from the steelhead series videos. I enjoy these videos! Very informative!
Thanks! Much more to come in this series!
Looking forward to this new series. Thanks for putting it together.
Happy to do it! I hope it helps people!
Glad you're out there on the water - and many thanks for your steelhead series! Have fished in Pulaski and there's nothing like these fish for an exciting fight. Years ago I used a noodle rod with a fly reel and line. The noodle rod absorbed the rush and protected the tippet. Times certainly have changed and that Diamondback sounds like a real winner!
I have a noodle rod that I used one time. Never got a bite on it. 😂 I'm too much of a fly fisherman to use it. It was great for using a float and getting a long drift. In the right areas I would probably do really well on it!
@@WhiteDogTrailCompany Back in those days euro rods didn’t exist! Made do with the noodle rod outfitted with fly reel and line. Drifted egg patterns for steelhead on 5X tippet. As an experiment didn’t break off a King salmon to see if the rig could handle it - which it did. Landed that 25lb silver after quite the ride. :)
One day would surely love to try steelhead euro style. Makes total sense. Am trying it out on Maine rivers.
Am guessing it’s a learning curve to feel the nymphs the way you do!!
Awesome series, hope you get into more Steelhead Euro in the near future.
Thanks... I just had 2 good days with steelhead this week! One of those days was great!
Id love to learn more about covering larger rivers. My home river is the Rouge in southern Oregon and I am so unfamiliar with that type of water. I get up in Colorado and the playbook for where the fish are and how to fish for them seems to be very different.
Yeah... big water is definitely a much bigger challenge... especially with euro. If you are going to euro it, just try to break down the water you can reach into sections and fish each section methodically. But in big water, those fish can be anywhere.
The angler’s height must also be factored into the length of fly rod. At 5’7” I can cover water much better with a 10 or 11 foot rod. A taller person might do fine with a 9 foot rod.
Definitely looking forward to seeing some steelhead landed after you go over everything.
I hope you do! If if you don't land them, sometimes the ones that are lost are the best stories and experiences! 😊
Awesome video! I definitely need to plan another steelhead trip somewhere to try this.
I think the first 30 steelhead I ever caught had my heart pounding every single time. I'm probably more calm now but when all hell breaks loose on the hookup it is crazy! God I love that. Hope you can make a trip!
Great content on tightline for steelhead! I hit on this same process and predicament. I ended up building a rod based on the 10' 7 wt sage one blank. I found a reel seat that I could interchange the butt on and built a fighting butt and a bottom handle like a switch rod would have. This has been a fantastic fishing tool for me but I would be very interested in how this Diamondback works!
The Sage One blank is very fast action which is tough for euro nymphing. Euro rods are typically strong butt section, light tip section and slow action down to the middle of the rod. I wonder how you would like the DB too... I think you'll find it protects tippet and fights fish very well but it'll be softer than the Sage One.
Great video! This is exactly what I was looking for, right when I needed it!
Lots more coming in the series and we'll get more in depth as we go.
Looking forward to this series.
Thanks... hope you enjoy it!
Thank you for sharing! Very informative and awesome presentation! Good job, I appreciate. Val
Thanks!
You know Brian, I don't use any x type leader line. I've done really well on maxima 6# more line for the buck. Dig your channel.
I used to use bigger spools of fluorocarbon lines instead of tippet too. You can definitely do it. I try to look at breaking strength and diameter to see what my best options are.
Ironic I found this today, after going out yesterday for the first steelhead trip of the year. Euro nymphing has increased my catch five fold on our local river here in Central Ohio. My buddy has become quite adept at swinging flies, and I became enamored with the amount of water he could cover. Previously for steelhead I had drifted with an indicator, but decided to try swinging, bought the skagit line set up, last year was the first for it, and then yesterday. After consideration though, for the Erie Trib I fish, I started thinking maybe a euro set up would be better suited for me, the trib just isn't that wide. My buddy travels and fishes larger rivers so for him the switch rod set up is great.
So this morning after kicking it around did a search for euro for steelhead and this came up. Subscribed and ooking forward to the further installments. I'm hoping my Fenwick Aetos 9' 8wt will be satisfactory as I don't want the expense of having to purchase another rod. Also have a 10' Echo ION XL in 5wt, do you think that would be better suited? I use an Echo 3wt euro set up for the stocker rainbows and it's perfect.
A 9' 8wt will be suitable for the smaller Erie tribs. A euro specific rod for steelhead will give you more reach but use what you have and good luck!!!!
a rare review for DB 10'10 6wt rod. i was specifically looking for it. I think it can also be used not only for euronymphing but also for topwater fishing for steelhead or salmon, like riffle hitch flies or bombers ?
I've found it to be a pretty versatile rod.. although I have not tried what you mention. If you get it, let me know what you think.
Brian. Your content continues to improve. Love the production value and the way you work through it all step by step.
Would love to host you up here in Squamish BC one day. Show you around and spend some time on the water. Keep it up. Rarely have I learned so much - primarily because you explain the ‘why’ of what we do.
Bless brother.
I'm a Why kinda guy. Even in my day job, I break down technical information for my customers and it is always about the why! I don't do anything without understanding why it is important. I'm glad people relate to that.
Wow, thanks for this new series, super interesting!
Hope you enjoy it!
Congratulations, very informative.
I am very interested to know the silk and leaders you use.
Jean Pol
I'll be going through my leader setup in upcoming videos in the series.
Thank you for all your help im leagly blind and cant see an indacater after 5 feet i dont like spinning rod if i use one with a float i cast and hold on let it swing out caught more fishon my 8 wt redinton path but fly line i can see with no indcater bit i cought my biggest fish last year contact nymphing so i need to figure what size monno rig to use i used 12 lb last year but nee to make changes .
Good luck to you!!! Each person has to find what is right for them!
Wow. Awesome job. I’ve been euronymphing with a diamondback ideal nymph in the salmon river for the last couple years and love it. I do have trouble switching to the one fly regulation and would love to hear some of your strategies. (When using a split shot dropper is your egg pattern still weighted?). How often are you moving up the river?
Yeah... the single fly makes it hard to get down for sure!!!! Part of day 1 was getting adjusted to the weight I needed to get good drifts. I basically do the dropper with the double surgeon and then adjust split shot on the tag to get the fly down. I don't usually fish a weighted egg pattern. Glo bugs and estaz flies are typically unweighted for me although my buddy did get a fish on a weighted estaz. My squirmies are weighted if I use them and my stoneflies are weighted if I use them. I typically focus on egg patterns in fall and spring. In terms of covering water... it is a little different than euro nymphing for trout because you have to fish water that is not already being fished by others. So, Yes, I will move quite a bit and cover water. When we find a good spot and fish are moving and refilling the spot we will sit on that spot and change between fishing it and resting it for a while before hopping back in to fish it. We were able to get several additional bites doing that.
So I’ve been here uninvented around Pennsylvania and Appalachians for about four years now and wouldn’t look back. I’ve obviously been hunting smaller trout. I have an 11 foot three set up with a sage ESN I think I’m gonna get that diamond back six weight 1010. However, what size beads are most of your eggs tied on? What’s your leader set up? I think this would be great for some of the Erie trims for me however I never really thought about your own nothing for steelhead so I’m very curious. Thanks for the vid, just subed!
Thanks for subscribing! I hope you enjoy the rest of the channel! If you invest in the Diamondback 6wt I think you'll be very happy with it for steelhead. I go into my setup and flies a bit more in the later volumes of the steelhead series but here are the basics. I use a 15# mainline to my sighter material that in the range of 15#-12# to a tippet ring and then the tippet that matches the conditions. I like the Rio Fluoroflex Strong Tippet as I get a better breaking strength for the diameter. I will also tie my flies in various weights! That is crucial to be able to match the conditions. I'll tie some weightless, some with 3.3mm beads and some with 4mm beads or maybe even heavier. You can add a little split shot to the line if you have to. But that way you can adjust the weight so you can achieve the right drift for the conditions! Here is the link to full steelhead series. ua-cam.com/play/PLuLwf7ym7i7Y6QY7Q-Nnmt9_AU8-bBKke.html Good luck!!!
Liked you brought up purchasing large enough boots if you fish cold weather. As a 9.5 shoe size I thought 11's were too sloppy, until I got them wet. I too froze from tight boots. I now where 11 always.
I've had some rough trips where I was honestly worried that I was not getting feeling back in my feet over an hour later. One trick I learned is that I needed to stop flexing and moving my feet when they were like that. I kept squeezing the blood out of my feet. Just keep your feet still and let the blood flow and they return to normal much faster.
Hi - what reel are you using in your steelhead setup? I assume some sort of full frame so mono doesn't slip in between the reel and frame.
The reel I currently use was not intended for that rod but it balanced the rod well. I use the Sage Spectrum C currently. It is not a full frame reel but that works for me because my steelhead waters are regulated to using a fly line a lot of the time. My mono rig for steelhead is 15# so it isn't super thin and I haven't had a problem with the 15# and that reel. I am looking for a longer term reel for that setup though which would be a full frame reel. I'm considering the Diamondback, Redington Tilt and maybe a Lamson. I have not decided yet 😂
Great video. Any steelhead video out there talks about the use of split shot but when euro nymphing, like during trout, we'd use heavier point flies. Curious what type of tungsten bead sizes/hooks you're using when typing up your flies for euro nymphing for steelhead. Assuming you're not using split shot, are you in the 3.8mm - 4.6mm tungsten bead size and 10-12 hook neighborhood? Nobody talks about this and I'd love your thoughts on this. Thanks!
I definitely have that planned in my section on flies. But yes... I tie my flies in various weights to accommodate different types of water. I'll use beads up to 4mm or even larger but will also tie in thicker lead. My Sexi Stoneflies will have multiple tungsten beads and lead wrapped in as well. Each fly may weigh as much as 1200mg. I'll show all of that in the video where I tackle flies. I cannot use a double nymph rig where I fish for steelhead so making a heavy fly can be critical. I may still need to add a small split shot on a tag end in big and heavy water but hopefully not often.
I have watched your entire series about Euro nymphing . I am new to this style of fly fishing but I am very passionate about it. I fish the Adirondacks and I have never caught so many trouts with any other techniques. I have just watched this video and I am already anxious to see the next one. On another note I will soon purchase a Dimondback Ideal nymph 2 weight. The 10 foot version seem to get better reviews but I like the extra reach of the 10 foot 10 inches. What are your thoughts on those two rods?
Right now I'm torn between the 10'10" 2wt and the 10'10" 3wt. I like the extra reach so I like a longer rod. I feel I have more versatility with it. Joe Goodspeed recommended the 2wt for me (my fish are usually up to 22") but I throw some pretty heavy tungsten weights so I'm thinking 3wt maybe? I dunno... hard decision.
T&T contact has had a euro rod out for a few years. I bought it and it’s great.
6wt I mean
Yes. It was actually made by the same guy, Joe Goodspeed. He left T&T and went to Diamondback.
Great video...I own the DB 10ft 1 wt and catch 25 inch browns on it. surely the DB 10'10" 6 wt can handle any steelhead.... Joe Goodspeed is "the man"....when you euro streams where only one fly allowed are your flies weighted (esp egg flies) or do you use split shot and unweighted egg flies? thanks
I am almost always regulated to 1 fly and I find I have to add some split shot to a dropper tag to get the right drift. Some of my flies will be weighted but most of my egg imitations are not.
exactly what I have been doing since I first started steelheading at SR in 1979!!! I guess brilliant minds think alike (LOL ;)) I really have enjoyed your videos over the years and watching your progression. ......@@WhiteDogTrailCompany
@@nfri5108 Thank you!
Do you have a crossover rod that would work for both steelhead and salmon or do you run with two separate rods?
Before I had a euro nymphing specific rod for steelhead, I used switch rods for salmon and steelhead. My steelhead switch rod is as 7 weight and my salmon switch rod is an 8 weight. If you wanted to tackle both fish, I would use the 8wt. The 7wt wouldn't handle a strong salmon well. There are no euro specific rods for salmon on the market. When I asked Joe Goodspeed at Diamondback if he was planning one, he said they were not planning to make a euro rod for salmon. So the 8 weight switch rod it is.
Been waiting for this video since it was mentioned in a past video Worth the wait. I mostly only swing for steelhead with a spey rod but definitely want to type this technique. I would second the thought about some discussion on the reel and though lines were mentioned maybe a little more detail would be appreciated.
Thanks... everything you mention is coming in the series 😊I had to cut the first volume there because it was already 30 minutes. 😂
I’m ready for some fun fighting Steelhead!
Yeah... me too!
Very good idea that series. 👍
Thank you. Tightlining for steelhead was my roots for what has become my passion for euro nymphing. Hope you enjoy the rest of the series!
Great information bryan
Thank You!
Great video, thanks.
Thanks!
You didn’t mention streamer fishing with the euro rod. That worked well for me especially when I had to really reach out there. Tight lines
That's because I've never done it for steelhead. Do you mean swinging a streamer or doing a jig streamer? Interested in what worked for you!
Oops, better late than never.
Casting and retrieving with various line and rod tip manipulations. The speed of which would obviously be matched to the fishes activity level. I’ve had success with sculpin and egg, sucking, leach type streamers.
Variations of George Daniels sculp snack is a good one
How are those Grunden waders doing? Are they holding up?
Honestly they’re doing great so far. Almost a year in and they’re just like new. I walk through some pretty serious briars and stuff too.
@WhiteDogTrailCompany , thanks for your help. I'm thinking about purchasing a pair for the upcoming salmon season here in Anchorage, Alaska. Thanks again, and for the great videos you put out.
Really enjoying all your videos!! I stumbled onto your website after inquiring about euro nymphing for steelhead. I live out in Northwestern Oregon and when I've inquired from fly shops about euro nymphing for steelhead, i get the impression that they think I'm talking crazy talk. Do you know of anyone out west euro nymphing for Steelhead? If not, what am I missing? Thanks
I wondered the same about out west. LOL I don't know anyone out west who steelheads at all. It may depend on the size or your rivers as to whether euro nymphing would be effective. The larger the water and the further you have to reach, the more difficult it gets to euro nymph effectively. It may also be a cultural thing where many steelheaders like to swing for them. I think it is incredibly effective in a lot of situations though... so give it a go!
@@WhiteDogTrailCompany There are a number of great steelhead rivers that seem to be the close to the size that i've seen you on in your videos. The Nehalem, Wilson, Trask, to name just a few. euro nymphing on the Deschutes for trout is a pretty popular...and these are the same runs the steelhead run through...I'm definitely going to try it with my 7 weight switch...if i'm even remotely successful there will be a Diamond Back 10' 10" 6 weight in my quiver asap! Thanks for your reply!
@@JohnRamalho A 7wt switch rod is a good starting point! The Diamondback is incredible if you can swing it. Good luck and let me know how it goes!
@@WhiteDogTrailCompany Will definitely let you know how it goes!
Great video!! I pretty much only fish the Salmon River in Pulaski, would the Diamondback be ideal there?
Yes indeed! That is my main water when I steelhead.
Liked your video, but wondering I was recently considering a Diamondback Ideal Nymph rig for Euro nymphing but the 6wt is not the typical weight for Euro nymphing. I will assume it the application steelhead fishing and will assume a 2 or 3 wt would not cut it.
The 6wt was specifically designed by Joe Goodspeed at Diamondback for Great Lakes Steelhead. The 2 or 3 weight is for trout and not steelhead. They would probably land some steelhead but would be under gunned for them and if you landed fish, it would likely take too long to land them and you would wear the fish to exhaustion. I'm between the 2wt and 3wt myself for a trout rod. Joe recommended I get the 2wt for trout as my typical trout are 16-18" and up to 22". I can tend to throw pretty heavy flies in heavy water and was thinking the 3wt would be better for that. Still haven't made my decision on that.
Do you euro nymph for steelhead in the SR all through the winter. Seems like TLing would be more effective in the fall when water temps are warmer
The colder the water gets, the more you'll find fish hugging the bottom of the river which is great for euro nymphing. However, it'll depend on the type of water you are fishing and whether euro nymphing will give you a good drift in that location. The key with euro is being able to reach the spot and get a good drift. If you can get a good drift, then yes, euro is great for winter fish. If you are fishing a deeper, slower pool then that is not good for euro and you may opt for a different technique (likely an indicator set to the proper depth to get a good deep drift). I have found my share of steelhead with euro in the winter. Outside of steelhead, I find my best winter fishing is done with Euro Nymphing. You can drift flies slowly and directly in front of fish which is incredibly effective.
Thanks! What size tippet do you use on the SR in the winter? I use 2x in early winter, November
I think tippet choice depends on a lot of things and I'm starting to change my thoughts on tippet now that I have the Diamondback. I'll get into it in detail in upcoming videos in the series. Water conditions, the type of water, the type of tippet and the rod you use all play a role in selecting your tippet. With my Diamondback 6wt I am comfortable with using the Rio Fluoroflex Strong 3X (8.8lb) or Rio Fluoroflex Plus 3X (8.5lb). Both are .203mm diameter. My buddy on the last trip used regular Fluoroflex 3x which was .203mm but only 6lb. I highly recommend a stronger tippet for the diameter and to me it is worth the money. I could put a ton of pressure on fish with the good tippet and the Diamondback and not worry about breaking it. The DB protects the tippet incredibly well whereas other rods may not protect tippet as well.
Would like to learn about tippet size, flies, distance to split shot if needed. Pretty much a rigging episode or large segment.
Yes! Thanks for the feedback. I have those items planned. All of those will vary depending on each body of water you are fishing. I plan to get into all of that when I break down the leader setups and when I cover types of water.
Awesome video! Haven;t ever tried steelhead or salmon fishing definitely will get into it. I just got into fly fishing this passed summer and then picked up euro nymphing and also watched all your other volumes as well! Very much appreciated helped me land my first bow in MA out of luck on a euro rig but one thing I could not find info on was; With tippet line I know you can change tippet length depending on water depth BUT if I start out with 5-6' of tippet can I still just fish that in 3' of water at first and move myself in to the river and reach the 5' water depth?
You should just each cast by how the flies slow down. You want the flies to slow down in the slower water near the bottom, but not contact the bottom too much. If I'm using longer tippet in shallow water, I'll just lift the sighter further off the water to get the right drift. Then when you move to deeper water, you can let the sighter get closer to the surface of the water. If you get really deep, you can submerge the sighter if you have to.
@@WhiteDogTrailCompany hmm yeah I’ll have to give it more attention. Went euro nymphing in MA hooked 6 and landed 2 really don’t know how I did it though and really wish I did. My biggest struggle was trying to get the nymphs to slow down on a tight line when I casted out 30-35ft. Is the tippet supposed to be vertical with the sighter angled or in line even when the sighter is angled? Not sure if this makes sense…
@@JoshTheFlyGuy Euro Nymphing is much easier to do the closer you cast. You fill find you cannot keep a feel on the flies as much the further you cast. If you are casting 30-35 feet away that is very far. In that case I would use lighter leaders and not rely on feel... you will rely on sight much more in those situations that are further away. If you haven't see my Euro Series on the basics, i would highly recommend it. Also I go through Sight vs Feel in my Fly Selection videos of the series. I break all of that down in part 2 of the fly selection videos. ua-cam.com/video/kxvmV_alaGE/v-deo.htmlsi=eGCtFWj0TJDH0Slg
Ahh this is very true I did experience this. The feel definitely went away and I had to rely on looking at the sighter. Yeah I’ll go back to your basics video again. Thanks for the response!
Nice new steelhead series. The only thing now is, I need a new Diamondback 6wt rod.
if you want to Euro for steelhead I would highly recommend.
👍
So hype for this
Awesome! Hope you like the series. I expect it to be at least 3 videos, maybe 4. The way I end up doing them it'll probably be more 😂
@@WhiteDogTrailCompanysounds great I messaged your website I’d love to do a guided euro steelhead trip if you’d offer that
I don't have time to guide it myself but I can put you in touch with people I really trust! I'll message you back!
Thanks again for another great video 👍👍👍 love the information. What reel do you use with the diamondback rod?
Right now it is a Sage Spectrum, which I'll go over in Volume 2. It was not intended for the Diamondback initially but it was the perfect weight and size to balance the setup. I use a fly line (required by some regulations for where I fish) so I don't need a full frame reel. If I were using a mono rig more regularly I would probably use a different reel. Although my mono rig is 15# and I've never had it slip through. The tippet on the other hand will slip through but it is pretty much never on the reel except when I'm not fishing.
Thank you
how do i keep coho from eating my flies? I hade that problem a few days ago lol.
🤣 Sounds like a great problem to have!!!
it was nuts! I was after Steelhead when I had a big male coho take a jig leech!, I was fighting it like i hade a state-record steelhead on. When i saw what i had on i pointed the rod at the fish, so he could break off .. he didn't he just took all of the maneline and like 85% of the backing off evidently the Ideal Nymph 10'10" 6wt: with the Ideal Nymph Reel in 3/4 has just enough power to land big red zombie fish. I now keep a spare line on me because of that lol. you need to talk about the Ideal Nymph reel it has really nice drag!
I may have missed it, but what reel did you pair with the Ideal Nymph Diamondback 10'10" 6wt?
Haven't done reels yet. Video was too long and had to push it to the next video. It is the Sage Spectrum 7/8 though. A 6.5oz to 7oz reel balances the rod well. The reel I have on it was not initially intended for that rod but it balanced it well so I used it. If I bought a new reel I would go for a full frame reel probably. It doesn't matter for me currently because I use a euro fly line due to regulations in my waters but if I used a mono rig it would matter more.
Thank you very much. Your videos are stellar--great content and presentation. @@WhiteDogTrailCompany
Stream etiquette should be a entire video on its own as most of the new people have absolutely none it's getting pretty ridiculous anymore 😉
Tight lines not much better than catching fresh chrome👍🏻
I try to stay away from people whenever I can. For the most part, people are friendly but I've had my issues on the river just like everyone else. I usually leave those situations and go find different water... and I've found I've been successful doing that and that I've learned more on those days than on days where I stay and fish the same spot.
@@WhiteDogTrailCompany Hi, I have had problems with anglers jumping in ahead of me for the past few years and it has happened with people who should know better. I am talking about Guides with a couple of their customers jumping in to the head of the pool which I have been working to all morning! Now I am an ex army Sargeant Major, and when I yell out you can hear me all the way, yet these so called professionals ignore the river etiquette because it involves their business. Well in the old days if you did something right one other person heard about it, now when you did something wrong a dozen would hear about it. Times have changed, people don’t give a f… but we now also have the means to pass the word to thousands! So, I now don’t bother with talking to the Guide, I talk to his clients in great detail and pass it on to the other guides and the Rangers. The rover is strong and dangerous with no memory for us humans and we have to be so very careful, but bad manner’s from Guides really pis..s me off! Enough rant, enjoy the fishing! Cheers mate. Harera
@@WhiteDogTrailCompany, I guess I'm not unusual in that I like to check out rivers, especially in low water, so that I can identify fish-holding pockets for when the water's higher and "better" and you always can find a spot and avoid other people. I also have to say I had an experience lately with a young fellow who's a guide in VT and it was one of the most refreshing encounters I've had on a stream. We spoke streamside, I had already fished the spot before he arrived and was finishing up lunch. He offered to fish somewhere else and I deferred, telling him it was just the boot I needed to check fish the faster, heavier water above the pool and offered it to him. Not all fishermen are this gracious, that's for sure, maybe it's because we were both euro-fishing, and knew by our setups, or our personalities that we were already beyond the "catch all you can, screw the other guy" mentality of the young(er) fishermen we may've been in our youth. .who knows why, but I suspect as we age, we tend to approach life differently and find pleasure in things personal to ourselves.
Your not using your Sage anymore?
Certainly not for steelhead. I still use Sage on my normal (not steelhead) rivers but to be honest, I feel the backbone is weak on it! I'm going to be moving to a Diamondback 2wt or 3wt for my regular trout fishing very soon. Maybe a Xmas give to myself
@@WhiteDogTrailCompany How’s the recovery on those diamondback rods?
@@RGJR02 very good in the 6wt. Haven’t held the other rods but I hear they are very good as well. I did read the 2wt is a little slower due to the lighter weight.
Is that a Ross animas reel?
No... It is a Sage Spectrum 7/8 on the Diamondback 6wt. It was intended for another rod but it perfectly balanced the Diamondback so it got repurposed 😂
What is the line/ leader setup?
That is coming in another volume but simply it is 15# mono to a section of sighter to a tippet ring. below the tippet ring is the tippet and that will depend on water conditions and type of water I'm fishing.
@@WhiteDogTrailCompany I would say nothing less than 8lb tippet? Correct… because I’m thinking 15lb mono, sighter is gonna be 12lb?
@@flycast4224 Yeah. Pretty much dead on. My tippet is between 8-12# and my sighter is usually 12#. Some slow water conditions may require lighter tippet but I don’t like going too light. The more turbulent the water the more you can get away with.
@@WhiteDogTrailCompany last question… do you use heaver flies to combat line sag? I’m a micro Euro guy so that’s always my concern.
@@flycast4224 Will totally depend on the water I’m fishing. I tie my flies in various weights for different water. It’s about getting the right drift. I’ll be covering that too.
If you edited out 1/2 the words, the video video would have been as informative and nicer. Saying things like, 'we have to understand ....' is just extra words.
You had a fast action 9ft 9wt. it didn’t protect tippet because it was a fast action rod. A 9 foot Redington crosswater is a cheap lightweight slow action rod and would protect lighter Tippets well.
Nobody learned anything about euro nymphing strategies for steelhead in this video, they were directed to buy the diamondback rod that you caressed for a half hour.
This is a diamond back advertisement, nothing more!
You are correct on the 9wt. It is a fast action and as I was editing, I wished that I had mentioned that while recording it.. but I missed that point. The entire rod section was about my experiences with the gear I've used. I was blown away by the Diamondback and how it worked in everyday use and in tough situations and I want people to know that. I didn't record this to sell Diamondback Rods... I don't get anything for that nor do I care to. The point was to help find the right gear for them and based on my experiences, if you want to euro for steelhead, I would highly recommend that rod. The rest of the series will cover more topics that will help people learn strategies for euro nymphing for steelhead but as it is a series, I start from the beginning and work my way through topics.
I do appreciate the comment because you pointed out something that I missed and is helpful to people.
No fly line lobbing. Gross.
😂 To each their own... I do enjoy a nice tight loop and a dry fly too! 😊