Swing the Fly Issue 3.1 Summer 2015 | Page 69

one of the most productive parts of the day. A high quality head lamp makes walking out in the dark a breeze.

Sometimes productive water can be found in the height of the season by simply picking the right day. I find beauty in the ugly. Raw, windy, rainy days keep the casual angler off the water. This is an invitation to bundle up and enjoy the solitude. Extreme wind really keeps anglers away. A two-handed rod is the perfect tool to combat gusty conditions by using Spey casts that can actually make the wind a nonfactor. It is very satisfying to land a couple bright steelhead while enduring everything that Mother Nature can throw your way.

Unfished holding water can usually be found on popular stretches of river by simply taking a fresh look. While anglers flock to the well-defined runs and pools, the water in between is often neglected. Riffles, pocket water, minor runs or even slow tail outs that hold fish on the move are often overlooked. In fact fishing pressure in the main pools can push the fish into this secondary water.