2024/25 workshop dates
Swinging a fly for salmon and steelhead on the Olympic Peninsula is hard. But not nearly as hard as many people make it out to be.
If you are willing to look at things in a slightly different way for a while you will see that many of the inefficiencies, and much of the ineffectiveness, of fishing a fly under tension can be removed. I am a devout believer that the spey rod is an effective tool for hooking and landing plenty of fish here on the OP. I also believe that many of the things that make our rivers and fish so special and unique require anglers to take a different approach.
The default method of cast, mend, swing, step, repeat is a waste of time here. Maybe an enjoyable waste of time, I will grant you that, but I believe in a far more focused and intentional approach.
The way you fish should be a response to the all the things going on around you, and more importantly all the things going on in the fishes universe. Our thinking should start with what the fish wants, then move from the fly, up the leader, to how to accomplish that.Where should my fly be? How should I arrange my, leader sink tip, line, rod tip? Exactly where and when should I be making these changes? Do you really understand what the fish wants your fly to do? Do you understand where exactly that fish is? Do you know exactly where your fly is right now?
My goal is to build a simple model for you to answer these questions for yourself, so that you can fish with the confidence that you are hooking every fish that is there to be hooked. There are some challenging skill sets to be mastered, but none of them are insurmountable with patients and a bit of practice.
These one day workshops will focus on helping you understand how to pick productive swing water, and how to fish it effectively. The days are limited to 3 anglers per day so we can all fit in a boat and get a float in (conditions permitting.) If you enjoy spey or one handed swing fishing for salmon, steelhead or trout, but would like to catch more, I am very confident that I can help you. We will meet early and get on the river on a nice piece of spey water. We will discuss and demonstrate gear and tactics, flies, tips, presentation, casting, hooking and fighting fish.
I will bring selection of rods and lines to try.I will also have a list of cool spots for you to spend your winter days fishing on your own. And advice on how to locate productive water on your own.New spey anglers are welcome, but the focus will be on fishing a swung fly, not casting, or spey casting. There will be plenty of casting tips and trouble shooting advice, but if you are a brand new caster we should get you started with a separate casting lesson
Yep, I’ll bring lunch and snacks.This is not a guided fishing trip. My goal is to help you become a more productive angler through a better understanding of casting, line control, presentation and picking where and when to fish. But we will be going regardless of current fish numbers or water conditions.
November 8th, 3 spots available. $350.00 per guest.November 9th, 3 spots available, $350.00 per guest.
Jim Kerr
Rain Coast Guides
Forks Wa
