Northwest Reel Life January - February 2024 Volume 3 Issue 4 - Flipbook - Page 16
a piece of clear mono on
the leader and position it
two inches above the hook
acting as a stop.
Set the indicator (a good
one is the easy-to-cast
plastic Thingamabobber)
and put split shot on above
the tippet knot (or swivel)
and set the float about the
depth of the water.
When the trout bites the
bead the angler reacts with
a short upward lift which
tends to pull the bead
through and pin the hook
in the outside corner of the
mouth.
With whitefish spawning
in western rivers in late
January and February we
have bait to match. Trout
that key on whitefish
spawn get used to gobbling
the yellow eggs and its why
some fly-fishermen tie on
yellow wet flies in February
without knowing the
reason why the trout are
biting. Summer steelhead
may also spawn in January
and February, in which
case, the trout are eating
orange eggs. In any case,
small orange beads or tiny
yellow eggs can turn a
rainbow's head this month.
SOFT PLASTIC BEADS
One of the greatest
moments in drift fishing is
to watch a trout peel away
from its holding lie and
follow a soft orange egg
downstream then crush
it. A squishable, scented
egg imitation tumbled
along the gravel with a drift
fishing rig or a bottomwalking drop shot setup is a
good bet in December.
My favorite hook for this
work is a Daiichi salmon
egg bleeding bait hook
sized No. 12 up to No. 8.
Again, the soft bead is
best positioned two inches
above the hook, which can
be accomplished by using
a nail knot, a blood knot,
a sequin or similar bead
stopper.
One of the mistakes we
make is using an indicator
in shallow, clear water. If the
fish and the bottom is visible,
dispense with the indicator
and just watch for the take.
A mistake we often make is
allowing the weight to control
the movement of the egg.
This is why a sliding sinker is
sometimes the best choice.
And why a drop shot weight
might be the best choice
with a tag end of a surgeon's
knot used to splice on a bit
of 4-pound fluoro. That bait
should present as freely as
possible in multiple braided
currents. The egg wants to be
free!
NOW BOOKING
WINTER
STEELHEAD
TRIPS ON THE
CLEAR WATER &
SNAKE RIVERS
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& WASHINGTON
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JAN - FEB 2024 | 31
