Grab History - A Steelhead Story
I recently returned from a trip to Idaho’s Clearwater River.
I’ve swung flies there in September on several previous trips. I’m going to guess I have had roughly 40 hours (about 1 and a half days) of swing time without a significant grab and definitely no fish to show for the effort. It can be hard to sustain any level of stoke when it seems like the process may be flawed. I mean will these fish really eat this little 2” fly hanging off a floating line in this giant river? Is my continuing the process of casting and swinging these little flies with no validation not the definition of insanity? Albert Einstein would say so.
"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results". -Albert Einstein.
PREVIOUS GRAB HISTORY
I guided and fished on the Kenai River and others in Alaska for many seasons. I’ve got grab history there. On any given run, I can feel a pulsing current from those past tugs and imagine feeling it again. King Salmon, Sockeye, Silvers, big rainbows, Dolly Varden and even Steelhead were the players. I had the Spey heads, tips, leaders and fly choices dialed. It is easy to fish with confidence when you know that success is attainable.
On the Clearwater, I was painting by numbers and following the suggestions of those who had swung before me like Calvin Fuller, Sam Wike and Klaus Frimor. On the Clearwater, the preferred set up is a floating Scandi head and long leader system to anchor and cast a very small traditional summer steelhead style fly in the #6 to #8 range. These are tiny flies by west coast and Alaska standards, and they are swung near or on the surface.
I’ve caught a few steelhead in Alaska on a floating line and swung fly, but the Skagit game with larger west coast style flies hovering closer to the bottom was my confidence method. Dragging those little flies near the surface and across the runs had thus far given me no validation. I was longing for a big intruder, Skagit head and heavier sink tip.
When I packed for this fall’s trip to join the team and support the Red Shed Spey Clave, I’m not going to lie, I brought a Skagit head, sink tip wallet and a box full of Intruder Flies. I figured I’d give the Scandi system a try for another day, but if I struck out again, I was going to my confidence rig.
Calvin Fuller has been fishing the Clearwater for many years. He’s been up and down the river and on any given run, he can recall many steelhead encounters. You can say he’s got grab history with his chosen delivery system and smallish flies. Grab history is the best counter to questioning the process.
FINALLY GOT A GRAB
On the first evening and on the first run that I fished on this trip to the Clearwater River, I got a solid grab. For a second, I was transported back to Alaska. Then I was back in the moment, thrilled to get a grab on the Clearwater and thrilled for the validation. I got to tail that fish and feel the power that propelled it all the way up to Idaho from the Pacific Ocean. Then Calvin dropped me on another run, and I got two more. I was giddy that evening in a way I have not been about a fish in some time.
I fished again on Saturday evening. I fished all day Sunday. I fished on Monday evening. I fished Tuesday morning. Thank goodness for that grab history on Friday night. Otherwise, I would not have enjoyed the process nearly as much. I now believe these fish are attainable with a small fly on a floating line swung near the surface on the big river. I can’t wait to swing the Clearwater again. I’ve got grab history on two runs now and the stoke is real. Thanks for the grab.