Locating Steelhead(スティールヘッドを見つける）
Locating Productive Steelhead Water and How to Fish It with a Fly（スティールヘッドを見つけて，フライで釣る方法）
http://gormanflyfishing.com/locating_steelhead.htm
the obvious: you can’t catch steelhead where they aren’t. Identifying specific locations in a river where steelhead hold to rest on their upstream spawning journey is absolutely crucial to angling success. Though most steelhead must traverse miles and miles of a river’s course, it is not until the fish actually stops to linger for a time --- minutes to days --- that a fisherman has a reasonable hope of enticing the steelhead to strike. There is little or no interest from a fish on the move.
fish on the move.「魚のいないところで、魚は釣れない」し，「スティールヘッドのいないところで、スティールヘッドは釣れない」．だから、遡上中に定位する場所はどこかを見極めることが非常に重要だ。スティールヘッドの大半の遡上は何マイルにもなるが、一時的に休むまで止まらないので、ヒットさせようとする釣人の目論みは叶わない。その間、魚は全く餌に興味を示さない。
As for choosing specific resting stations, steelhead are picky. They don’t linger just anywhere. It’s kind of like a hiker walking through forested mountains. When it’s time to pitch a tent for the night, the location is picked with great care. For this reason, it is my assessment that more than 99% of the area in a typical river does not hold resting steelhead. Most of any given river may be too shallow, too fast, too slow, too exposed, too warm, too cold for steelhead to linger for long. The astute angler must discover the “Sweet 1%”.
For locating my “Sweet 1%”, I give thought to the three following considerations:
- Adequate depth to protect the fish from inordinate exposure to predators and continued disturbance from boaters and anglers. As a fly fisherman, I focus on water depths of three to seven feet.
- Reasonable current velocity, best described vaguely as “walking speed”.
- Streamside or river bottom structure, including boulders, ledges, depressions, and channels.
休息場所を見つける点に関して，スティールヘッドは気むずかしい魚だ。どこにでも「定位」するわけでは無い。それは山登りのハイカーのようだ。テントを張る時間になったとき、注意して場所を選ぶだろう。それで、川の全領域の99%以上はスティールヘッドの定位に適さないエリアだ，と私は思っている。知っている川の大半は、スティールヘッドが長く定位するには、あまりにも浅いか、水流が速すぎるか、日陰が少なすぎたり、暖かすぎたり、逆に冷たすぎる。それで、賢い釣人は残りの最高の「1%」を探す必要がある。私のこの「1%」を見つけ出す方法はこうだ。
- 捕食者から隠れることができて、釣人やボートからの頻繁な妨害を防ぐことのできるに十分な水深がある場所
- 歩行速度くらいの適度な流速がある場所
- 玉石(boulder)、出っ張り(ledges)、窪地(depressions)、川筋(channels)のある川辺や川底
The Search Begins(探索を始める)
Every steelhead river has named fishing “holes”. The Powerline Hole; the Meat Hole; Dead Man’s Hole; the Ace-in-the-Hole Hole. “Hole” is too generic for me, and is probably not helpful to the inexperienced angler trying to recognize productive steelhead water. The same goes for a river “pool”. Too general. I arbitrarily classify worthy water into five general types: tailouts, runs, channels, pockets, and seams. My definitions / descriptions of these are my own. Know that I am not looking to engage in nitpicking with someone having a different definition for these terms. I realize that some good fish-holding areas could be classified as some sort of hybrid of the five water types I will be describing.
スティールヘッドの川には「Holes」とよぶ場所がある。「Powerline Hole(送電線のホール)」,「Meat Hole(肉詰めのホール)」,「Dead Man’s Hole(死人のホール）」,「とっておきの穴(Ace-in ホール)」などだ。しかし「Hole」はあまりにも一般的な表現で、初心者がその場所を探すのには役立たないだろう。「Pool」にも当てはまる。私は独善的に川のポイントをtailout, runs, channels, pockets, そしてseamsの５つに分類する。断っておくが、これは私だけの分類だ。他人のあら探しをしようとは思わないが、魚が定位する絶好の場所はこの５つのどこかに分類されると思う。
Tailouts
Think of running uphill against the wind. Migrating steelhead coursing their way upstream against the swift currents of a rapid may be inclined to rest a bit once they’ve reached quiet water. The smooth, tamer water immediately upstream of a rapid is a tailout. Using round numbers, the tailout may extend from fifty to a hundred feet, or more, upstream of a rapid. Though no two are exactly alike, the typical tailout will range from a few inches to two to three feet deep across its breadth, from bank to bank. Factoring in the combination of current velocity, depth, and stream bottom structure, a steelhead may linger just above the rapid for awhile if left undisturbed. Because the typical tailout has flat, unriffled surface currents, and is rather shallow, the fish is exposed. Observant predators and anglers will often be able to visually locate a steelhead parked in a tailout. You can bet the steelhead is on high alert for danger. It has not survived to this point in its life by being careless. So, stealth is of extreme importance to the would-be successful fisherman.
Tailouts: 風に逆らって丘を登ることを想像してみてください。急流の流れに逆らって、遡上するスティールヘッドは緩やかな流れに達すると少し休息する傾向がある。急流の上の穏やかで緩慢な流れ、これが「tailout」だ。おおざっぱに言うと、tailoutは急流の上の50フィートから100フィートの部分だ。２つは正確には同じでないけれど、典型的なtailoutは数インチから２・３フィートの深さで両岸に広がっている。流速、水深、川底の状態で考えると、もし邪魔者がないなら、スティールヘッドは急流の上で少しノロノロしている。と言うのは、典型的なtailoutは平坦で、さざ波のない水面で，浅く魚体を露出しているので，捕食者や釣り人はtailoutに定位しているスティールヘッドを視覚的に確認できる。そのスティールヘッドは非常に警戒しているに違いない。もし警戒が足りなかったら、生きてこなかっただろう。だから、釣人は静かに釣ることが非常に重要だ。
The fly angler has two viable fishing options in the typical tailout: the skated dry fly and the swinging wet fly. Most steelhead fly anglers, novice and veteran alike, are probably most familiar with the wet fly presentation. If the ambient light is dim due to time of day, an overcast sky, or the fish is in water shaded by tall trees or high terrain, a floating fly line is typically used. Unless the current is very swift, the wet fly drifts from a few inches to a few feet below the surface. The strategy is to have the fly swing across the current in a broad arc in front of the fish, close enough to stir its striking interest. The angler is positioned upstream and off to the side of the fish, as opposed to directly upstream of the quarry. The fly is presented at an angle slightly downstream from across the current. Successive casts are about two feet longer than the preceding one until the fishable area has been completely covered.
典型的なtailoutでは、フライマンはドライフライかウェットフライの選択がある。ほとんどのフライマン(初心者とベテランでも同じ)はウェットフライに慣れている。もし、暗くなってしまったり曇空で暗くなったりしたら、高い木や土手でできた日陰に魚がいるのならフローティングラインが使われる。川の流れが速く水深が数インチから数フィートなら、ウェットフライを流す。戦術は、魚の目の前を広く扇状に、川の流れを横切ってフライを泳すことだ。そのとき、魚が食いつくために十分に魚の近くへフライを流す。魚から離れて上流側に位置を取る。有効なキャストは居そうな範囲より２フィートほど広くキャストすることだ。
Soon after each wet fly cast is made the fly line is mended. A mend is a lifting and repositioning of the fly line upstream of the fly so as to slow the fly a bit as it arcs across the river. Multiple mends may be necessary. A slow-moving wet fly has been repeatedly proven to be most provocative to willing steelhead. Should the fish refuse the fly, consider changing to a smaller pattern, and maybe a different color, too.
ウェットフライでキャストして、すぐにフライラインを修正(mend)する。修正はラインを上げて、フライが川を扇状に横切るように、フライをすこし遅くするために、フライラインを上流へ再度持っていく。メンドは何回も必要だ。ゆっくり動くフライはやる気のあるスティールヘッドに、かなり興味を引かせることは分かっている。魚が食わないなら、小さいフライに変えたり、色を変えたりしてみよう。
For a steelhead holding in direct sunlight, it may be necessary to utilize a full-sinking or sink-tip fly line. In bright light a fish may need to have the fly presented at its holding level near the stream bottom, unwilling to move upward to a fly drifting overhead. An alternative to the sinking line would be a weighted wet fly that will swim deep as it approaches the steelhead. Lead wire wrapped underneath the body of the fly as it is created, or lead eyes tied near the hook eye will work to this end.
直射日光下のスティールヘッドに対しては、フル・シンクまたはシンク・ティップを使う必要がある。強い日光の下ではフライは川底近くに流れる必要がある。頭上を流れるフライに対しては移動したがらない。シンキング・ラインの代替はオモリ入りのウェットフライで、スティルヘッドに近づくように深く泳ぐだろう。フライ本体に巻かれた鉛のワイヤ、オモリのアイもうまく機能する。
If the light is dim, or the water in shade, and you are willing to risk a heart attack, consider skating a dry fly over a tailout steelhead. Using a floating fly line, of course, the fly fisherman casts the fly down and across the current at the same angle as the wet fly. A mend to the line may or may not be necessary. The angler must watch the progress of the fly. To be most effective the skating fly should create a wake as it progresses through its arc near the fish. Though this does not work on every tailout fish, the wake of the floating fly, for some reason, will excite the right steelhead.
もしも日が落ちて暗くなるか、日陰があるのなら、そして心臓麻痺になっても構わないのなら、tailoutのスティールヘッドにドライフライを流すことを考えな。むろん、フローティングラインも、ウェットフライと同じようにダウン・クロスでキャストする。ラインの修正は必要だったり無かったりする。釣人は、フライの動きを注視しなければならない。うまくフライを流すには、魚近くの扇状の流れで，途中にアクション(wake)を入れてみよう。tailoutのすべての魚に効果があるわけではないが、まともなスティールヘッドを興奮させるだろう。
When the strike, slash or sip of the dry comes, do nothing! Wait until the fish has submerged with the hook in its mouth AND begins to pull line off your fly reel. Set the hook too quickly, which is our natural instinct, and the fly will be pulled from the fish’s mouth. This is a hard lesson, but necessary. You need nerves of steel for this technique. Welcome and enjoy the challenge.
チョンチョン(sip)やグイグイ(slash)といったアタリがドライフライにあった時、何もするな！フックが口に深く刺さり、ラインがリールから引っ張り出されるまで待ちなさい。ロッドをすばやくグイっと引っ張る(Set the hook)ことは釣人の本能だが、フライは魚の口から外れてしまうだろう。これは少し難しい練習だが、必要なことだ。そのためには冷静沈着であることが必要。チャレンジを楽しもう。
Runs: I define a steelhead run as a wide and long expanse of river where the aggregate of current velocity, depth and structure to a resting steelhead’s liking is abundant throughout. Submerged boulders often abound in such areas. The steelhead are happy to rest just about anywhere in a good run, so an angler must very systematically cover the this type of prime water throughout its entire width and length, though there may be a few special boulders or pockets within the run that are especially attractive to traveling steelhead. Think of these as the best “homes’ in an excellent neighborhood.
私は、スティールヘッドのrunを、川の広く長い広がり部分と定義する。そこは遡上中のスティールヘッドにとって休息しやすい場所で、流速、水深、川底も構造のすべてがその全域に渡って十分な場所だ。スティールヘッドに快適な場所runのどこででも，魚は休息しようとする。そこで、釣り人はまずこのエリアをシステマティックに幅と深さでカバーしなければならない。そのrunの中に、スティールヘッドに特別に魅力的な玉石(boulder)や窪み(pocket)がある。良いご近所にある，我が家のようなものと思うとよいだろう。
Runs lend themselves to being fished with wet flies for sure, as described previously. For those portions of a run where the surface flows are relatively smooth, not too riffled, the skating dry fly can be effective. Where the run is three to seven feet deep, nymph fly fishing can be deadly. (For more a more in-depth discussion of the nuances of steelhead nymph fishing, see Salmon & Steelhead Journal magazine, Summer, 2004)
’Run’は、既に述べたようにウェットフライでよく釣れる場所だ。Runの水面の流れがスムーズで、さざ波がない場所ではドライフライを滑らす釣り(skating fly)が効果的だ。水深３～７フィートのrunではスローな速度のニンフがよい。
Most nymph fly patterns are imitations of immature aquatic insects. However, egg flies and colorful concoctions, generally referred to as attractor flies, are also fished using the nymphing technique. The fly is cast upstream, roughly at an angle of 45 – 60 degrees from straight across the river’s current. The flies are allowed to sink on a slack line. Most, but not all, of the slack is gathered by the fly fisherman as it drifts back toward him with the current. If a steelhead intercepts the fly, the line will hesitate or tighten.
ほとんどのニンフパターンは水生昆虫の幼虫のイミテーションである。しかし、エッグフライやカラフルなフライは一般的に「アトラクター」フライと呼ばれます。フライは川に入って直線部分から、上流に対して45-60度でキャストされる。フライはラインの弛み(slack)によって沈む。全部では無いが、スラックの多くは、水流でラインが釣り人の方へ流れるので釣り人の方へ寄ってくる。
The angler should not expect to feel the strike. Since an artificial fly has no agreeable, taste, smell or texture, the steelhead holds it only briefly before expelling it. From interception to expulsion may be a second or less. This is a game of quick draw. The angler must be alert and respond quickly to have any hope of hooking the fish. A strike indicator made of cork, foam or synthetic yarn secured on the leader at a distance above the fly equal to the water depth plus two feet, serves as a great visual aid in detecting a grab.
釣り人はアタリを期待すべきでは無い。と言うのは、人工的フライは、良い感覚、味覚、臭覚、触覚をまったく持たないので、スティールヘッドはちょっと咥えて，それを吐き出す(expel)。この略奪から放出までの時間は１秒以内で起こるだろう。これはすばやい引きの賭だ。釣り人は最大の注意を払い、フッキングは素早く反応すべきだ。フライから水深＋２フィートぐらいの位置に、リーダにしっかり取り付けられたコルク・ヤーンで出来たインディケータは視覚的にアタリを見つけるために大いに役立つ。
A fourth fly fishing method that can be employed in covering a steelhead run involves the use of my Hybrid Line System. (See Salmon & Steelhead Journal magazine, Fall 2004) Using interchangeable sinking-tips attached to a running line, the angler casts upstream at approximately a 45 degree angle. The fly is allowed to sink on a slack line, just as in nymph fishing. The nymphing method is employed during the drift until the system is approximately 45 degrees downstream of your position. Then, after the line is mended upstream of the fly, it arcs across the current on a tight line, fished just as a wet fly would be. Two fly fishing methods --- nymphing and wet fly --- are employed on a single drift of the fly.
４番目の釣り方は、hybrid line systemである。ランニングラインに接続した交換可能なシンキング・ティップ（sinking-tip）を用いて、45度上流へキャストする。ラインの弛みでフライは沈む。ニンフ釣りのように。フライが流れているあいだ、下流へ45度くらいになるまで、ニンフ釣りのテクニックが使える。そして、ラインを上流へ修正（mend）したら、水流に対してラインはアークを作り、ウェットフライのように釣りができる。１つのドリフトでニンフとウェットフライの２つの釣りで使える。
Channels
A channel is a well defined narrow band of deep water bounded by shallow water. These are often found near the river’s edge, close to the bank. In pointing them out to my fishing clients I refer to them as “dark green highways”. Where a run is broad, a channel is narrow. They are literally used as highways for traveling steelhead. Where the fish find depth, cover, and suitable structure in the course of a channel, they are prompted to linger.
All four fly fishing methods used for prospecting runs, can, potentially, be used in channels. Your options will be driven by the usual factors: depth, current velocity, choppy or smooth surface conditions, direct sunlight or shade, and overhanging tree limbs if near the river bank.
Channelは浅瀬(shallow water)と深瀬(deep water)の境目の狭い帯状のエリアだ(潮目？？)。それは土手近くの川辺でよく見る。私が釣り客に説明するときは「深緑色の高速道路」と言っている。runエリアが広がった場所であるが、channelは狭い。それは遡上スティールヘッドの文字通り、高速道路として使われる。channelのコースで、魚は水深、覆い（カバー）、適度な川底を見つけ、そこにノロノロした定位をしようとする。runエリアで有望な４つのフライ・フィッシングの方法は、潜在的にchannelエリアでも効果的だ。あなたは、水深、水速、水面の波具合(choppy ,smooth）、直射日光、日陰、木陰あり(河岸近くなら)かによって選択できる。
Pockets: Pockets are small fish-holding locations usually associated with swift water and structure. In a boulder-strewn rapid, there are areas of quieter (not dead-still) water that may be found in front of, behind, or beside large rocks. If a boulder is submerged, the pocket immediately downstream of it may be fishable. If the rock is exposed above the river’s surface, the pocket behind it may have slack “dead” water or an eddy which does not hold a steelhead, or makes it impossible to present a fly in a convincing manner. So don’t maintain the notion that the pocket immediately behind a boulder is always a good fishing-holding spot. Be discriminating. Seek a uni-directional current, not a swirling eddy.
Pocketsとは早瀬と川底に関係していて、魚が定位する小さな場所だ。玉石が分布した急流で、大きな岩の横(前・後)にある、完全に停滞しているわけでは無いが、静かな場所だ。もし、玉石が水没しているなら、そのすぐ下流のpocketは有望だ。もし、rockが水面から顔を出しているなら、その後ろのpocketはslackなdead（渦巻き）エリアで、スティールヘッドは定位しないし、フライを打ち込むことは不可能だ。だから、玉石の後ろのpocketに固執するな！ 目を肥やせ。渦巻きの無い一方向の流れを探せ。
Though most pockets are associated with a rapid, there are solitary steelhead pockets near a solitary boulder, or a scour in the stream bottom where the river’s currents have carved out an obvious deeper water depression surrounded entirely by shallower water. These are like little oases in the desert. A migrating steelhead may have traveled a considerable distance through unsuitable holding water when it finally happens upon a pocket where a pause is in order.
Depending on the specific characteristics of a pocket, dry flies, wet flies or nymphs may be employed. Because they are usually small, pockets do not take long to cover. Fish them thoroughly and quickly; then, move on. Pocket steelhead, if interested at all, are usually aggressive as they respond to the fly.
大半のpocketは急流(早瀬)に関連している。独立した玉石の近くか、川底の窪み近くに、スティールヘッドのpocketがある。そこは水流が、水深の浅い川底で周りが囲まれた水深の深い窪地を作っている。砂漠の中のオアシスのようなものだ。遡上スティールヘッドは定位に適さない場所を通って、適したpocketが見つかるまで長い距離を遡上する。 pocketの特徴によって、ドライ、ウェット、ニンフを使い分けることができる。普通、これは小さいので、pocketをカバーするために長く時間は掛からない。徹底して、素早く釣れ。そして、先へ進め。もし、少しでも興味があるなら、pocketのスティールヘッドはフライに対して攻撃的だ。
Seams: The boundary between fast water and slow water is referred to as a seam. It is a transition zone where the water may be to the liking of a resting steelhead, typically a band two to six feet wide. The swift currents on one side of the seam are too fast for a fish to comfortably hold. The slower-moving, or slack water, on the other side of the seam is too quiet to be attractive or secure for the steelhead, so it travels and holds on the seam.
早瀬と緩慢になる境界をseamsと呼ぶ。休息しているスティールヘッドが好む遷移帯だ。典型的なのは2-6フィート幅だ。seamの片方の流速のある流れは、魚が快適に定位するには速すぎる。他方、緩慢なもう１つの側は、スティールヘッドに安全で、魅力的な場所だ。だから魚がseamsを移動し定位する。
I prefer to use either the wet fly method or nymphing to fish seams. I cast the wet fly into the faster water, then, swing it into and across the seam. I start at the upstream end of the target area and systematically work my way downstream until I have covered its entire length. If I choose to probe the water with nymphs --- usually my first choice --- I can start at either the upstream or downstream terminus of the productive water, working until I’ve covered the entire length of the seam. The nymph is dropped right into the seam and allowed to drift naturally with the current through the heart of the prime water.
私は、seamsではウェットかニンフを使う。急流にウェットフライをキャストし、seamsへ泳がせる釣りが好きだ。ターゲットエリアの上流の終端に始まり、納得いくまでシステマティックに泳がせる。もしニンフで探索したいなら、私の第一番目の探索だが魚が居そうな上流の端か、下流の端で、全体のエリアをスタートする。ニンフはすぐにseamに沈み主エリアを自然に流れる。
As I said earlier, there are steelhead-holding locations that do not easily fall into any one single category as described above. Don’t fret about it. Rather than worrying about how to specifically define the water where you are trying to find a willing steelhead, try to discern if the water in front of you has the characteristics that would encourage a fish to hold there: current velocity, depth and structure. Match the fly fishing methods to the nature of your chosen piece of water and your skills.
先に述べたように、簡単にカテゴリーに入らないスティールヘッドの定位場所がある。心配するな。やるきのあるスティールヘッドを見つけるための場所を分類することより、むしろ眼前の水域が魚が定位しやすい特徴があるか、どうかを見分けるようにしなさい。水速、水深、川底のストラクチャ。見つけた水域に釣り方と技をマッチさせよ。
Think you know where the fish are, now that you’ve “put in your time”? Then get ready to deal with the reality that the even when you do finally locate prime holding water, you will eventually discover that any given Sweet Spot can shift or disappear as water levels and time change them. That’s right. The “Sweet 1%” is a moving target. Last week’s or last year’s “can’t miss” fishing hole, may no longer hold fish today.
今、魚がどこに居て、どこで時間をかけるかを考えよ。あなたが時間をかける場所を見いだしたときでも、現実を直視せよ。与えられたsweet spotでさえ、水位、時間が変わると、結局変化し消える。そう，sweetの1%は移動するターゲットである。先週、昨年、良かったホールは今日はもはや魚が定位していないかもしてない。
Let me jump into a story to illustrate focusing on the Sweet Spot, assuming you’ve found it today.
Bull’s Eye
I love Robin Hood movies. Even as a boy I had a fascination with sword play and long bows. Every single one of these movies has an archery contest sponsored by the wicked Sheriff of Nottingham. Hood always shows up in some lame peasant’s disguise to claim the prize on the very last shot of the tournament. This final shot is always dramatic. The preceding effort by another bowman has struck the bull’s eye dead center on the distant, distant target. How can Sir Robin (King Richard the Lionhearted, ending his frolics at the Crusades, returns in some movies to bestow knighthood) top this? Of course he does so by evenly splitting the tiny, tiny shaft of the preceding arrow. He wins the day, the hearts of the oppressed, and the beautiful Maid Marion. This reminds of steelhead fishing.
ここで，話をSweet Spotにフォーカスを当てることにしよう．
的のど真ん中: 私はロビンフッドの映画が好きだ．子どものときでさえ，弓の演技の虜になっていた．どの映画のアチェリーの内容も，毒舌のSheriff of Nottinghamがスポンサーだった．フッドはトーナメントの最後のショットに関して賞を勝ちとるために、百姓に下手に偽装して現れた．最終のショットはいつもドラマティックだった．他の弓男の前述の努力が，遠くから的の中心を射貫く．どのようにしてロビンはトップに入れるのだろうか？むろん，前述の矢のシャフトが折られたときでさえ，上手くやるのだ．彼は，虐げられた気持ちに勝ち，美しい Maid Marionを獲得したのだ．これはスティールヘッド釣りを思い出させる．
The upper reaches of Oregon’s Alsea River are twenty-five minutes from my home. Late December through early February is prime time for the mix of hatchery and native winter steelhead on their spawning migration. I may spend a few hours two or three days a week here if the flows are fishable.
On any steelhead river it has been my experience that more water appears fishable and productive than actually is. In virtually every good looking run that holds fish there is a “Sweet Spot”. One of my goals is to precisely position myself --- we might be talking, literally, about a few steps upstream or downstream --- to get the fly to drift perfectly through the small Target Area. If slightly too far upstream, the line pulls tight in the current lifting the fly off the bottom. Two steps too far downstream you discover the fly has not had sufficient time to sink to the fishes’ holding level. Casting position, like desirable real estate, can be everything.
オレゴンのAlsea川の上流域は家から25分で行ける．11月下旬から2月上旬は産卵時期で，養殖と天然の冬のスティールヘッドが混ざっていて絶好の季節だ．川が良い具合なら，週に２・３日，数時間楽しむ．大半のスティールヘッドの川で，実際よりも水量が多いことは釣れることで，また，たくさん魚が居ることになることは経験的に分かっている．結局，魚が定位する良いrunはSweet spotだ．私の目標の１つは，正確に場所を選ぶことだ．小さな目標のエリアを完璧にフライをドリフトさせるために，数ステップ上流へ，また下流へ動くことについて話したい．もし，上流へかなり距離を取ったなら，フライを川底から剥がすためにラインに負荷が掛かる．もし，フライを見るために下流方向へ数ステップ移動することは，魚の定位レベルへ，ラインを沈めるために時間は十分でない．欲しい不動産のように，キャスティングの位置がすべてである．
On a frozen January morning I found the river low and clear. These conditions were ideal for fishing The Distant Bedrock Nook. I moved into perfect position to discover if there might be a biting steelhead in this tiny sweet spot. The cast would be a long one considering I was under a canopy of trees whose limbs reached out from all directions attempting to grab my leader and flies. I have very little backcast room and must keep the forward cast relatively low to safely get to the target. Once the flies hit the water I must mend the line to create necessary slack for the flies to sink. A pull on the line to adjust the line of drift is imperative. Only one in ten casts, sometimes one in twenty, is just right. The steelhead holding area here is both narrow and short. I am speculating when I say six feet long by three or four feet wide.
寒い１月の朝，川の水位が下がっていて，クリアであることに気付いた．この状態はDistant Dedrock Nookを釣るに理想的である．このちっぽけなスウィートスポットで，やる気のあるスティールヘッドがいるかどうか，を見つける完璧な位置へ移動した．リーダとフライを手に取るためのどの方向にも木が覆い被さっていることを考慮しながら，ロングキャストがしたかった．バックキャストの小さなスペースがあったが，目標に低く，安全にフォワードキャストせねばならない．フライが水面に落ちたとき，メンドが必要だ．ドリフトを調整するためにラインを引くことも必須で,
10-12回に１回は必要だ．スティールヘッドが定位しているエリアは狭く短い．川幅は3-4フィート，長さ６フィートと推測する．
I watch many anglers fish this little spot. Occasionally I see a fish caught that isn’t on my hook. Most anglers are unsuccessful during my observations. Most of the time it is because their bait, lure or fly is not fished deep enough or slow enough. Sometimes it is because their standing position is not right, so a proper drift in the fish’s holding zone is not possible. And, I’m certain many don’t know the exact location of the Sweet Spot.
この小さなスポットでたくさんの釣り人が釣っているのを見た．見ている間，大半の釣り人は釣れない．その理由はルアーやフライが十分深く，ゆっくりしていないからだ．また立ち位置が，魚がいるゾーンへドリフトさせるのに適当でないからだ．私はこのSweet Spot以外の場所を知らない．
On the morning of my story it took me more than two dozen casts to finally put all the necessary elements of the perfect drift together. Experienced anglers “sense” the Perfect Drift. My strike indicator was coursing as slowly as the current would allow dead center in the line of drift that would allow the flies to drift lazily through the Spot. I expected the strike indicator to go down. It did.
The native hen attached to my line sprinted around the river in front of me for four or five minutes before I finally got a good look at her. As her fight slowed I coaxed the steelhead downstream to a suitable shallow area where I could slide her onto her side for the release. I backed out the size 6 egg pattern and watched her sprint into the depths.
私の話の中で朝，perfect driftに必要な全部の要素を一緒にするために，数十回以上キャストした．熟練した釣り人はPerfect Driftを感じる．私のストライク・インディケータは，そのspotをフライがゆっくりドリフトするように，川の流れが死点が直線的にドリフトするくらいにゆっくりにくらいに，流れていた．インディケータが反応するだろうと期待していた．そしてこれは起きた．ヒットした天然の雌のスティールヘッドは，最終的に姿を目にする前に４－５分間目の前を逃げ回った．魚はゆっくりファイトしていたので，下流の適当な浅いエリアへスティールヘッドを誘導した．そこでリリースするのに引き上げることが出来た．#6のエッグから外してやると，深い流れへ疾走して行くのを見ていた．
It both fascinates and teaches me that getting the Perfect Drift requires repeated effort. The first twenty (or so) casts to this steelhead’s zone were not good enough to entice it to bite, drifting either too high or low; drifting too far left, too far right; drifting, perhaps, unnaturally fast.I frequently tell my clients, “Where there can be one fish there may be two”. Taking my own adage to heart I returned to my original position and made subsequent attempts at a second Perfect Drift. This time it took me less than a dozen tries. It was de'javu all over again.
If you are a believer in reincarnation, and you come back to this world as a fish, remember that one of the best escape moves you can make is to immediately swim directly at the angler. Slack line is instantly created. With little tension on the line the hook can often be thrown before it penetrates deeply.
Perfect Driftを習得するためには何度も練習が必要だと言うことは，私を魅了し，教えてくれた．スティールヘッドのゾーンへの最初の２０回にキャストは魚を食わせることを誘惑するには不十分だった．それは高すぎか低すぎのドリフトだったり，左よりか右寄りのドリフトだったり，不自然に早いドリフトだったりだ．ときどき，客に「１匹がいる場所は２匹がいる場所だ」と言う．自分の格言を肝に銘じて，原点に立ち返り，第二の Perfect Driftを順次ためす．これは12回以下を試す．再びデ・ジャブだった．もし，輪廻を信じるなら，魚で厳正に生まれからって来きて，最善の避難は，直ぐに釣り人に向かって一直線に泳ぐことだ，ということを思い出す．直ぐにラインの弛みが生じる．ラインの張りが低下し，フックは深く刺さる前に外れてしまう．
This steelhead knew this evasive maneuver. I frantically swung my rod tip in many different directions while reeling line trying to tighten against the charging fish. It doesn’t always work but I was able to finally make contact with my quarry. I set the hook to, as best I could, bury the point in its jaw. My efforts were successful. I eventually slid this naughty hatchery buck into the shallows I had visited earlier with the hen. So, there were two steelhead in the little pocket of my interest. Both were very discriminating about the presentation of my fly. The bull’s eye can be quite small, and a slow, deep drift of the fly through the target is mandatory. As I mentioned earlier, the Sweet Spot can move or disappear. At higher, yet fishable, river levels, my Bedrock Nook does not hold steelhead. Apparently the increased hydraulics make make it too uncomfortable for a fish to linger here. The preferred holding area has moved a short cast upstream to the inside corner of a riffled run. An astute, experienced angler will soon figure it out.
このスティールヘッドは回避策を知っていた．ラインをピーンと張りながら，私は逆上して竿先を様々な方向へ振った．いつも働くとは限らないが，知恵を出すことが出来た．
最善策として，その顎の１点を突き刺すためにフックした．狙いは上手くいった．結局，今朝の訪れた場所の浅瀬へ，この腕白な放流魚を引きずり上げることができた．
その小さなpocketsには２匹のスティールヘッドがいた．その２匹はフライのプレゼンテーションに対して，非常に警戒心があった．的のど真ん中は非常に小さく，目標にフライをゆっくり，そして深くドリフトことは必須であった．先に述べたように，ここのSweet Spotは移動したり消えたりする．水位が高く，釣りが不可能なレベルの時は，Bedrocl Nookにステールヘッドが定位しない．水量の増加はそこにとどまることに対して，明らかに魚を不愉快にする．好きな定位エリアは上流へのショートキャストを，さざ波のあるrunのコーナー内側へ移動させた．抜け目が無く経験を積んだ釣り人は，その状況を直ぐに見極めるだろう．
Expanding on Desirable Traits
Previously, I have given a curt overview of the good steelhead holding water, concerning depth, current velocity, and stream bottom structure. Let me expand the descriptions a bit. If I might generalize, I would state that good rainbow trout water in a river is also good steelhead water. For, after all, a steelhead IS a rainbow trout that, because of its genetics, goes to sea for part of its life. That said, I seek out specific locations in the stream where there is perceptible current. I would describe the pace of the current to be, roughly, “walking speed”. I understand this is a nebulous term. Not everyone walks at the same speed. On the other hand, steelhead do not always linger in currents of exactly the same velocity. When the water is very cold --- let’s say 35 – 42 degrees Fahrenheit --- steelhead hold in slower currents than they would typically sit at warm water temperatures in the 55 – 60 degree range. So “walking speed” is descriptive of a general range, something between a slow saunter and jogging. Think reasonably here.
望ましい特製の拡張：前に，水深，流速，川底の構造に関係したステールヘッドの良い定位場所の概要を示した．ここでは少しこの考えを拡張してみる．もし一般化できるなら，川の良い虹鱒の水域はまたスティールヘッドの良い場所でもある．結局，スティールヘッドは遺伝的に，生涯の内海に下る虹鱒なのだ．すなわち，水流が分かる川では特定の場所を探すことだ．水流がwalking speed（徒歩速度)のペーストと言えよう．これは漠然とした言葉であることは分かっている．だれも同じスピードで歩かない．他方，同じ速度の水流ではスティールヘッドは通常グズグズしている．水温が非常に低いときは, 35-42F，ゆっくりした流れに定位する．55-60Fの暖かい水温なら，そこに居座るだろう．walking speedは，ぶらぶら歩くからジョギングまでの一般的なレンジだ．ここでその理由を考えてみよう．
The second characteristic of the water I consider prime for prospecting for steelhead with a fly is the correct depth. I seek out flows that are 2 ½ - 7 feet deep. Can steelhead be found in shallower water? Yes. Will they hold in deeper water? Most definitely. However, I focus on areas where the water is a minimum of 2 ½’ because such depths will hold steelhead and I can usually approach stealthily to get quite near without alarming them, especially if the water’s surface is riffly or choppy. If the water does not exceed 7’ I have a chance, with polarized glasses, to see specific boulders, slots, ledges, and depressions that give me visual clues as to where exactly a steelhead may be positioned. I may be able to actually see the fish if the light and clarity are right. Additionally, it is in this depth range that I can most effectively present my fly from top to bottom, maintaining excellent line control and being able to instantly detect a strike.
フライフィッシングで私が考える川の第２番目の特徴は「正確な水深」だ。水深2.5から7フィートの場所を探す。もっと浅い場所にステールヘッドはいないのか？いるよ。もっと深い場所でも定位するのか？絶対にするさ。しかし、私は水位が最低限2.5フィートの場所に焦点をあてる。何故なら、そのような場所はスティールヘッドを定位させ、魚を警戒させずに静かに接近できるからだ。特に、もし、水面が波立っているなら。もし、水深が７フィート以下なら、偏光サングラスで、boulder, slots, ledges, そしてdepressionを見るチャンスがある。それは、ステールヘッドが定位する場所の視覚的手がかりになる。もし、日光と透明度がよいなら、魚も確認できる。加えて水深があるなら、ラインをコントロールして当たりをすばらく感じとれる状態で、トップからボトムまで効果的にフライを流すことが出来る。
A fish in 7’ of water or less is often willing to come all the way to the surface to intercept a dry fly or shallow-running wet fly. If it is sitting on the bottom at 8 – 15 feet, that’s a significantly greater distance to see the fly in riffly water and be willing to swim that far to intercept it. Other anglers may differ here, so know that I am relating my own observations and biases.
水深７フィート以下のところにいる魚は、ドライフライ（ウェットフライ）を咥えるために水面に来る可能性がある。もし、水深8-15フィートにいるなら、さざ波の水域ではフライを発見するには水深がありすぎで、フライに興味を示さない。他の釣り人はここが違かもしれないが，わたしは自分の観察と基本に頼っている。
Lastly, my favorite steelhead lies will have some interesting structure or physical feature the fish finds appealing: boulders, a ledge, a scoured depression, or a deeper slot between structures. These have the possibility of offering the steelhead comfort from the swift current or bright sun and some degree of protection from predators, including anglers. If fish are found lying in an exposed position, such as a shallow tailout preceding rapids, they will usually not linger for long as the sun gets high or something or someone disturbs them. Sheltered locations are quickly sought.
最後に、私の好みのスティールヘッドの定位場所は、魚が興味を持つboulder(大石), ledge(出っ張り), depression(窪み)，川底のslot(溝)などの、興味ある構造、物理的な特徴を持っている。これらは、速い流れ、日光、捕食者からの防御からスティールヘッドを快適にする可能性を持っていている。もし魚が、瀬の先の浅いtailoutのような露呈した場所に定位しているなら、太陽が高くなるまで、また邪魔者が入るまで、だらだらしていない。スティールヘッドの居場所は素早く探されるべきだ。
Steelhead can be located in water that is shallower and deeper than my specified depth range. They can be caught where the water seems faster than my “walking speed” pace. And, certainly, steelhead can be taken from water that has little or no structure. However, I am always looking to maximize my fishing efforts. This means focusing my fishing time, and that of my clients, where we have the BEST chance of closely approaching resting steelhead in maximum numbers. Making an accurate cast, getting a very controlled and effective drift of the fly, and having the ability to instantly detect and react to the strike of the fish are best accommodated by staying within my recommended parameters.
スティールヘッドは私が言うよりもっと浅く、または深い場所にもいる。歩行速度より速い水流のように思える場所でも釣れる。たしかに、大した場所でない処でもだ。しかし、私はもっとも可能性の高い場所を選ぶ。これは最も多くのスティールヘッドが定位しそうな場所に、フォーカスすることだ。正確なキャスト、コントロールされた効果的なドリフト、当たりがあったとき素早く反応できることは，私の推薦する要因内に留まることで、うまく適応できる。
Visual Aids
Polarized glasses are a great visual aid in seeing holding steelhead. The polarization cuts the reflected glare on the water. Virtually any pair of polarized glasses has a tag or sticker on it stating that they are, indeed, polarized. If you are not sure, ask the clerk before you buy them. To double check you can superimpose your selected lenses over a lens known for sure to be polarized. As you rotate the lenses relative to each other as you look through them you will see them “go black”, blocking out all light attempting to pass through them.
視覚的な助け：偏光サングラスはスティールヘッドを見つけるのに役に立つ。偏光は水面のぎらつきをカットする。偏光と名乗るサングラスは、まあ偏光である．確信得られないなら，買う前にチェックするように。偏光サングラスを２組重ねて，２重にチェックするように．２つ重ねて，すこし回転させると，透明度が落ちるはずである．
A variety of polarized lens tints are available: yellow, for very dim light; dark grey, for extremely bright settings; and, brown or copper for “medium” light and all-round general use. If you ask, polarized prescription glasses are readily available. From an eye safety standpoint, glasses are necessary to protect your eyes from an errant hook. Your sloppy cast or that from a beginner in your proximity can cause serious ocular harm. It’s troubling to count the number of times I’ve had clients bounce a weighted nymph off my lenses. Wear those glasses, even on a rainy morning or evening.
Protect Your Eyes From Your Flies
フライから目を守れ：イエロー，薄暗い，濃いダーク，ブラウン，銅色，など，様々な濃淡の変更レンズがある．店員に聞けば，保証付きもある．目の安全な観点からメガネは，間違ったフッキングからも保護してくれる．あなたのずさんなキャストや初心者のキャストは重大な傷害を起こす場合がある．オモリ入りニンフが私のレンズを叩いた客はたくさんいる．メガネをしよう．朝や夕暮れでもだ．フライから目を守れ．
I have two angling acquaintances that each had the misfortune of hooking themselves in the eye. Though these were totally unrelated instances, there are some eerie similarities. They both had worn glasses during the bright part of the day. Both fished into the evening, and removed their glasses as evening progressed so they could see better in the failing light. Both fishermen barely had the hook point penetrate an eyeball, so it was extracted with little fanfare. Both camped out overnight, planning to seek medical in the morning. Both woke up blind in the infected eye. One of the characters almost lost the vision in the injured eye permanently when he postponed medical help until late afternoon of the day following his accident! Personally, I’ve had numerous occasions where clients have inadvertently bounced flies off the lenses of my glasses while casting in my proximity. I shudder to think what could have happened had I not been wearing them. I insist, as a safety measure, that clients and guests fishing in my boat wear glasses at all times for eye protection.
お互いに不運にも，釣ってしまった２人の知人を知っている．それらはまったく関連しないが，奇妙な類似性がある．日光が強いとき，両者ともメガネをしていた．夕方，釣りをし，暗くなったのでメガネを外していた．両者とも，それはちょとした騒ぎで，取り除けたので，辛うじてフックを眼球に貫通させずに済んだ．夜キャンプをして，翌朝，医者を探した．２人は痛めた目で，真っ暗な朝を迎えた．翌日の午後，手術を延期した結果，その一人は痛めた目の片方を失明した．個人的には，客が私の近くでキャストして，フライが不注意にも私のメガネを当てたケースはたくさんあった．メガネをしていなかったら，どうなっていたかを考えると，寒気がする．安全のために，ボート釣り客のかならずメガネを付けることにしている．
Time is required to discover excellent steelhead holding water. Sometimes such locations are obvious. The smaller, overlooked gems are not. Small Sweet Spots are harder to find, but persistence and experimentation will reveal them. One simple shortcut is to watch other anglers, especially if you see them hook a steelhead. Make a precise mental note of where they are casting.
If you carefully observe the river bottom --- using polarized glasses --- at low water times, you can discern little pockets where fish will hold when the water is higher. I make mental notes so that on subsequent trips I will remember these. Too, there may be portions of a proven run that I overestimate or underestimate at higher water. Observation at low water may enable me to fine-tune my approach in fishing this spot when high water returns. Logs and clumps of wood debris in a hole are fly grabbers. Low water allows me to chart and memorize their exact position. Wood snags cost you money and fishing time, the latter being a particularly precious commodity.
スティールヘッドが定位するいい水域を見つけるには時間がかかる．ときどきは，それは明らかな場合もある．小さく，見下ろす場所はダメだ．小さいSweet Sportを見つけるのは難しいが，粘り強く，経験を積むと分かるようになる．１つの近道は他の釣り人を見つけることだ．特に，もしスティールヘッドを釣った釣り人なら．どこにキャストしているか，正確な心のノートを作れ．もし，水位が低いとき，偏光メガネで注意深く川底を観察するなら，水位が上昇したとき，スティールヘッドが定位しそうな小さなpocketが見つかるだろう．水位が低いときの観察によって，水位が回復したとき，そのspotへのアプローチを微調整することが出来るようなるだろう．ホールの木クズの塊や木立はフライを引っかけることになる．低水位は正確な位置を記憶しグラフ化することを助ける．木の引っかけは，お金を散在させ，時間の浪費になる．後者は特に貴重な必需品です．
When I mine little gems --- small, not-so-obvious locations --- I may very well forgo fishing them if another boat or foot angler is in view. Just as I watch others, others watch me. Any fisherman with even a quarter of the normal grey matter between his ears will see where I or my clients have hooked a steelhead. They will find a way to get to that spot. In turn, other anglers will see them who will, then, see them . . . . And so it goes ad infinitum. This segues perfectly into another couple of stories, of course.
Hey, Everybody. Fish Here!
There is a very wadeable steelhead run near a large county park. Once upon a time when the world was as it should be, all anglers fished the run, which stretched for more than a hundred yards, from the shallow park-side of the river. Day after day I would watch them cast toward what I knew to be the productive water on the far side of the current. Delightfully, their success was dismal. Their problem wasn’t reaching the water where steelhead lay. Unknown to them, I suspect, was that they could not get a controlled, deep, strike-inducing drift. The flies moved too fast in the flow, and did not get deep enough to interest the fish. As I drifted my boat through this area I would float tight against the far bank, away from the anglers on the opposite side. Since we were almost on top of the steelhead, I would have my clients cast short and hold their rods high to get a deep, slow drift. Most of the time someone in my boat would hook a fish, to the astonishment and, often, the dismay of the onlookers. Sometimes we’d hook two fish. This was pride before the inevitable fall.
皆さん，ここに魚が居るよ：小さな宝石を掘ったときー小さいが場所は明らかで無いーもし，ボートや丘釣りの釣り人が見ているなら，釣りを忘れてしまう．私が他の釣り人を観察することは，他の釣り人が私を見ていることになるのだ．そして，順次，他の釣り人が彼らを見ており，．．．と無限に続く．これは完全に他の話に繋がる．
皆さん，ここに魚が居ますよ．大きな群の公園近くにウェーディング可能なスティールヘッドのrunがある．世界がまだあるべき状態だった昔，すべての釣り人はrunを釣っていた．そこは川の浅い敷地から100ヤード以上伸びていた．来る日も来る日も，それを監視し，川の遙か無効の良い水域へキャストする．喜ばしいことに，成功は惨めなものだった．問題はスティールヘッドのいる水域に到達しないと言うことだった．それらに知られてないことが，制御された，深い，ストライク・インディケータのドリフトを得られないことになるとは信じない．フライが早く移動すると，十分深くできない．このエリアをボートでドリフトするとき，岸から，また釣り人から離れて反対側を下った．スティールヘッドの上を下っているので，お客は短くキャストして，深くゆっくりしたドリフトにするために，ロッドを高く保つ．大半の場合，驚きと見物人の狼狽えの中，誰かが釣る．時々は２匹釣った．いつもの滝の前で，自慢した．
In this ever-present group of park fisherman was a retired senior citizen who spent just about every day on the river. He was astute, and he was determined. For an older man Mr. Astute was also an able wader. Though he had to walk quite a distance up my side of the river, and the currents were faster and the water deeper on my side, he eventually found his way to the sweet spot which I could not resist fishing in spite of an audience. Astute fashioned a wading staff, and doggedly plowed his way into the correct position to effectively present his fly just as I had been doing for years without competition. To my dismay others eventually followed him. My observant competitor shared his bounty with his friends who shared it with their friends. Additionally, other observant anglers stationed themselves on my side of the river to catch the steelhead which I had little opportunity to fish for on subsequent trips. Because of my lack of discipline, in the throes of Steelhead Fever, I educated the fishing public. In turn, they locked me out of this particular fishing sweet spot. Most days on the river I do not get to fish here because someone is already standing where I want/need to be. Why must the best lessons always be difficult lessons?
いつも居るpark釣り人のグループでは，川で一日中過ごすリタイアした老人でした．彼は抜け目なく意思が硬かった．老人にとって，Mr.Astuteは渡河できる川だった．彼は私の方へ少し歩く必要があったが，私の方の川の流れは速く深かった．彼は結局，聴衆を物ともせず，釣りをしていなかったsweet spotを自分で見つけた．ウェイーデング用品で着飾り，正しい位置へソロソロ慎重に近づき，私が長年独占してきたsweet spotへフライを投げた．ガッカリしたことには，結局，他の人も彼に続いたのだ．
競争相手が友人と彼の気前よさを分け合い，その友達が彼の友達と共有し，となるだろ．観察の鋭い他の釣り人は，川の此方に立ち，ステールヘッドを釣り上げた．そして，次の旅行で釣れるチャンスが無くなってしまった．私の訓練の不足によって，スティールヘッドの情熱の苦闘で，釣りは公的なものであることを学んだ．次々に，彼らはこのsweet spotから私を閉め出してしまった．川でほとんどの日はここで釣らない．私が立ちたい場所に，既に他の釣り人がいるので．なぜ，最善のレッスンはいつも難しいレッスンになるのか？
Many would take exception to my hard-line view that fishing, especially for steelhead, can be a zero sum game: there is a finite number of fish and too many anglers wanting to catch them. If I could I’d catch every biting fish in the river knowing very well that it may mean others would catch none. I would feel no remorse. It is with this attitude that I approach the river every day, every minute on the river. My paying clients know this. They can rest assured, without the slightest doubt, that I will do whatever it takes to put them on steelhead before someone else has a chance to hook THEIR fish. I need not be rude, but I will always play hard, and play to win. That means --- given the chance --- me or my guys (or gals) will be catching YOUR fish. Think of it as a game of chess. I am looking for checkmate on every move. I can wave, and smile sincerely on the river, but I’m looking to knock your king off the board, just as if we were playing a friendly game of chess.
スティールヘッド釣りに対する私の妥協しない見方の例外は，ゼロサムゲームであろう．有限の魚がいて，釣りたいと思っているたくさんの釣り人がいる．もし，よく知った川ですべての魚を釣ることが出来たら，他の釣り人はなにも釣れないことになる．自責の念はまったく無い．川に行くときの態度だ，私の客はコレを知っている．少しの疑いもなく，自信も持って確信している．誰かが釣るチャンスを持つ前に，客にそれを釣らせるようにしている．無礼はダメだが，いつも一生懸命に行動するのだ．つまり，チャンスが与えられたら，自分の魚を釣るだろう．チェス・ゲームと思え．毎回の手で，チェックメートを探しているのだ．川で手を振り静かに微笑むことができるが，ボードからキングを蹴落としたい．ちょうどチェスで友好的に楽しんでいるように．
A Guide Story: I Spy You Spying
Dear reader, I know you would not do this, but every now and then someone tries to “go to school” on me. I spy a boat that anchors upstream of me in a location I know is not a fish-producer. Maybe they pretend to fish a little but mostly they watch. They loiter. I know what they are looking for: my fishing spots. They are playing the game that I have refined. It can be difficult spying on a spy. One eye is always in my rearview mirror.
ガイドの話：スパイをスパイする
読者の皆さん，皆さんがこれをしてないことは知ってます．しかし，私を越えて，ときどき誰かは学校へ行こうとします．知っている場所の上流で停泊したボートは釣りの制作者(fish-producer)でないことをスパイする．彼らは釣りのそぶりをするが，大半は観察しているのだ．彼らはぶらついているだけだ．彼らが私の穴場を探していることは知っている．私が洗練化したゲームをしているのだ．スパイをスパイすることは難しい．１つの目が後方ミラーに何時もある．
There is any number of thwarting strategies, but I used a new one at one of my favorite steelhead fishing spots.
Late morning I watched a drift boat lingering above us more than a hundred yards upriver. He did not strike me as a man on a fishing mission. Too much time on the oars; not enough time fishing. I pushed down the river to see if he would follow us. My suspicions were aroused when the man in question bypassed a lot of water at which any other angler would be tempted to stop to make a few casts. He had not seen us earlier to know where we had and had not fished, so it is only logical the angler should have fished, if even briefly.
たくさんのしくじった戦術があるが，同時にお好みのスティールヘッドの１つのスポットで，新しい戦術を使う．
朝遅く，数百ヤード以上上流で，ぶらぶらしているボートを見張った．釣りをしようとする男のように，彼は私を驚かせなかった．たくさん漕ぐと，釣りの時間が少なくなる．彼が私の後を付いてくるかどうかを調べるために，川を下った．彼は他の釣り人が試す場所をバイパスしたとこ，私の疑念は目覚めた．我々が釣ったり，釣らなかったりした場所を知るために，朝早くに見なかった．それで，それは釣り人が釣るべき，ただ１つの理由である．
When we rounded a sharp bend in the river he lost sight of us. He had several hundred yards of slow water to traverse so it would be five minutes or more before he reached the same bend. I pushed the oars very forcefully so that we would be around the next bend and out of sight before he reached the first. The thought here is that Spy Boy may halt the chase so as not bypass some very good steelhead water which I had left untouched, and he would not know for sure how far downriver we would drift before anchoring to resume fishing.
我々が川の急なベンドを曲がったとき，彼は視界から消えた．彼らから数百ヤード離れていて川の流れはゆっくりしていたので，同じベンドに到着するのに５分かかっただろう．力一杯，オールを漕ぎ，次のベンドで曲がり，彼が来る前に視界から消えるようにした．スパイ少年がチェースを諦め，もういい釣り場をバイパスしないと，考えた．これで，彼は釣りを再開するための錨を降ろす前に，どのくらい川を下ったか，ハッキリしなくなった．
As it turns out my strategy bought us about twenty minutes of privacy. Shortly after one of my clients landed, photographed, and released a magnificent steelhead, the lone boatman came into view. He snugged into the upper end of the run we were fishing, anchoring on the other side of the river in some frog water. He began to cast, making it obvious our spy either did not know he was fishing unproductive water or he was merely positioning himself to watch us fish. I assumed the latter.
その結果，この戦術は20分のプライベートな時間をもたらしてくれた．私の客が釣って，写真を撮って，そしてスティールヘッドをリリースした後で，一人のボート野郎が視界に入ってきた．彼は，同じfrog waterの対岸に錨をおろし，我々が釣った場所のrunの終端で引っかけた．スパイで分かった場所（魚がいないか，我々が釣った後の場所）で，キャストを始めた．後ほど，推理してみよう．
To disappoint him we did not go back out into the main river to resume fishing, but instead watched him from the shallows near the shore where the fish had been landed. After a few minutes and no indication he was going to move on in the near future, I rowed my boat to the very top of the run so that we were directly across the river from the onlooker. I suggested to my crew that they not even pick up their fishing rods. It was close enough to the mid day hour that I advised we use our waiting time productively, so we ate lunch. While he watched us eat we watched him make more futile casts. I wanted to fish this particular run more thoroughly before we departed so we were in the midst of a standoff. I would let time wear on our uninvited guest.
彼をがっかりさせるために，魚が釣れた岸の浅いことろから彼を見張っていたけど，釣りを再開した本川の外へは行かなかった．数分後，更に近くへ来る気配は無かった．ボートを目一杯漕いで，この見物人から直接的に川を横切った．私は，ロッドをピックアップしないようにと，クルーに示唆した．何回を待ち時間があったので，昼に近づいてきたので，昼食を取った．彼は我々の昼食を見ていたけど，彼は無駄なキャストをしていた．ここを離れる前に，もっとこのrunで釣りたかったので，膠着状態になっってしまった．この招かざる客に時間を使って欲しかった．
If this guy was a typical, undisciplined spy I knew it would not take long before his urge to fish better water --- if he thought he could recognize it --- would far outweigh the necessary patience to wait us out. We were only half way through a leisurely lunch before Spy Boy pulled his anchor and drifted downriver never to be seen again the rest of the day. To this end I lingered to thoroughly cover every location we fished the rest of the day, wanting to ensure we did not catch up with the spy who, then, might be prompted to study our activities again.
もしも彼が典型的で，規律のないスパイなら，いい水域で釣りたい彼の衝動の前に，時間は掛からなかっただろう．もし，これを認識しているなら，待つという必要な我慢にも価値がでてくる．スパイ少年がアンカーを引き上げ川下りはじめたとき，まだ昼食は半分済んだだけだった．これを終わらすために，あらゆる場所を十分カバーしてブラブラしていた．そして，彼に追いついていないことを確認したて，残りの半日を釣った．我々の活動を研究するきっかけとなった．
Another simple ploy, most easily used when I am anchored in the middle of the river, is to have my guests cast to the "wrong" side of the boat. If we spend a significant amount of time “killing time”, I assure my guests I’ll extend our fishing day a comparable amount so they get are not shorted fishing time.
Sometimes I may stop the boat slightly above or drop a short distance below the actual position from which I want to fish. The exact position from which an angler casts can be extremely important. Upstream too far, or downstream too far, can make a significant difference in the effective drift of the fly to the fish. Discovering the exact coordinates of where to be anchored or stand to fish a particular piece of water may be the difference between hooking a fish and not getting a strike. So if angler approaches we are, often, not quite positioned in the sweet spot. And, we may actually fish 180 degrees from our true target.
川の中間点で錨を降ろした時に使う他の簡単な策略は，釣り客にボートの間違った方向へキャストさせることだ．正確な場所からのキャストは極めて重要だ．上流，または下流の遠くへのキャストは，効果的に魚へのドリフトが行うために，違ったことができることになる．錨を降ろしたり，立ち位置を正確に決めることは釣れるか，またはストライクを取れないかぐらい違っている．釣り人が我々のところに近づいてくるなら，seet spotにまったくいい位置を取っていないのだ．それで我々の本当のターゲットからは180度釣れることになる．
My neck muscles are always stretched and loose from constantly looking over my shoulder. I'm always gathering information, trying to be aware of my surroundings. If someone catches me it may be because I wanted it.
If you are wondering . . . . Yes, I do carry binoculars. And, yes, I use them often. I’m even contemplating rearview mirrors.
Sometimes, when I can overcome my Steelhead Fever I look for and fish spots I have not fished before, or I will fish unproven areas I have fished before but approach them from a different position in the stream. For instance, I may discover I get a better presentation and drift of the fly if I position myself on the left side of the suspected lie instead of the right side. Or, I may position myself farther upstream or farther downstream than I normally would.
私の首の筋肉は肩の上を一定に伸ばしたり，縮めたりしている．回りを注意しながら，情報を集めているのだ．もし誰かが私を使えることが出来たら，私が望んでいたからだ．もし疑問なら．．．そう，私は双眼鏡を持っているのだ．時々使うさ．後方ミラーを見つめているときでさえ．
As the water flows decrease in mid to late summer, the sweet spots change. An old reliable spot may no longer hold fish, or steelhead may prefer a different portion of the run. Areas where the water had been too deep or too swift may become prime holding locations at lower water. The same holds true when the water rises in the fall, winter or spring. Areas that were too shallow and slow in low water become prime as the river rises. If you realize these changes are the natural courses of events you will make appropriate changes about where you fish at any given water level.
Walking speed current, 2 ½ - 7 feet deep, and structure. Focus, find ‘em, and fish well.
Let me share a final couple of tidbits in finding steelhead holding water. One is to seek out spots where the water’s surface is choppy or riffled, rather than glassy and flat. You are able to get closer to the fish for a more accurate and controlled presentation of your fly. Fish cannot easily see out through riffled water, so, within reason, an angler does not have to rely so heavily on stealth. Do be conscious of the color of the jacket or shirt you wear. Though I have caught steelhead wearing bright red, white and yellow, these are colors I now avoid. I do not want to look back on my fishing day and wonder if we could have caught a steelhead, or more steelhead, if a guest had not insisted on wearing that bright yellow rain jacket. This is a potential “problem” that is easily remedied before it will even become an issue.
If there is a long expanse of shallow, exposed water which the steelhead have to traverse as they migrate upstream, look for an oasis in the desert. Seek an area, often just a small pocket, of slightly deeper water where a fish will rest, feeling less exposed and threatened. Remember, the fish that have survived predators for their entire lives have done so because they are wary. They naturally seek safety. If they’ve had to swim through a substantial stretch of water that is two feet deep from bank to bank, a wary steelhead will often linger in that little depression that is four feet deep.
I am thinking of such a place on the North Santiam River. For almost one hundred yards (meters, if you must) the steelhead have to migrate through water that varies from six inches to two feet deep. The flow is gin clear and the surface is glassy. Maximum exposure. On the right bank is a scoured depression near a ledge. Here’s the oasis, a “deepwater” haven where the fish feel a bit more secure. When I position my boat just right --- not too far, not too close --- I can stand on my rower’s seat and see a resting fish without being seen. Because the pocket is small, I may quickly scan the spot to locate a holding steelhead. An adequate fly caster can reach this pocket. You can imagine how exciting it is to watch a big fish move to strike the fly! Beware of Buck Fever --- pulling the fly away from the fish as it approaches, or breaking it off with an overly-enthusiastic set of the hook.
I am thinking of another desert oasis on the South Santiam River where the lower reaches of the desert extends, again, at least the length of a football field. Flat, shallow water offers no hiding opportunities . . . until the steelhead approach The Rock. A very prominent midstream rock has a 3’-4’ scour (depending on the water level) downstream and to each side of the big nugget. Above the rock the desert continues to stretch upstream. So, The Rock acts as a fish magnet, prompting wary steelhead to rest and hide out for awhile. Astute anglers stay far enough away to remain unseen, but close enough to cast into the deeper water.
I do not have very many “almost guaranteed” steelhead holes, but I have one on the Rogue that is very close to being guaranteed. It’s ideally, located, too. I can see for hundreds of yards upriver to watch for approaching boats. I can see the same downriver if a boat has dropped below me. Should someone be able to observe me if I fish my little nook, I will, instead, drift by as if it wasn’t there. Or, if I’m already in position, I will pull anchor when someone comes into view. This spot is w-a-a-a-a-y too sweet to give up. The Nook is surrounded by fast, shallow water, while the flow in the heart of this fish magnet is a perfect walking speed. The depth is at least one foot more than its turbulent surroundings. Ten well-placed casts will cover this precious real estate to reveal the presence of a biting fish. So another big plus of this location is that in can be quickly covered. If a steelhead is hooked I usually lift the anchor to play the fish downstream, away from our original location. It’s just like a hit-and-run covert operation, save for the camouflage face paint: Get in. Complete the mission. Get out. All without being discovered.
Right or wrong, I view steelhead fishing --- most of the time --- as a Zero Sum game, as I said earlier. This means there are winners and losers. In an ideal world, there would be lots and lots of biting steelhead for all worthy anglers on the river. But, my cats will do housework before that happens! If competent anglers fish my little sweet spots before I get there, I have VERY little chance of hooking a steelhead. Another fish will eventually take up residence, but maybe not until tomorrow, or two days from now. The redundant lesson here, again, is if little nooks you discover turn out to be more precious than gold, consider not giving away the map to your silver mine. Every other angler is a potential claim jumper.
If you are wondering . . . . Yes, I do carry binoculars. And, yes, I use them often.
A Zero Sum Maneuver
A zero sum game is best thought of as twenty guys all wanting a full piece of a pie cut into 6 small slices . . . .
A father and son team in my boat had just about finished covering the deep channel that held some biting steelhead for us that morning, including the first steelhead the boy had ever landed. God was in his heaven, and all was right with the world. Things were just about to get even better. As a boat dropped through the rapid above us, it was just about time for us to move. But, ooops! Dad hooked another fish. Decision time.
Rather than stay put to fight the fish to exhaustion land it in our current location, I pulled the anchor. My guy fighting the fish was experienced and smart. He knew how much pressure he could put on a steelhead to bend the fish to his will without breaking the line. This skill would be a requirement for what we were to do. A spunky steelhead can easily take ten to fifteen minutes to bring to net. We had about ninety seconds before the boat above us passed below to stop at the next run I wanted to fish. It was time to “walk the dog”. I pushed us into the main current to do some multi-tasking. As my guest played his steelhead, I moved the boat toward our next destination, comfortably ahead of the charging boat in our pursuit.
A few minutes later I dropped anchor at the periphery of the water we would fish. Everything went according to plan. (It doesn’t always.) As we stopped I slipped out of the boat, landing net in hand. Just as the foreign boat passed I gently cradled the bright buck before its release.
The gamble was worth it. A few casts later Dad hooked another steelhead in the new water. This was a fish, I believe, an angler in the other boat would have hooked if we had not taken a calculated chance to scoot down the river with the hooked steelhead in tow.
This all prompts me to wax on a bit about river etiquette.
Most everyone has their set of rules on steelhead rivers, a code of behavior and “good” manners. If you are going to race someone to the next fishing hole you have to do it with a comfortable cushion, a certain degree of nonchalance. It’s a rare occasion that I would pull out in front of another boat, making it too obvious that I was pushing hard to beat them to the next piece of water. That would be like cutting off someone in highway traffic. You must pull out with plenty of room to spare. Be casual, yet purposeful. I try to be cordial, but I will always seek to give my guests the advantage, without being rude in the process. A fine line, but doable.
If all this sounds a bit too aggressive, too greedy, then know that I am dedicated to do whatever it takes --- within what I consider to be competitive decency --- to give my clients and guests the very best opportunities to hook as many steelhead as possible in an eight-hour fishing day. It’s what I would want if I was the client: maximum opportunities. Any good guide wants the same. It’s just that a few of us play harder. I’m willing to run a short slant pass pattern across the middle of the football field and take a crushing hit from the linebacker as I gather in the ball, even if it means getting knocked silly. My clients are appreciative fans.
You Can Never have Too Many
Part of being consistently successful at steelheading is intimately knowing numerous good fish-holding locations. One or two are not enough. Anglers may be positioned in the heart of the water you want to fish when you arrive. Or, the river flow has raised or dropped and the fish have no interest in resting there. You’d better have backup plans.
たくさんは望めない：スティールヘッド釣りをいつも上手くいくことは，たくさんのいい場所を詳しく知っていることである．1や２つでは十分でない．釣り人は現場に到着すると，釣りたい場所の真ん中に立つだろう．または，川が増水したり減水していいて，魚はそこに定位することに関心が無いかもしれない．予備のプランを用意しておくことがベターだ．
Prospecting for good fishing holes is time consuming. Typically, anglers are too busy fishing old reliable haunts to discover new ones. From my selfish perspective this is good. Many times I pray that an angler in a very well known spot WILL catch a fish. They are, then, trained to stay there, and to return to that same spot with a hundred other anglers who would be in my way fishing other spots that I want to see vacant when I arrive. The occasional biting fish keeps them fishing, not exploring. Right on! “Hooked another one? Good for you!”
いい釣り場を期待することは，時間の無駄だ．新しいホールを探すには，釣り人はあまりにも昔のたまり場を釣るのに忙しい．自分勝手な見方だが，これは良い．釣り人が良く釣れたspotで釣ってくれることを，願っている．そこにとどまることを学び，私が着いたとき空っぽだった他のspotに，たくさんの釣り人がいる，同じspotへ返る．ときどきのバイトは彼らをそこに留め，あっちこっちへ行かせない．いいぞ，そのまま続けて．釣れた？，ガンバッテ！
The search for quality Sweet Spots is work. The steelhead treasure may not be in a very obvious location. Many of the best are not. Any given riverine “silver mine” must be approached from a variety of angles (literally), with a variety of methods, under a variety of conditions, including water temperature, light intensity, and water level. I may fish a single steelhead run a dozen fruitless times until I unravel its mystery. It’s very much like cracking a safe.
Sometimes I let someone else crack the safe for me. If I watch an angler playing a fish I make a mental note of his exact position. I watch where they cast as they resume fishing the same spot. How they present their lure, bait, or fly is also valuable information.
Some silver mines never produce. Some river runs look perfect to me: an excellent combination of current speed, depth and structure. But, try as I might, diligent and repeated prospecting turns up nothing. Either the fish will not hold in these locations as I think they should, or the holding fish will not bite in these spots.
An author whose name escapes me, wrote about certain fish-holding runs on the North Umpqua River where steelhead would not bite. He knew they held in these runs because he could see them. As these same (apparently) fish moved upstream into other holding locations they would strike his fly. The biting and non-biting locales appeared very similar as to their depth, current and structure. What accounted for the difference is open to speculation. My own experiences support Arnold’s observations. For reasons not discernable to me some runs that appear to be prime will never give up a steelhead to my strategies. After multiple worthy attempts to “strike silver” I will forgo spending any more fishing time here. I will only resume digging if I should chance upon another angling “miner” who shows me that silver can indeed be found at this location. And, occasionally, it does happen. Until then, I’m moving on in search of the Mother Lode elsewhere.
On the other hand, there are dependable fishing holes that don’t appear to be anything special. In fact, these can be downright unlikely fish-holding areas. The water depth is too shallow or too deep for my liking, the current appears too fast or too slow, and no good submerged structure is obvious, even upon intense inspection. However, biting steelhead like it here. These particular places remind me that the steelhead, ultimately, make the rules, and can break the rules. It is with some degree of humility (but not too much) that I pause often to enable my clients to add to their store of steelhead-catching memories.
Old Dogs and Improved Tricks
I am thinking about a particular once-unlikable, big steelhead hole (Mafia Eddy) that I have grown fond of after many years of avoiding it. The water is too deep, the current too swirly. My boat is constantly being thrown out of position by an untamable, multidirectional current. It’s maddening to fish here. Maddening, that is, until a client hooks a steelhead. Then, I’m liking it. As an added bonus we are adjacent to a wonderful quiet-water expanse to fight, net and photograph fish.
I knew steelhead could be caught here. Many anglers fished it. Occasionally I would see a fish landed, but rarely by a fly fisherman. The successful anglers were using spinning rods in the deep swirling flows. Their thin fishing line allowed them to keep their bait or lures near the bottom, get a reasonable deep drift of their offering, and stay in tight line contact in order to set the hook in short order.
I had, also, heard reliable stories of some skilled fly fishers who could coax fish out of this obnoxious water. Spurred on by, and envious of, the success of others in this spot, I resigned / assigned myself to figure out the hydraulics of this water.
I learned to accept that at times my boat would be out of position, too close or too far from the fish. There would be times that a perfect drift of the fly would be unexpectedly swept from its intended path by unpredictable currents. I needed to accept these. Often my anglers would miss a subtle strike in the turbulent water. I was forced to be even more precise than usual about my leader and flies setup, using a finer tippet and heavier flies. In short, the steelhead taught me the rules necessary to intrigue them to the point of taking the fly. I learned to catch steelhead here, and have to enjoy the challenge. An old dog with a little patience can always learn one more trick.
I will: work harder on the oars; alter the leader; change the flies; keep the faith; expect the unexpected; and, remember the The Rules the steelhead teach me. Now, roll over, Mr. G. Good boy!
Copyright (c) by Michael Gorman 2006. All rights reserved.
Contact Information
Telephone
541.207.4000
Postal address
Michael Gorman
330 NW Autumn Place, Corvallis OR 97330
Mckenzie River fishing guides & Rogue River fishing guides specialists
EMail To contact me please cut and paste the following email address to help prevent spam emails, and please include the word "fishing" in the subject line of your email so your important note is not screened out by the spam filter. Many thanks.Please cut and paste this email addressgorman_flyfishing@hotmail.comPlease include the word "fishing" somewhere in the Subject line of your email note
Copyright © 2003 Scarlet Ibis Fly Fishing Tours Inc
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