No, a rafter is not a new style of flies. It’s those tubes, rafts, and anything else that can inflate…
There I was, quietly fishing with my youngest son, testing out couple of new flies on the river, occasionally stepping aside as a few wayward rafters go through, vainly trying to control their floatation…standing quietly, up to my knees, in some calm water half-way below a section of rough water…making sure my son doesn’t slip on a mossy rock…
When suddenly something hits me hard in the back on my knees. Down I go in the deep water, trying to hold my favorite rod up in the air, swimming upstream/to the shore with one hand, glancing over and seeing a flurry of yellow right behind me.
My son was yelling something–hard to hear across the water as we know–me just saying, “I’m fine!” to keep him from doing something insane.
To make a long story short: a small K-Mart style tube split, someone either lost it or abandoned it, and it hit me in the legs, knocking me into the water. The rod is fine, my clothes are drying, and son is telling his dad about the way I swim.
We WERE planning on getting couple trout for dinner tomorrow… (Oh well, maybe early tomorrow morning.)
I hate cheap tubes…
You can say this is another case of fishing going down the tube.
So, you advise, only fish faceing upstream as it is the only way to be safe. Like walking against the traffic so you can see what is comeing at you. As you are a guide I will strongly consider this. Do you also recomend throwing away all nymphs and other worthless nuscience wet type (down stream) flies? I have heard that as they are usually weighted they are dangerous if you fall in and might drown you, wheras high quality dryfly hackle might save you?
I believe that JC is correct. Your problem clearly calls for an equipment adjustment. It’s definitely time to move to the HEAVY gear. Nine or ten weight rods and barbed saltwater flies with at least quarter-ounce, lead eyes or coneheads. These rafters can be pretty crafty once they’re hooked. They will try to cut your line or tangle it once you set the hook. You may even need three or four feet of steel bite tippet. Go on the heavy side, equipment wise, until you get the hang of landing one of these heavyweights.
On the serious side, I’m glad that your unexpected swim ended with no equipment or personal damage. 8T
You had better learn to be a happy camper. You only get one try at this campground and it’s a real short camping season.
[This message has been edited by Eight Thumbs (edited 16 July 2006).]
I’ve heard you can go to spinning gear and cast a beer bottle way away for you…tends to attract them…can’t do it through Bend, OR though…they’re thinking of banning beer.
How annoying! A buddy was telling me yesterday that he got hit by a couple in a canoe! Whenever I hear this kind of thing I have to keep repeating “we share the river, we share the river.” Eventually the growling subsides. By about the time the clothes dry, I suppose.
Remember that the correct hook set for rafters is the same one that you would use for large tarpon. Strike hard four or five times and make sure that you drive the barb all the way home. Be sure that you are not distracted by the yelling and loud noises after the first strike—complete the job with three or four more good hard pulls. 8T
You had better learn to be a happy camper. You only get one try at this campground and it’s a real short camping season.
This reminds me of a recent bumper sticker I saw. We have TONS of bicyclists on our roads here in colorado, and official signs warning motorists to ‘Share the road.’ The bumper sticker was:
Share the Road?
Share the Taxes!
And now Colorado is applying that to rafters and others in some places. To use certain State Wildlife areas for any purpose, fishing, rafting, hiking, rock climbing, bicycling, etc – the non-fishing users have to purchase a ‘habitat stamp’ for 10 bucks.
It makes me MUCH more willing to share the river with rafters, knowing that they have to pay to use it also.
A fact…I’m not sure how it’s come down…but the Bend city council was going to vote on banning beer on board for drifters going through Bend on the Deschutes…what do you do drink it fast …or smuggle it through…surely you wouldn’t throw it overboard???
danbob,
Bravo! Love that sticker.
I grew up in Colo (when Westminster was a tiny 5 minute town, and there was a huge span of farmland between Loveland and Ft Collins), and I watched these packs and packs of bikes developing and breeding with freewill. (I still have a Red Zinger Classic t-shirt.) I don’t mind sharing, and I certainly would not mind paying a stamp fee for more bike lanes and greenbelt paths. It’s the pack of bikes 40-50 deep taking the entire lane, going 30 mph on a 50 mph mountain road that is irksome.
Yesterday, we crossed to the other side and rafted down the river. We saw only one flyfisher (it was 3pm and HOT!), and two spinners. I refrained from comment when one spinner was casting his lure between two groups of rafters…
Duckster - Throwing beer overboard!!! AGGGGH!!! You probably know you can be fined by the Oregon State Police /DNR for urniating in a river, lake or stream (even the bays along the coast). I suppose beer could be considered Pre-Pee and thus be enforced with a fine also? For me, I will take my chances.
Diane, I would recommend a spey rod and a 2/0 conehead streamer. Swing that bad boy around and know one will come near you. If they do, spey rods make great weapons.lol.
I’m glad your o.k. You always want to remember to keep looking up stream. You never know when a tree limb, ice sheets (in the winter of course), debris or a drunken tuber is gonna make a b-line for ya.
Maybe this fits here …and is something I’ve wondered about for quite a few years…
We hire a guide for a drift down the Deschutes…steelhead…we start early…very early…and as we get to the hole the guide wants to fish first…there is a camp on the bank…don’t know how long they were there but it was in the days that a spot could be "hogged’…this is before sunup and the folks in camp are still in the sack…so the guide drops us off to fish this great steelhead hole as daylight happens…we are like sheep and do it with a lot of depredation …and nothing came of it and don’t even remember if we caught anything…
Anyway what’s OK???
Oh and after we talked more to our guide he said…“you gotta be tough to live in the West”.
and later we found out he was a black belt…easy for him to say!
Again…there’s a lot of ways to handle it but what’s the ettiquite…they may have had no more right to the river than we did.???
