When the ripples in the water make a V shape, you go straight down the middle of the V (shooting the V for the fastest water). But when the river makes a turn and the current goes up against the bank (making a C shape), you stay in the current but away from the bank by cutting the C. It was just one of those sayings that got drilled into us as kids when we were learning to navigate the river.
This has got to be one of your best videos my friend. I vouch for his big fish I thought I was recording as well and have no footage of it. What a great day that was… even though I got skunked it wasn’t a skunk such a beautiful river beautiful fish and a friend made for a great day. Eric has become a good fly angler it’s always a pleasure to fish with him.
I appreciate your generosity sharing your extra pontoon with me. Having the boat is definitely a game changer for accessing the river. We'll need to go again so you can land one and clear that skunk off :) It's always a pleasure to spend the day with you on the water.
@@driftstone be careful on the class 2 and class three’s though, from turtle bay to Anderson their is a particularly scary eddy called the toilet bowl which could be sketchy
Try toon with 2 hand trout spey. Scandi/skagit. Perfect matck if you love running rivers. Don't buy any raft where you can't fin and be hands free fishing. Good luck
You could add a pair of flippers next time to keep yourself lined up while drifting and fishing. although they would be a bit cumbersome everytime you park to fish a run... ⚖⚖
That's an interesting idea, my only concern would be the foot pegs interfering with the kicks and then lifting my feet back out of the water for the rapids. But I bet it would be worth figuring out. Thanks for the tip.
@@driftstone Yea i guess it would depend on the specific boat model if you have room or not. Check out this vid with a guy using flippers on the Green. th-cam.com/video/W2qJCe-jOGg/w-d-xo.html I've only used flippers with a float tube on a lake, and its a little clumsy taking them on and off and its pretty hard to walk in them, I certainly wouldn't want to fight a steely from a riverbank in them.
Ok, I'll check that out. With everything there are compromises. I imagine that if you're on a river where you'd stay in the boat, flippers would be a good idea. If you're getting out a lot, maybe not.
Toon Drifters! Get rid of that overhead cast that limits everything and gets hung up. Use 2 hand trout spey casts. If your head doesn't explode on this technique Please come back and thank me. Ha!
Ok, I have the same exact set :D Since I've started fishing with a mono-rig, I've been using the Drifter more since I'm casting fly-line style loops and the stiffer tip helps. If you watch the recovery of the rod, the drifter still seems pretty slow to me, so I'm curious about how a Vesper would do.
Another great video. Wish I lived up North. I've seen folks at Lake Crowley use the same type of pontoon, with oars but the also use fins for kicking around while having your hands free to fish. They might have helped to keep you where you wanted to be. I have a brand new Watercraft Kodiak that I got for Black Friday. Can't wait to try it out
I think some short fins are in my future, that's a great idea. Googled the Kodiak, that think looks really great! I see some similar floats in your future. Do you have any plans yet?
The Owens River is closest to me. I've also float tubed in a lot of the lakes in the Mammoth area. My plans are to make it to the Green river this spring!
Recommend fins with one "easy-off" buckle. I toon alot on Owens an CO, and you really need something that comes off one handed in 1-2 seconds. I do not recommend short float tube lace up fins that are a pain, with laces etc. I am using Orvis mission 2 hand for toon now. Perfect match. AKA trout spey. Scandi for surface,, dries skaters. skagit for swing streamers. I rarely step out of toon. I cast from seat. I fin while dip and strip across head of pools. Blah blah not affiliated btw you can scandi/skagit from single hand rods you own. OPST. Use Simon's "turbo" haul. Good luck
Great Vid man! I tried it last time I was in the area with no luck but I did find some fish. Always stoked when I at least see em. Such a beautiful area and thanks for the inspiration to go back next year to try again. Cheers
Tooning is perfect pathway to drift boat guiding. Learn to be a good oarsman as well as anchoring, reading river. Crawl stroke etc. I like tooning better than drfit boat because of fins and hands free fishing. Using 11'4 4wt orvis mission for 2handed scandi/skagit trout spey. Perfect match with toon drifting. I rarely leave my seat to cast. Your head will explode with this combo. Not affiliated.
You need fins bro! Work the head of holding pool lies with dip and strip technique while finning back and forth across the current. Cast downstream and then fin over to holding lie, then strip. This is for anadramous fish that usually hold on bottom. Good luck Steelhead are fish of a 1000 casts. I use spey switch cast to go downstream. Forget overhead single hand. Waste of energy and can hook drifters upstream and trees of course. Ha
Awesome video Eric! That looked like a lot of fun. How do you find casting that ten feet of tippet? I’ve never used that much. And too bad you didn’t get the monster on camera or the underwater release. I hate when that happens. My wife got me a GoPro for Christmas and I learned the hard way that I wasn’t in a wide enough profile to capture the action lol
It's definitely tricky and I tangled a handful of times. I think it's important to have crisp and assertive casts to turn it all over. I have a love hate relationship with Gopros :D
Nice video. Brings back so many memories of pontooning down that river. Shoot the Vs, cut the Cs, and point your nose to danger!
I know the rule about pointing at danger, but what does shoot the Vs and cut the Cs mean?
When the ripples in the water make a V shape, you go straight down the middle of the V (shooting the V for the fastest water). But when the river makes a turn and the current goes up against the bank (making a C shape), you stay in the current but away from the bank by cutting the C. It was just one of those sayings that got drilled into us as kids when we were learning to navigate the river.
@@johntkaneshige ah yes that makes sense. Good stuff. Thanks for explaining
This has got to be one of your best videos my friend. I vouch for his big fish I thought I was recording as well and have no footage of it. What a great day that was… even though I got skunked it wasn’t a skunk such a beautiful river beautiful fish and a friend made for a great day. Eric has become a good fly angler it’s always a pleasure to fish with him.
I appreciate your generosity sharing your extra pontoon with me. Having the boat is definitely a game changer for accessing the river. We'll need to go again so you can land one and clear that skunk off :) It's always a pleasure to spend the day with you on the water.
@@driftstone you guys should go on the lower sac like you live-streamed the other day
That's not a bad idea 💡
@@driftstone be careful on the class 2 and class three’s though, from turtle bay to Anderson their is a particularly scary eddy called the toilet bowl which could be sketchy
@@Nik-gh6gz for sure first time I ever drifted the sac I hit that wrong lucky I didn’t fill my boat up
Try toon with 2 hand trout spey. Scandi/skagit. Perfect matck if you love running rivers. Don't buy any raft where you can't fin and be hands free fishing. Good luck
You could add a pair of flippers next time to keep yourself lined up while drifting and fishing. although they would be a bit cumbersome everytime you park to fish a run... ⚖⚖
That's an interesting idea, my only concern would be the foot pegs interfering with the kicks and then lifting my feet back out of the water for the rapids. But I bet it would be worth figuring out. Thanks for the tip.
@@driftstone Yea i guess it would depend on the specific boat model if you have room or not. Check out this vid with a guy using flippers on the Green.
th-cam.com/video/W2qJCe-jOGg/w-d-xo.html
I've only used flippers with a float tube on a lake, and its a little clumsy taking them on and off and its pretty hard to walk in them, I certainly wouldn't want to fight a steely from a riverbank in them.
Ok, I'll check that out. With everything there are compromises. I imagine that if you're on a river where you'd stay in the boat, flippers would be a good idea. If you're getting out a lot, maybe not.
@@driftstone exactly. its a toss up. I suppose you could also just kick with your feet for small adjustments...
Watching that video, he's using a pretty short flipper, I may have to give that a try.
I definitely need a new day job! Great watching you have adventures. Thanks again!
haha, Thanks for following along. I appreciate you!
That was a great day on the river - thanks for taking us along. Been there done that with not having the camera on, lol!
Thanks Dan, and I'm sure you can relate. It happens to me more often than I'd like to admit. lol
nicely done gents!
Thanks Anatoliy, it's been a fun learning experience.
Toon Drifters! Get rid of that overhead cast that limits everything and gets hung up. Use 2 hand trout spey casts. If your head doesn't explode on this technique Please come back and thank me. Ha!
Awesome seeing some of your quick steelhead success. Steelhead waltz, new meta!
Ha, right? A gentlemen that was trying to help me had never heard of Walt's Worm, so I'm going to make it a thing lol
Great thumbnail Eric! Looking forward to this!
Thanks man, I think this one turned out pretty good, despite not getting the PB on film. ngl
Love my Moonshine rods!!! Great value!!!
I love mine too. I am still curious about the Vesper. Do you have one by chance?
I have a Drifter and Epiphany. Use the Epiphany as my main rod most of the time.
Ok, I have the same exact set :D Since I've started fishing with a mono-rig, I've been using the Drifter more since I'm casting fly-line style loops and the stiffer tip helps. If you watch the recovery of the rod, the drifter still seems pretty slow to me, so I'm curious about how a Vesper would do.
That rod appeared to have no problem for some of the larger fish in your video. 👍
How long ago did you take this trip in the Trinity? Did you put in and float the section near Junction City?
Another great video. Wish I lived up North. I've seen folks at Lake Crowley use the same type of pontoon, with oars but the also use fins for kicking around while having your hands free to fish. They might have helped to keep you where you wanted to be. I have a brand new Watercraft Kodiak that I got for Black Friday. Can't wait to try it out
I think some short fins are in my future, that's a great idea. Googled the Kodiak, that think looks really great! I see some similar floats in your future. Do you have any plans yet?
The Owens River is closest to me. I've also float tubed in a lot of the lakes in the Mammoth area. My plans are to make it to the Green river this spring!
That sounds super fun, that's on my bucket list
Recommend fins with one "easy-off" buckle. I toon alot on Owens an CO, and you really need something that comes off one handed in 1-2 seconds. I do not recommend short float tube lace up fins that are a pain, with laces etc. I am using Orvis mission 2 hand for toon now. Perfect match. AKA trout spey. Scandi for surface,, dries skaters. skagit for swing streamers. I rarely step out of toon. I cast from seat. I fin while dip and strip across head of pools. Blah blah not affiliated btw you can scandi/skagit from single hand rods you own. OPST. Use Simon's "turbo" haul. Good luck
Great Vid man! I tried it last time I was in the area with no luck but I did find some fish. Always stoked when I at least see em. Such a beautiful area and thanks for the inspiration to go back next year to try again.
Cheers
Awesome Justin, it's taken me 4 trips of skunks to get it sort of figured out. Still have a lot to learr, but it keeps ya coming back for sure :D
Tooning is perfect pathway to drift boat guiding. Learn to be a good oarsman as well as anchoring, reading river. Crawl stroke etc. I like tooning better than drfit boat because of fins and hands free fishing. Using 11'4 4wt orvis mission for 2handed scandi/skagit trout spey. Perfect match with toon drifting. I rarely leave my seat to cast. Your head will explode with this combo. Not affiliated.
You need fins bro! Work the head of holding pool lies with dip and strip technique while finning back and forth across the current. Cast downstream and then fin over to holding lie, then strip. This is for anadramous fish that usually hold on bottom. Good luck Steelhead are fish of a 1000 casts. I use spey switch cast to go downstream. Forget overhead single hand. Waste of energy and can hook drifters upstream and trees of course. Ha
Great video, as usual. But horrible scenery; late January on the Trinity and not a minuscule patch of snow in sight! Looks bad for spring and beyond.
what do you think of Tenkara fly fishing rods?
Can't say, I've never tried Tenkara
You need fins. They will change your world
That's a great point
Awesome video Eric! That looked like a lot of fun. How do you find casting that ten feet of tippet? I’ve never used that much. And too bad you didn’t get the monster on camera or the underwater release. I hate when that happens. My wife got me a GoPro for Christmas and I learned the hard way that I wasn’t in a wide enough profile to capture the action lol
It's definitely tricky and I tangled a handful of times. I think it's important to have crisp and assertive casts to turn it all over.
I have a love hate relationship with Gopros :D