Larimer's Steelhead Gear
About The Rods...
Burkheimer 8139-3
The C.F. Burkheimer 8139-3 (13'9 for a #8) is rod I reach for on our winter rivers.
It's powerful butt section aids in lifting and casting heavy sink tips and weighted
flies. This thing is a cannon! I'll also use it for summer fishing were longer casts
are necessary, or when I'm fishing big flies and Skagit heads.
The 8139 is a great choice if you only wanted one rod for all seasons.
Burkheimer 8134-4
When Kerry Burkheimer built the 8134 (13'4 for a #8), he built it with love. The
8134 is slowly becoming one of my favorites in the Burkheimer family of rods.
The tip is a little more forgiving than the 8139 giving the caster a little more feel
for what the rod is doing. With that said, this rod does not lack in power. It may
be the best rod for Skagit style casting on the market. More so, it's a dream with
a Delta Spey.
Burkheimer 7133-3
The C.F. Burkheimer 7133-3 (13'3 for a #7) could possibly be the best
"do everything" stick for summer fishing. Rigged with a Scandinavian shooting
head it marches through the wind. If I need to go subsurface, I'll loop off the
Scandi head, and replace it with a Skagit head. The rod will comfortably handle
large weighted fly. Consequently, it also doubles for a great winter rod for large &
mid sized rivers.
Burkheimer 7125-3
The C.F. Burkheimer 7125-3 (12'5 for a #7) is a wonderful summer steelhead rod.
It's light, snappy, and extremely responsive. If you're a floating line junkie, this rod
is for you!
Burkheimer 8139-3
The C.F. Burkheimer 8139-3 (13'9 for a #8) is rod I reach for on our winter rivers.
It's powerful butt section aids in lifting and casting heavy sink tips and weighted
flies. This thing is a cannon! I'll also use it for summer fishing were longer casts
are necessary, or when I'm fishing big flies and Skagit heads.
The 8139 is a great choice if you only wanted one rod for all seasons.
Burkheimer 8134-4
When Kerry Burkheimer built the 8134 (13'4 for a #8), he built it with love. The
8134 is slowly becoming one of my favorites in the Burkheimer family of rods.
The tip is a little more forgiving than the 8139 giving the caster a little more feel
for what the rod is doing. With that said, this rod does not lack in power. It may
be the best rod for Skagit style casting on the market. More so, it's a dream with
a Delta Spey.
Burkheimer 7133-3
The C.F. Burkheimer 7133-3 (13'3 for a #7) could possibly be the best
"do everything" stick for summer fishing. Rigged with a Scandinavian shooting
head it marches through the wind. If I need to go subsurface, I'll loop off the
Scandi head, and replace it with a Skagit head. The rod will comfortably handle
large weighted fly. Consequently, it also doubles for a great winter rod for large &
mid sized rivers.
Burkheimer 7125-3
The C.F. Burkheimer 7125-3 (12'5 for a #7) is a wonderful summer steelhead rod.
It's light, snappy, and extremely responsive. If you're a floating line junkie, this rod
is for you!
Spey Rods
For all of the steelhead rivers we fish here in the Columbia Gorge, I recommend
using a Spey rod. If you're not familiar with Spey rods, check out the
Spey Casting page. On this page you will find my general recommendations as
well as the specific outfits I use on a daily basis.
For summer steelhead fishing on the Deschutes and Klickitat, I prefer #7 to #8
weight rods in the 12'5 to 14' lengths. For winter and spring fishing on the Sandy
and Clackamas, a 13' to 14'5 for a #8 or #9 weight rod gets the job done nicely.
I'm a huge fans of Burkheimer Spey rods. The company is based out of
Washougal, Washington. Simply put, they are the Farrari of the rod world. Every
rod is hand built from start to finish in their small shop. I've compiled a complete
list of the rods I fish as well as line recommendations for Burkheimer rods. You
will also find Sage, Winston, and Echo rods in our guide boats.
For all of the steelhead rivers we fish here in the Columbia Gorge, I recommend
using a Spey rod. If you're not familiar with Spey rods, check out the
Spey Casting page. On this page you will find my general recommendations as
well as the specific outfits I use on a daily basis.
For summer steelhead fishing on the Deschutes and Klickitat, I prefer #7 to #8
weight rods in the 12'5 to 14' lengths. For winter and spring fishing on the Sandy
and Clackamas, a 13' to 14'5 for a #8 or #9 weight rod gets the job done nicely.
I'm a huge fans of Burkheimer Spey rods. The company is based out of
Washougal, Washington. Simply put, they are the Farrari of the rod world. Every
rod is hand built from start to finish in their small shop. I've compiled a complete
list of the rods I fish as well as line recommendations for Burkheimer rods. You
will also find Sage, Winston, and Echo rods in our guide boats.
What I fish...
Dressing For Success
Weather in the Columbia Gorge area can be extremely variable. In the heat of
the summer, the Deschutes canyon can get over 100 degrees. Conversely,
winter fishing on the Sandy can be down right chilly. Dressing properly can
make or break your day. Please come prepared for the weather!
Your clothing should be earth tones, something that will blend into the
environment. Keep in mind, these fish make a living out of survival!
Layering is the key to staying comfortable in cold weather conditions. I'll vary my
layering system depending on the weather and the time of the year. Whatever I
wear under my waders, it's always a synthetic, moisture wicking material like
fleece and Simms Wader Wick underwear. A Gore-Tex wading jacket like
Simms G3 Guide jacket will protect you from the elements. For all steelhead
trips, please bring a complete change of clothing just in case you decide it's
your day to be baptised in the river.
For waders, I prefer Simms breathables with felt soled wading boots.
(Cleated boots are fine in my boat.)
I use Simms products exclusively for one simple reason... They listen to what
guides have to say. Their clothing, waders, bags, and accessories are built to
withstand the daily punishment of proffesional fly fishing guides.
Miscellaneous Gear
-Waterproof gear bag
-Waterproof fanny pack
-Wading staff
-Forceps
-Nippers
*A complete packing list will be sent to you with your guide trip confirmation.
Flies
Check out the Flies page.
You can find Spey rods, reels, Spey lines, clothing and more at our On-line fly
shop, SteelheadBum.com... Check it out!
Weather in the Columbia Gorge area can be extremely variable. In the heat of
the summer, the Deschutes canyon can get over 100 degrees. Conversely,
winter fishing on the Sandy can be down right chilly. Dressing properly can
make or break your day. Please come prepared for the weather!
Your clothing should be earth tones, something that will blend into the
environment. Keep in mind, these fish make a living out of survival!
Layering is the key to staying comfortable in cold weather conditions. I'll vary my
layering system depending on the weather and the time of the year. Whatever I
wear under my waders, it's always a synthetic, moisture wicking material like
fleece and Simms Wader Wick underwear. A Gore-Tex wading jacket like
Simms G3 Guide jacket will protect you from the elements. For all steelhead
trips, please bring a complete change of clothing just in case you decide it's
your day to be baptised in the river.
For waders, I prefer Simms breathables with felt soled wading boots.
(Cleated boots are fine in my boat.)
I use Simms products exclusively for one simple reason... They listen to what
guides have to say. Their clothing, waders, bags, and accessories are built to
withstand the daily punishment of proffesional fly fishing guides.
Miscellaneous Gear
-Waterproof gear bag
-Waterproof fanny pack
-Wading staff
-Forceps
-Nippers
*A complete packing list will be sent to you with your guide trip confirmation.
Flies
Check out the Flies page.
You can find Spey rods, reels, Spey lines, clothing and more at our On-line fly
shop, SteelheadBum.com... Check it out!
|
| Related Links: >Guided Trips >Meet Our Staff >Steelhead Flies |
| Home Guided Trips Spey Casting Schools & Classes About Us Contact Us ON-LINE Fly Shop Hood River, Oregon Lodging & Area Map Gear & Flies River Photos Links LARIMER OUTFITTERS LLC Phone: #541.490.9446 I email: tom@larimeroutfitters.com © 2008, All rights reserved |
Other Links:
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
| __________________________ |
By Tom Larimer
| _________________________ Related Links: |
-Line cleaner
-Brimmed hat
-Polarized sunglasses
-Camera
-Sun screen
-Brimmed hat
-Polarized sunglasses
-Camera
-Sun screen
| _____________________________________________________________ Brands We Trust... |
______________________________________________________________
Fly Lines
Over the past few years, I have gravitated towards shooting taper style Spey
lines. It makes sense to me to have a looped running line which you can attach
different working lines depending on the conditions. For summer fishing, I
utilize both Scandinavian style floating heads with poly leaders, and Skagit
heads with sink-tips. During the winter and spring, a Skagit head is all you will
need. A fly rod is only as good as it's line. I use Airflo products because they
build products that work well on the rods I prefer to cast. Their new technology
is at the cutting edge of line design.
Airflo Skagit Compact
If you fished in my boat last couple of years, chances are you cast one of the
prototypes for Airflo's new Skagit Compact lines. I would like to say thanks for
all of your input. All of you helped in the conception of this line. My observations
of how this line worked in your hands ultimately led to my influence in it's
design.
The Skagit Compact was built for steelhead fishing, not casting a piece of yarn
on a casting pond. The line's short rear taper and dense belly combined with a
huge front wedge make casting big flies and heavy sink-tips a dream.
Shorter than what most folks are used too, this line bucks the rules. This
necessitates a very compact, closed stroke. Keep your elbows in tight to your
body, use at least two to three feet of overhang, slow down your back cast, and
use your bottom hand to drive the rod. Simply put, you don't need to work hard
with this line. If you're ripping your anchor out of the water, you're working way
to hard. Take your time, and let the line do the work. I truly believe this spey
line will not only improve your two-handed casting, but it will help you catch
more steelhead. I hope you enjoy it.
Reels
A large arbor, disk drag reel is my first choice for steelhead fishing. The reel
should balance your rod and provide enough room for 150 yards of backing
plus your line. If you want to role a little soul and use an old click and pawl, by
all means do so!
I have used Ross reels for the past fourteen years. In fact, I still use the first
Ross reel I ever owned for guiding. Ross has consistently been at the forefront
of reel design since 1973.
Leaders & Tippet
For Scani heads, I fish Airflo's 10' Poly Leaders. Poly Leaders come in a variety
of densities ranging from floating to super fast sinking. For surface and near
surface work, I'll fish a floating or intermediate leader with 3' to 4' of 10lb.
Maxima Ultra Green tippet. I'll go to a sinking leader in the wind or if I need to
get a small wet fly a few inches deeper in cold water. As a side note, some
folks may prefer fishing an Airflo 14' Poly Leader especially on rods over 13'6.
For Skagit heads with sink-tips, I strip the coating off the end of the sink-tip and
tie a perfection loop right into the core material. This only works on sink-tips
with a mono core. For braided core sink-tips, I use a 12" butt section of 30Lb.
Maxima Chameleon. I prefer an Albright knot for this junction.
For tippet, I typically fish 3' to 7' of 10lb. Maxima Ultra Green. To attach the
tippet, I use a triple surgeon's knot and go loop to loop with the perfection loop
on the butt section.
Over the past few years, I have gravitated towards shooting taper style Spey
lines. It makes sense to me to have a looped running line which you can attach
different working lines depending on the conditions. For summer fishing, I
utilize both Scandinavian style floating heads with poly leaders, and Skagit
heads with sink-tips. During the winter and spring, a Skagit head is all you will
need. A fly rod is only as good as it's line. I use Airflo products because they
build products that work well on the rods I prefer to cast. Their new technology
is at the cutting edge of line design.
Airflo Skagit Compact
If you fished in my boat last couple of years, chances are you cast one of the
prototypes for Airflo's new Skagit Compact lines. I would like to say thanks for
all of your input. All of you helped in the conception of this line. My observations
of how this line worked in your hands ultimately led to my influence in it's
design.
The Skagit Compact was built for steelhead fishing, not casting a piece of yarn
on a casting pond. The line's short rear taper and dense belly combined with a
huge front wedge make casting big flies and heavy sink-tips a dream.
Shorter than what most folks are used too, this line bucks the rules. This
necessitates a very compact, closed stroke. Keep your elbows in tight to your
body, use at least two to three feet of overhang, slow down your back cast, and
use your bottom hand to drive the rod. Simply put, you don't need to work hard
with this line. If you're ripping your anchor out of the water, you're working way
to hard. Take your time, and let the line do the work. I truly believe this spey
line will not only improve your two-handed casting, but it will help you catch
more steelhead. I hope you enjoy it.
Reels
A large arbor, disk drag reel is my first choice for steelhead fishing. The reel
should balance your rod and provide enough room for 150 yards of backing
plus your line. If you want to role a little soul and use an old click and pawl, by
all means do so!
I have used Ross reels for the past fourteen years. In fact, I still use the first
Ross reel I ever owned for guiding. Ross has consistently been at the forefront
of reel design since 1973.
Leaders & Tippet
For Scani heads, I fish Airflo's 10' Poly Leaders. Poly Leaders come in a variety
of densities ranging from floating to super fast sinking. For surface and near
surface work, I'll fish a floating or intermediate leader with 3' to 4' of 10lb.
Maxima Ultra Green tippet. I'll go to a sinking leader in the wind or if I need to
get a small wet fly a few inches deeper in cold water. As a side note, some
folks may prefer fishing an Airflo 14' Poly Leader especially on rods over 13'6.
For Skagit heads with sink-tips, I strip the coating off the end of the sink-tip and
tie a perfection loop right into the core material. This only works on sink-tips
with a mono core. For braided core sink-tips, I use a 12" butt section of 30Lb.
Maxima Chameleon. I prefer an Albright knot for this junction.
For tippet, I typically fish 3' to 7' of 10lb. Maxima Ultra Green. To attach the
tippet, I use a triple surgeon's knot and go loop to loop with the perfection loop
on the butt section.
| Call us: (541) 490-9446 email us |
