With a broken 6 wt I’ve started using my new switch rod outfit.

Switch Rod Outfit
Redington CPX 7wt  11’3”
Redington Surge 7/8/9
Rio Switch Chucker Line

The CPX is a great discountined rod that casts great and is also fun to fight fish with. I have the Rio Switch Chucker in the spool right now and so far its holding up great for what I need it for. The line does great swinging and is okay at indicator nymphing. I don’t think I’m casting it out the furthest it can go but I can cast further more effortlessly in comparison to my single-handed 6wt.
Nothing feels more bad ass and true to steelheading than fishing with a two-handed rod. Got to get it out there? Bam! There it goes way out there. Don’t have room to backcast? Snap-T! There it is. It can do a bit of everything and I’m diggin’ it.

Feather River
I’ve been reading and talking to anglers who fish the fall-run on the Feather and they say its been the most crowded its ever been. I couldn’t agree more. These fish are being hammered on a daily basis and wrecked on weekends. Before everyone started showing up on the river I managed to catch and land at least one during my half days there but since then its been tough. Not to mention, the lack of rain with no new fish being added to the system, bright clear days, moderate numbers of a returning salmon, and other factors that make it challenging.

I hit the Feather today early and was the first on the river. It always pays off. I swung through a run and hooked a nice steelie on a nice tight-line and it felt amazing when it hit. Of course it jumped and I should have stripped my line instead of trying to get it on the reel. Rookie mistake. Later on the way to my car that same run at two driftboats and a wade angler fishing it. Really…. on a Tuesday? C-R-O-W-D-E-D.

I fished the rest of the day without much luck. Didn’t get skunked though. Caught a little native bow about 8” long. Hopefully the fishing will get better with this weather system coming in.