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[andrew5]

Hey guys,

I'm heading out to the mamquam/cheakamus this weekend and want to catch my first bull. Any suggestions on how I should approach this?

Flies?
retrieve?
Time of day?type of water to fish?
depth?
floating or sinkin line?

Any and all help is much appreciated.

Thanks,

Andrew

[D.Sams]

Hope this one gets answered - wouldn't mind to learn some more specific information from those who have the experience.

[whereismyfloat]

Hey guys,

I'm heading out to the mamquam/cheakamus this weekend and want to catch my first bull. Any suggestions on how I should approach this?

Flies?
moal's, zonkers, wool head sculpins
retrieve?
start at the top of a run. standing in one spot, cast across and let the fly sink/swing in about 5 -10 foot increments before you start retrieving. think of the river as a big piece of grid paper. you want to try and have you fly move through as much of the squares as possible. once you exhausted the first spot. move 15 feet downstream and start over.
Time of day?type of water to fish?
 throughout
depth?
a foot or two off bottom
floating or sinkin line?
i would use a floating line with various lengths of t14 to get down to the zone. some guys would use different fly weights to accomplish the same thing. depends on how fast the waters movin

Any and all help is much appreciated.

Thanks,

Andrew

[andrew5]

I'm surprised to hear floating line... at the guy at Berry\s said today "you fotta fish in the basement to find 'em.

I realize a long leader and a bead head can accomplish this, but it takes more time to get down there, especially in fast current. Wouldn't this cause me to miss more of the deep water as I wait for it to swing across?

[dereke]

     Bulls are a funny fish. At certain times they seem like the stupidest fish in the river and will hit anything and then there are times I have cast over some monsters (8-12lb range) on the Cheak and they wouldn't touch a thing. At times they are very aggressive to a swung fly (intruders,sculpins,buggers) and at others a dead drift (flesh,eggs) can induce strikes. If there are fry around a floating line and a longer leader cast upstream a bit to let sink a couple of seconds then let swung across the current is so fun. Hang on if you get a strike as they will smash it. Fry work best at first and last light or on gloomy days with no reflection. Also at this time of year alevin patterns dead drifted just off the bottom can be deadly as they cannot swim and some are being dislodged from the rocks.  Change it up if one thing is not working. There are some hogs in the tribs of the Squamish and more numbers in the mainstem but on average they are smaller. Although the mainstem has its nooks and crans as well with bigger fish. All types of lines can be effective on this system (floating to heavy sink) depending on conditions, timing, and what part of the river you are fishing. To listen to someone and stay with what they say may leave you with far fewer fish than thinking a little outside of the box sometimes. The Squamish system is not about instant gratification and you will usually have to put some time in before results will come but when you do double digit bull trout days can happen for sure. So much water to fish I love it. whereismyfloat is right as covering all the water is key. Do not pack light as there are Steelies in the system and a 5wt. will stress these fish way to much. Good luck........

cheers
Derek

[whereismyfloat]

I'm surprised to hear floating line... at the guy at Berry\s said today "you fotta fish in the basement to find 'em.

I realize a long leader and a bead head can accomplish this, but it takes more time to get down there, especially in fast current. Wouldn't this cause me to miss more of the deep water as I wait for it to swing across?

that's why you would use the t14. many guys will use loop systems and interchange different lengths of t14 tips to match the water conditions. it essentially takes your float line and turns it into a sink tip to get the fly down and the loop systems make the interchanges quick and easy 

[Jamison Jay]

I wouldn't be sticking any T-14 onto the end of a floating line, unless it is an egressive taper and has the forward taper has been chopped and looped.

I've had others that don't fish them the same way as me but I love letting the line hang down for an extra couple of seond, when they aren't agressive as dereke mentioned I've hit more of them as I start to strip the line back in for my next cast then at any other point. They are lazy in what kind of water they hold in so watch for those spots. Under cuts seem to always have a couple hanging out.

[marmot]

I've had others that don't fish them the same way as me but I love letting the line hang down for an extra couple of seond, when they aren't agressive as dereke mentioned I've hit more of them as I start to strip the line back in for my next cast then at any other point.

I'd echo this for sure.. something else to feel for is a very subtle grab and hold on the swing.  If you feel like your line just gets the slightest bit of added drag...and I mean slight...it's probably a fish.  They take very subtly sometimes so you have to be on your toes.  Don't always expect a lot of weight.  The biggest fish I've taken so far this year (8lb range) have been almost imperceptible takes.

[Matt]

Bulls can be really finicky as has been mentioned earlier.  The only thing I can add to what's been said is look for white edges of fins when trying to spot fish and where there's one, there's probably more.  Fish in pods seem more prone to biting that solo fish.

[marmot]

Fish in pods seem more prone to biting that solo fish.

Competition.... it's like watching my wife's family eat dinner together (5 siblings).