Preparing for White River

[@hgera000]

Quality content on streamer game is hard to find. This channel is gold.

[@alexlafkasfishing]

Appreciate it! That's the goal, get something that actually contributes to people learning, not just fluff and bs.

[@flytyryguy]

Can't wait to see the white river footage

[@alexlafkasfishing]

Yeah, hopefully be able to get some before the trips start

[@joeroher684]

Be safe on the drive down man.. and catch them all!!!!

[@alexlafkasfishing]

I'll definitely catch more than CHRISTOPHER!

[@alexhendrick8288]

Pumped for you dude! Good luck. We got crap weather rolling in down here so travel safe. Probably be running heavy water due to cold temps and power needs being up.

[@alexlafkasfishing]

There will definitely be some of that

[@Ericbyhookorbycrook]

In N.E. Pennsylvania we're having a freeze out right now. Only seeing the die hards fishing. I kinda love it. Life is good. Wish I was headed to the White though lololo. Good luck to all you badasses getting in that grade A water. I'm jealous.

[@alexlafkasfishing]

Thx man, staying west of st louis tonight. They have more snow than we did in Michigan

[@KyleHood-c5k]

Using a rio outbound short for my 8wt I’ll be down there February with Steve. I’ll be there for a week

[@alexlafkasfishing]

He seems to like those, I prefer the striper. Seems like it's an easier line for me to be accurate with at distance

[@KyleHood-c5k]

Is the stripper a full sink?

[@alexlafkasfishing]

@KyleHood-c5k 30 foot tip with an intermediate runner. More of a uniform diameter than the outboard short

[@KyleHood-c5k]

I can see more control on the long haul with that.

[@pam424]

Great information Alex. Would you suggest a 400 grain sink tip and a 9 wt. F/HI Predator to cover both ends of water flows for casting bigger stuff with a nine weight. I’ll be bringing a 250 for my 7, and 300 for my 8. Thanks.

[@alexlafkasfishing]

@pam424 no. 350 is as heavy as I go on a 9wt, I actually prefer casting a 300 on the 9 but with wind or a very large fly I'll go to the 350. Line speed/ a proper double haul is more important than grain weight when it comes to casting

[@gregb440]

I had to do maths in my head... but year 16 in a row coming up! People ask me if I'd ever go fish the White without Alex or a guide. I usually just laugh and say NOPE! And as for fishing with Alex, anyone that's hired him knows why his schedule is usually full. ;)

[@alexlafkasfishing]

Ha, yeah it's been awhile now. Count down is on!

[@NorCalsteelheadbum]

Hi Alex, I've fished streamers over 50 days this year and I haven't hooked a single brown trout yet. I'm trying to figure out what I'm doing wrong. I'm changing my fly color, size, and profile every 10 minutes. I'm varying my retrieves between jerk stripping, jig stripping, and two hand stripping. I usually get 20-30 follows per float which means they're interested but I don't know why one hasn't committed. The river I'm fishing is very deep and clear. The deepest holes on the river are up to 40 feet deep and I can see all the way to the bottom. The water is almost as clear as tap water with a green tint. Despite it being deep in lots of places, there are still quite a few 3-5 foot deep runs that i've been working the most because I know that's where they are. I change my leader setup based on conditions. It's usually 3.5 ' at the shortest to 6' at the longest. I usually use 3x as the lightest leader to 15lb as the heaviest. Because of the clear water i've tried fishing smaller and more drab colored streamers but I haven't got them to chase any fly smaller than a dungeon. They seem to prefer larger meals because usually about once every couple floats when I'm fishing for rainbows with indicators, a big brown will grab the rainbow off my line and break me off. I've tried tons of different baby rainbow streamers, but they ignore them. I've tried adding pauses at different intervals and lengths but that doesn't help either. Another thing i've tried is casting at 45 degree angles either upstream or downstream and then retrieving which seems to move a lot of fish (sometimes two at once) but that doesn't work either. I've also tried dead drifting streamers on a euro rod and under an indicator which catches rainbows but not the browns. Do you have any ideas on what could be going wrong?

[@alexlafkasfishing]

That's a lot to unpack. Try pausing the fly longer during the retrieve. If I have clients that aren't getting eats, that solves the problem 90% of the time

[@NorCalsteelheadbum]

@@alexlafkasfishingI have tired pausing my fly up to 7 seconds but it doesn’t seem to help.

[@davidcarroll9095]

Curious what you think about the Rio Predator lines?

[@alexlafkasfishing]

I like the lines but some of them (I think all) have a very thick section on the fly line. I really dislike that for hooking and fighting fish in current

[@zachpinnell1498]

When you say “a couple fish that we know of” - there are specific fish with ‘homes’ you can go find consistently in the same spot on the White every year?

[@zachpinnell1498]

Also is there a reason yellow works in low light? First I’ve heard that. But yellow has been great for me at dusk and at night on the White.

[@Podobed]

Yes

[@alexlafkasfishing]

Yep

[@alexlafkasfishing]

Idk why it is but yes, that yellow at dusk is really good

[@joevanleunen1852]

Hopeful high flows we fished in after Xmas are over. 3 days average CFS 22k at confluence ughh. Will be down there 1st full week off March. Might see u out there but I mostly fish Buffalo to Calico Rock Safe travels Alex

[@alexlafkasfishing]

Never know, im down there a bit too. 1st week of March is my last week

[@joevanleunen1852]

@alexlafkasfishing black jet Sled with large Suzuki outboard will be me

[@rootedrotor525]

Good luck down there Alex. Off topic - but can I get your quick thoughts on the Orvis Recon for streamers in a 6 or 7 wt if you’ve had any experience with it? Someone offered me one on the cheap. Thanks, Eric.

[@alexlafkasfishing]

I have not fished those. Are they 9' or is that their shorter model?

[@rootedrotor525]

@ it’s a 9’. Know you fish more Sage - but thought I’d run it by you just in case you’ve fished it.

[@alexlafkasfishing]

@rootedrotor525 I haven't but all the rods out now are pretty good. The biggest key will b matching it with the right line

[@kennethtuck1297]

I fish that rod in a 7wt. I'd pick it up

[@rootedrotor525]

@ Appreciate your thoughts Alex - Thanks.

[@OwenWilliamsPhD]

Are guided anglers targeting large browns on redds? That seems self-defeating to me.

[@alexlafkasfishing]

Most of them. 95% of the big fish pics u see in the winter are bead/bed fish. Fly and bait guides

[@alexhendrick8288]

@@alexlafkasfishing Jesus I figured they would be opposed to that. Especially since those are the next generation fish. We avoid redds at all costs here in Missouri where I reside.

[@alexlafkasfishing]

@alexhendrick8288 they use to care. Then one of the "new" fly guys got a big one (not even in the mouth, front third though). That was about 6 years ago. All the bait outfits saw it, the other fly guys saw it, no that is the January/February program. That guide left the area but his impact lives on. Now it's just boat after boat all day over the same spawning areas. I'll get some video of it, its pathetic

[@jimmarkovich4119]

@@alexlafkasfishingsad. Kudos to you for demonstrating good ethics

[@alexlafkasfishing]

@jimmarkovich4119 I don't know, fishing is about the process to me, not necessarily the end result. Do I always want to catch more and bigger? Yes, but I'm gonna catch them the way I enjoy fishing