Fast foward a decade, now I’m living in Portland, Maine. For those of you who don’t know a thing about this commonly forgotten state, all you need to know is this. The striper season is absolutely incredible. Living on the coast of New England will provide you with excellent salt water fishing but no fresh water. Although the Presumpscott, my old stomping grounds, is an estuary. These guys are pound for pound, some absolutely strong fish. You can tell a striper for their horizontal stripes accross their entire body. In the rivers you would find a hole and use sand worms which were badass because they had actual teeth. You had to make ‘em swallow the hook so it wouldn’t fall off. Off the dock you would carry a Kastmaster or jig of somesort  and try for Makeral. Just catch one and your good for an hour or two. The trick is to catch a small little guy the hook him in his back so he’s still alive and can swim. Just wait and the food chain will do it’s part.

Come March in western Washington, where I live, the wait will be over. Lakes will be annually stocked, and rivers will open (Cedar). The trout, which is my forte, will return after winter. The much anticipated baseball season will slowely begin to commence. Bottom line is that I respect fish. They live in a completely different world than us; underwater. To the naked eye, a body of water is just what you can see above the surface, which is just water. Being fortuneate enough to pull a fish out from the water to me, is a miracle. The biology of a fish is advanced and highly evolved. Gravity doesnt exist underwater so fish can move extremely fast with less muscle. Fish are beautiful and delicious. Cooking fish is always fun whether you grill it, smoke it, sear it, fry it, or bake it, it always taste’s bomb to me.

Fishing is a good way to reflect, and try new things. The scenery is usually breath taking. I have have actually fed a bald eagle by throwning a fish 10 or so feet from the boat I watched as the mighty bird with a six foot wingspan tactically swooped from a tree and snatched it up a split second after is hit the water. This was one of the most incredible occurances to ever happen to me and it capped a great day on Beaver Lake in Sammamish Washington. My rods are ready, my tackle box is organized, all I need is time to pass. I’ll probably hit up the Skykomish for some steely’s or maybe even out to Forks to fish the big rivers. So, when asked why I fish, I will answer “becasue I’m up for the challenge”.      - Tight Lines over and out.

Here’s the best part. Last summer at the trout hatchery, a large floating tree destroyed containment nets containing 30,000 triploids. Every fish was unintentionally released into Rufus Woods Lake. Wow! Get up there and get yourself a trophy, but dont go when theres a snow or wind storm in the forecast. RWL is open year round. The limit is two trout and two Kokanee per angler. There is a fee to fish this lake. The Coleville Tribal Permit is $7.50 per day. You can pick one up in the city of Pateros at the Pateros Ace Hardware just off Highway 97. Their phone number is (509) 923-2622.

From Renton, which is where I live, it would be a 3 to 4 hour drive. Let me know if you have fished at Rufus Woods before.

Somebody let me know where the fish are. Thank you

Adam B

This time of year use dry’s. Specifically any kind of Adams or Stimulator. These fish are going to eat aything in their feeding path so presentation is key. You could have some luck on Caddis as well. The scenery is breathtaking as this stream runs through a steep valley in the Cascade Mountains. It’s cold and rainy this time of year but don’t worry, the rain intensifies aquatic insect hatches. Currently the flow on the middle fork near Tanner is around 5300 cfs. Get out there now becasue winter is right around the corner. When the water level increases its not so good fishing so always check the river reports to make sure its low.

Have fun and always,

Tight Lines

Adam B

The drag system is easy to use. For right handed anglers, there is a dial on the right side of the reel that adjusts the drag. You can tell by the clicking sound and the tention when you tighten it that it is durable. It goes from loose to tight in one spin.

When changing fly’s I tuck my rod in my arm pit. I do not place the reel in the river upright, so I dont know how it holds up after being soaked in water.

The reel came without backing, naturally. When reeling the backing and floating line onto my reel, it grinded slightly each time the handle passed the rod handle.  I wanted my backing tight so I had my girlfriend apply a lot of tension on the spool of backing. The reel does not grind when reeling in a fish.

All in all, it has a smooth, clean look. The drag system works great with strong fish and is easy to operate. This is a great lightweight reel for entry level anglers and the seasoned vet.

For cleaning and  maintenence, the spool easily pops off the base by pushing a spring loaded switch in the center of the handle side. You can purchase an extra spool and put sinking line on it for lake fishing.

The reel is light weight. The main reason I chose the RISE was because of how light weight it is.  I would recomend the reel to anybody looking for a great reel for the price.

I still need to publish photos for this review.

This is my trout rod. It has ultra light action and is very flexible. I got it for $75. I went for the 5’6 length.

There are few things that i require in a trout rod. One: It needs to be ultralight. Sometimes this depends on the size of fish you are catching, but i’ve landed countless 20 inch triploids on this rod and it didn’t break. The light action provides a sensitive feel that makes a small fish seem like a big fish.

Two: Durability. So far, i’ve had this rod for a year and a half and it has held up great. Granted, your rods shelf life depends on how well you treat your gear. The guide holes are connected to the shaft by one V shaped metal reinforcement. These can bend easily, so you have to be careful when storing and transporting it. Another reinforcement could be added to the top of each guide hole, but that would add more weight to the rod. I would rather be careful with my gear and have a lighter weight rod than having more weight added onto it.

Three: Getting your money’s worth. The Guides choice is a medium priced rod. What is the difference between a $25 rod and a $75 rod? The answer is quality. My buddy has a graphite Shimano Stimuli that he has always been satisfied with. It is the same length as my Lamiglas and is also ultralight. He got it for $25 at Big 5. Side by side, my rod looks more thin at the base above the top part of the cork handle. Our rods are both made for 2 to 6 pound test, but the Lamiglas has a smaller circumfrence. I appreciate this becasue my rod is less heavy than the Shimano and still has that same weight capabilities. Don’t get me wrong, Shimano is a very respectable name. All their gear is of great quality.

Four: Flexability. I like flexible trout rods because you can feel the fish fight and you can cast further. The North X Northwest Guides Choice is the floppiest rod i’ve ever used.  When using this rod you can feel every nibble which helps you catch more fish. When your catching smaller fish, flexibility adds to the fun!

I also appreciate that this rod was made locally in Washington state. So, for all you Washington anglers who want to support local companies, this should be the rod for you. Great rod for the price with little or no problems. I love my rod. It was truely money well spent. I haven’t seen this rod in stores for a while, so if you happen to find one, snatch it up, you won’t be dissapointed.

First off, you need to have a blade. You can cut line with your teeth if you want but I prefer not to. Needle nose pliers also come in handy from time to time especially if you have split shot sinkers. You can use the pliers to retrieve a swallowed hook from your fish as well.  A knotless net should be mandatory especially if your in a boat. Extra line is helpful when your using swivels because you will need a leader. For trout, use 6 lb. test. There are many brands, I prefer P-Line.

A smart angler will have a variety of sinkers. One should have split shot in various weights, and egg sinkers in various weights. You also need swivels. For smaller fish you need smaller swivels. You need hooks. My favorite brand is Gamakatsu. I’ve never broken one and they always stay sharp. They are made of special high carbon steel. The hook size is also dependent on the size of fish.

Artificial bait is important to have. PowerBait is the most well known brand name and that is what I use. Every color PowerBait works so have at lease one jar. PowerEggs are my favorite. They are made of a sort of rubber, so they wont come off the hook as easy as the PowerBait will. Have orange, chartreuse, pink and white. The PowerBait and PowerEggs are for trout only.

Keep plenty of spinners handy. Either Rooster Tail or Mepps. Always have a few good sliver and gold spinners. Chartreuse spinners are also effective. Just play around with your color choice to see which one the fish prefer for that given day.