It was one of those days today where you dont really even want to leave the couch. The rain pounded the windows, it’s cold, and a thick fog covered the valley. Kind of depressing really.
So, what does a guy do when he is locked up inside this time of year? Tie yarnballs! You can never have to many, as you always seem to lose to many. A football playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens was on t.v, and I had a cold beer, and my steelhead gear layed in front of me.

A good day to take inventory and catch up on my leader tying. Having pre tied leaders is invaluable while on the water. The longer your fishing, the more fish you’ll catch! True story!

I fish yarn balls most of the time for winter steelhead. There inexpensive to make, they last for many consecutive drifts, they come in bright attractive colors, they hold scent well, and there one of the few things i’ve found that drift well in our western rivers while side drifting out of a drift boat.

I’ve been asked many times how I tie yarnballs, and the truth is, it all starts with an egg loop knot first. Here I will demonstrate how I tie these steelhead rigs, there are many variations, but this way works the best for me.

I will be using Hi-Vis line as well so it’s easier for you to see. Start with a 2ft to 3ft leader. Take the tag end of the leader and run it through the eye of the hook just past the bend of the hook.

Next, take the long end of the leader and make 10 wraps around both the hook and tag end of the leader.

With the line tight so your wraps dont come undone, take the end of the leader and go back through the hook 3 to 4 inches.

Here is where your fingers will start to get cramped. With the line still tight from your previous 10 loops around the hook, go back over the line and the hook another 10 times.

Keep the line tight around the hook! I like to pinch the wraps around the hook, then pull the tag end closest to the eye of the hook tight. The loose line will begin to come snug to the hook. Just be sure there is no kinks or knots as the line goes through. Clip the tag end of the line by the bend of the hook.

Here is your finished egg loop. This picture is shown with the egg loop loose ready for yarn, eggs, shrimp, worms or whatever else you would like to fish. Next comes the yarn. Cut 3 to 4 pieces of 1 inch yarn and place it centered through the egg loop.  Glo bug yarn works best as it is thick and stays full in the water.  Using more than one color also adds more realism.

Pull the leader tight and the yarn will become snug in the loop.

A good way to ensure that the yarn ball becomes round, is to pinch it with your thumb and index finger and cut around it. Do this from the top, then pinch from the bottom and both sides to ensure that the yarn ball is round.

Cut off and frayed ends, and you now have an effective steelhead rig.

Add a corky or puff ball on the line to ensure your presentation stays off the bottom, and your ready to fish.

I hope this has helped some people. It can be deadly when fished properly. If fishing eggs or sandshrimp, just simply remove the yarn and you still have an egg loop to fish with!

Tight Lines!

The post Blown Out! appeared first on Follow the Trail with Steven Frambes.

Although I’ve seen my fair share of better years for winter Steelhead fishing, there is still Steelhead to be had in most coastal rivers throughout the west.  However, with the recent lack of rain and dropping river levels, adjusting your presentation is going to be a must to be successful.

Try downsizing your leader to 8lb (6lb if in a smaller than normal river) If you’ve never fought bigger fish on lighter line, adjusting the tension on your drag is going to be necessary.  Along with this, I have also trimmed down the clusters of roe i am drifting to penny size, sometimes even dime size.  For you jig and float fisherman, the same rules apply.  Cold clear water often times mean lazy lethargic fish. Although they are lazy, they are not stupid.  I’ve also found pulling plugs to be effective lately, often enticing a bite from an annoyed fish.

For bank fisherman, dress as if you were hunting fish.  Wear clothing that blends in and that breaks up your silhouette.  Stick with the more neutral colors of clothing.  With my experience the past few days, I think the best piece of advice i can give my fellow northwest Steelhead fisherman, is to get out of the house and go tear up some water.  You cant catch fish if your not fishing!  Don’t be afraid to try new presentations or baits. Get out and see what works for you on your local water.

Feel free to comment on what has worked for you lately or post pictures of your recent catches.

Good fishing!

Steven Frambes

The post Low, Cold Water Steelhead appeared first on Follow the Trail with Steven Frambes.

My action for the day was then done. The downpour quickly turned the small coastal river into a brown mess sending me home early and wondering what could have been if the weather cooperated.

The post Coastal Steelhead appeared first on Follow the Trail with Steven Frambes.

Arriving at our hunting/camp spot, we found conditions more than perfect. A foot of snow had fallen, which congregated the animals, and made spotting coyotes ideal. Although the snow made sleeping conditions a bit rough, seeing the deer everywhere, and antelope herds healthy was well worth the restless nights freezing in the sleeping bag.

Although spotting over 40 coyotes, we ended up with only calling 10 dogs to our credit. But I am happy to say that all 10 dogs would later be by our side.

When we weren’t positioned calling yotes, or glassing the hills for other four legged critters, we found a nearby stream to produce Redband trout in the 20 inch range.

An absolutely amazing week, and a place I will never forget. There was never a dull moment and always something to do. Truly the ulmimate sportsmans week.

The post The Ultimate Outdoorsman's Trip appeared first on Follow the Trail with Steven Frambes.

Brady parked his truck along a skid road and began walking into his hunting spot at first light. Walking on the skid road in the pouring down rain for no longer than an hour, Brady caught movement in the mass of jungle like vegetation. Keeping his cool, Brady waited for a shot to present itself, and gently squezzed the trigger dropping the bull in his tracks at only 30 yards away.

The post Rainy Day Roosevelts appeared first on Follow the Trail with Steven Frambes.

The beginning of the 2007 rifle season started off well. A recent rain quited the forest, and kept deer moving throughout the day. My cousin Brady Smith and I spent most of our time high atop ridges where we could get better vantage points for glassing. We ended up seeing a fair amount of deer, consisting of lots of does and smaller bucks, but nothing that particularly caught our attention.

On October 20th, Brady ended up slapping his tag on this very mature 4×4 blacktail. We spotted some does upon the very top of a ridge, and soon to follow was Mr. big. After a brief 20 minute stalk, Brady was able to close the distance and down this nice deer with one shot through the lungs at 215 yards. The deer ran only 45 yards before expiring. Our quest for a pair of mature bucks was half way over.

On Halloween morning I escaped out of the house to avoid the pesky doorbell ringers that would arrive later that night. Brady and I arrived at our sweet spot at about 1 o’clock in the afternoon and started glassing draws and hillsides, a little to early in the afternoon though for the deer to be moving well. A few hours later, with a small nap in between, we decided to glass some more from our vantage point and started picking deer moving throughout the oak and poison oak patches. Again, nothing buck smaller bucks with does. Thinking that this was going to be another uneventful journey, we packed up the spotting scope and started for the truck so we wouldn’t be tripping over logs and rocks in the darkness. Not 100 yards away from where we were sitting, we jumped a few does, and then noticed a set of deer legs stationary through a patch of Madrone trees. I quickly threw up my scope, yet couldn’t reveal the deers identity. Knowing that the body was bigger than usual, we slowly moved downhill to get a better vantage point. There was no mistaking this deer for a shooter, as soon as I threw my scope on the deer I saw a mass of headgear, wider than the ears, with good mass, by far the biggest buck I’ve seen all season.

The buck disappeared quickly after the 70 yard shot. After a few minutes of catching our breath and getting a hold of our nerves, we walked slowly down to where the deer stood. Not 30 yards from where the deer was standing, we saw his magnificent rack sticking up above the tall grass. With only 2 days left in the season, my wait for a special buck finally ended with this beautiful chocolate antlered 4×4. As night quickly came, I sat there in aw of what lied before me, smelling the fresh untainted air, sharing the experience with my best friend, and thanking the creator for everything I have been given. This is what hunting is all about!

An amazing hunt, and a true eye opener at that. My patience, hard work, frustration, and long days in the field payed off with a beautiful blacktail buck that I was more than proud of.

I know public land hunting isn’t the easiest, as thats where I have hunted all my life, but this goes to show, that if you put the work into it, and get out into the field and study your area thoroughly, you will see trophy class bucks, it all comes down to whether your going to be patient enough and have the determination of holding off at a shot, waiting for Mr. Big to show himself!

The post Blacktails at the Buzzer appeared first on Follow the Trail with Steven Frambes.