Prototype 6 wt Yuba Swing Boo

Since i've been catching some really nice fish on the Yuba river lately i though i should have a photographer take some nice photos of the 6 wt spey rod and the tube before i gets to banged up from fishing.
last week i caught several nice rainbows one 18 and a 19 incher on the swing with variants of north country soft hackles. At the end of the day i landed a super, riffle charging 22 inch spring run chrome that really made the bamboo yahoo!
The Spey rod I wrapped in Olive Gossamar silk and tipped in black Gossamar silk. The guides are all Snake and H&H that i gun blued. I made the ferrules all of Brass on my lathe then those were gun blued as well. The bamboo was impregnated and after the guide wrapping with 4 coats of satin spar.
The rod case i built as a prototype for the rod is fabricated out of a product called PlyBoo from Smith and Fong. Its a 1/4 inch plywood, i then built the hex tube and the leather straps i crafted to hold the tubes top. the small acorn top i made on the lathe to match the ferrule toppers as well gun blued brass and maple.
Here are some pictures.

Swing Boo with the 22 inch chrome on the other end.

Yuba-Ku 5-13-2012

Teal and cream,
swinging to the swallows swoop.
spotted rainbow friend.

Riffles woosh then glide,
from snowmelt,
              rolls then boils.
In my hand,
             she,
                  spring bright.

Steak and Eggs:

Yuba River above Parks Bar bridge, east side
hours fished; 8:30am until 4:30pm
6wt 12 foot Bamboo spey rod, and 5wt graphite rod
Wet flies, Nymphs
Blue Note size 18, Teal and Cream size 14, Tasty Bite size 4
11 trout landed, sizes; 1@22", 1@19", 3@ 18", 5@16, 1@12
5 trout on soft hackles, 6 on nymphs
river flow; 2300 cfm
water clarity; Gin clear
water temp 50 degrees F.
air temp 85
bug activity; pink PMD hatch 9am until 11:30am & lady bugs in afternoon.
slightly cloudy

Putah-ku, 5-4-2012

Riffles run 454.
Planting moon rises like isoperla.
Putahs guarded secret.


Regulus and salmonoids,
        converging,
                 my rod's bent,
like the Alders sway.

Steak and Eggs;


Access 3,  
fished for 6 hours
landed 5 fish, one 19 inches, two around 12 inches, two 5-6 inches
flows 454 cfm
method; high sticking and swung at end of drift.
flies, size 18 zebra John, size 16 yellow birds nest, size 4 hot wired red worm.
weather; sunny slight breeze, high stratus/cumulus clouds.
water clarity;  clear/slight green tint  10 feet visibility.

Mission Peak hike-ku 4-28-2012

Bluffs and summit beckon.
Remembrance of the Monroe's. 
Bounding for the top, 
Luna and I. 

Yuba-Ku 4-7-2012

Slow slow, slow.
Rippled surface constantly fed.
Hello! sudden rush.

Cruising and kiting,
trout not rising, frozen deep.
Above, Ospreys talons.

Yuba-Ku 3-30-2012

Sap moon spoolers,
willows wane.
Mourning cloaks dance.

Follow the swallows.
Hidden spreckeld fish become,
Rhithrogena morrisoni.










Steak and Eggs:
Water clarity was about 24 inchs in slack as well as fast water, however water was about 47 degrees. Phil and I fished below the Parks Bar bridge. I landed two fish, one a salmon smolt about 10 inches and one trout 20 inches both on a march brown soft hackle fly. The exciting part was trying out the prototype bamboo spey rod i just finished. The rod tracked very true and straight and the taper equation for the Grantham ETspey is a very nice 6 weight. I was using a beulah 350 elixir line with a 6lb 10 foot furled leader that turned over smooth. The large fish took the soft hackle right under the surface film with a dynamic splash and then ripped up the run with little time for me to think just strip line. There was a good hatch of March Browns along the seem between fast and slow water, I basically fished the run where swallows were feeding. The hatch started about 11:30am and died out about 2:30pm.

Yuba-Ku 3-25-2012

Sap moon veiled,
like fish along the edges.
Surprised.
River my cappuccino.





















because everyone wants meat and potatoes:

Started at hammond grove at 8amish hiked and fished up river as far as top of long island.
Dry fly fishing and Bobercating.
River is cappuccino 18" visibility in the soft spots.
6 fish landed dry fly with master kobata's minimal stone fly dry
2 on copper johns
All fish caught less than 10feet from shore.
Water level and flow seemed good.
Fish were all hot and feisty.