The Benefits of Two Handed Rods

By Outfitter Eric Paulson

A Spey Rod and a balloon—are you crazy, nontraditional, or just a nymphomaniac? I think perhaps I am a little bit of each when it comes to fishing late Fall through early Spring. What could be more fun than drifting large Sculpins on the Madison and Yellowstone in March, Nymphing Carl's Scud and a Grande-Poopa' down the length of the One Stop on the Horn, Nymphing the Juan and a Brown Stone in late Fall down Barnes Hole #2, or Nymphing for giant Idaho Steelies.  The double-hander for me, like many before me, has enlightened another aspect of fly fishing.  At present, the aspect that intrigues me the most is the wide variety of Nymphing tactics, the broad horizon as far as where you can fish, and the drifts that you can achieve.  It’s no big secret that the larger the river—the larger the fish! 

Take your pick of the Madison or the Stone—these rivers are easily two of my favorite places to fish in early Spring.  March delivers high pressure, blue-bird days, highs between 40 and 55, the water warms up and the fish get active.  Sculpins are feeling happy after bundling up for a cold winter and as a result, it's Mardi Gras for big browns and healthy rainbows.  Take a Spey Rod, a balloon, “Mr. Whitehead” (my giant Sculpin), find yourself a big deep hole, and you might just find the one your looking for in the diamond chop!

Another of my early Spring favorites is the Bighorn in April.  The Horn is about as good as it gets. Some of the largest trout of the year are caught during this time.  The water is low, clear and cold. Nymphing is the name of the game, so why not break out the long rod.  Have you ever wished for longer drifts in places like the Aquarium, Hot Dog, One Stop, the Drum, the Landing Strip, the Gravel Pit, Snag, the Wheel Hole, Across from the Club, the 5,10 and 20 Dollar Holes, Grey Cliff, across from Mike's, the Soap Creek Hole?  Or have you ever wished that you could cover the middle of the Little Horn Rapids or Last Chance with a long drift? The reality is now you can, and you won’t believe the fun that you’ll have doing it.  An added bonus—the Spey Rod and the new switch rods give your arm a much-needed break from the high-sticking and monotonous single-handed casts. 

Late Fall and Brown Trout go together like PB&J. Fall is the time of year when you might just see “Him” for a second, even have him on for a while, or, better yet, get the chance to touch him all over. You gotta love a big brown trout!  The Fall in Montana brings endless opportunities—the crowds are gone, most Montanan's are in the hills for a hunt…meanwhile, the Big Browns are on the prowl chasing the ladies.  In the Fall, my weapon of choice is still the Double Hander.  It does it all—it can pitch a mean streamer or it can be a down-and-dirty nymphomaniac!

Now for the Double Handler’s main forte… Idaho Steelies in February and March; basically Nymphing for Giant Rainbows.  I grew up in Idaho, but have recently been born again to its allure due to the Double Hander.  Presently, I don’t guide in Idaho, but I like to call the place a poor Montana Fishing Guide’s Bahamas-alternative.

Each season offers a fly fishing fanatic something unique. Although I have only described them briefly, I hoping that you get the gist of what I’m saying. If you are a die-hard fisherman and want to enter into a new facet of the fly fishing game, hunt big fish, and enjoy a little more solitude than a July day in Southwest Montana, you should look me up at the Yellowstone Angler.  Chances are, I probably won't be hanging around the shop. I will be crawling around somewhere in Montana or Idaho, fishing, hunting, or skiing, but the guys in the shop can track me down. 

          Eric's Ultimate Outfit