Dave ,thanks for trying to help clarify the 12 ft rods and such.In B.C. we opened the Fraser to flossing sockeye 12 years ago as a way to target the super large runs of sockeye we were getting(due to the very muddy water ,1ft visibility),what a mistake.Since that day our fishing ethic has had the bottom drop out,the new generation knows no other way to catch fish than with loooooong leaders and heavy weights ,fished with or without a float.In fact ,if you go to the Vedder you will f ind 75% of the fisherman attempting to floss salmon.The whole reason for this progression is the false belief that catching salmon with this technique is the most productive method.I constantly out fish the snaggers using super shortfloating techniques using roe ,jigs and blades,I can hear them muttering about how short my leader is and "it's in the mouth",as if this were some kind of voo doo magic.Fresh fish are very often the best biters and watching these guys snag then bonk black springs and red tomat-hoes,is quite the sight.It should be no surprise to anyone who fished here this summer that our sockeye runs were virtually wiped out this year by the commercial boats ,massive illegal native nets and the huge number of snaggers.Many of us anglers who were sadly involved in this snag fest back in 92 are embarassed and saddened by the loss of ethics and degeneration of the fishing .In Canada we always looked down upon any form of fishing that facilitated flossing of fish,probably why we loved shortfloating,as almost no fish were lined when performed correctly ,not to mention damn effective.A strong push will be made to have the snag fest put to rest in the next couple of years and hopefully we can get back to fishing for sport .Getting skunked is part of the fishing experience ,it builds character ,develops patience and prepares one for the rigors of steelheading .The ability to accept that coho will sometimes not bite (or any other fish for that matter),and head in fishless is a true test of ones fishing ethic .Someone here said that flossing required skill,I hear this all the time from folks who have a hard time CATCHING not HOOKING fish,fact is that flossing fish is often no more than knowing how to cast and knowing how to follow the crowds.Real fisherman ,accept there skunkings and just work harder at finding a way to get them suckers to bite.Sorry if I offended some snaggy types ,but the truth hurts .
Bent Rods