Howdy all!
I recently acquired a 9' 6wt Orvis Golden Eagle "Limestoner" and had a chance to take it streamer fishing a few weeks ago. When I first lawn casted it my thought was "I think this thing is broken". It just wasn't loading very well, I tried a 5wt and 6wt line. Eventually I slowed down my cast to an almost comically exaggerated tempo and bang, it started loading. It was truly night and day, once I got the timing right it started clicking. The action is buttery smooth and has plenty of power.
My go-to streamer pattern for southwestern MT is a small-ish sparkle minnow of my own design. Very simple fly and nice and light, which works well for the small creeks I usually fish.
This day I went to a small creek close to the house that occasionally has some bigger fish that run up from the Missouri. As I fished up to this one cut bank I saw a good sized boil along the grass and knew there was a good fish there. I keep 1 or 2 monstrous articulated flies in my pack for moments like this and quickly removed my little sparkle minnow. I tied on a size 4 tan double dungeon and started chucking. I'll tell you this: the Limestoner was clearly not designed to throw flies of this nature, but it handled it surprisingly well. A few well placed casts down the bank and this fish turned on it, chased the fly down and ate it nearly at my feet. A few tailwalks and a nice little fight before I brought it to hand. A couple snapshots and I sent him back on his way.
This is probably the largest brown I've caught on a glass rod and it was a memorable fish. I'm really looking forward to swinging soft hackles with this rod come springtime.
Nate
Posted: 14 Nov 2020, 13:39 • 
