Dolly Varden Trout Testimonials

Ryne Hansen – Pend O’Reille, Bayview, Idaho

Lure: Trophy Series

Fish Caught: Bass, Largemouth - Bass, Smallmouth - Bluegill (Bream, Brim) - Crappie (Black) - Perch, Yellow - Pike, Northern - Trout, Dolly Varden - Trout, Lake - Trout, Rainbow

Silver Mepps No. 4 are the best, most consistent lure I’ve ever used. Over my lifetime the biggest, and the most fish I’ve ever caught were all on Mepps.

James Caldwell – Texas

Lure: Aglia & Dressed Aglia

Fish Caught: Grayling - Pike, Northern - Salmon, Chum - Salmon, Coho (silver) - Salmon, Pink - Trout, Dolly Varden - Trout, Rainbow - Salmon, Chinook (king)

I've been fishing and guiding on the Nushagak River for 15 years, an undressed Aglia with a Hot Pink blade will draw strikes from just about every species in the river and a #5 is all I want to throw at Coho.

Adrian Webb – Meander River, Meander. Tasmania Australia

Lure: Black Fury Ultra Lites

Fish Caught: Trout, Brown - Trout, Cutthroat - Trout, Dolly Varden - Trout, Lake - Trout, Palomino - Trout, Rainbow

'' BACK TO THE MEANDER RIVER ONCE AGAIN.'' 12-12-13

Well after spending a few hours of scraping the old paint of the house in the midst of getting it ready for a face lift before it goes on the market I thought it was time to give the Meander another stint of fishing. The weather is still pretty poor with strong winds and rain showers on and off through out the day, but I was going any way. It was around 2.50pm when I arrived at Barrett's Bridge on the Meander river and the water was reasonably low here too. It still looked good enough to be holding a few fish though and I headed of down a small side road and then entered the river some 300 metres below the bridge. The river bottom here was covered in a thick film of black slimy algae that broke up in large clumps and floated of with the flow as I waded and fished my way upstream. I've never seen the river like this before and especially in this area as it is normally pretty clean on the river bottom here. Any way it wasn't effecting the fishing as it was floating off downstream. As you would have probably guessed for those of you who have read my previous reports. I have stayed with the little #00 Mepps copper Black Fury once more, just like that fly spray saying..'' When you're a good thing, then stick with it.'' It took a while before I did finally get a small brown to take the spinner but he soon threw it and was gone. Same thing happened again a few minutes later too and there was nothing wrong with this spinner as it was a new one that I had put on during the Mersey River session last Friday afternoon. As I worked my way up the river I had a few other small browns follow the spinner and just nudge it with the nose. Looked like it's going to be one of those days here again.. Finicky fish like the last few trips and I'm going to have to work hard for them again.
It wasn't until I had fished my way upstream close on 400 metres before I picked up a small (230gm) brown in a fast water section and then another small one within a couple more cast in the same bit of fast water. These two fish had several hits at the spinner before they finally took it too. Over the last 200 meters of this part of the Meander River that I fished I did pick up one more small (220gm) brown before deciding to head on up to the Chestnut Road Bridge and fish the 700-800 meters of river that my mate and I fished last week. After a five minute drive and a quick walk down through the Poppy filled paddocks I was back in the river. Good thing here was that the river bottom was so much better than the area that I had just fished. Hardly any algae at all which was great. Fishing the same stretch of river that gave up a good haul of rainbows last week was much different today as it was nearly fish less. I did have the one rainbow come up behind the spinner and give it a couple of light nudges before it hit it hard but missed the trebles. Then it darted off and that was the only fish that I came across in the section of river. I didn't mind really as it meant that they had now finally spread themselves out into the river system and that's what I preferred them to do. That way you can pick one up here and there instead of just fishing the one stretch of water and pulling them in. The next fast water run gave up three more browns with the best one going 540gms and this was a nice solid well conditioned brown too that gave me a good run for my money in the fast water.

'' Nice 620gm Meander River rainbow.''

The next run ahead was looking okay too and had some really good areas that should be holding a fish or two as well. It didn't let me down either as I picked up my first rainbow for the day in it and this fish was a good 600 gm fish that fought like hell in this fast water section. Took a little longer to get him to the net than I expected but I wasn't rushing this fish as I didn't want to lose it. Finally it was netted and then a quick photo and it was off on it's merry way once more, just a little worse for wear but still okay. I like to be as quick as possible with rainbows as they seem to stress much quicker than the browns do. Another cast into this run and it was fish on again, this time a brown and only a medium one that went around 350gms. So it was onto the next strip of fast water and this good looking water also produced another brown (320gms)and a rainbow (490gms) which now made my catch rate much better than it was earlier in the afternoon session. I was now close to the foot of the bridge and getting close to my exit point in the river but I just had to flick the spinner into a medium size eddy next to the bridge pylon. This was a good idea too as it gave up another rainbow that just smashed the spinner as soon as it hit the water. Boy! Did it give me a bit of curry too as it made a run straight downstream in the fast water flow and peeled several meters of the 4lb line from the spool before I finally had it under control. Now this rainbow wasn't a monster in size at all, but it did fight like one and especially with the help of the fast water in which it used to it's advantage for a while before tiring and finally coming to the net. Like I said it was no monster fish as only it went 620gms on the digital scales, and like the others was photographed and released. Well I thought this was a great end to the day and so I had just one more cast on the other side of the bridge and hooked into another of the small (280gm) Meander browns and then I called it a day at 6.35pm. So it was well worth taking another trip to the Meander today and well, maybe tomorrow afternoon it will be back to the Mersey River.... Only time will tell I guess and it's Friday 13th too!!!

River: Meander Browns: 9 Rainbows: 3 (all fish released)
cheers
Adrian

Schuyler Hornung – Roaring River, Crabtree Creek, Thomas Creek, Scio, Oregon

Lure: Spin Flies

Fish Caught: Steelhead - Trout, Dolly Varden - Trout, Rainbow

I love the Mepps SPINFLY in the wollyworm pattern because where I come from you either match the forage the fish are eating or you're going home empty handed. So, the wollyworm pattern in the green or brown work fantastic in the streams and rivers around my house. There is also the occasional steelhead in the streams and when they catch a glimpse of the SPINFLY, they'll hit it in an heartbeat. I also love the fact that I can use the #00 SPINFLY on my Redington fly rod, but, I prefer the #0 SPINFLY on my ultralight rod and reel. Overall, I LOVE the Mepps SPINFLY in the wollyworm pattern.

John – Aniak,, Alaska

Lure: LongCast

Fish Caught: Grayling - Salmon, Chum - Salmon, Sockeye (red) - Trout, Dolly Varden - Trout, Rainbow

This Lure will work! I went on a Fly fishing trip with Spinning Rods only! The other Guys on the trip looked cool casting their Fly rods, but they couldn't keep up with the lures I bought from Mepps! I caught many species with this Lure, Thanks Mepps!

Zachary – Athabasca River, Jasper, Alberta , Canada

Lure: Syclops

Fish Caught: Trout, Dolly Varden

It was the middle of February, and I was in Jasper Alberta for a ski trip, taking a break from the slopes I went down to the Athabasca river(which was open with barely any ice floating on it). I tried fly fishing for about 20 minutes. no luck. But than I switched to a Rainbow Trout Syclops on my spinning rod, on the second cast I was hooked up. I had a 4lb bull trout on, 3 minutes later it was landed! An awesome day!

But this isn't the only fish Ive caught with the syclops, its my favorite spoon to use in any situation and I totally recommend it!

Christine Cunningham – Kenai Peninsula, Alaska

Lure: Syclops

Fish Caught: Grayling - Pike, Northern - Salmon, Atlantic - Salmon, Coho (silver) - Salmon, Kokanee - Salmon, Pink - Trout, Dolly Varden - Trout, Lake - Trout, Rainbow - Salmon, Chinook (king)

In the annual Soldotna Trustworthy Ice Fishing Derby, which covers the lakes on Alaska's Kenai Peninsula, I caught a "Strait Flush" (char, kokanee, lake trout, rainbow and pike) using the #1 Mepps Syclops in Hot Orange. It also caught the largest grayling on the #1. In fact, it was the exact same lure! (I never lost it) I can't say enough about how great this lure is for ice fishing although I catch fish all summer on it as well.

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