I took out my fourteen foot nine weight spey rod out yesterday afternoon.  It was my first chance to cast it with my new 475 grain OPST line.  I could not have been happier with the results.
I generally use shorter and lighter spey rods, but there are a couple of long distance lies on the Willamette where this longer rod could come in handy.  I had been gifted this rod, but had never seen a reason to use it.  I had not even bought a matching line for it. I did have a Skagit line which worked, but I had always used it on my eight weight spey.
I am not crazy about the Skagit lines for dry fly work, but because of the tip system with the OPST heads you can add a fourteen foot floating tip, or if you want to get down a little bit, they have a series of sinking tips.  The floating tip pretty much turns the head into a Scandi style line.
Now I just have to hope the steelhead numbers start to improve.  I would like to give my new setup a real test.

Taking the opportunity

Last fall our steelhead runs were small.  I had made a few trips out during the summer, but received no steelhead love. Nor had anyone else that I knew of.
In October this all changed.  People in my fly fishing club began posting reports of fish being caught.
I decided it was now, or never.  I went down to one of my favorite runs on the Town Run in Springfield.
I tied on a muddler minnow, my go to top water fly.  I tied in a couple of half hitches to make it wake.
I diligently worked my way down through the run.  I sort of just went through the motions until I reached the sweet spot.  The part of the run where bed rock slots tend to hold fish.
I intently tried to follow my waking muddler while it made its way across the river service. The river erupted and I was fast to a bright steelhead.  It made a couple of runs, but I was soon working her in.  Just at the point where I felt I had her under control she came unbuttoned.
I had just lost the one fish I would probably hook all year.  I was pretty discouraged.  I should not have been.  I had just had a great dry fly encounter with a magnificent steelhead.  The part I hate, not knowing what mistake I made.
I decided to buck up and go back through the run.  I backed up thirty feet, or so.  Then I started working back through the run, not expecting much.  I reached the area where the first take had happened.  I could hardly believe it when an almost identical flash of silver erupted on my muddler again.
This time I managed to get a beautiful bright hen to the bank.  This was only the second time in my life I had back to back hook ups.  So glad I took the opportunity.