In this video, Jay ties a Tungsten Soft Hackle fly. An effective pattern for euro nymphing and indicator fishing for trout. Give this pattern a try!
Hook: TMC 3761 size 12, Daiichi 1760 size 12
Bead: tungsten mottled tactical black 1/8th
Wire: Lead-Free .015
Glue: Loc-Tite Brush-on
Thread: Danville’s 6/0 Red
Tail: Coq de Leon
Body: Kiley’s Pearl Body Wrap
Collar: UV2 Select CDC
Collar: Hareline Ice Dub Peacock Black
Hot spot, UTC red thread
Saturday, December 14th, I will be in the shop and will tie and answer questions about steelhead fly tying using
Pro Sportfisher products.
Aquaflies and flies tied with Aquaflies shanks and hooks.
Traditional steelhead flies tied on hooks.
Traditional steelhead flies tied on hooks like in the old days.
I hope you can join me between 10 and 4 to say hi or to allow me to try to help out by answering any questions you may have.
My best to you
Jay
This is the second of three blog posts that feature the Echo fly rods I fish through the seasons here in Pacific City.
I have learned though personal experience to appreciate the performance and value of Echo fly rods for over a decade now. Although the flagship rods featured in the Echo lineup evolve over the years, the dependability, ease of casting, variety of rod styles and actions, plus the modest price points of the entire portfolio of Echo rods remains rock solid.
Spring / Summer in Pacific City is an exciting and nearly franticly active time of year to fish anywhere from the river, in the estuary, and in the nearshore ocean to catch summer steelhead, spring chinook, black rockfish, lingcod, coho salmon, (rarely -Chinook salmon, and Albacore. Once again, the coastal cutthroat are sneaking around in the estuary and river for the persistent anglers who take the time to sleuth out their movements on tides and small river rises.
I’ve already covered the range of Echo rods I fish for winter steelhead, in a previous blog post (The Echo Seasons of Pacific City: Winter/Spring), so I’ll limit my remarks in this post to rods I fish in the estuary and ocean categorized by species.
Nestucca Spring Chinook salmon on the Echo EPR 8 wt.
Spring Chinook:
Prime 8 wt or 9 wt
These two fly rods are both top-of-the-line Echo High performance fly rods that excel in fresh and saltwater when your fishing calls for making short and long range deliveries in conditions that can run the gamut from dead calm short range to gale force long range. I have several seasons experience with the EPR and vouch for their performance from Oregon to Baja. My experience with the new Prime has been limited to a short-term demo loaner, but my confidence in the new PRIME is based on several years fishing the old Echo Prime one piece rods.
Boost Salt 8 wt
This fly rod is the Echo workhorse for estuaries, lake and ocean anglers who will be wrestling with stubborn fish species. The rods are tough as nails, responsive casting tools, and are a pleasure to throw in the boat to fish day after day, year after year.
Rockfish lingcod, coho salmon, and chinook salmon:
Steve and Jay with black rockfish and smiles.
In addition to the EPR, Prime, and Saltwater Boost rods I add the Bad Ass Glass rods, the 8 ft wonders that make quite possibly the best economical boat fly rods I’ve fished.
Bad Ass Glass 6 wt, 7 wt, 8 wt
Somewhere in the range from 6 to 8 wt lies the right rod for anyone fishing the estuary and ocean who wants maximum fun playing fish. These fly rods are not my first choice when i think I’ll need to be making long precision casts, but dang they are fun to fish and they seem to magnify the fish’s size owing to the rod’s flexibility. These are super durable fly rods and can be seriously over-lined if you need a fast sinking line (Airflo Depthfinder Big Game) in order to get your fly deep in a hurry. From Rockfish to salmon, I love a tug of war with one of these beautiful blue. Bad Ass Glass rods in my hand.
A hatchery ocean coho to the Echo Bad Ass Glass.
Albacore:
Oregon Albacore in battle with Echo Prime.
EPR 10 wt to 12 wt
Prime 10 to 12 wt
Boost Salt 10 wt to 12 wt
I know that many people consider the 12 wt a baseline for offshore albacore fishing, but depending on the year, our Oregon tuna sometimes average 12 pounds, 16pounds, or in some years, 24 pounds. I have found the small tuna years perfectly suited to fishing sub-12 wt rods.
Sea Run Cutthroat:
Sea run cutthroat to the 4 wt Echo Base.
Trout 4 wt 9 ft
Boost 4 wt 9 ft
Base 4 wt 8 ft
Dry 4 wt 9 ft
I considered the 6 and 7 wt my foundation for fishing sea run cutthroat in estuaries and coastal rivers. No more. Today I by far prefer the 4 wt fly rod and all of the Echo fly rods listed above are a delight to cast modest wet and dry flies to sea run and resident trout that range from 10 inches to a tad over 16 inches. This is fun fishing and the rods match perfectly with the fish and the fishing conditions.
JN
In this video, Tim shows us some gift ideas for the young fly fisher in your life.
From youth fly rods to stylish hats, tying kits to fly boxes, practice rods to gift certificates, Caddisflyshop.com has something for everyone.
Visit Caddisflyshop.com or come by the shop for all your holiday gifts. Happy Holidays.
Gift Ideas:
Flyvines Original Fly Line Bracelet
Fishpond Tenderfoot Youth Vest
Echo MPR (Micro Practice Rod)
Five years ago, Tacky set out to create the most innovative fly box available to the fly fishing community. Finding a multitude of design flaws in traditional fly boxes, the minds at Tacky replaced traditional foam inserts with silicone and a durable plastic shell, and ditched the latched closure system for a magnetic, latchless solution. The result was the Tacky Original Box, featuring a no-memory insert that would not delaminate over time, an extremely durable outer shell that would not warp or crack under extreme temperatures, and a secure closure system which was much less prone to damage and failure. In the ensuing years the product line expanded to include a range of sizes and insert options, including a 3D silicone mat designed to protect downward facing tails and dry fly hackle.
Our friend Jon Covich, Cuba Travel expert for Fly Water Travel discusses his “fast” casting tactics for saltwater fly fishing in the video below.
Check out more from Jon Covich at his website: www.cubafishingoutfitters.com
In this video, Jay ties up a variant on the Crazy Charlie Bonefish fly. A must-have pattern for fishing the salt. If you have a saltwater trip planned this winter make sure you have good supply of Crazy Charlie’s in pink, tan and white.
Hook: Gamakatsu SC15 Size 1
Eyes: Chicone’s Stealth Chain Eyes Large Tan
Thread: Danville’s 6/0 Light Pink
Body: Lagartun Pearl Flat braid light pink
Rib: Veevus Iridescent Thread Fl. Pink
UV: Loon Flow Thin
Legs: Chicone’s Barred Crusher Legs Fl. Orange/Clear
Wing: Sculpting Flash Fibre Pink
Wing: EP Fiber Flow Pink
The Wire Midge is a universal food source for trout that gets down deep where fish are feeding. Try different colors to suit your needs.
Hook: Tiemco 2487 Size 16-22
Thread: Veevus 8/0 Brown
Wire: Ultra Wire Amber/Silver Small
Thorax: Hareline Super Fine Dubbing Brown
Air Bubble: Krystal Flash Pearl
In this video, Jim Sens ties a Hobo Spey Steelhead Streamer Fly. This is a great pattern to use for Winter Steelheading and will fish in the middle-to-high water column. Come on by the shop to check out other Steelhead flies tied by Jim. Enjoy!
Rigging:
Hook: Aquaflies AquaTalon Swing Hooks #2
Power Pro Fishing Line: 40-50lb (available at Fred Meyers, Wal-Mart, Cabellas, Bass Pro)
Tubing: Pro Sportfisher Classic Tube
Fly Pattern:
Shank: Aquaflies Return Eye Shank 27mm
Thread: Danville’s 210 Denier Orange
Dubbing Bump: Ice Dub Shrimp Pink
Hackle: Strung Guinea Feathers Orange
Body: Ice Dub Green Caddis
Back Marabou: Fish Hunter Marabou Spey Blood Quill Dyed Burnt Orange
Accents: Hareline Lady Amherst Center Tail Orange
Front Marabou: Fish Hunter Marabou Spey Blood Quill Dark Olive
Flash: Krystal Flash Red
Ostrich: Intruder Feather Prop Hackle Olive
Head: Hareline Schlappen Black
Resin: Deer Creek UV Resin
This Black Friday The Caddis Fly Angling Shop is offering 20% off all flies this Friday only. Stock up on your favorite patterns, create a selection for a gift, get the patterns you need for your next trip. Again all flies are 20% off for one day only. If you order online, use coupon code 20flies at checkout and the discount will be applied, if you come in the shop we will do the calculations for you.
Here are my top 10 Christmas gifts for the angler for 2019.
#1. The New Scott Sector – Hands down the best rod I have cast in a long time.
#2. Ross San Miguel – Some may remember this rediculously smooth and beautifully machined high gloss Ross Reel. If reels were fine jewelry the San Miguel is the Rolex. The San Miguel is back and available now.
#3. Dyna King Barracuda Deluxe Vise – You will have a hard time finding a better fly tying vise, hook holding, rotary, rock solid.
#4. New Tacky Fly Boxes - We have a new range of Tacky Boxes that are a no brainer gift, they are new, effective and everybody needs more than one!
#5. Fishpond Thunderhead Submersible Packs in Riverbed Camo – Fishpond has nailed it with this new camo pattern. Available in backpack, lumbar, and sling.
#6. Caddis Fly Gift Certificate = available to redeem online or in store.
#7. Echo Shadow X Euro Nymphing Rod or Outfit – No question the best Euro rod for the money on the market, if you or your angler gift recipient is interested in Euro/Tight Line Nymphing the Shadow X is killer.
#8. Hareline Fly Tying Kits – A great way to get someone started in fly tying.
#9. Sage Foundation Rod Reel Line Combo – Regularly priced at $550 this great outfit is on sale for $440 until December 6th, 2019.
#10. Loon Bench Rings – Cool new fly tying organizer that makes cleaning up the bench as easy as pie.
This is the first of three blog posts that will feature the Echo fly rods I fish through the seasons here in Pacific City.
Any fly angler located in Pacific City, Oregon who might be so-inclined can find some species of Pacific salmon to test during most months of the year, along with a solid bench of Echo fly rods and Airflo lines to effectively align angler skills, budget, and water conditions.
Winter / Spring in Pacific City is principally a winter steelhead season, but if the ocean permits, anyone who owns a dory boat, or who has friends with a dory, can venture nearshore in the ocean to catch black rockfish and lingcod. The little noticed species in winter spring is the coastal cutthroat that are full time estuary residents and may be sought out in the tidal flats any month of the year. The estuary sea-run cutthroat are sketchy fish to locate, but these challenging fish are wonderful quarry on small wet flies and buggers.
Echo Boost Salt 6 wt 9 ft rod
and the Airflo Nymph/Indicator line.” width=”640″ height=”480″ /> Prime hatchery winter steelhead from the 2019 season. This fish was taken swinging an unweighted Intruder on the Echo Boost Salt 6 wt 9 ft rod and the Airflo Nymph/Indicator line.The winter steelhead fishery can be extremely challenging to the fly angler, The Nestucca attracts fleets of anglers from Portland, Salem, and Eugene to drift and hike the banks in search of hatchery and wild winter steelhead.
Rivers within 90 minutes north and south of the Nestucca provide alternate angling destinations between November and March, but nearly all are bank-full with boats whenever the waters are that beautiful steelhead green we all hope to fish.
Nestucca Estuary Cutthroat
My greatest hope for winter season steelhead involve times when the rivers are too high or too low for anything like optimum fishing conditions. These are the times when I tend to prowl about in search of the few fish that have not seen a jig, worm, bead, bait, or hotshot in the last 254 hours.
Over crowding of our public angling waters seems a fact of life these days, and I find the estuary and the ocean a pleasant respite whenever I’m able to fish less populated waters.
My favorite Echo fly rods for winter season steelhead include the following:
Base 8 wt: In a time when two hand rods he most basic 9 ft single hand fly rod for steelhead
Full Spey 7 wt: This 13 ft rod is Echo’s top of the line spey rod that lives in the world of high performance blank materials and finish components. If you are looking for the best stuff on the market, this is the Echo spey rod for you. Think lighter, faster, powerful, and similar descriptive terms designed to promote the top-tier fly fishing gear, and apply here, because it fits.
Compact Spey 7 wt: These rods at 12 ft instead of 13 ft are a top-notch version of the Full Spey that are designed for anglers who are more comfortable with the slightly shorter fly delivery platform. I actually prefer the Compact Spey when I’m fishing Oregon Coastal Rivers precisely because there are so many places where I fish that are backed with trees.
Echo TR 6 wt: There isn’t much I can add to what thousands of fly anglers have learned over many years, The Tim Rajeff spey rod is tough, casts like a champion, and will run down most right sized target species from large trout to salmon all around the world. I’ve chosen a 6 rather than a 7 wt in the TR series because, well, because……
SR 7 wt: My favorite Echo Switch rod at 10 ft 6 in
Swing 8 wt : At 11 ft 8 in – the very modestly priced Swing fits between the switch and full spey two hand fly rod classes. The Swing series includes line classes 6 – 8 in mid 11 ft and mid 12 ft lengths, making this a very affordable option for entering or diversifying your two hand fly rod options.
OHS One Hand Spey 7 wt: A much under-rated and under appreciated rod at 10 ft 4 in is possibly more versatile than the SR, with the OHS rod handle and overall length slightly shorter and thusly suitable to fish under the trees that are so common in the upper reaches of coastal rivers. This rod also excels fishing from boats.
My 2019 winter steelhead season was pretty skinny, with two hatchery steelhead to hand for perhaps 8-10 days on the river. I’m grateful for those fish and looking forward with optimism for the season unfolding in November 2019.
Jay Nicholas
This glass bead Bugger is one of my favorite estuary cutthroat flies.
In this video, Greg ties the Frenchie Nymph fly pattern. A simple, effective fly for trout in rivers & streams everywhere.
Tie them in different color patterns using different shades of wire, pheasant tail, and beads. You could use larger beads if fishing faster moving water or deeper pools too.
Use the Frenchie as a terminal fly on European nymphing setups, under an indicator or dry fly.
Materials List:
Hook: Daiichi 1560/1710 Size 14
Bead: Tungsten 1/8″ Gold
Lead Free Wire .015 optional
Thread: Uni 6/0 Light Pink
Tail: CDL Brown
Wire: Ultra Wire Cooper/Brown Small
Body: Pheasant Tail Natural
Collar: Ice Dub Light Pink
Hard as Hull
Just in time for the holiday season some of the fly fishing industries best companies have some sweet deals and new products for the angler and shopper.
New Fly Boxes from Fishpond. Fishpond purchased Tacky Fly Boxes this summer and have introduced some new boxes with more capacity and a fresh look. Check out all the boxes here: Tacky Fly Boxes
Hatch Reel Rebate. Hatch Outdoors manufacturer of one of the finest fly reels on the market today are offering free backing and leaders with a purchase of a fly reel through 2/28/20. Check out the details here: Hatch Rebate.
Farbank, owners of SAGE Rods, RIO Lines and Redington have officially changed their policy on “bundling”. The change allows qualified dealers to offer free lines with the purchase of virtually all SAGE rods. You can check out all the SAGE rods we sell here: SAGE RODS. Of course The Caddis Fly continues to offer free backing and loading of line on reels to customer specifications.
Redington, manufacturers of rods, reels, waders and more are offering some sweet deals on selected products through Dec 6th. Hydrogen Single hand Rods, Hydrogen Trout Spey Rods, Chromer Two Handers and Behemoth Fly Reels are all on sale at 20-30% off.
Winston Fly Rods is offering a free Holiday inscription special this year up to December 15th, 2019. Purchase a Pure, Air, Air Salt, Air TH, Alpha+, Boron 3 Super 10 or Microspey and receive custom inscription for free. Talk about a superb gift for the angler!
Watermaster Rafts. Through December 1st 2019 Watermaster Rafts are 20% off. This is a super rare bargain on these awesome water crafts. Check out the listings here: Watermaster
We are stoked for the 2019 holiday season and have stock of the best gear in the world. More ideas can be found in our holiday gift guide video here: Holiday Gift Guide
CD
In this video, fly fisher Jay Nicholas ties a Big Bad Yak Muddler for steelhead and salmon using yak hair.
This fly can be tied in different colors and sizes with a dense wing or sparse wing. You could skate these on the big rivers of Alaska and BC or tie them in smaller sizes to fish some of your local water at home.
Materials:
Hook: Gamakatsu B10-S #2
Thread: Danville 210d or Veevus GSP 150
Body: Lagartun Flat Braid or Other-Chartreuse
Wing/Belly: Yak Hair or Bucktail-Olive/Brown
Krystal Flash
Head: Premo Deer Hair
Loctite or Hard as Hull
Tools Used:
Smhaen Half-Hitch Tool w/ Cutter
Curved Scissors
Stonfo Hair Packer
