For any of you who have attended any of our community nights in this past year, thank you. This has served as a great opportunity to bring our community together, spark friendships, and usher in beginners. Our last Community Night of 2025 is around the corner and you don’t want to miss it.
Where: Falling Sky Brewing [1334 Oak Alley Eugene, OR 9740]
When: Tuesday December 16th at 6:30
What: Our last community gathering of 2025: fly tying, prizes, great food, great beer, fly swap, and connecting with the community.
For this Community Night, we have great gifts from several of our favorite brands: Scientific Anglers, Loon, Fulling Mill, and Costa. We’re ending the year with a bang doing a big giveaway, so besides the events being a great time, you do have a chance to win a prize.
Community Night regular, Mark won the last raffle for the Fishpond Tailwater Tying Kit
Local fly tiers are invited and encouraged to bring their gear and tie flies while they visit. Fly tiers have the opportunity to engage in a “Fly Swap” where they contribute a hand tied fly into a pot. They will receive a ticket and as the numbers are called you can select someone else’s fly. The first handful of people will have their choice of materials donated by Fulling Mill.
Falling Sky has great beer and some very talented chefs working hard in the back. Their burgers and sandwiches are fantastic, if you choose either of those you have to try the truffle fries. They also have a fantastic bacon loaded truffle Mac and Cheese. Steven, the owner, has been generous enough to host us monthly for a year and a half. He is a fly angler himself and always makes his rounds. Be sure to extend your gratitude to the man who has made this happen every month for over a year.
We can always expect our regulars to show up monthly. We also encourage new people to swing by. If you’ve been thinking of swinging by, this is a great one to come to as there are a bunch of free gifts. We also have had a massive influx of new faces and new anglers, so it is a great time to stop by if you’ve been hesitant.
Please help spread the word. The more the merrier and we all love meeting new faces. A big thank you to all who have attended and made this possible over the years. If you can’t make it, happy holidays and we will see you in the new year.
The change of seasons can be an especially challenging time to find fish. This is even more true for new anglers. Beginners and experts alike have had the last 6 months to become accustomed to summer and fall conditions, which sometimes do not differ all that much. Winter fishing for trout is often very different from the summer and fall conditions that we all love. It comes with its own challenges, but can become an extremely rewarding time of year when we and the fish get our winter bearings.
Occasionally we are blessed with the opportunity to chase trout with a snowy backdrop.
Winter in most places is synonymous with one word: cold. In some places it means snow, some places wind, but in the valley here it typically means rain. Winter rains affect every aspect of fly fishing, most notably because the creeks, streams, and rivers where we fish collect much of this rain that falls in the valley. Excess rain makes its way down the draws in our Cascades, eventually hitting a small creek, a larger tributary, then into a river that will reach the valley floor. In this way, conditions from day to day can change depending on rainfall. Heavy rain can cause rivers to rapidly rise and become off color with sediment. When rivers rise to the point that they are un-fishable we refer to them as being “blown out”. Conditions like this can also be dangerous, so please use caution if you venture out in high water. As temperatures and precipitation constantly fluctuate throughout the winter, insect and fish behavior follows.
This is great winter holding water. A calm refuge with a feeding lane nearby.
Insect hatches are generally not as consisitent as in the summer time. When the weather is in the right window, we can see extremely prolific hatches of Baetis sp. mayflies. These are also commonly referred to as: Blue Winged Olives, BWOs, Olives, Blue Wings, or by their family name Baetidae. These small olive bodied mayflies love hatching on overcast days, generally the hatch begins mid day. Blue Wings generally prefer to hatch along “glides” of relatively calm water. This ensures a more successful emergence as mayflies have to let their wings dry on the water’s surface before flying away. This means when the river is rushing faster, and there is more turbulent water, that there is less desirable space for them to make a successful emergence. Generally, timing a great BWO hatch means finding an overcast day, that doesn’t happen to land after several days of torrential downpours. Especially cold weather in the low 30s is also a bit too cold for them to hatch in massive numbers, however I have seen it in past years, finding olives and winter stones on the snowy banks.
Baetis sp. are some of the most widely distributed cool weather mayflies in the world.
Winter Stoneflies are another insect that hatches in the winter. These are extremely small stoneflies of the Nemoura family. They are sometimes referred to as forest flies or little black stones, and can actually tolerate being frozen. Generally these show up later in the winter in January and February. Unfortunately the dry fly eat for these bugs is far less than the BWOs, almost nonexistent in comparison. They do however make a fantastic searching nymph. As large quantities of these nymphs move into the shallows to hatch, trout do get especially keyed in on these small black stoneflies. Here is an especially productive winter searching pattern for winter stones.
Fish behavior heavily follows insect hatch behavior. It is also influenced by two other factors: temperature & flows. Temperature directly influences a trout’s metabolism. Cold weather slows trouts metabolism significantly and they are focused on conserving energy. This means that when trout are not actively feeding, you need to practically hit them on the nose with your nymphs to elicit any response. Times of feeding during the warmer parts of the day, or during an active hatch is a different story. Lots of activity is packed into a smaller time window, so being in the right place at the right time is crucial. After the window has passed trout will again default to their sluggish disposition that they will not shake until late winter/ early spring. Like humans, fish are also slow to rise on cold mornings, most of their activity will be isolated to the warmest parts of the day.
You can see the water is high. This fish was caught just off the tip of my rod.
Especially high flows displace fish. This can be understood again through a trout’s slowing metabolism. A trout’s tendency to conserve calories in the winter means they will hold in ares that require very little physical effort. Trout may leave these areas to enter a feeding lane for a short window, but generally will hold in slower water. This means behind rocks, snags, deep pools, long glides, and they will not be sitting right on a seam, rather they will be unusually far from it compared to the summer. As rivers swell and approach “blown out” conditions fish find a respite from fast currents unusually close to the bank. In high water you can catch fish right at your feet on the bank, so start close and progressively probe deeper and deeper. Generally, finding where fish stack up will reward you with several fish that may investigate your nymph offerings. When you locate where fish hold in sections of river you are familiar with, it is important to learn when they most actively feed based on current conditions and return then.
A sneak peak of a new pattern coming soon, the fly is very big and moves correspondingly big fish in high water.
High water not only corrals fish into more calm water, it also displaces smaller trout, baitfish, and sculpins. Especially old, large fish have seen this for years and know high water means displaced T-bone steaks. These fish can be awoken from their slumber for large meals, only to return to their calm lie after inhaling a small fish frantically darting downstream. The same can be held for larger nymphs such as slamonflies, gold stones, and worms that end up in the river after rains causing high water.
Because a trout’s metabolism slows in the winter, after they feed they re-enter their winter trance and can’t be bothered. In the summer, trout have to constantly feed as it is their growing season and they physically are more active. After a trout feeds heavily during a short winter hatch or after eating up a large baitfish, fish do not have to feed frequently as other times in the year as those calories go much further in the winter.
A late winter sampler. Note the worms, eggs, and the size of most nymphs being extremely small.
Streamer fishing requires heavy flies or a sinking line or tip this time of year. Streamers can be fished in tandem as well, and it is often especially productive. When fishing them in tandem, Generally tagging a smaller, lighter streamer off the back is best. You can even tag one of the soft hackles listed above when swinging and stripping streamers in the winter. Here are some winter staples: Tactical Jig Zonker, Tungsten Thin Mint, Sculpzilla, Krystal Bugger, Bead Head Mini Bugger, Cascade Bugger, Gaviglio’s Minnow Bugger TSB, or Kure’s Squirrel Micro Zonker. Below is a fantastic streamer developed especially for winter fishing.
If you have any additional questions swing by the shop if you’re local. We’re happy to help get you geared up for the change of the seasons. If you’re out of state give us a ring or reach out on social media, we are happy to lend a helping hand over the phone (541)-342-7005 or online.
-Simon
P.S. if you’re a fly tier, here are some additional local patterns that work great in the winter. These are local patterns that you can’t find in any store! We’ve got all of the materials online and in the shop!
Cold weather and winter rains are late this year, but are not entirely out of the picture. With plenty of rain in the forecast, our rivers are likely going to swell and a heavy nymph that stands out is necessary. In this video, Simon ties a fantastic high water offering that is on the smaller side but still stands out. Many people’s go to for high water is a large stonefly nymph, worm, egg, or chucking streamers. There is nothing wrong with any of those options, but they do not necessarily represent what fish are feeding on in large quantities. Sure fish eat up a sculpin, worm, egg or stonefly as it is a large meal, and trout are opportunistic. Mayfly nymphs and Caddis larvae vastly outnumber the former, so having a fly that is small and still can stand out is important.
This fly uses Fulling Mill Eco Warrior Dub spun into a buggy body using the Smhaen Thread Splitter which helps the fly cast a wide profile even in high water. It has additional lead hidden under the body to supplement the already heavy 3.8 or 5/32 tungsten bead. A hot tag of Fluoro Fiber out the rear and up the back adds an extra attractor element to the fly. Lastly, a CDC collar, as we all know, is a fantastic additional to a jigged nymph providing movement, which is curial in high water.
The fly naturally provides a wide profile effectively mimicking many larger mayflies. This would be fantastic for the spring March Brown hatch. Other clingers that this fly mimics follow: Quill Gordons, Cahills, or Black Quills. Many species of drakes also have large bodies that this fly effectively imitates. This makes a fantastic searching pattern on the Metolius for Green Drakes or late summer for Gray Drakes on the Mckenzie. The Rockies, Sierras, and Tetons, with their heavy runoff, will appreciate this pattern in the spring.
Heading into December winter steelheaders start itching with excitement. Most steelhead that get caught this early will get posted on social media and people will often recycle pictures to generate excitement (like in this report). So things can seem better than they really are! This write up is meant to help people focus and temper that excitement. A lot of people have time off late November, December, and early January. That is winter steelhead time right? It can be. We have gotten quite a few phone calls asking where to go winter steelhead fishing. Uhhhh… maybe nowhere without some rain.
First a Bit of History
Pre 2010s the kickoff for numerous coastal streams was the first rain around Thanksgiving. For more history check out our article from 2008. Long story short: the same strain of hatchery fish, an early returning Alsea stock, was planted everywhere. Those fish were notoriously poor biters and returned late November – January. This created frustrated anglers, homogeneous fisheries and short seasons. The seasons were distinct: an early hatchery fishery and a late season wild one. Now those early returning fish are used sparingly and only stocked (I believe) on the Alsea and two North Coast rivers. Currently, on the Alsea early returning hatchery steelhead make up about 30% of the run. So it still can be a true early season producer. Wild steelhead and modern broodstock hatchery fish return in numbers much later: January– March across our rivers. I put more effort in winter steelheading starting December 15th and go to about March 30th, sometimes fishing into the first week of April. I fish hard early January through March.
Former Caddis Fly employee Owen with an Alsea Winter Steelhead – December 16th, 2022 (photo by me)
Report
I fished the Umpqua Thanksgiving week and swung a couple diminutive smallmouth on my sublime 8126 Sage R8 Spey Rod. Nice. Its very low with summer sludge still on the rocks. I talked to a couple anglers who had the same idea and everyone turned up 0’s. I have seen some pictures and heard some murmurings from faraway North Coast streams of connections. Not to say there is not a single fish around locally but I would focus on tying, other prep or prepare for a long drive. We are fully stocked on MFC Ostrich and Aquaflies materials. We even have black ostrich! I also love Skeena River Ostrich, Angel Hair, and Lagartun Flatbraid for my winter steelhead flies.
Earliest Siuslaw winter steelhead I have landed – December 18th, 2023
Outlook
Everywhere south of the Siletz is too low for a serious push of fish to have come in. If you need to get out, I’d focus on the Siletz and North Coast. Oddly enough they got rain this weekend and the week before. We missed both those rain events. That puts us two freshets behind. I usually don’t bother to venture north of the Siletz. However, over the next week and half that is where your best opportunities lie. Yes, you will have to compete with the glass boat loving city folk from Portland and the Bendites by way of California that winter on the North Coast. But anyone who loves to steelhead fish is all right to me. We might get some rain (or a lot of rain) by the end of the week that will bring in the first few fish to the Siuslaw, Alsea and Umpqua. The past few years I have gotten into my first winter steelhead on: December 25th, December 18th and December 20th. So don’t feel hard done if it takes a few weeks! Wild winters will trickle in throughout December and some hatchery fish are out there to be had. The earliest winter I have landed I believe was December 8th and it was a one salt wild on the lower Alsea oddly enough.
Who else is getting excited?!?!
Some Old Blogposts to Get You Stoked!
Here are some old posts to get you excited and nostalgic! January 2025 report by me with lots of advice on tactics and products. Some success on the Alsea, December 2009. Couple epic shots from February 2014, and December 2013. Our blog contains a treasure trove of articles dating back to 2008 that display the history and evolution of fly fishing throughout the Pacific Northwest with tons of regionally famous contributors. If you need a break from prep and tying flies do some exploring on our blog!
The Caddis Fly Shop has been helping anglers and their loved ones purchase cherished gifts since 1975. Check out this years favorite gifts for the fly fisher. Have a wonderful holiday season.
Just returned from a great trip to Cayo Paredon, Cuba. I traveled with 8 anglers and 5 non anglers. Flight from Miami to Camaguey is an easy 90 minutes and then 2 ½ hour bus ride to our resort for the week. We were immediately met by our fishing manager Yoel with cold mojitos. We then discussed tides, weather and guide assignments for the week.
The marina is a 10 minute ride from the hotel and each morning an electric golf car zipped us out there. The area is secure and manned 24 hours a day, so we were able to leave all our tackle there each day and not lug it back and forth.
One of the main attractions that lead me to choose Paredon was the advertised numerous hard wadable flats. Right off the bat this was clearly true and each day anglers spend between 1/3 to ½ the day wading if so desired. The bonefish here are plentiful and range from small dinks to 8–10 pound monsters.
Targeting them while walking is one of my favorite ways to fish. One highlight for me was sharing the skiff with my wife Tanya for the first time and watching her land two bonefish. Another was landing a nice bone on a fly I tied with shop mascot Jasper’s fur.
Most folks had at least a couple shots at permit but our group landed only 1 for the week. There were a few resident tarpon around this time of year and our group landed three in the 20# class. I hooked three myself including one with a permit crab on 16# test but they all spit the hook.
Another neat thing about this area is the option to target triggerfish. We saw them most days and I had one eat three times but did not hook up. Our East Coast buddy Chris landed this amazing specimen.
Longtime shop customers Mark and David became the providers as they caught several snappers that the guides fried up for us to supplement our rice and bean diet. The guides also cooked spiny lobsters for us on two occasions and that is always a treat.
There are lots of barracudas and jacks around so even in tough weather there is always something to do. My close friend Rio arranged to dive on his own for 5 days and on one dive he said it was the best of his life. He has done scuba all over the planet so that was cool to hear.
Cubans are some of the friendliest folks we have ever encountered. They will do everything they can to make your day brighter. They were all eager to chat with us and practice their English. The ability to stay positive against all odds is incredible as getting even basic supplies is very difficult.
Every gift we brought for the locals was greatly appreciated. Starting plans to go back Fall 2026 or Spring 2027 so let me know if you have any interest in joining the next trip.
Join The Redsides Chapter of Trout Unlimited at 6 p.m. on Dec. 3rd in Springfield’s PublicHouse for our holiday happy hour get-together and an exciting presentation from longtime Oregon angler and author John Shewey, entitled 50 Years on the Fly: Ramblings of a Western Angler. Following the presentation, John will answer questions and be available to chat all-things Oregon and Pacific Northwest fly fishing.
About the presentation:
This constantly evolving, beautifully photographed, and eminently entertaining program follows John Shewey and his tiny band of two-legged and four-legged misfits through angling adventures on a variety of waters in many different places. Having celebrated his 50th year of fly fishing in 2023, John invites you along for the ride as he revisits some of his favorite travels and most cherished adventures, from famous places to little-known waters; from distant destinations to close-to-home fisheries; from humorous misdeeds to whimsical memories. Enjoy the fish, the places they live, the beautiful surrounds, and the memorable stories.
Notably, this program offers a celebration of fly fishing in the Northwest, a region richly endowed with a wide array of fascinating fisheries and a region frequently visited by anglers from across the continent. No matter where you live—here in the West or anywhere else in the country—this captivating presentation will keep you enthralled.
About John Shewey:
John Shewey has been accused of being a deadbeat slacker, but he steadfastly refutes such charges and insists instead that he is a lifelong fly-fishing addict. He usually admits to being the editor-in-chief of American Fly Fishing, unless you are mad at the magazine, in which case John is likely to deny any involvement. His long career as a writer and photographer has produced countless magazine articles and about 20 books. A couple of his books are pretty good.
In this video, Simon ties an extremely simple, but effective October Caddis pupa. The fly uses a variety of fantastic materials from Fulling Mill. Chenille body caddis pupa are a great way to pump out a large quantity of flies in a short window. The Super Suede Chenille from Fulling Mill makes tying juicy caddis patterns a breeze. Fall is a time where fish get really keyed in on large nymphs, most notably October Caddis pupa. By now, they have been heavily feeding on them and will move from their lie to catch one adrift in their field of vision. For this reason, searching in the Fall with an October Caddis pupa is a great way to prove promising water. This fly can be sized down for smaller caddis pupa as well. There is another pattern herethat we did and it makes a great summer dropper. Again, colors and sizes can and should be changed depending on conditions and location!
Join us this Tuesday at Falling Sky Brewing for a community night which begins at 6:30. Initially this monthly event began as a tying night, but we figured opening it up to everyone was better! We’ve found we get a more diverse group of anglers if the event isn’t just limited to tiers. We’ve also found people are a lot more social if they aren’t looking at the tabletop tying flies all night. Fly tiers, you are still welcome and encouraged to bring your tying stuff.
Next week’s time & place
When: Tuesday, November 18th at 6:30
Where: Falling Sky Brewing on 13th
We’ve got a great group of regulars who show up monthly, and each event brings more new faces into the community. This is a great opportunity to meet people to get outside with, observe tying if you’re interested in starting, and connect with the local fly fishing community.
Please help spread the word! Everyone is welcome, and the event is free to attend. Share this article, and invite all your friends.
Falling Sky has graciously hosted us monthly for coming up on a year at their location off of 13th. They have fantastic beer and talented chefs in back that make great food. There is nothing better to pair with great conversation than a cold drink and great food.
Generally, for the tiers, we do a fly swap where we all contribute a fly into a pot. You will receive a ticket, and as the tickets are called you are able to come pick a fly out of the pot. This is generally where we do a giveaway too with items from many of your favorite brands.
If the turnout is significant we will be raffling off a Fishpond Tailwater Tying Kit. This is a fantastic storage solution for your tying materials. It is how I carry my tying things to and from the shop for videos, and how I carry my tying things into this community night.
December’s community night will take place on December 16th at Falling Sky, starting at 6:30. We are still working out dates for next year.
In this video, Simon puts a modern spin on a timeless classic. The Goddard Caddis was at one time one of the most buoyant flies available. Before the widespread use of foams to achieve buoyancy, tiers spun and packed hair tightly to create watertight bodies. Generally, Goddard Caddis are not tied this large, but we are blessed with an especially large Fall caddisfly that allows for some experimentation at the tying bench. Simon has had great success mottling his smaller Goddard Caddis patterns and several years ago began experimenting mottling the beloved McKenzie Green Caddis and larger October. This resulted in a more realistic looking pattern. The corded up chenille is suggestive of a caddisfly abdomen touching the water making the fly that much more irresistible. This general framework is one Simon sizes up and down depending on his needs and certainly changes color when necessary. Spin some up and see for yourself what it’s all about!
Many of us wait with great anticipation for fall weather. The fall colors, a break from the heat and smoke, salmon, mushrooms, bird season, cooler weather, but most importantly the October Caddis. This is an especially difficult time of year because opportunities are abundant for a day off, but as we all know, time is limited. This fall I urge you to make time to fish the October Caddis hatch and enjoy the Fall colors from the water. If you have fished it before, I know you don’t need any convincing to make time for a day on the water fishing the last big bug hatch of the year.
Few caddisfly species rival the size of the massive October Caddis. Also known as the Great Autumn Brown Sedge, this extra large caddisfly is hard to miss. These insects are large, pushing 1.5 inches. This is massive compared to the much smaller caddisflies we are used to. They sport light brown striated wings and a large gold/orange abdomen. They are easily seen fluttering around, when I first saw one, I thought it was a hummingbird or tiny bat. With their wings open and fluttering they look massive. Another telltale sign that the hatch has begun is the presence of pupal shucks on stream side rocks.
Stay tuned for the tutorial for this October Goddard Caddis.
October Caddis are most often seen in the evenings when they become most active. You can readily find them in the evenings fluttering around or see the females ovipositing in slower more calm water. Caddisflies are easily distinguished from other insects by their unique flight pattern. They flutter erratically and look like they’ve had too much to drink. This “drunken” flight characteristic is exclusive to caddisflies. Females oviposit, or deposit eggs, in slower water by diving to the water’s surface and dropping eggs each time she dips her abdomen in the water. During the day, these insects hold tight in stream side vegetation only to emerge in lower light conditions. You can have increased daytime activity on especially overcast days, these will often be accompanied by BWO’s on days like this.
Tutorial for this jigged pupa is below.
October caddisfly are in the case building family of caddisflies. This means the larvae make large rock cases that they live in carry around on the bottom of the river. As fall approaches, they move their case to a suitable location and anchor it to a rock on the river’s bottom. They then close themselves in their case and pupate. Their emergence as a pupa happens in the evenings, so often you do not see actively emerging insects as we do more often with other caddis species and mayflies. What you will see, once things get going, is stream side rocks littered with pupal shucks. Fish gorge on ascending pupa, so swinging wet flies mimicking these large pupa is extremely effective.
Tactics
Tactics for approaching the October Caddis hatch can be broken into two separate categories for simplicity: things happening above the water and below. Generally searching subsurface is more fruitful for this hatch, but surface eats for Octobers are especially memorable.
Tutorial for this October wet is below.
Pupa
Pupa are especially helpless compared to their more developed counterpart: winged adults. Fish know this and expounding energy chasing pupa is generally rewarded with a meal more often than adults on the surface. Trout are especially aware of their energy expounded vs calories consumed, so thinking like a trout helps you catch more of them. There are two different ways to present pupa to trout.
Stay tuned for the tutorial for this jigged chenille October Caddis.
Dead drifting pupa is easiest to start with as it is no different than running nymphs under an indicator or on a Euro stick. Running flies along a seam, dead drifted often yields eats. Fly selection is intuitive for this hatch. October Caddis pupa are big and orange, and your nymphs should be too.
Swinging wet flies is an alternative approach to fishing subsurface that is much more animated than the traditional dead drift. When done correctly, it mimics an insect ascending from the river bottom to the surface. Casting upstream coupled with several upstream mends gives your flies time to sink. Once they pass you, pinch your line to your cork and hold tight. The tension on your fly line will pull tight and begin to “swing” your flies across the current towards your bank. As things pull tight this lifts flies from the river bottom, effectively mimicking an ascending insect. Classic wet flies with a soft hackle work fantastic for this. I like to pair a heavy nymph with a lighter soft hackle off the back; this aids in getting your flies down quick. When fishing with an indicator setup, you can lets your flies “swing” back towards you at the end of the drift.
It is rare that these bugs stay still long enough for a good photo!
Winged Adults
October Caddis dry fly eats are really what everyone is after. Throwing one of these large dry flies can cause explosive eats by large fish. Every Fall I have at least one memorable eat from a massive fish at dusk on an October Caddis dry. Females ovipositing in the evening are a big proponent in fish seeing these adults. Finding slack water near riffles are both where large fish wait, and where female caddis oviposit their eggs. Skating caddis can be effective as well for this hatch. It is essentially swinging a dry fly as you would with a wet fly. Sometimes casting a dry and animating it with tiny strips can entice big fish to surface as well. The first list of flies below are general dry flies that should be fished solo, or with an additional trailing small dry like a BWO or smaller #16 caddis. The second list is for running a fall dry-dropper setup. Note: the first list of flies are ones you can skate and skitter, not flies from the more buoyant second list.
Stay tuned for the tutorial for this October Goddard Caddis.
For all of you fly tiers out there, here is a list of several October caddis patterns we have done. Note: we will be releasing an October Caddis dry and jigged chenille pupa any day now, so stay tuned. A sneak peak of these bugs can be seen in the article above.
If you have any additional questions regarding this hatch swing by the shop. We are happy to answer any questions, and get you geared up for an awesome time on the water.
In this video, Simon ties an extremely versatile October Caddis pattern. This wet fly can be tagged behind a dry, swung, or dead drifted in tandem with a heavier nymph. The material selection of ostrich, chenille, and wire creates an extremely realistic body when wet. Simon’s preferred method of fishing this fly is tagging it behind a larger October Caddis dry as a cripple/emerger. This offers fish the choice between a flying adult and a vulnerable pupa. Generally, they always take the tagged wet fly. Finding where fish are holding in softer water is key to fishing this fly; running it along seams bordering soft water will reward you with a heavy net. Quartering casts downstream can yield explosive eats, especially in low light conditions. Tagging this in a tandem with a heavy tungsten nymph is a great way to present a heavy and light duo beneath an indicator.
Upriver Coho Salmon fishing has been decent! Stripping flies for Coho is one of my favorite fisheries in Oregon. It can be Type II fishing when a whole bunch them are splashing around you and no one is biting. But when its good…its good! I have not had any amazing days this season but I have not been skunked either. For salmon fishing on the fly that is pretty good! We have a week and half to a month or so, depending on the fishery, left of Coho Salmon fishing on the Oregon Coast. I would expect fishing to improve after this week’s big rains. If you see fish rolling that is a fine spot to fish. I target the frog water, pools and tailouts casting and retrieving flies. I will experiment with different strips throughout the day. Usually you will have the frog water and pools to yourself. Salmon are moody. The ones around you may not initially be in a biting mood. They could turn on at any moment. I tend to stick it out 30 minutes to an hour in a spot that has been productive in the past. When things are grim and morale gets low: remember salmon hit flies in Oregon, not just Alaska.
They do hit flies
When fishing for Coho salmon I use single hand rods with Intermediate or Sinking Lines. While you could get away with using a 8wt, I would recommend a 9wt or 10wt if fishing around wood (everywhere) or in heavy current. The Boost Blue is a quality option that I fish in a 9wt. I also use a pair of old Cam Siglers in 10wts that I bought from Chris, on consignment, years ago when I was a customer. You should fight Coho like you do bass. Do not let them run too much or they will go for wood. When they roll… do not pull. When they stop spinning… reef on em’. The SA Full Intermediate Line gets put to work early season or on our Coastal Lakes. The line I use the most is the SA Sonar Titan I/3/5 . It works for deep pools, mid depth frog water and tailouts. This line gets your fly in the zone and the intermediate running line helps it stay there. Outbound Shorts in various sinking configurations are another option from RIO. I fish Clouser Minnows and bunny leech flies that I tie in various colors. Chartreuse-White, Chartreuse-Pink and Red-Black are the colors I fish the most. Plain pink, purple or blue all work too. It really helps to tie your own flies so you can have various colors, weights and quality hooks. Boss or Comet style flies can excel in low water.
Getting Bent
On the steelhead front I have put in a few half hearted half days and been rewarded with what I put in. Not much! Steelhead fishing locally should be productive for another week or two. We have heard a few positive reports from the Willamette and McKenzie. This can be a great time to head out to the John Day, Deschutes or other Eastern Columbia Tributaries.
We have been loving all of the Backcountry Skinz products. This short video illuminates the BC Skinz ethos, in the field. If you haven’t checked out the awesome non-wader, wading products from Backcountry Skinz, take a look at the links below the video.
