Patsy, Cash, Shauna and Chris wish everyone a very merry holiday season!
Please join us for our annual Christmas party at the shop on December 17th from 4-8ish. Special discounts on select merchandise will be offered exclusively at the party.
Food, beverage, cheer and last minute gift specials will be served up at the shop. Please stop by and let us say thanks to you for your patronage over the years.
Oregon chinook salmon to Winston B III Plus Jungle Rod – 2015.
This product review will be short in comparison to lengthy analyses posted by professional bloggers – but it represents my heartfelt approval for a new fly rod I fished this season for Chinook.
I fished Winston B IIx fly rods for king several years ago; love the series, especially the 10 wt, and always always had my trusty beat-up Winston in the boat when on the estuary. With so many high quality fly rods available, and random chance at play, I haven’t fished winston for several seasons.
Time marched on and I gave my old Winston to my son David as a memento of his ancient Dad’s memorabilia. I know. I inuded a Pfluger 1498 Medalist that I fished with the rod too, so it is fully authentic.
Where was I going? Oh yes – I drifted away from Winston for no good reason, until something caught my eye in their new line of Boron 3 Plus rods just released for the 2016 season. The Jungle Rod.
I have grown increasingly tough on my tackle as my seasons add up. I am not what anyone would call a finesse angler. I fish in the estuary, in bd weather (horrible wonderful nasty windy rainy stuff). I throw 4-6 rods in the tackle tray. They bounce around. I fish shooting heads on many occasions. I cast heavily weighted Clousers. I cast close and long. Long might be 70 feet, probably not more unless it is a wind aided launch. May be capable of a 90 footer but probably not given the conditions I fish.
Putting pressure on the Winston Jungle Rod – 2015.
I catch kings (when lucky) that may be in the 20 pound class. These fish (and a very few larger) tend to get under the boat and want to stay there. They will also head off into a wood pile and seek out the worst collection of snags in a pool. Now always but sometimes.
I regularly break fly rods during each season, some out of operator error and some because I put too much pressure on the fish when in extremis.
I was attracted to the prospect of:
* Longer than usual handle (7 inch)
* Oversized tip and stripper guides (Nanolite, but who cares since i have no idea what this means only that it is probably good if winston uses it and what I get is oversized. Oh, hard stuff, OK.
* POWERFUL. These rods are designed to deliver a fly in close quarters (often the cast casting to rolling kings) and the power in the butt and mid section offers more lifting power and resistance to breakage than any other similar wt fly rod I’ve ever seen.
I called my friend and SIMMS WINSTON rep Eric Nufeld and asked to borrow a Jungle rod. three days later I was fishing the beauty/beast. This rod performs flawlessly and with a combination of lightness and all the power I hoped for. I slapped down casts thirty feet from the boat, and 70 feet out. I twitched the rod tip as my fly swung across the current. I pulled back hard when the fly’s swing stopped cold. The head-shake was sooooooooo, good to feel, assurance that this was not an underwater stick. I pushed the rod hard on many occasions – bottom line – I now consider the 9 wt 9 ft Winston Jungle Rod in the “always carry” in my boat on the estuary.
Think about this rod, it was intended to fish around wood with heavy tippets and wrestle big tough fish out of the brush without exploding on the angler.
Perfect rod to fish for coastal Chinook.
Rob Perkin with a very fine wild Oregon king salmon. Note the hook scar aft of the maxillary, reminder of the ocean fishery.
Rob Perkin found the kings eager to grab his flies too on one day we fished together this fall – his boat handling skills and our conversation made for a wonderful day when we turned morning futility into big smiles by the evening.
Closing thoughts: lots of great fly rods out there. The Winston Boron III Plus Jungle rod is high on the list and a personal favorite. I’d be pleased to discuss this and other rod options with anyone who contacts the Caddis Fly Shop.
Meanwhile, it is time to shift gears to winter steelhead, yes?
Best to you all – Jay Nicholas December 2015.
A few recent winter steelhead flies that will be featured on the 12th and 19th.
Fishing Videos: Nope these won’t be the super fancy professional quality videos some folks have produced, just my awkward Go Pro raw footage from saltwater and a few salmon shots too. Still, a little entertainment on high water Saturday and an opportunity to visit face-to-face.
Unweighted winter steelhead swing flies.
Winter Steelhead Flies: Yep, I’ll be working on stocking my winter box and will include the following (at least this is my plan)
Tied on Partridge shanks, Senyo shanks, and ProSportfisher tubes.
Tied with cones, beads, barbell eyes, and unweighted.
Tied with New EP Craft Fur brushes, Marabou, and Rabbit strips and ProSportfisher Marble Fox.
Tied with stinger hooks from #4-#1.
Colors emphasizing blue/black, blue/purple, pink/purple, chartreuse/black/purple.
Book Signing: of course I’ll have copies of several of my best selling books available for purchase as gifts or for yourself. As always, I sincerely appreciate your support in my writing venture!
Dates and times: December 12th and 19th at the Caddis Fly Shop. Fresh off very nice events recently at Royal Treatment in West Linn and the Corvallis watershed Fly Shop – these days will be great opportunities to ask and answer questions and explore fly tying and renew old friendships.
A few of the book titles I’ll have at the shop to personalize for gifts.
I hope to see you at the Caddis Fly next two weekends!
Jay Nicholas December 2015
PS: I’ll be able to tell you all about my boat sinking incident too.
Just retrieved RMTB, before service at Greg’s Marine Supply in Garibaldi.
From the Skagit Valley Herald:
The future of Skagit River steelhead is at a crossroads.
In the year since the Marblemount Fish Hatchery’s steelhead program was shut down because of a lawsuit, the state Department of Fish & Wildlife has been weighing options for steelhead management.
The agency is considering two options: designating the Skagit River as a wild steelhead gene bank or re-establishing a hatchery program using wild fish.
If the Skagit River becomes a steelhead gene bank, no steelhead hatchery would be allowed to operate on the river until the wild species recovers enough to be removed from the endangered species list.
Winter fisherman and midnight pub crawlers rejoice; there is a pant made just for you. The Patagonia Nano Puff Pant was originally made to wear underneath your waders to help keep you warm and happy on those cold winter days, but are just as enjoyable to wear around the house or a night out on the town. I have to tell you that after wearing these pants just a few times they have more than met my expectations. Not only are these pants warm but they are also extremely comfortable. So comfortable that I have spent more time wearing these pants outside of my waders than inside.
These pack-able, breathable pants are made out of a lightweight 60 gram “primaloft” insulation. This insulation is a high tech synthetic material made with ultra fine fibers which help form air pockets to trap your body heat. One of the great features of a synthetic material is that even if it gets wet, it still retains most of the insulating properties; a plus if you happen to take an unexpected swim. They also dry out much faster than other materials. For the shell of these beauties Patagonia uses a 100% polyester that also has a DWR (Durable Water Repellent), to block out the bad and keep in the good. The backside of these pants are reinforced with a tear resistant material so you don’t damage them, ensuring your insulation stays good for years to come.
Functional and fashionable would best describe this gem of a product. A must have for the upcoming season and a great gift idea for yourself or the angler in your life. Come take a look down at the Caddis Fly shop and Seasons Greetings from all of us here at the shop.
TE
After two years of data collection, the DRA has completed its study from a data gathering process to a monitoring program. The three areas of study were Lake Billy Chinook, Aquatic Insect Monitoring, and Continuous Water Quality Monitoring.
No matter what our personal beliefs or views are on this great river: things have changed within the past two years. The report clearly raises some serious questions about the “the tower”, why the Metolius and Crooked River do not mix during summer months, and aquatic insect emergence and population abundance. A highly credentialed and experienced team created the report.
The report is a quick read and it should ask us all; If you care about the Deschutes, what can we, as individuals, do? The DRA needs not just our moral support but some cash to go along with the work.
Please, read the report, and reflect on how you can support the DRA.
LV
We arrived the 11th of October just four days prior to our first guests. Fortunately our friends, neighbors and builders had already been working hard at getting the lodge and our home prepared for opening. Glenys and Alan Cooper had been working on landscaping, gardening and cleaning up after builders for weeks. New beds and dressers had been placed in all the guest rooms and they had been cleaned and “re-cleaned” in preparation for arrivals. CDL Builders of Wanaka had “re-cladded” the lodge with cedar siding, reconfigured the decking layout, improved the structural integrity of the front aspect of the building, replaced all doors and windows with “double glazing” and put in a “cool room” walk in fridge. Our green house was already producing fresh salads for the lodge and chickens were just a couple days away. Things were moving fast but most of the heavy lifting had been done. We unpacked boxes, laid new gravel on the driveways, reseeded part of the golf course/paddock, tidied up the berry patch, did another “huck out” of the old now three years unused items. Dion ( Cedar Lodge Base Pilot ) brought up the new fuel trailer and was ready to go with our first day of fishing on the 16th.
It’s been a relatively mild on the South Island after a significant snow fall and great ski season in July and August. October and early November brought pretty nice weather and our first week of fishing followed suit. A touch of wind the first couple of days, then fine weather and a really wet final day of the week. Anglers enjoyed excellent fishing for rainbows and browns on dries and nymphs. One of the days we had an extraordinary Manuka Beetle “hatch” and the fish were going absolutely bonkers on beetles coming off the flowering Manuka bushes. Trout would move 10-15ft up and down the run to chase the small green beetle. Imitating this can be a bit tough and often just getting a similarly sized fly just above the actively feeding fish can do the trick. When you give the fish to much time to consider your offering the they would often refuse it.
Our chef team has been nothing short of amazing! Hard working, professional and creators of outstanding dishes for every meal. It’s been an absolute joy having Kirsten and Crystal as sommelier and chef. Highlights have been braised Lamb Neck and bone in Rib eye in our wood fired pizza oven.
Oregon salmon anglers ready for the bite.
Had a very nice day last week tying winter steelhead flies at the Caddis Fly Shop and I’ll be back again on November 28th to share enthusiasm, tying tips, show a few fishing videos and answer anyone’s questions regarding fly fishing in the ocean, estuary, and upriver.
Winter steelhead swing fly.
Dark winter steelhead swing fly.
From albacore, lingcod, rockfish, chums, chinook, and both summer and winter steelhead – the field is open and I look forward to showing flies, talking tackle, and sharing fishing stories (complete with unedited videos).
2015 Oregon Chinook.
10 AM until about 3 or 4 PM – Ill be on hand tying, working on stocking my own boxes for the transition season, and I hope you can join me and the fine Caddis Angling Shop staff for some conversation and enlightenment.
I’ll have a few books on hand too!
Jay Nicholas, December 27th, 2015
Despite all of the recent rains, the Middle Fork near Oakridge is still in good shape and the trout are still willing to eat a fly. On my recent trip to the Middle Fork, I was able to nymph up some respectable fish including a nice rainbow that was pushing 18 inches. Keep in mind that this is winter fishing and the water is cold, so make sure to work your runs thoroughly.
The flies that were working for me were a #4 Black Jimmy Legs and a Rogue Ice Stone #6 as my top fly and a Little Black Sloan in a size 12 as the bottom fly. Don’t be afraid to lose a few flies during the course of a day. If you’re not losing a few flies you’re probably not fishing deep enough, keep them “bouncin” close to or on the bottom. Remember to dress warm and make sure you have a good rain jacket to keep you dry and block the wind.
After a good day of fishing it’s nice to find an inviting place for some warmth and sustenance, and the town of Oakridge has just what you need. Brewers Union Local 180 is a English/American Public House with nice locals and is also family friendly. If you enjoy a good beer and some homemade food, Brewers Union is definitely worth checking out. They have real ale on cask and a host of tasty menu items that are sure to please your palate. Check em out.
TE
It’s that time again and we have created a list that includes some of our top gifts for the fly fisher. Share with your friends and loved ones for best results.
2015 50 Best Gifts for the Fly Fisher
$1-$50
1.Caddis Fly T-Shirt – Shop t, Oregon Trout and Oregon Steelhead Head Shirts $24.95
2. McKenzie and Willamette Fly selections including fly box. $40
3. New Rio Powerflex Plus Leaders and Powerflex Plus Tippets. $9.95
4. Patagonia Beanie Hat for winter steelhead fishing $39
5. Sage Travel Tube Humidor $50
6. Measure Net in both nylon and Rubber Bags – $27 and up
7. Yeti Rambler Low Ball $24.95
8. Howler Brothers Snap Back $27
9. Simms Nipper $24.95
10. Simms Flask $29.95
$50-$100
11.Hatch Nipper with lanyard $100
12. Patagonia Capilene Tops and Bottoms starting at $59
13. Rio Single Hand Spey Line $89.95
14. Simms Wading Staff $99.95
15. Howler Brothers Matagorda Shirt $85
16. Marc Petitjean Thread Through Bobbin $58.95
17. Simms Rock Creek Felt Soled Wading Shoe $99.95
18. Wapsi Fly Tying Kit $59 and up
19. Do It Yourself Dubbing Kit $99.95
20 Patagonia Stealth Atom Sling $89.00
21. Echo Ion Reel $79.95
22. Airflo Compact Skagit 2 Spey Head $49.95
23. Patagonia Buckshot Shirt $89
24. Fishpond Summit Sling $99.95
25. Umpqua Rock Creek Zero Sweep Series Chest Pack $69.95
$100-$250
26. Patagonia Black Hole Duffel $129 and up
27. Patagonia Torrent Shell Jacket $129
28. Patagonia Nano Puff Hoodie $189
29. Regal Fly Tying Vice $165
30. Redington Behemoth Reel $109.95-$129.95
31. Korkers Whitehorse Wading Boot $169.95
32. Umpqua Steamboat 1200 Zero Sweep Sling $119.95
33. REdington Complete Fly Fishing Outfit $169.95
34. Patagonia Nano Air Jackets $249.95
35. Fishpond Thunderhead Sling $199.95
$250-$500
36. Simms G3 Waders $499.95
37. Scott A4 Fly Rod $395
38. Redington Hydrogen Rod $299
39. Patagonia River Salt Jacket $349.00
40. Nautilus FWX Fly Reel $275
41. Nano Puff Hoodie $249
42. Black Hole Wheeled duffel $349
43. Redington Chromer Spey or Switch Rod $399.95
44. Outcast Super fat cat $449
45. Yeti Hopper $299 & $349
46. Sage Pulse Rods $450
47. Gift Certificate for Guided Fishing Trip
$500+
48. SAGE MOD Rod $850
49. Hatch TAT 9+ Fly Reel $1000
50. Scott Meridian Saltwater Fly Rod $865
Ok. The rivers are high, the days are dark and it’s time to do some serious re-stocking of fly boxes in preparation for winter steelhead season.
Jay Nicholas will be seated at the fly bench at the Shop from 10 AM until roughly 3 PM Saturday, November 21st, tying up his own stock of winter flies and answering questions about all manner of technique, tackle, and fishing craziness you care to bring up.
Of particular interest are two new products, both EP brushes. the first is the Steelegg Brush. This is a 3/4″ brush that makes wonderful eggs and egg-like enhancements on intruders and various butts on traditional steelhead flies. I’ve given these brushes a try and they meet my immediate approval, so I’m launching into tying a ton of flies for this season, even though I’ve yet to catch a winter steelhead on this material yet. That is how confident I am. This is good stuff.
The second product is the EP Craft Fur Brush. Wow. Should have thought of this one years ago. great colors and highly adaptable for a wide of flies from steelhead, salmon, bass, freshwater, saltwater and so on.
Wind these brushes like a hackle and let the magic flow.
I hope to see you at the Shop, but I’ll be down several Saturdays over the next few months so if not sooner, then later.
Best wishes to you all.
Jay Nicholas
With the first decent rains projected this coming week, its a good time to check out some early opportunities. The coastal rivers, Elk, Sixes, Siletz, Siuslaw, and Alsea have been producing some fair to good action. Anglers are reporting action with Clousers, Egg patterns and Comets, for salmon. Anglers are reminded to check the regs for the streams you are going to fish.
Mother nature can become evil about rain forecasts. Our mid and lower coastal rivers forecast on 11/12/15, show rises but nothing dramatic. For the weekend, the sooner anglers get out there, the better.
Back in the Valley, Nymphing (hopper dropper set up) the Lower Mckenzie is still producing good results with the usual suspects: Mega Prince, Possie Bugger, and Jig Prince Nymph. Dry fly fishing has been pretty weak, but Blue Wing Olives have been hatching out. Again, the rain will come but river forecasts show modest rises and nothing dramatic. The sooner the better….
This week we’re happy to help support the launch of a new web magazine, Floodplains — featuring original art for every story by David Wilson and writers who have contributed to The FlyFish Journal, Grays Sporting Journal and The Drake. No hero shots, in fact no photos at all, just great artwork. These are the essays and short fiction by Oregon Fly Fishing Blog founder Matt Stansberry, Northeast Ohio fly fishing guide Jim Lampros, and conservation advocate Kendrick Chittock.
Give them a read and let us know what you think.
From YubaNet: New claims – asserted by the Natural Resources Defense Council, Earthjustice, San Francisco Baykeeper, The Bay Institute, the Winnemem Wintu Tribe, and Pacific Coast Federation of Fisherman’s Association/Institute for Fisheries Resources – allege that the Bureau unlawfully diverted limited water supplies from behind Shasta Dam for the use of corporate agriculture, instead of using the water to keep Chinook salmon alive below the Dam.
Several runs of Chinook salmon – including spring and winter runs – are on the brink of extinction in California, weakening the backbone of the salmon fishery. The Bureau’s actions led to the death of more than 95 percent of young winter-run Chinook salmon emerging from eggs and rearing below Shasta Dam in 2014 and appear to have nearly wiped another generation of young salmon this year.
Less than 2 percent of the water flowing through California’s Bay-Delta estuary was dedicated to protecting fish and wildlife in this drought year, while rice growers received millions of acre-feet of water to flood their fields several feet deep in the drought.
“The federal government’s mismanagement of limited water supplies in the ongoing drought is a near-death blow for Chinook salmon and the thousands of people whose livelihood is tied to the salmon industry,” said Kate Poole, litigation director for NRDC’s water program. “The kicker is that we have the ability to create enough water for all of the cities and farms in the state. Our leaders should be focused on putting the available solutions in place that can provide water for us all in dry times, while at the same time protecting California’s jobs and wildlife.”
The Pink Puff is one of our favorite Bahamas bonefish flies. In the video above we demonstrate how to tie a version utilizing the new Double Pupil Eyes and Wooly Critter Brush for the head of the fly. The micro legs that are part of the Critter Brush are super cool!
Modern Pink Puff Fly
Hook: TMC 811S #4
Thread: Danville Fl Shrimp Pink Flat Waxed Nylon
Eyes: Double Pupil Eyes Pink with white pupil
Body: Veevus Iridescent Thread/Braid
Puff: EP Wooly Critter Brush Tan
Wing: Coyote Mask
Overwing Optional Bonefish Pink Krystal Flash
