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 The Patagonia Nano Puff Pant was originally made to wear underneath your waders to help keep you warm and happy on those cold winter days, but are just as enjoyable to wear around the house or a night out on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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
When Patagonia wrote me a note about reviewing Dylan Tomine’s book Closer to the Ground, I had no idea how much I needed this book.
A lot of us know Tomine from his articles in The FlyFish Journal or The Drake, and I thought “I need another fly fishing book like I need a hole in my waders. With three kids under six, I’m barely fishing as it is, and I really don’t want to feel worse about it than I already do.”
Turns out, I was wrong. The book describes how someone addicted to fly fishing might shift focus and retain a connection to the sport, but more importantly, the spiritual core of the experience, of the land and its wildlife.
Tomine describes exactly how I’d been feeling for about the past five years:
“I spent every weekend fishing and my allotted two week vacation traveling to various outdoor destinations. But no matter how hard I tried, I could never quite shake the sensation of being a tourist in the activities that meant the most to me. It was unsatisfying, like coming into a theater in the middle of a movie and leaving before the end…”
Before fatherhood, I fished 200 days a year. Now I seriously fish about 20. I could probably fish more, but they would be as Tomine said, unsatisfying jaunts, short spurts that prevent any actual connection to anything. So I fish when I can make it count. But what the hell do you do with the other hundreds of days you would want to spend outside?
Unless you’re Chris and Shauna Daughters, fly fishing with little kids is hellish. Yes yes, I’ve seen the great shots of Patsy and Cash with bonefish and New Zealand’s badass looking trout, but if my kids where out there, one would be choking on a cidada while the other would snap a $600 fly rod, and the third would be messing a diaper. This folks, is not relaxing. I’d rather watch back-to-back episodes of Thomas the Train than do that.
God bless the people who run fly fishing for kids events. There just isn’t enough booze and Xanax in the world for me to do that.
But if you adjust expectations a bit, make it about food, then you’re in business. Tomine brings his kids along to gather shellfish, to garden, to gear fish for salmon. These are all of the kinds of things I could probably do with little kids. I wouldn’t feel that crazy pressure — DON’T SPOOK THE FISH, OH GOD SET THE HOOK — that seems to come over me when fly fishing. I could do those things without emotionally scarring my children.
The writing is fantastic. You get to watch Tomine’s kids gather clams, his daughter catch her first salmon, and you get to see a realistic version of living close to the land from a suburban life. It’s a year long exploration of seasonal moments, different aspects of life well-lived in the Northwest. It’s also a book about patience and parenting.
I’d highly recommend it for any parents, recovering fly fishing addicts or just folks who want to exist within their landscape in a more meaningful way.
I’ll close with this great quote from another fly fishing writer.
“So this is leading by example, and the quiet message is to learn to live with the things that really matter; the eternal things about the earth, and about each other.” –from the foreword by Thomas McGuane
WAITING FOR THE HATCH
WATCHING FOR A RISE
A reflection: The life of a flyfisherman. People, places, & rivers remembered
By
E. William Laing
Bill Laing is a 78-year-old retired Dentist and life-long Flyfisherman. He lives in Eugene Oregon with his wife, Shirley. The McKenzie River is his home-water. He is a charter member of the McKenzie Flyfishers, charter member of the International Federation of Flyfishers, and a long time member of the McKenzie River Guides Association.
This collection of stories is from a lifetime of experiences and memories. It’s mostly, but not exclusively about fly-fishing,
You won’t learn how to catch more or bigger fish. You won’t learn the best places to fish. You will learn about the people who fly-fish, the personalities of flyfishers. You’ll learn about other people and events that have affected Bill’s life.
A book for the seasoned angler — Humorous, thoughtful, and entertaining stories every Flyfisher can relate to. Bill Laing captures the essence of fly-fishing and eloquently reveals there is more to fly-fishing than catching fish. Buy it today at the Caddisfly — $12
We are slated for a warmer night tonight and river levels are still low on the McKenzie and Middle Fork of the Willamette. Enjoy some fishing before game time with the following patterns. Small nymphs off of Parachute Adams or October Caddis are still working really well. Look for fish to be in a bit slower water and softer flowing riffles and runs.
