The Caddis Fly: Oregon Fly Fishing Blog

East Lake September 2014

Posted on September 10, 2014 by Lou Verdugo

It was a quick trip to East Lake over the Labor Day Holiday. Fall was in the air with a chill but those callibaetis were still hatching! We tossed thorax callibaetis dries most of the day and were rewarded.

Took along Ken and my son-in-law Brad. It was a first time for Brad in our Cascade Lakes. He was not disappointed.

Ken was catching fish on callibaetis nymphs with a slow strip and casting dries. As the day got longer so did the shadows and the temperature dropped accordingly. Yet, near the shore line we continued to see swirls for callibaetis.

As for myself, it was great to be out enjoying time with family and good friends. A special “shout out” to one of the infamous Holloway Brothers, Clay, and my Cuba fishing buddy, Jim T. I broke down and used a slip strike indicator, with a combo of callibaetis nymph and red Choronomid. I was pleasantly surprised to land a few fish! So, the fishing was not red hot like June but with clear skies and fall in the air….it was all good!

Posted in Central Oregon Fishing Report, Fishing Reports, Oregon High Lakes | 1 Comment

Fly Fishing Cuba 2014

Posted on September 9, 2014 by Oregon Fly Fishing Blog

I have been fortunate enough to take two trips to Cuba this year, one to Cayo Largo with a group of 12 anglers and more recently a trip to Jardines De La Reina or “the gardens of the queen”. Both trips were excellent and are highly recommended for the angler looking for a unique saltwater fly fishing experience. Both locations are owned/managed by Avalon the primary operator of fishing and diving for the country of Cuba. I have written about Cayo Largo before (see links to trip reports below) so I won’t go into to much detail on Cayo Largo in this post.

https://oregonflyfishingblog.com/2013/07/07/cayo-largo-2013-trip-report/

https://oregonflyfishingblog.com/2013/06/27/dia-de-las-senoras-del-grand-slam/

Suffice to say that Cayo Largo is a wonderful fishing program with chances for tarpon, bonefish and permit. We had a great group of folks, many from Eugene and Missoula and even an Aussie thrown into the mix. Cayo Largo photos below.

My most recent trip I was accompanied by our very own Peter Cadigan “the most polite man in the fly fishing industry”. Peter and I traveled to Cuba this year through the Cayman Islands on a “cultural exchange visa” via Avalon and The Ocean Foundation. The trip was completely legal and when Peter presented his documents to the customs officers they were more interested in his trip report than his visa number. The rest of our group had zero questions regarding there trip when returning through Miami.

From Grand Cayman we arrived in Havana where we spent a short night, just long enough to realize that my luggage would not be with me for the next week. Brutal! Fortunately I had packed my reels and one change of clothing in my carry on. I had carried my rods most of the way and they had arrived. I was without flies, leaders and more than one clean shirt. Early a.m. from Havana we drove 6 hours across the fertile Cuban countryside to Jucaro where we hopped a boat headed to the floating hotel called Tortuga. Tortuga is located 48 miles to the southeast of Jucaro in the Jardines De La Reina. Our boat ride was reasonably comfortable but abnormally long, 5 hours long, apparently the fast boat (3 hours) was not available although we did get it on the way home.

Weary but exited we quickly rigged our gear and hopped in the dolphin skiffs Avalon uses to fish the Jardines De La Reina and in it’s other operations. Peter and I in a boat, Andy from Chicago Fly Shop in a boat and Karl and Emilee from the Urban angler in New York in another. It was dead still and we immediately found bonefish. Of course I had neglected to wear long pants, hat, or a long sleeve shirt, the welts are still present a week later from the white winged “no see-ums” that bit all exposed flesh. The next five days were spent chasing bonefish, tarpon and permit. The weather was incredibly hot 90 plus degrees, high humidity and little wind. Most afternoon/evenings included a wicked thunderstorm often producing high winds and booming thunder and lightening.

Our accommodations were more than adequate given the location and ease in which business is done in Cuba. The Tortuga is a floating hotel with 8-9 rooms, each with 2-4 beds. Rooms have showers, toilets and enough room to be comfortable. Honestly you spend so little time in your room the fact that the toilet and shower are a bit close together is not a big deal and is very much expected on a fishing hotel/boat. We were joined by 5 divers enjoying the fantastic diving on the reef that runs alongside Jardines De La Reina.

The boats manager(s) took us great care of us. The food was outstanding with lobster and sashimi served 4 of the 6 dinners we had.

As part of all of the Avalon fishing packages we stayed in Havana for two nights. Havana is a fascinating city and it’s easy to spend every moment you have exploring the sites, sounds and smells of the city.

I highly recommend the trip to Jardines De La Reina. While traveling to the Tortuga is a bit more involved that some of the other destinations in Cuba it is truly a remote and untouched area for saltwater fly fishing.

If Cuba is on your list we are hosting trips to Cayo Largo, Jardines De La Reina and Cayo Cruz in the coming 2015-2017 seasons. Feel free to contact me with more detailed information about dates, costs and travel.

Posted in Fishing Reports, Fly Fishing Travel | 2 Comments

The Redsides September Meeting

Posted on September 7, 2014 by Oregon Fly Fishing Blog

Monday, September 8th, Rogue Ales Public House (lower level), 844 Olive St, Eugene

Trout Unlimited Redsides Chapter meetings are now being held on the second Monday of each month. The board meeting is at 6:00PM and all members are welcome to attend. The general meeting starts at 7:00PM.

This month’s presentation will be given by Eve Montanaro, Executive Director, Middle Fork Willamette Watershed Council

There is usually street parking available, but there is also a parking garage in the 900 block of Charnelton that is free after 6:00PM. It’s an easy 2-block walk to Rogue.

Hope to see you there!

Posted in Oregon Conservation News, Oregon Fly Fishing Clubs and Events | Leave a comment

Got Feathers in Stock?

Posted on September 5, 2014 by Oregon Fly Fishing Blog

It’s been a long time since we have had a selection of high quality fly tying feathers in the shop. But as we speak the selection is superb and it includes some really diverse stuff that will help you tie everything from Fall beatis patterns to Winter Steelhead Intruders.

Some of the highlights include full Whiting Guinea Fowl Skins, Whiting Black Laced dyed Hen Saddles, and Dyed Whiting High and Dry Hackle Capes.

For dry fly saddles we now have plenty of Metz #2 saddles in Grizzly, Cream, Ginger and Dun. In Whiting dry fly saddles we have High and Dry Saddles, full saddles, half saddles in bronze, Pro Grade Midge Saddles and Pro Grade Capes.

If your hackle selection is in need of an upgrade come on by or order online today.

Posted in Fly Fishing Gear Review, Fly Tying, Fly Tying Materials and Supplies | Leave a comment

Greetings from the Upper Midwest

Posted on September 4, 2014 by Oregon Fly Fishing Blog

Just a few recent photos of summer fishing in the Great Lakes Region, including a great day of muskies on the fly with Capt Nate. Here’s hoping everybody is having a great summer out there.
-MS

Posted in Fishing Porn, Fly Fishing Travel | 1 Comment

Tip of the Day: Handling Running Line and Utilizing the “Turn Out” Method when Spey Casting

Posted on September 3, 2014 by Oregon Fly Fishing Blog

George Cook furthers our previous video discussion of handling running line. He adds the “turn out” method in order to help the caster maximize his or her running line “shoot-ability”.

Posted in Fly Fishing Gear Review, Oregon Fly Fishing Tips, Summer Steelhead | Leave a comment

Salmon Slam 2014

Posted on September 1, 2014 by Oregon Fly Fishing Blog

Sekiu 2014 — Julian just bought a new Striper SeaSwirl, a 24-foot monster with twin 115 Yamaha outboards. We trailered the huge boat for the first time across the wilds of Greater Seattle rush hour traffic and the rugged topography of the Olympic Peninsula.

We pulled into town at 11pm, dead low tide. Nowhere to put the boat in the water at this low level, at this dark hour. The town seemed deadly quiet. The gas station had a sign in the door, “Closed until the fuel truck arrives.”

The moon on the horizon was beet red, not even blood red – something brighter, arterial — hanging there huge, and half lit. Creepy. White gulls wheeled and whined off the docks where the remains of the day’s fish bobbed in the swell. The flags barely rustled. Dead calm.

That was the last time I’d see the sky for a couple days. By 5am the fog had rolled in so thick you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face. By some miracle of fate, Julian had not only bought a boat with real electronics, but he’d managed to learn how to use them. It was the only way we could have fished at all. All day long the Coast Guard talked to people on the radio, smashed up on rocks or another group that had lost a scuba diver in the soup.

Nonetheless, we persevered and caught lots of salmon, drank lots of whiskey and even a few rockfish. A few days they were really up on top, smacking the bucktails. Other days the were caught by less elegant methods. The sun broke through here and there. Salmon Slam forever!

-MS

Posted in Fishing Porn, Fishing Reports, Fly Fishing Travel | Leave a comment

Wild Crazy Albacore Dory Fly Fishing

Posted on August 29, 2014 by Oregon Fly Fishing Blog

Tuna fishing is nothing short of crazy, like crazy good and we left the beach about 6:30 and by 9 we were into the Albies on the fly and seeing big tuna leaping after bait all around the dory and it just went on and on with some fish on the trolled fly and some on the strip after we cut the motor after someone hooked up and a few on the cast and strip and some fish that we saw take the fly and we saw tuna swimming around under the water and chasing bait and tuna leaping out of the water and fish mostly in the mid 20s range and a few in the low thirty pound range and they ate the fly so very nicely and it was so much fun and it went so fast and we had lots of ice and there was blood everywhere and we were stumbling over each other and sometimes had three on at a time and one fish got cut off probably by a shark and our lines got twisted around in a spiral three or four times and it was tough to get the lines untangled but we did and some fish just came unhooked and I am exhausted but we are going to make the Albacore run again tomorrow because life is short and when there are giant schools of grabby tuna you and I had better go if we possibly can right?

Jay Nicholas August 28 2014

And yes, this makes up for my previous trip when I never got a single grab from a tuna!

End of post, have fun out there folks wherever you are and yes it helps to carry 300 – 400 yards of backing on your reel because if you don’t you will be sorry and yes I I do have over 400 yards and don’t whine about following fish like someone Iknowwho has about 175 yards if that and is afraid of loosing their line or is it losing a line i never can tell the best loosing versus losing and all that but we can talk about flies and lines later but not now nite nite.

Post Script: 4 AM and we are about to head out again OMG and I was awake at 2 AM so excited and whipped out a few more Tuna Special flies here and now it is time to make a PBJ or several and get the boat ready and the waders are out on the front porch and they will be wet from the salt attracting dew but who cares because we are about to go see what the ocean again and see what we find! Bye bye.

Posted in Oregon Saltwater Fishing | 4 Comments

Tip of the Day: Managing “Over Hang” When Spey Casting

Posted on August 28, 2014 by Oregon Fly Fishing Blog

Northwest sales representative for Sage, Rio and Redington George Cook discusses and demonstrates tactics related to “over hang” when two handed casting. Conditions often dictate how the spey caster deals with his or her spey head, and the distance it is in or out of the rod tip. George goes into detail in the video below.

Posted in Fly Fishing Gear Review, Oregon Fly Fishing Tips, Summer Steelhead | 1 Comment

Snorkel outing on the South Fork McKenzie

Posted on August 27, 2014 by Oregon Fly Fishing Blog

Last weekend, members of the Native Fish Society and the Blueback Chapter of Trout Unlimited invited folks to join a snorkel outing on the South Fork McKenzie River near Delta Campground/Bruckart Boat Ramp. Nine snorkelers from as far away as Portland met at 10am on the South Fork to learn more about fish conservation efforts of the two non-profit groups before donning wetsuits supplied at no cost for all in attendance and entering the frigid 49 degree waters of the McKenzie.

Snorkelers saw Chinook smolts, rainbow and cutthroat trout, sculpin, caddis flies, and a number of other species during the outing. The US Forest Service conducted extensive in-stream habitat restoration on the reach of the McKenzie that the groups snorkeled to improve habitat for spawning adults and rearing habitat for juvenile fish. Large Woody Debris (LWD as it’s called by restoration professionals) was pulled into the river and also helicoptered in by the Forest Service to create hydrodynamic complexity (fancy way of saying riffles and pools) which in turn creates different habitat types for fish. By entering the water with a snorkel, it was easy to see that fish preferred the areas where LWD had accumulated, and avoided areas where cover and habitat complexity was lacking.

For more on the Forest Service project, check out Water & Wood by Freshwaters Illustrated out of Corvallis. And for a peak of what the snorkelers saw during the outing, see this short film by snorkel participant David Merwin.

The next snorkel outing planned by NFS and the Bluebacks is scheduled for Sunday, September 21st on the SIletz River. To join the waiting list for a spot on that snorkel, email bluebacksTU@gmail.com.

Huge thanks to Conrad Gowell for leading the snorkel trip! Photo credit- Steve Meicke.

Posted in Oregon Conservation News, Oregon Fly Fishing Clubs and Events | Leave a comment

Pacific City Albacore Fly Fishing August 22, 2014

Posted on August 25, 2014 by Oregon Fly Fishing Blog

We departed the beach in The Fly Guy early, not quite as early as planned, but that is another story. At least we got going!

At about 25 miles offshore, we had our first hookup, on a traditional cedar plug, and this fish came to the gaff with great ceremony.

Each fish was dispatched using a strictly defined ritual that involves pithing, immersion in salt brine ice water, quick chilling, and bleeding to keep the fish genuine certified “Sushi grade”. Not all details I understand but our skipper John does, and we followed protocol to maintain the highest quality food product.

about 10 AM, we had tuna boiling at the boat, but the wind began to pick up. Drat it all. Fishing with three other dories, they decided to head for the beach to be safe, so we left fish behind for another day and made our very wet way back ashore.

Our Captain John Leach had his dory running smoothly, and we braved moderate seas and plenty of water over the bow, back to to a beach bathed in sun and crowded with tourists interested to see what we had caught. A nice few Albacore in the box, and an appetite for our next trip offshore to chase these beasties.

Back at my cabin, friends Ed, Kevin, and Jack were sorting and re-icing their catch for the day, and I asked for a quick photo of their two big fish, honest thirty pounders.

These are magnificent game fish on gear and fly rods alike. I did not get a pull on my fly, but 4 of 5 anglers who fished a fly did – that makes my chances of hooking up on a fly the next time out – about the same as before, I guess. But those of you who know me understand that I’ll be working the “Buggy Whip” as Blair Wiggins would say.

Wish me luck next time….

Jay Nicholas August 23, 2014

Posted in Oregon Saltwater Fishing | 1 Comment

OPST Lazar Running Line

Posted on August 22, 2014 by Oregon Fly Fishing Blog

OPST SP Lazar Line running line

The Lazar running line from Olympic Peninsula Skagit Tactics (OPST) is an incredible new running line that was developed to “right all wrongs” in the world of monofilament running lines.

Traditional monofilament running lines shoot line very well, but they degrade over time due to UV sensitivity. Additionally, they have a lot of memory and can create coils and tangles in running lines very easily when casting long distances and stripping in large quantities of line between casts. The OPST lazar line is a much more durable, super-slick, and narrow running line that is completely memory free in both hot and cold conditions. This consistent performance allows it to excel in a host of different fishing situations-whether it be spey casting in board shorts on the Deschutes in August or braving monsoon-like rain on the Coastal streams during winter, this line remains free and limp. Another aspect of this line that makes it unique is that it is hydrophobic, and it floats very well, allowing for good pickup and control.

I have personally fished this running line with both Skagit and Scandi heads and used various fishing methods with it; anything from heavy tips and weighted flies to floating lines and skated dry flies. It casted great and was consistent in both situations and allowed me to seamlessly shoot line immense distances with noticeable ease, and frankly, make me look a lot better than I actually am with a spey rod! I really enjoyed how this mono running line floats as well, it made it easy to see and control my line on long drifts as my fly swung.

Overall, if you have had issues in the past with tangling or deteriorating running lines or are looking to add a new dimension to your spey game, this is the line for you. This line is available online in 50m spools in 25, 30, 35, 40, and 50lb test at $31.95. And even in the larger weighted varieties (50lb), the diameter of the Lazar line remains surprisingly small and just as limp as the 25lb. I highly recommend you give it a try. Don’t believe me? Hear it from the guys who designed it: watch?v=–JYunDrxJM

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

What have the Silvers been eating lately?

Posted on August 21, 2014 by Oregon Fly Fishing Blog

Many folks have enjoyed some great fishing for slivers this summer in the ocean offshore Oregon. The season in which hatchery (adipose fin-clipped) coho may be harvest by recreational anglers is over, but there will be another period of harvest permitted soon, and fishing should be great so if you can make plans to go, I encourage you to do so. This next short season will allow us to retain any fin-clipped and non-clipped coho, but it is important to check regulations regarding seasons, daily limits, and hook regulations.

The fly fishing in the ocean has been awesome to, say the least, and the fish have been relatively large this season and this indicates that they have been feeding very well indeed. As a biologist/angler, I am always curious about what these fish have been eating from day to day. The ocean near Pacific City last year seemed to be teeming with baitfish, mostly anchovies, but we have not been seeing big concentrations of bait fish this season. What has been common, at least on the days I have been on the ocean, is what my commercial buddy refers to as “crab spawn”.

This is actually the first year I have been out often enough, and conditions were just right, that I was able to see the elusive “crab spawn” floating around near the surface of the ocean.

On some days, the crab spawn (juvenile crabs) have been concentrated in current rips and the silvers have really been chowing down on them. A few of the photos here are common examples of stuffed to the gills conditions we have observed in the fish we have killed.

One might wonder (all my friends have) if we should have been fishing flies imitating these little crabs, instead of the 3-4 inch long bucktails we have been using. Nah, I say – the larger bucktail flies give the coho something to notice better than they would if we were fishing a fly less than the size of a dime, floating around among ten thousand other little crabs. The big bucktail and the motion we impart gets the salmon’s attention right quick, and they have a strong genetic impulse to eat baitfish even if there aren’t many in the water on any given day or hour.

Oh well, the crab are obviously providing great food for the salmon.

Have fun out there and fish safe.

Jay Nicholas, August 2014

Posted in Fishing Reports, Oregon Salmon fly fishing, Oregon Saltwater Fishing | 4 Comments

Saltwater Albacore Baitfish Fly Tying Video using Steve Farrar’s Blend and Cure goo

Posted on August 20, 2014 by Oregon Fly Fishing Blog

Preface: I am posting this video today, as I am getting my tuna tackle ready to fish either tomorrow or Friday -ocean conditions permitting. I am super excited about the possibility of launching a Dory (most likely The Fly Guy) on the beach in the pre-dawn surf, and making a long run looking for Albacore. My host knows his stuff and if we can get to the tuna, they will probably cooperate enough to leave us all in a melt-down. Wish us luck, and expect a report if all goes well. JN

Now for the regular fly post!

Steve Farrar’s Blend is an excellent material – I was new to the saltwater fly tying game and this synthetic winging material a year ago. Not now. I can tell you that different colors of the SF Blend product line exhibit different textures. The vast majority of the Steve Farrar’s blend colors are easy to tie with but a few are in my opinion a little more difficult to work with. The only colors I use that are in the hard-to-work category are the Electric Yellow and Bucktail White.

The Electric Yellow is a base material that is too straight and glassy for my tastes, but it has the ultra-bright yellow-chartreuse color I insist on in some flies. The Bucktail White Blend is too crinkled for my tastes, but it incorporates just the right amount of flash and a stark white color just like natural Bucktail (only more durable), so I live with the crinkles.

And speaking of 5” – this is a very effective length for a saltwater Pacific albacore fly, although I am quite sure that a smaller fly is more effective when Tuna are keying in on little bait. Really.

Jay Nicholas

Saltwater Albacore Baitfish
Overall Length = 5” – 5.5”
Thread: Fine Mono
Hook: Mustad #3/0 Gamakatsu SC 15
Belly: Fishient Flash N Slinky – White
Under Wing: Steve Farrar’s Blend – Bleeding Gray
Lateral Wing: Steve Farrar’s Blend – UV Mackerel Blend
Over Wing: Steve Farrar’s Blend -Midnight Blitz
Eyes: Cure Goo 10mm Lava
Cure Goo: Thick and Hydro

Posted in Fly Tying, Fly Tying Materials and Supplies, Oregon Saltwater Fishing | Leave a comment

Handling Running Line Using the 50% Rule While Spey Casting

Posted on August 19, 2014 by Oregon Fly Fishing Blog

Northwest sales representative for Sage, Rio, and Redington, George Cook demonstrates how to manage running line when spey casting. The 50% rule is a good guideline to help you manage your running line of any type.

Posted in Oregon Fly Fishing Tips, Summer Steelhead | Leave a comment