Spring and Fall Blue Winged Olive Mayflies are important insects to the Fly Anlger. Tony demonstrates how to tie a sparse BWO that fishes well in tandem with another more visible fly. This emerger pattern is a great one for picky fish, tie it down to a # 24 if necessary.
Blue Wing Olive Emerger
Hook: TMC2457 size 16-20
Thread: Veevus 10/0 Olive or Black
Tail: Olive Antron
Body: BWO Hareline Turkey Biot
Wingcase: Dun CDC
Thorax: Peacock Herl
Scott Kinney passed along a new Web site documenting the ongoing McKenzie River Trout studies.
The tag/recapture study launched in 2010. The purpose is to assess the effect of removal of hatchery fish on the native trout populations of the McKenzie River. Hatchery fish stocking was discontinued on this section of river in 2010. Quantitative information about native trout in the lower McKenzie River is limited and existing literature suggests that ceasing hatchery trout releases leads to increased wild trout populations due to reduced competition and angling-related mortality.
The more recent telemetry study Started in October 2012. Little is known about the seasonal movement of rainbow trout in the McKenzie River. This study will attempt to document the movement of several fish over the course of a calendar year.
You can also follow along on Facebook.
From the desk of TU’s Alan Moore:
Mabel Creek is a coastal cutthroat project on private timberland high in the headwaters in Clastop County of NW Oregon in the shadow of Saddle Mountain, just above the mouth of the Columbia River. The project involves:
1) permanent decommissioning of nearly a mile of legacy logging road
2) permanent removal of four barrier culverts and replacement of a fifth with a properly sized culvert with a stream-simulated bottom
3) large wood placement throughout the project reach to provide floodplain reconnection, habitat diversity, cover and myriad other benefits, and finally,
4) revegetation of the entire project reach with native trees and plants.
That re-veg piece is what TU worked on with our partners at the North Coast Watersheds Assn and its intrepid and indefatiguable leader Jesse Jones on Saturday. TU was one of several project partners, providing funding secured from the Orvis Culvert Fund, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the Trout and Salmon Foundation. Other major partners include the Campbell Group, US Fish and Wildlife Service (Amy Horstman and the Western Native Trout Initiative) and the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board. This was WNTI’s first on-the-ground project specifically targeting coastal cutts (applause). Special thanks to Oregon TU’s resident restoration engineer Rod Lundberg for leading the TU small but mighty volunteer contingent on Saturday.
The Mabel Creek cutthroat population is significant because it is an above-barrier population, meaning it has persisted in relative anonymity upstream of 90-foot Youngs River Falls , insulated from the fish management issues associated with anadromous fish populations playing out just downstream, most notably in Youngs Bay. While the habitat of cutthroat populations like Mabel Creek’s and countless others in coastal forests have been severely impacted by decades of timber harvest, these intrepid little native fish have hung on in good numbers, so the more we can do now to restore and reconnect that habitat and cutthroat populations themselves, the stronger the coastal cutthroat piece of the multi-species native fish puzzle throughout coastal ranges will be as we work to put the rest of the puzzle together.
The road on Mabel Creek was too close to the stream, cutting off floodplain connectivity and fish movement, and causing significant sediment inputs at the crossings with undersized, blocked and failing culverts. One of those culverts was pulled here where a feeder creek enters Mabel Creek from the left. The former logging road bed shown here, ripped and re-contoured back to natural slope, being re-planted with native trees.
Western Red Cedar and Sitka Spruce plantings replacing logging road.
Bottom end of the nearly mile-long project reach post-construction. Native trees and plants will be placed throughout, and existing standing wood on either side has already begun to fall and populate former road prism with critical downed wood and organic material to jumpstart natural processes that will ameliorate sediment movement toward stream.
Dozens of pieces of large wood were placed in-stream throughout the project reach. Wood in-stream, especially higher up in the watershed, means fish in-stream – and better fishing – throughout the watershed.
Tony Torrence ties a killer Blue Winged Olive pattern for Spring and Fall. Daily hatches of Blue Winged Olives are occurring on the McKenzie and Middle Fork of the Willamette Rivers. Look for fish to be keying on them more and more. Ideal hours to catch this hatch are 1-4pm.
Blue Wing Olive Biot Dun
Hook: TMC 102Y 15-19
Thread: Veevus 10/0
Tail: Dun Mayfly Tail
Abdomen: BWO Turkey Biot
Thorax: BWO Micro Fine Dry Fly Dub
Wing: Dun Deer hair tied Comparadun Style
The time is fast approaching for the 25th anniversary of the NW Fly Fishing & Fly Tying Expo!
Have you always dreamed of owning a fine handcrafted bamboo fly fishing rod with a Hardy Reel?
To celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the NW Fly Fishing Expo a commemorative bamboo rod has been built. At the Expo 150 raffle tickets will be sold at $20.00 each. The winner of the raffle will be the owner of this special 25th Anniversary Fly rod and reel. Raffle tickets will only be sold at the Expo and can be purchased at the OrcFFF Merchandise booth. Don’t miss out on this great chance to own a finely crafted bamboo rod with a classic fly reel. The winner will be drawn on Saturday night at the Banquet. You need not be present to win.
This rod was built collectively by Skip Hosfield, Jeff Smith, and Dave Dozer, all long time and active supporters of the NW Fly Fishing Expo.
Skip began the process by selecting, splitting, heat treating, and rough shaping the bamboo strips. Jeff took over, completing the painstaking process of hand planing the bamboo strips to final dimensions, gluing the strips into a blank, fitting the ferrules, and adding and shaping the cork grip. Dave finished the rod by completing the guide wrapping, varnishing the rod, and adding the finished reel seat. All hardware and components for this rod were donated by Chet Croco, owner of Bellinger Bamboo Fly Rods, an avid supporter/participant of the Caddis Fly Shop Two Fly Tournament. A new Hardy Bougle’ 5 wt reel is included in this great package. Also included is a 5 wt weight forward, floating Joan Wulff Signature Series Fly Line, donated by Garry Sandstrom, regional sales representative for Wulff Fly Lines. This rod is inscribed with:
25th Anniversary – ORCFFF – NW Fly Tyer and Fly Fishing Expo
Skip Hosfield – Jeff Smith – Dave Dozer
7’ 6” 5 wt
The taper of this rod is a Payne 101, with a medium-fast action. It is a 2 piece, 2 tip – 7’ 6” – 5 wt rod. The bamboo is lightly flamed, and the rod contains an agate stripping guide, bronzed snake guides, a down-locking Bellingers reel seat and walnut insert, and is wrapped in fine claret and yellow silk thread. A custom rod tube and rod sock is also included.
The reel that is included is a Hardy Bougle’ MK VII 3 ¼” reel that comes loaded with 20lb Dacron backing and the Wulff Signature Series 5 wt floating fly line.
Join us at the Expo, buy a raffle ticket and give yourself a chance to own this 25th Anniversary Commemorative Bamboo Fly Rod and Reel.
Come to the Vet’s Club this Wednesday for the February Trout Unlimited Meeting. After several years of intense work by dedicated TU volunteers, Wednesday’s meeting will focus on the plan for TU’s partnership with ODFW in Marten Creek. Finally, we have an important local tributary where we can put waders in the water and work to understand and improve conditions for the native redsides, cutthroat and salmon of the Mckenzie! This project is commencing. Hoop traps are being set Thursday! Get in on the ground floor!
District biologist Jeff Ziller will map out the adoption plan and let us know exactly how members can get involved! From setting traps to fish movement and monitoring, there will be plenty of ways for you to get involved, have some fun, get a better understanding of how watersheds work and help out the native trout we all enjoy so much!
We will also be coordinating volunteers and participation for TU’s booth at FFF the fly fishing expo in Albany March 8th and 9th.
The Marten Creek project is the culmination of years of hard work and is exactly the kind of project we set out for! TU 678 is setting up for a great year and this meeting is the kick-off to what’s ahead … see you there.
What: TU 678 Chapter Meeting
Where: Veteran’s Club, 1626 Willamette St., Eugene
When: Wednesday, 2/13/13 at 7:00 pm.
What to Bring: Yourself, a couple bucks for a beer and a friend!
The 2013 Lower Umpqua Flycasters‘ Fly Fishing Expo will be held on February 23 at the Reedsport High School.
Come to this FREE one day event to learn from some of the Pacific Northwest best fly tyers or get casting instruction from Frank Moore at the casting pond. There will also be programs on fly fishing for salmon in estuaries and catching carp on the fly in the Columbia River.
ODFW: The aquatic invasive species boat inspection station at the Ashland Port of Entry will open on Feb. 11, 2013. Stations in Gold Beach, Klamath Falls, Lakeview and Ontario will open in the coming months.
All vehicles carrying motorized or non-motorized boats (kayaks, canoes, paddleboards, sailboats, etc.) are required to stop. Motorists are alerted to inspections stations by orange “Boat Inspection Ahead” signs followed by a white “Inspection Required for All Watercraft” sign. Failure to stop at an inspection station could result in a $110 fine.
Inspections usually take less then 10 minutes if boats are free of aquatic invasive species. If a boat is found to be contaminated with species such as quagga or zebra mussels, it will be decontaminated on site by the watercraft inspection team with a hot water pressure washer. There is no penalty or cost for the boat owner if their boat is found to be contaminated with invasive species.
Inspection stations are operated by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife at Port of Entries, highway rest stops and boat ramps across the state.
In 2012, fifty-one of 4,675 watercraft inspected were contaminated with aquatic invasive species; 32 had plant material (i.e. Eurasian watermilfoil) or other non-native organisms (e.g. snails, saltwater mussels). Eighteen were contaminated with either quagga or zebra mussels. All boats were decontaminated.
Sunday February 24th 1:00 to 4:00 PM Join Chris Orsinger, Executive Director of Friends of Buford Park, and Laurie Bernstein, former fisheries biologist with the US Forest Service, for an exploration of the geology and fish of the Coast Fork of the Willamette River and to learn more about ongoing floodplain restoration work of the Friends. Click here to register for a tour.
In this video, Orsinger explains “The Value In Restoring the Riparian Zones of the Coast Fork of the Willamette River.” The threatened wetlands along the Willamette’s Coast Fork, when restored to the native habitat, provide a safe haven for the native species who inhabit them.
Today we bring back our early season special on guided trips for the 2013 season. For the months of February and March we will be running our early season trout fishing guided trips for $275.
Here is how a typical day looks this time of year with the early season special: Two anglers in a boat, guide provides gear including all tackle and flies. Guests provide there own food and beverage. Fishing is usually on the lower McKenzie via Drift Boat. The day is from about 10am to about 4pm.
Our early season special is a great opportunity to hone your nymphing skills with our experienced guide staff. As things warm a bit hatches of Blue Winged Olives, Skwala Stoneflies, Winter Stones and March Browns will bring fish closer to the surface.
To book call 541-342-7005.
It felt like a late Spring day on the lower McKenzie yesterday. Patches of sun and cloud, perfect water levels and good nymph fishing.
I had the Sage 499-4 rigged with a medium size Thingamabobber, 5-7ft of 3x tippet to a Double Bead Peacock Nymph and a Mega Prince.
Most of our fish were taken in water with a depth of 4-8ft. Fish ranged in size from 8-16 inches and were in fine shape.
We floated from Hendricks to Hayden Bridge and the water looks fantastic this year. Classic riffles looked great, but were not holding fish like the slower deeper water below them.
The weather and water conditions are looking great for the next week or so, get out and enjoy some of our early season trout fishing.
From ODFW: Fisheries managers have announced that the popular spring chinook fishery on the Deschutes River will not open in 2013.
According to Rod French, district biologist with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, managers are predicting fewer than 650 wild spring chinook will return to the Warm Springs River to spawn. Under the current Lower Deschutes River management plan, the predicted run must be at least 1,000 wild fish before ODFW can open a sport fishery on hatchery fish.
“We have seen a significant decline in the return of wild fish over the last several years,” French said. “When the wild populations are this low, we can’t afford any incidental harvest from anglers targeting hatchery fish.”
The return of hatchery fish to the two Deschutes River hatcheries is also expected to be low and any harvest may jeopardize future hatchery production and fishing opportunities in the river. The exact cause of the decline is unknown, but managers hope that allowing additional fish to return to spawning grounds will boost wild production.
The Deschutes River is closed to all chinook fishing under permanent rule. However, when returns exceed management goals, a sport season can be opened under emergency rule. Past spring chinook seasons have typically opened in April. The fishery below Sherars Falls is extremely popular because high catch rates offer a good opportunity to catch a Columbia River spring chinook from the bank.
Unlike the wild spring chinook population, the wild fall chinook population in the Deschutes River is one of the healthiest stocks in the Columbia Basin, and the anticipated return should be well above management goals.
This will allow fishery managers to propose a sport fishing season for fall chinook beginning in August, French said.
Rogue Riverkeeper has a great action page on its Website for people who want to get involved with the fight to keep Suction Dredge mining off sensitive Oregon rivers, with info on how to look up and contact your legislators.
There are currently state senate bills in play that would better protect a number of rivers around the state from suction dredge mining, and we need your help to keep them afloat.
This practice of vacuuming up the stream bottom and spitting it back out is having an increasingly detrimental effect on water quality, fish populations and the ability of fishermen, boaters and landowners to enjoy the river. Suction dredging is increasing so fast that there was a 200% increase from 2011 to 2012 in permitted suction dredge miners in Oregon, and we expect more in 2013!
The mining community is fighting any bill that would restrict suction dredging in any way. Senator Alan Bates introduced one of the bills and his office has been receiving a large amount of calls and letters telling him that they are opposed to efforts to protect our streams, rivers, fish and river-side landowners.
Senator Bates and other state senators need to hear from people now who support protecting Oregon’s rivers and streams. Please write them a letter telling them you value clean water, healthy fish populations and quiet recreational opportunities, and you support efforts to protect those values!
Ethan Nickel demonstrates how to tie Silvey’s Tandem Tube Steelhead pattern with a twist. UV Polar chenille, Marabou and flash add movement to this proven pattern.
Tandem Tube
Rear Tube: HMH large
Front Tube: HMH Small
Body: Black Rabbit Strip
Body Hackle: Dyed UV Polar Chenille UV Black
Hackle: Red Marabou
Flash: Pearl Marabou
Collar Hackle: Black Pheasant Rump
