Oregon Fishing Perspectives.
Someone said, sometime, that an understanding of the challenges we face, the decisions we make each day, could surely benefit from understanding the perspective of people who have preceded us. Or something philosophical like that. Continue reading
I am NOT a stalker. Really.
This seems an appropriate opening assertion for this article, given the fact that I just recently opened the Caddis Fly Blog to find that my most trusted and share everything friends RR and MS had just returned from a venture to one of MY favorite Oregon Cascade mountain streams. FINE! Fellows, I was prowling these waters from the banks and underwater 35 years ago. So maybe you should at least let me know that you are going; just returned; might go; and yes, that you are going to blather about it for the Blogosphere. Continue reading
Fish Lake located “just off the highway” (14 miles) on Steens Mountain provided some fun fishing on day three of our four day trip (see previous post for the rest of the days). The lake had some planted trout which were hearty but not very mighty! However, float tubing in this high mountain desert lake, enjoying the sun, provided a great afternoon of angling. Continue reading
As a Midwest native, I came to trout fishing late in life. And had an idea that the craggier the water, the better the fishing opportunities. Broken, boulder-strewn, rapid filled stretches were easy to read — it limited where fish would actually hide. Also, something about dramatic water features appealed to my flat-lander fantasies.
Our Sage, Rio, Redington Sale Representative George Cook has stopped by this week to write orders for the coming season. While we are in the back battling about some ugly Redington Vest please come by and cast the new and really cool Sage ONE Fly Rod. The rods are lined up and ready to go, it will just take a few minutes of your time. We tried them out yesterday and they are very nice. Continue reading
Last week a few of the Technical Men’s Conference (old dawgs who have fished together for decades) headed off to The Steens. Marc, who grew up in Burns, was our tour guide. The rest of us only had read about the Steens. The Steens were settled by cattleman Pete French who drove cattle from Sacramento, Callyfornia, in the late 1800’s, to The Steens. Let me be frank….the Steens are not a place you just say “I think I will drop by today and visit the Steens”. The Steens are located sort of southeast of Burns, and are “just off the highway”. “Just off the highway” in Eastern Oregon, means at least 25-50 miles of dirt road! Besides the angling, our group wanted to get the most of our visit. We took the Steens loop road which was under repair and closed above the South Loop Campground to enjoy the views of the canyons from above the rim. Continue reading
The McKenzie Fly Fishers, Trout Unlimited Chapter 678, and The Caddis Fly invite you to a free lecture by renowned author and environmentalist Anders Halvorsen, author of An Entirely Synthetic Fish: How Rainbow Trout Beguiled America and Overran the World.
Suppose that, more than a century ago, U.S. government officials became concerned democracy itself was at risk because men seemed to be less virile. And to reverse this trend they decided to populate streams, rivers, and lakes with “an entirely ‘synthetic’ fish”—quarry with which Americans could rediscover their abilities to capture and kill animals. And suppose that, up to the present, these creatures were still being produced and distributed on a massive scale, sometimes even being trained like gladiators and pumped full of the same supplements as the best human athletes so that they would provide a better fight.
Where: Boulevard Grill, 2123 Franklin Boulevard, Eugene, OR (541) 686-2020
When: August 8, 2011, 7:00-9:00 pm
Sponsors: McKenzie Flyfishers, The Caddis Fly Angling Shop, and Trout Unlimited Upper Willamette Chapter (678)
We had many great fishing adventures with Rick McCreery over the years, all of them memorable. Rick touched many people through his work and fishing career and we will miss him tremendously. Continue reading
Recommendations for care of flies fished in Seawater.
This is a very fine Daiichi Salmon Fly hook exposed to Seawater for several days. Continue reading
Mark Twain was right — the clothes make the man. We floated through a jungle of Japanese Knotweed, ate a jack spring chinook cooked over a driftwood fire, and saw some football sized sea-run cutthroat. Good summer day on the North Coast.
-MS
The ocean was calling. Salmon on the fly are a passion for me. Salmon on the fly, here in Oregon, are hard work. Like sitting in the Casino day after day, pulling the lever, waiting for the big payout. You spend all your rent money month after month, hoping and persisting, biding your time for the magic moment when the grab will come. My friends also refer to the rat pushing the button because it remembers getting a food pellet months ago.
But now I have a new fishing realm to explore, the offshore fly fishing world. Captain Nate tried for several seasons to get me into the big blue, or even the close green of the sea world. Fearing deathly puking over the side outcomes, and still in the grips of salmon fever, I managed to evade the invitations. Not this year, though.
My dear friends Jack and Jon Harrell, famed Pacific City fly anglers/guides invited me, once again, to join them dory fishing for black rockfish with fly rods. To their surprise, I think, I said yes. Eagerly. In fact I became a pest, asking when the ocean would be flat enough to launch in the surf at Pacific City.
Five PM thursday, the phone rang. Jay, this is Jack. Hi Jack, what’s up? The ocean is looking pretty good for launching tomorrow morning, Jack said. I’ll be there; you name the time. We made our arrangements, and i hung up, knowing that my gear was already staged in the garage. Wow. An opportunity to fish with friends, most excellent fly anglers, and Dory skippers. Not to be missed. After all, I am semi-retired, and the clock is ticking.
Ooops. I had a work meeting to attend the next day, I remembered in a brief moment of clarity. Hummmmm. I’m 62. The meeting is important, as are all work meetings, I reminded myself. Hummmmm. Life is short, I reminded myself. Will a crucial decision point be reached tomorrow, I asked myself. No. Maybe. Not likely. Could happen. Oh heck, there will be time to revisit decisions made at the meeting, I rationalized. I remembered my history of being hyper-responsible, work dedicated to the point of risking my health. Not to mention my sanity, which hangs in the balance most days.
Hummmm. Life is short. I have how many days with fly rod on the ocean? Less than a handful. I have how many work meetings attended? Egads! Thousands upon thousands!
Dear ________, I wrote in an email. I will not be able to attend the meeting tomorrow owing to an unanticipated appointment. I pressed send, and promptly headed to the garage to load the truck.
Met my buddy at Rickreall at 5, arrived PC at 6:15. Jumped in the back of Jon’s Pickup, leading the Gold Comet down the road and across the beach. Jon backed the tilt trailer into the surf and dumped the Dory into the Pacific. The swells were pushing 8 or 9 feet, so it was a little dicey, but we soon scooted out through the surf, leaving Jon to his construction job, and we headed out to hunt the wily Black Rockfish.
Jack scanned the shoreline for visual cues, and eyed the fish finder to locate our destination. Pretty soon, he cut the motor and told us to get with it. Huge school of fish, twenty to forty feet deep, right under the boat, he said.
Suffice to say, we had a wonderful morning of it. Black Rocks took our Clousers and Tube flies fairly consistently, although Jack told us it was sort of slow that day. We saw a sunfish cruise by, Dolphin, a sea lion, and plenty of fish to our flies. We hunted salmon a little, but found none that day. Jack and my buddy both kept their eyes on me to detect signs of green around my gills, but my sea legs were in fine shape, and no puking was executed that day.
With the wind kicking up at about 11:30, Jack gave his son a call, and Jon jumped in his truck at his work site, heading for the beach to pick us up. We made our run for the beach, and in typical fashion, Jack ran the Dory straight onto the beach, timing the surf, and we sat high and dry, ready to trailer the boat.
An ODFW fish checker approached us as we debarked the Dory. We smiled and welcomed her to check our catch. Each fish was weighed and measured, part of the process of assessing harvest rates and status of the rockfish stocks. When she was done, we headed off the beach, driving past surfers and beach walkers, and headed back to Jack’s home where we filleted our catch.
Only one thing left to do. Breakfast at the Grateful Bread. Jack knows everyone there, so ordering took a little time while we were introduced to half the staff working there and local events were chatted over. RR joined us, completely coincidentally, as he was driving through town looking for a Condo to buy, a good golf course, or whatever it was he was doing there. Breakfast was great, conversation ranged from the fishing sublime to the biological arcane, and then it was time to head back to the valley. I checked my email.
There it was. A message, respectfully worded, relating not-so-happy-with-absence-from-meeting-with-virtually-no-advance-warning from boss. Hummmmm. I decided to let it slide. There would be plenty of time next week to accept my reprimand. For now, I had fresh memories a glorious morning on the ocean, time on the water with friends, dancing with rockfish, feeling mysterious giant grabs from unseen denizens that almost-but-not-quite got hold of the hook in my tube fly, putting new fly rods and reels and fly lines to the test of seawater and sea-fish. Tomorrow, I could be dead. Don’t want to be dead, but could be. I called my family and we planned to go see Captain America when I hit town.
JN
Rick and Sam’s River Crawl 2011
Between Eugene and Bend, Oregon lie an outlandish number of fly fishing opportunities for the bank angler. This is good because it is sad and true that we do not own a drift boat. Much to our disappointment, we will never be featured on the Oregon Fly Fishing blog drifting through the foaming waves of the McKenzie River.
But wait. What if we contrive to perform some absurd fishing stunt, traveling in a gas efficient compact car instead of a McKenzie boat? Perhaps if we forgo the leisurely enjoyment of standing in pure mountain waters, communing with osprey and heron, deer and otters; perhaps if we turn fishing into a road rally scavenger hunt for trout, (and catch it all on video) then we too, shall be worthy of blogdom.
The Plan:
All in just one day, July 27, 2011, our intrepid party shall attempt to catch a trout in 10 separate rivers/creeks on the fly, while traveling from Eugene to Bend and back again. We shall catch and release trout from the McKenzie River, Blue River, Metolius River, Deschutes River, Fall River, Crescent Creek, Odell Creek, Salt Creek, North Fork of the Middle Fork of the Willamette River, and finally the Middle Fork of the Willamette River. But wait, there’s more: we shall attempt to hit a trout grand slam by catching 4 different varieties of trout. Not enough craziness? There’s still more. We will perform this absurd feat without repeating the same fly that worked in one body of water in any other body of water. (Kind of like the antithesis to the Mckenzie River Two Fly competition, huh?). We will capture this endeavor on video for your viewing pleasure and hope that it will be worthy of the blog. So stay tuned….
The Team
Jen: Videographer and Photographer (thanks Jen)
Sam: Fly Fisher who will tempt trout to pose for our documentary.
Rick: Fly Fisher who shall also tempt the trout to say “cheese”
-Good luck guys.
As the foxgloves fade and the salmonberries ripen, our coastal rivers are settling into summer. The rainforest has grown into a full-blown jungle, almost impenetrable. Spring chinook have found refuge in cool canyon pools. Summer steelhead are tucked into comfortable bubble curtains, reverting to trouty habits, tempted by summer hatches. Sea-run cutthroat are making their way up the estuaries, blasting schools of small anchovies and candlefish, as well as baby salmon and steelhead. Meanwhile, coho and chinook rip voraciously through our offshore waters, putting on weight and counting down the weeks before the big autumn dance. For the handful of anglers who fished hard through the spring and early summer, it’s time to sleep in, catch up with friends, and stock up on flies for September. It’s a fine time to reflect a little on a season full of excitement and pseudo-revelations…
Tidewater Steelhead
During a particularly grungy incoming tide, my line tightened to the steady thumping of a fish. The jolts were hard and quick, and my first thought was that I had foul-hooked a salmon by the tail. Seconds later, an aquamarine summer steelhead leaped and thrashed, and a long-standing dream of mine finally came true. Hopefully it won’t take another 20 years to find the next one!
Caught in the Act
Ever trained your lens on the water’s surface, determined to get a photo of a salmon or steelhead mid-jump? I’ve done it plenty, as have my pro-photographer buddies. The Law of Jumping Salmon, section 4, line 11, states: “Salmon will stop jumping when cameras appear, and resume when cameras are stowed.” So imagine my surprise when I clicked the shutter JUST AS a spring salmon blasted the surface! I’ll admit it was a little anti-climactic, as the picture is only moderately compelling. But it still qualifies as a first in my book.
Oysters on the Campfire
There is no better camp food than fresh oysters. Grilled spring chinook is a nice side dish. Beer is the vegetable.
Cracking the Crab Code?
After cutting the day’s fish, Miguel and I stood on the camp dock, sipping micro brews and watching the algae bloom. Our neighbor in camp, now referred to as “Random Camper Guy,” wanders over and exclaims when he sees the fillets:
“Holy cow, where did you get those beauties?” he asked.
“Just down river,” we replied.
Then RCG sees the fly rods.
“Good Lord, you got those on flies?”
We suspected by the way RCG phrased it, that he knew a thing or two. He walked over to the rods and inspected our flies.
“Oh, you’re using crab larva flies!”
Miguel and I looked at each other sideways. We had no idea what he was talking about.
“Uh…what’s that again?” I offered.
“These flies,” he pointed at a #8 Zebra Tail, “are yellow and red, just like late-stage crab larvae. That’s one of the primary foods of chinook in the ocean.”
“Really?”
He shared a few more factoids, then shuffled off to his RV. Miguel and I stared at each other, gears turning, communicating without words.
“Let’s tie up some crab flies for tomorrow!” I said. And with that we cranked out 13 new flies and split them up among our crew.
The next day we rocked the chinooks, and every time someone hooked up, the refrain echoed, “Crab fly!”
Pink Zebra Tail Magic
Last year’s unqualified ‘nook killer, the Pink Zebra Tail, drove the spring season right out of the gate. The flashy little critter brought multiple limits to the net, and lead to speculation as to the secrets of its success. As it happened, Random Camper Guy nudged us in another direction, and over the following two weeks, my buddies and I developed tighter and tighter facsimiles of megalops Dungeness crab larvae. Those flies performed well, and led to other innovations. But some of our crab larvae experimentation failed. For instance, we all tied itty bitty versions of our crab flies, attempting to better match the naturals. The small flies didn’t pan out, primarily because the smolts would not leave them alone. As the season wound down, the magic of the crab flies seemed to wane. But the Zebra Tail proved itself time and again, up to the last grab.
That final hookup came after 14 hours of swinging–almost perfectly in line with the season average of 13.8 hours per fish landed.
Despite the recent rain of this past week, water and fishing conditions are excellent in the Willamette Valley and the State of Oregon. Here are some of the highlights and flies to use for some of our great fly fishing waters of Oregon.
The Lower McKenzie River is fishing well especially on some of the cloudy days we’ve have lately. Look for the sun to pop and fishing to remain good but focus more on morning and evening as we head into August. Water levels and water temperatures are going to be really good for lower river trout this year and the “Summer Lul” associated with low and warm water is most likely not going to occur. Flies you need to have in your box for the lower river include. Continue reading
Sea Run Cutthroat are in already – and it’s only mid July…
Last week was a great opportunity to explore and fish my brains out. Spring Chinook season was winding down, but the ocean was there and, for me, a whole new sea to dip my toes into. And I had been noticing some fish messing around the estuaries that looked a lot like sea run cutthroat. Continue reading
