I just put together the 2010 footage from the annual fly fishing for pike trip, and it’s a bit weird. Rock and roll provided by Akron Ohio’s greatest defunct rock band Interfuse. If you’re into surreal water colors and shaky camera work, press play. If not, don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Here are some previous videos:
It can seem confusing, at times, to understand the terminology associated with summer steelhead fishing technique. Knowing Jay Nicholas as a simple, straightforward, commonsense guy, I asked him to write a short piece about the various steelhead presentation styles we often refer to. Uh oh. Be careful what you ask for. Here is what I got. Good luck.–CD
Nicholas’ Summer Steelhead Fly Presentation Methods – Part I of III
Butt on
This presentation is also referred to as the “tail-down”, the mend-your-eyeballs-out-of-their sockets, and is precursor to the “hang down.” The key aspect of this presentation is to offer one’s fly to a steelhead with the butt (tail) of said fly straight in the afore mentioned steelhead’s face. To do so, one must align the head of said fly directly upstream, away from the chrome object of a fly fisher’s desire. This can be accomplished by making a cast at a shallow angle downstream and across potential steelhead holding water, mending one’s fly line, and then repeatedly mending again, and again, and again, and then a bunch of more times. These repetitive and agonizing mends are intended to maintain a hook-eye-upstream – hook bend-downstream perspective throughout the time elapsed between gentle touch-down of fly to the absolute hang down (see hang down). In practice, executing approximately 77 mends throughout the course of the fly’s travels across the steelhead holding water produces 77 herky-jerky movements and scares the bejeepers out of the intended target of this presentation. An alternative is to make just one mend to set up your fly for a cross-tailout transmotational passage, let it swing a little, and hope the yard-long silver ghost decides to execute chompage. On the other hand, the 77 mends per cast do provide considerable entertainment to any fellow fly fishers nearby. One of them light even offer to share their mood stabilizer meds, which would be a bonus, come cocktail hour in camp.
Classic dry fly
This presentation is executed by first spooling on a double taper floating fly line. Next, the steelhead pursuer ties on a tapered leader, wades into the stream, ties on a dry fly, applies fly floatant, strips off some line in preparation for making a cast, chucks the fly upstream into a bubbly riffle near the head of a pool where some nice little trout is likely to be looking for a floating bug to eat. Subject fly fisher next implements a variety of trick casts in order to maintain a drag-free presentation as long as possible, striping-in fly line as the floating fly drifts downstream towards angler’s location in stream. Be advised that steelhead do not necessarily lie in such water, nor to they normally rise to the surface to engulf a fly presented in such manner. Be advised that considerable difference of opinion exists regarding the use of terms like steelhead “lie” versus steelhead “lay.” Same also regarding whether a fish will “rise” versus “raise” to a fly. Also note that steelhead will occasionally eat a fly presented as descried above.
Classic Wet Fly Swing
This summer steelhead presentation is the most effective but least understood among the various alternational trendy-cute methods typically observed on-stream these days. Chuck the fly across the river as far as one can cast. Tuck rod under left armpit in order to execute fiddling with bag of Cheese Nips, address issue with itchy crotch, use tippet nippers to trim nose hairs, photograph backlash in flyline, or pick up cased caddis nymphs to use for bait. These antics lull Mr. Steelhead into thinking that the angler employing this presentational style is a goobis, which might be true but is beside the point. 93.6 % of all summer steelhead caught since 1947 have succumbed to this presentation methodology.
Chugg
Unless one is an unfortunate attendee of a frat party off-campus, or the newbie in Steelhead Camp on the Ktok, this term refers to the act of fishing a dry fly for steelhead in an assertive, nay, aggressive manner. Appropriate usage might be as in – “like dude, I’m gonna Chugg this here Muddler ‘till Mr. steelie eats me.” As one might infer from the imagery bestowed n this term, to chug is to actively push water, make waves, or otherwise disturb the river’s surface by imparting serious motational tension to one’s line-leader, thereby transferring 7-gs to one’s fly in a manner that throws spray approximately three feet into the air. Chugging dry flies and bass poppers was invented by a steelhead angler dismayed by having gone grabless after employing normal presentation methods for 13 years. Note to reader: this fly presentation has caught only one steelhead in the last three years, and that fish was a kelt.
JN
“Angel flight Road” by Jerry Ross
Join us for this very special painting workshop with accomplished artist, longtime Art Center instructor and arts supporter, Jerry Ross. This summer Jerry will conduct this unique summer plein air painting workshop at the picturesque “Angel Flight Artists’ Retreat” along the beautiful McKenzie River in Leaburg, Oregon.
Students are encouraged to bring their fishing gear. We will be fishing during breaks. Students can opt to pitch their tents and camp out overnight.
Designed for students of all skill levels, this is a wonderful opportunity to paint outdoors with an ensemble of artists. In this four-day workshop, you will learn the basics of plein air painting. You will review how to paint from nature by first making a preliminary pencil drawing followed by the use of a simplified palette outdoors. You will also learn what elements create a successful composition and how to begin and finish your paintings. You will explore the idea of “color pool” mixing as you practice color mixing techniques.
Each day, Jerry will complete a painting demonstration for you to observe his technique and ask questions. You will then begin work on your own painting, putting into practice the skills and techniques Jerry has demonstrated. Individual and group critiques will help strengthen your paintings. Instruction will be in oils but students are invited to use the medium of their choice.
Saturdays & Sundays, 9:00am-3:00pm, August 21-22 & August 28-29
Members $120 – Non-Members $135
Painting Workshop Registration/Cancellation Policy: Payment in full must be received 7 days prior to the start of the workshop or students may lose their space unless other arrangements have been made. No refund will be made within 4 days of the workshop unless a replacement student is found. No refunds once the workshop has begun. In the event the Art Center must cancel the workshop, a full refund will be made.
You can register for classes in person with cash, check, or credit card, or by mail with check or credit card. To register for classes at the Maude Kerns Art Center, please call 345-1571. Scholarships are available based on financial eligibility. For more information contact the
Maude Kerns Art Center.
1910 East 15th Avenue
Eugene, Oregon 97403
Phone : 541.345.1571 / Fax 541.345.6248
sabrina@mkartcenter.org
Can it be wrong to be so passionate about salmon fishing that one would consider expanding one’s fleet of watercraft, simply to increase the options for catching an actual Chinook salmon by a factor of 0.00743, annually?
So, how many boats constitute a fleet anyway? I have owned five Koffler boats since about 1980.
Bruce, still smiling, was the MAN, and little Joe was sweeping the shop floor. Wonder why these guys smile every time I walk in the door. I have owned and fished Alumaweld and Willie Boats over the years. Both fine boats. I’ve since decided to go with Koffler boats as I seem to be building my fleet, though, because it is so nice to work with a family I have known for over three decades.
Here is my garage with my Koffler drift boat (16’x54” Guide Boat with raised front and rear Diamond Plate decks) and Whitewater pram (11’x48” Hunter-Killer salmon stalking machine designed for river and estuary adventures). These beauties have put me into many a fish-a-year in some surprising places and I sometimes loan each of these boats to a friend otherwise known as “Sneaky Pete.”
Not a fleet. Not yet.
Each of these waterish vehicular fly fishing platforms provides most excellent and admirable properties and each has allowed me to hook at least one salmon per year since their respective acquisition.
Here is me with Joe Koffler, working on the specs for my NEXT boat. Never thought I would take this step. A power-boat designed specifically for fly fishing kings in the honest to goodness saltwater reaches of Oregon’s bays. Funny thing, I just figured out that this boat also will be one super fine craft for fishing all sorts of places that were pretty much off limits to me before. The Alsea to head-of-tide. Diamond Lake. The Willamette. Siletz tidewater. Umpqua tidewater. Tillamook Bay. I will be able to prowl the Nestucca far more widely than I could before. Ooohhh – the lower Rogue.
The silent steelhead looked on.
A shotgun rests at the ready in the corner.
Joe tallies the tab.
Joe smiles. I’m happy. He’s happy. The fleet is about to grow.
Anyone know where I could store this new power boat in the off season?
O yeah. The boat? Specs? 16’x60”. 20 hp outboard. Built in Fish box and wash down system. Clean, lean, and mean. A fly fisher’s dream platform. No seats. Just open space to fly cast and (once-a-season) fight a fish. The kings should show well this year. So maybe 2 fish. And sea runs. Ooohh yeah.
Expect play-by-play as the construction continues. Fleet construction underway.
JN
Jay sent these photos for an update. Watch out Salmon!
For years I have turned down chances to fish Tarpon in the Florida Keys and elsewhere. This winter I decided enough is enough, bite the bullet save your money (spend what you saved) and go to a Tarpon destination. Sure there will be Bonefish, Snook, Permit chances but the focus of the trip will be Tarpon until conditions dictate otherwise. The trip did not disappoint and the location lived up to it’s billing.
We fished in channels, lagoons, and a few deeper flats. Most of the fish were caught in mangrove lined lagoons and deep channels. The wind howled on our trip and the water was a milky green. It rained every night and some afternoons. Our guide kept saying “Tarpon Love Fresh Water” and “Tarpon Love Dirty Water”. We had rolling Tarpon to cast to daily. Standing on the bow in 4 foot swells required help from you partner in terms of line management and balance. Upon hooking fish you had to do all the right things in terms setting the hook, clearing your line and bowing to the fish. In addition you had to worry about the anchor setting and staying upright. Meanwhile waves are crashing over the back of our 16′ cork of a boat. All part of the fun.
We had a few other species in the mix. No fly change needed.
The last day the weather really got crappy and we headed for cover in a back country “river” of sorts. The fish were smaller but we “ripped em up”.
Local color and flavors were enjoyable as well.
Tackle used: 1) Winston 10wt BIIX Rod, Bauer Rogue 5 Fly Reel, Rio Tarpon Clear Tip, 2) Winston 12wt BIIMX Rod, Hatch 9 Reel (demo but will be stocking them soon), Rio DC425 24ft Sink Tip, 3) Sage 9wt Xi3 Rod, Nautilus G9 Reel, Scientific Anglers Saltwater Sharkskin Clear Tip and Floating Bonefish 9wt.
For the name, location and outfitter give me a call or email and I will be happy to discuss.–CD
Greg Hatten has been taking some great footage this summer with his VholdR camera with an underwater housing. Check out these videos of a bull trout caught and released and some upper McKenzie River redside rainbow trout.
We have had verified tuna reports and both Coho and Chinook season is open, but it is still a little early and we are waiting for the big push of all creatures finned and pelagic.
A couple nice fly rod rockfish!
Intimate moments…
Ling a Ding (Released-thank you Travis!)
That being said the reef critters are still happy to give us a tug to fill the void while we dream of blue water. Check out some of the recent photos from our trips and stay tuned… the warm water is here!
-NS
The Middle Fork of the Willamette has been fishing really well the past couple of weeks and has really dropped into “wadable” shape recently. Hopper Dropper set up’s with a Golden Stone Adult sizes 6-10 and a Tungsten Ice Prince or Possie Bugger sizes 10 and 12 worked very well today. Smatterings of Pale Morning Duns, Green Drakes and small brown Caddis were also present.–CD
Those of us crazy enough to do this –silly pursuit – understand that we are doing far more than simply trying to catch an actual spring Chinook on a fly. Yes it can be done. Yes some people know how. Yes some people do it by accident. Yes, one can catch far more of these mystical fish on bait, spinners, flatfish, and dynamite and gill nets.
Who cares?
This is a pursuit of God, whatever this means to each of us. Tapping into the life force of the universe. For a few, it is about the most delicious salmon in Oregon. For these few, the pursuit is about food. Bah. They may say it is so, but I find this difficult to believe. They may be thinking about food but I think they are feeding their souls.
Humm. Empty boat ramp. Does everyone else know where the fish are?
Twenty days on the water. The days are long in May and June. Miles logged. Motels. Junk food. Obsessions over fly lines, leaders, backing, flies. Broken sleep. Broken rods. Broken fly lines. Notes scribbled on napkins. Work calls answered in between casts and rain squalls. Review anchor points while drifting off to sleep. Tide tables. Moon phases. Log on the internet to check river flows. More junk food. Evidence that people do, indeed, smoke in no-smoking rooms. Coffee at the Blue Kiosk. Need more leaders. Should I go with 8-pound, or will the 10# be ok? I eye the smelly jelly on the shelf at Tillamook sporting Goods and am tempted by the ramen-tuna-espresso-anchovy-carp flavor – but I decline.
One minute it is hot and sunny.
Then hail and howling wind.
Rarely, it’s just right.
Tillamook Bay tidewater ain’t the Skeena. This is messy, dirty, musty, cow-poop water. Nostrils soak in the scent of rich anaerobic sludge. Boots sink up to shins in goop that threatens to drag you under. Sand bars may be found, places to get out and take a live-fish photo, but these are few in number. Mostly, getting out of the boat means calling for the Coast Guard Rescue Squad.
My family is always with me.
Oregon is not the pristine wild of Alaska or Russia – but I love this place. These are my home waters.
And the Springers, my-oh-my, the Springers.
Purple backed.
Snow bellied.
Long tailed sea lice.
Savage swirls at the head of the hole.
Graceful, slo-mo, head-to-tail rolls. I watched three spring Chinook porpoise as a school cruised into a hole last week – nose, dorsal, tail rolls. Silent. So sleek and slow that the water simply allowed them to slide through without making so much as the slightest ripple.
Chucked my best fly in their path, I did. No answer. It was as if I had imagined the whole scene. No evidence that three Springers had shown themselves moments before.
If you are good, diligent, and lucky as heck, you might catch a spring Chinook in a season. As far as I’m concerned, this is a gift from the living universe. I have gone full seasons without a single Springer, and still felt honored to have known that I was with the salmon.
Rarely………
So it goes.
JN
Please join us at the shop, today, from 11:00am to 2:00pm, our Simms Representative, Eric Neufeld will be in the shop. Eric has had extensive fly fishing experience as a guide in Southwest Alaska and during our winter months worked in Southern Chile.
Simms is well known for it’s waders, but, has many other fine products such as rain jackets, hats, vests, bags, packs and gloves. Eric will have some “freebies” to give away and answer all questions about Simms Products in our shop. Please join us from 11-2. Thanks!
LV
Last night I fried up a heaping pile of fresh rockfish fillets for a fish-taco feed. Captain Nate was prepping for his first off-shore salmon trip of the season, while his brother Matt and roomie Nick cheered me on in the kitchen. I hadn’t seen Nick in a couple of weeks, and I asked what he’d been up to.
“Man, I just got back from the National Championships in Iowa,” he said. “Only got a couple of hours of sleep last night–caught a red-eye home at two in the morning.”
“No kidding?” I said, clueless as usual. “How’d that go?”
“I won it,” he said confidently, “third time in a row.”
When I see Nick, he’s either fishing or lounging on the leather sofa. Or grubbin’ on the latest ocean catch from the salty Ventura (Nate’s floating office). I’m sure Nick trains a lot, but that’s not the Nick I see. He loves to talk fish and fishing, which are obviously among his greatest passions. His house is within spitting distance of the town run, and he can be fishing for trout or steelhead in minutes.
After dinner, Nick rolled the video of his championship race. He prepared us for some of the lame commentary that we would hear from the announcers. “The reporters don’t like how I run.” He explained. “But I tell them that it’s my style. It’s a strategy. And it works for me.”
Nick’s event is the 800-meter. That’s two trips around a track. The runners move fast from beginning to end in the 800m, practically leaping with each stride. Nick is not a big guy, and some of his competitors seem gigantic in comparison. From the start, Nick takes it easy. He hangs at the back of the pack, in perfect control, for the entire first lap. The commentators are used to this, and can’t help but say things like, “And there’s Nick Symmonds, holding right where we expect him.”
“Yeah, dead last!” Nate quips. Nate has a funny laugh, similar to squawk of an excited sea bird, which adds to the tension. I can’t imagine how Nick will pull this off, even though I already know he’s going to win.
Then it happens: Nick pulls to fifth place halfway through the second lap. The announcers are still busy jabbering about the first three runners, pontificating as to who will break away. As the runners go into the final corner, Nick hits the turbo boosters and burns around everybody. He’s in the lead as he hits the home stretch, then leaves them in the dust, gaining a full second lead over his nearest challenger. The intensity on Nick’s face as he crosses the finish line is harrowing. This is serious business, and Nick was obviously born for it.
Back in Eugene, our little living-room crowd went wild, caught up in the astonishing power of that final dash. Nick blushed slightly, and thanked us for our praise. It was a strange juxtaposition, our casual bachelor-dinner-party contrasting the high energy of the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. We all felt transported, and utterly awed by what we had just witnessed.
The last rockfish fillet disappeared and our company split up to our respective homes. As I drove the short way back to Oakway, my heart was still racing.
-RR
Hey, on Wednesday, June 30 from 11:00am to 2:00pm, our Simms Representative, Eric Neufeld will be in the shop! Eric has had extensive fly fishing experience as a guide in Southwest Alaska and during our winter months worked in Southern Chile.
Simms is well known for it’s waders, but, has many other fine products such as rain jackets, hats, vests, bags, packs and gloves. Eric will have some “freebies” to give away and answer all questions about Simms Products in our shop. Please join us on Wednesday, June 30 from 11-2.
LV
Tillamook County dished out some super-mega-chromers last weekend.
My buddy Mariusz finally got to tangle with a coastal springer, after a couple of fishless attempts in past years. Just look at all those long-tailed sea lice! Tillamook’s rivers were still high enough for easy boating, and clearing up nicely. We shared the water with a lot of other anglers, and most everybody had a fish story to tell. The Wilson, Trask and Nestucca will continue to offer supreme chromeness for at least two more weeks. Summer steelhead are now present in large enough numbers to support swinging flies on dry lines. And the Pelican Brewery has a new summer ale that goes perfectly with Dory-caught fish and chips. Life is good…Happy Summer! -RR
Fly Fishing near Eugene on the lower McKenzie has been excellent of late. The water has dropped into shape nicely and a variety of tactics have been catching fish. Nymphing, swinging wets, and fishing Pale Morning Duns, Green Drakes, Green Caddis, Brown Caddis and Little Yellow Stones on the surface has been very productive. The Upper McKenzie has also been fishing well especially when temperatures get near 70 degrees. Brown Caddis, Green Drakes, Golden Stones, Possie Buggers, Tungsten Ice Princes, and Little Yellow Stones for the upper McKenzie. We are heading into some fantastic fishing weather over the next week. Seventy degrees and cloudy, just perfect.
Mr. Cutthroat
Mr. Rainbow
Mr. Bull Trout
Very cool! The Possie Bugger catches Bull Trout too!
Very disappointed we didn’t get a shot of some of those beautiful “golden wigglers” Mr. Whitey just wouldn’t sit still long enough to get photographed. Could have been a “McKenzie Slam” of sorts.–CD
Despite the wet beyond most of our rememberenantial capabilities, which are admittedly waning as the seasons pass by, the summer steelhead are piling up, as I write, and as you read these sage words. Yes.
As of June 11, there were about 16,000 summers over Willamette Falls. Close to 3,000 summer steelhead have reached Foster Dam on the South Santiam and over 4,000 have been recycled downstream to Pleasant Valley or Waterloo Park. Some of these fish have made the truck ride and zipped back to the Dam more than once. Several-hundred summer steelhead had passed Winchester Dam on the North Umpqua by mid-May.
OOhhhhh. It’s gonna be a fine summer steelhead season, and we know that a bunch of you local guys and gals have been swimming your flies in the high waters already, with steady and increasing success.
In preparation for the dropping and clearing flows, out of greatest respect for the summer steelhead season that will develop before ya know it on the North Umpqua, Deschutes, Clackamas, Siletz, Rogue, Klamath, and San Joaquin rivers – Chris and I have shot (and I do mean shot) videos of 40 (count ‘em) summer steelhead flies. These are all highly original and super effective flies virtually guaranteed to catch boatloads of summer steelhead. I know this to be true because each and every one of them is a completely original pattern developed by me myself in all humbleness and sincerity.
This is true even for the flies that look suspiciously like a Green Butt Skunk without a tail or a Purple Peril without a tail and a wing.
Here’s the deal. Five basic fly styles. Nine flies each in four styles, plus four flies in the final series. You do the math. Forty of the nicest summer steelhead flies you will see come out of my vice (or is it vise?) for fly fishing.
There will be the Summer Boss Series, the Chenille Series, the Zowie Dub Series, the Baby Boss Series, and the Mini-flat-braid Series. Chris and Nate egged me on and fed me coffee intravenously to keep the time per fly at around 3 minutes. I made all sorts of blunders while shooting the videos, most of which will stay in just for realism.
We all had fun. Check out a few shots of the flies, to whet your appetite. Chris has a Tarpon trip and a few days guiding that will cause all of us to wait, patiently, for the videos to post. That said, get your heads into summer steelhead gear and be prepared to have fun with these patterns soon.
JN
