The Caddis Fly: Oregon Fly Fishing Blog

Last night, your friendly neighborhood River Stewards drove up to PDX to experience the Native Fish Society’s annual banquet and auction. Rob Russell and I rubbed elbows with the Portland fly fishing crowd and made lots of jokes about the bidding war over Jeff Hickman’s package. There were some amazing flies available on the silent auction, including some killer flies from NFS founder Bill Bakke, and a gorgeous set of traditional steelhead flies from Necanicum River Steward Peter Donahower. We also had a chance to check out the 101 Green Butt Skunks project. You can follow the North Umpqua’s Dan Callaghan memorial project on Facebook as well.

Historically a Portland-centric organization, the NFS has done a lot lately to bridge the distance with its supporters in the Eugene area. The NFS has offered moral and financial support to the McKenzie River Native Trout Coalition. And the shop reciprocated with donated trips in the auction to the McKenzie River and a saltwater fly fishing adventure with Captain Nate. If you haven’t supported this organization in the past, now is a great time to get on board and learn more about the Native Fish Society. Bill Bakke, NFS founder will be speaking to our local Trout Unlimited Chapter in May.

-MS

I’ve prepared a special set of Intruders for this year’s Native Fish Society auction and banquet. Some happy steelheader will go home with six flies, all of which were specially tied over this past weekend, representing over 16 painstaking hours at the vise. Not only do they represent considerable effort in the tying, but their design is the culmination of two years of intense development and on-the-water testing. Several key refinements have been added here, including the use of tentacular grizzly hackle tips in place of Lady Amherst for added movement and contrast. My nerdy fishing pals will begrudgingly attest to the effectiveness of these flies. If they hesitate, it’s only because they’re still sore from having their pockets picked. But you can take it from me: these flies are worth the time and trouble.

This coming Saturday marks the Native Fish Society’s 14th annual auction and banquet. The event will again be held in Northwest Portland, at the Mongomery Park building. Tickets are $75 each, and include a fantastic meal. Here’s a link to details: http://www.nativefishsociety.org/homewaters/

Many of Oregon’s finest fly guides donate special trips to the auction as fundraisers. The list of available trips, gear and non-fishing items is world-class–maybe the finest to be found anywhere (http://www.nativefishsociety.org/homewaters/documents/AuctionItemswebpageteaser24.pdf). Somewhere way down on that list is a trip for two led by yours truly–should go real cheap!

The Native Fish Society is my favorite organization. It is specifically dedicated to the preservation and restoration of native fishes and their habitats in Oregon. Bill Bakke, the group’s visionary founder, has devoted his life to defending our endemic salmonids–the sacred core of human culture in the Pacific Northwest. So, in my world, where salmon, steelhead and trout reign supreme, Bakke and his team are my spiritual leaders. They hold the line for all of us salmophiles, under incredible pressure, arming themselves with a heady blend of science and common sense. In my opinion, all of us who care about our rivers and our fisheries owe them a great deal of gratitude and support.

I sincerely hope you will save the date and join me in supporting the Native Fish Society this weekend. There will still be plenty of time for fishing!–RR