Sharkskin Fly Line Sale

 sharkskin

 

Spring has sprung and it’s time to look at your fly lines and leaders. If your line is cracking, sinking or it’s just time to replace it we have a special running that may help. Select Sharkskin fly lines including GPX, Magnum, Trout and Steelhead Tapers have been reduced $30. If you have wanted to try the Sharkskin line but the $99.95 have kept you away this is the time. At $69.95 the Sharkskin is now in line with Rio and Scientific Anglers standards. Check out the selection of Sharkskin lines at this link. We love these line and are simply overstocked for the spring.–CD

Posted in Shop Sales and Specials | Leave a comment

Jay’s Winter Steelhead Simplicity: Fly tying video

In Jay Nicholas‘s latest fly tying video he uses Saltwater Neck Hackle to create a collar for his Winter Steelhead Simplicity pattern. Don’t be afraid to mix up colors on this great looking fly. Imagine a purple and black combo, or a green flat braid rear and a black Senyo Laser Dubbed front body.

Jay’s Winter Steelhead Simplicity
Hook: Daiichi 2151 # 1,2
Thread: Lagartun 95D Black
Rear Body: Lagartun Mini Flat Braid Holo Silver
Rib: Lagartun Oval Gold Tinsel
Body: Senyo’s Laser Yarn
Collar 1: Polar Chenille UV Gold
Head: Liquid Fusion
Turner: For Drying

Posted in Fly Tying, Oregon Winter Steelhead Fishing | 1 Comment

Jay’s Green Rock Worm: Caddis Pupae Fly Tying video

In this fly tying video, Jay Nicholas shows you how to tie a Green Rockworm caddis Pupae, a great all around spring pattern all over the West. Easy to tie, great pattern to fish.

IMG_3001

Green Rockworm Caddis Pupae
Hook: TMC 3761 # 12-16 or Daiichi 1560
Thread: 8/0 Uni Black
Bead: 1/8-3/32 Black Tungsten
Body: Rockworm Green Rabbit and Ice Dub Blended
Hackle: Hungarian Partridge
Head: Black Ice Dub

Posted in Fly Tying | 7 Comments

Borden’s Special: Sea Run Cutthroat Fly Pattern

In this new fly tying video, Jay Nicholas shows you how to tie a killer sea run cutthroat fly, created by Hareline Dubbin founder Bob Borden. Jay also demonstrates how to select and use schlappen hackle, arctic fox wing, and dubbing.

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Borden’s Special
Hook: TMC 3761 # 4-10
Thread: Lagartun Black X-strong 95 denier
Rib: Oval Lagartun Small Silver
Wing: White Arctic Fox Tail
Collar: Schlappen yellow and Hot Pink

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Local rivers rise but not out, March Brown Hatch in full swing

wild mckenzie rainbow

Recent rains did bump the McKenzie and Willamette Rivers, however they are still very low compared to historical flows. Look for the rivers to begin dropping back down right away. We have some great weather fore-casted for early in the week and hatches should be very good. Prepare your box with March Brown Emergers, March Brown Parachutes and Sparkle Duns, Blue Winged Olives, Possie Buggers, Mega Princes, Pheasant Tails, Golden Stone Nymphs, Half Down Goldens and Elk Hair Caddis. The stones and caddis are likely to get going with warm temperatures on the horizon. We have observed some sporadic caddis activity on both the McKenzie and Middle Fork late in the day.

Posted in Fishing Reports, Lower Willamette, McKenzie River, Middle Fork Willamette River fishing | 5 Comments

Dubbed Head Egg Sucking Leech Fly

This instructional fly tying video, Jay Nicholas demonstrates the use of thread dubbing loops for coarse dubbing materials, a great Daiichi hook and two tone Crosscut rabbit. This shorty-leech is very easy to tie and very effective.

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Dubbed head egg sucking leech

Hook: Daiichi 2151 # 2
Thread: Lagartun 95D Fl. Orange
Body: Two Tone Crosscut Rabbit Violet/Purple
Eyes: Pseudo Eyes Large
Flash: Mirage Opal Flash
Head: STS dubbing loop and blend of Fl. Flame, Fl Pink, Fl. Orange

Be sure to check out our steelhead fly tying video library.

Posted in Fly Tying | 3 Comments

Meeting Reminder: Mckenzie Watershed Council

Tonight, the Mckenzie Watershed Council will be meeting at the EWEB facility in downtown Eugene. From 5:30-7:00. Jeff Ziller, District Biologist will be presenting on the Status and Managment of Mckenzie River Trout. He will be taking questions from the public and the Council members.

This is a great opportunity to gather information and to show the Council just how many of us care about the severe depletion of wild trout in 35 miles of the Mckenzie. Our last showing at the ODFW public meweting made a positive impression on ODFW senior staff. Let’s do the same thing for the watershed council and keep our momentum going! Hope to see you there.–KM

McKenzie River Native Trout Coalition

Posted in Oregon Conservation News, Oregon Fly Fishing Clubs and Events | 2 Comments

Trout Unlimited Meeting tonight — Spring Trout Tactics plus Fly Tying activities

Reminder: Trout Unlimited Meeting tonight, guest speaker Ethan Nickel

Veteran fly fishing guide Ethan Nickel will be speaking at the Trout Unlimited meeting next week, presenting on spring fishing tactics for trout. The meeting starts at 7pm and is free and open to the public. The meetings are held on the second Wednesday of the month at the Eagles Aerie, 1375 Irving Rd, Eugene.

We’re also featuring two new activities at tonight’s meeting

FLY SWAP

RULES:

-Tie or purchase 6 flies.
-Bring those 6 flies to the meeting.

Each participant will bring 6 flies to the meeting. These flies can be tied by you, by someone else or purchased. The 6 flies you bring will be presented as a “set”. These flies do not have to be identical or even the same pattern, you simply have to have six flies to participate.

After all the sets are submitted, you will draw a number from the bucket.

The number you draw will determine the order that you get to choose your flies. Example: If you are number one, you get to choose any set of flies. If you are number two, you can choose the set you want from the remaining sets of flies. Etc.

You are then instructed to fish those flies and have fun.

BROWN BAG SPECIAL

Objective:
This is an exercise that will stimulate your imagination. The goal is to make you think “outside the box”.

Overview:
Each bag contains exactly the same materials. Your goal is to tie one fly from the materials in the bag. Imagination is the key here.

Rules:
•       You must use at least a small amount of every material provided in the bag.
•       You may not add, subtract or substitute any materials from the bag.
•       The only thing not provided in the bag is thread. You may use any
color thread you desire.
•       You must return the completed fly to the meeting the following month
for it to be placed in the competition.

General Information:
You may purchase a “brown bag special” before the meeting or during the break. Funds go toward TU room rental costs. When you return the tied fly to the meeting the following month, the flies from all participants will be displayed and the members will vote on the best fly tied.

The winner will receive a fly tying related prize. This prize will change monthly. The flies that are tied and submitted for judging will be collected throughout the year and will be used as a donation, auction item or fund raiser for the chapter.

Posted in Oregon Conservation News, Oregon Fly Fishing Clubs and Events | 1 Comment

Middle Fork of the Willamette March Report

The Middle Fork of the Willamette river is currently flowing at about 400 cubic feet per second, this is  super low and makes the river extremely accessible on foot.  The water below Black Canyon Campground normally slow and lake influenced, is now  miles of water flowing into Lookout Point Reservoir. All of this water is walk-able from Hampton Campground on the Hwy 58 side or by heading towards Lowell from the Westfir side and walking in the lake bed. This section sees very little pressure but is well worth a look.

The Middle Fork gets Blue Winged Olive, March Brown, small dark caddis and Skwala Stone Fly hatches this time of year. On overcast days look for better surface activity with Blue Wings and March Browns. In the bright sun go deep with Mega Prince’s, Curtis Get Stoned Stonefly, Beldar’s Double Bead Stonefly Nymph.

This past Saturday I floated the stretch between Greenwaters Park and Black Canyon. What little Gluvit left on the bottom of my boat was pretty well scraped off. The sun was out and we saw zero surface activity. However we did find some fish on nymphs, fishing shorter off the Thingamabobber than I usually do, just 3-4 feet. The runs are pretty obvious with the lack of water so cast to the dark green stuff and get a nice dead drift.

I had a couple of young guys in the boat sharing their birthday.  Jim Becker started the day off with a Salmon Creek Hatchery escapee.

salmon creek escapee

Tim stuck this gorgeous whitefish just below Oakridge

whitey

Nice double from the twins.

becker double

Becker B-day

Posted in Fishing Reports, Middle Fork Willamette River fishing | 4 Comments

Getting Ready: Three months till Canadian Pike Trip

For the 2010 trip fly fishing for Northern Pike in Canada, I’ve take a more utilitarian approach to tying. Two of my good friends are coming along, and neither tie flies so I’m getting started early. You can check out the 2008 pike trip and 2009 write ups.

Here are some of this year’s patterns that I’ve been putting into production:

Pike Flies 2010

Pike Flies 2010

Pike Flies 2010

Pike Flies 2010

Pike Flies 2010

Pike Flies 2010

I’m mostly fish only two kinds of flies, Icelandic Sheep Hair and rabbit strip. I vary the patterns — lead eyes and unweighted, and have been playing with different hooks from the ultra heavy duty Gamakatsu SC17 tarpon hook when I want the fly to sink, to the Gamakatsu B10S Stinger for lighter weight bugs. A couple new materials for me this year on the rabbit strip side — bunnybou is a great replacement for cross cut rabbit. It will definitely pulsate in the water — see the big chartreuse unweighted bug above. And magnum rabbit strips. The number one reason I don’t fish rabbit as much is because pike can bite off a tail too fast. But the magnum strips might slow them down.

Check out our videos of the pike trips below:

-MS

Posted in Fishing Porn, Fly Fishing Travel, Fly Tying | 3 Comments

McKenzie FlyFishers take a strong stance for native trout on the McKenzie River

The McKenzie River is the birthplace of the Federation of Fly Fishers, and the first club was our own McKenzie FlyFishers. The MFF has been rigorously studying the issue of hatchery trout negatively impacting wild fish on the McKenzie River. And after four months of debate, and research into the biological and social implications of the McKenzie River hatchery trout program, the Fisheries Committee developed an excellent position statement that is excerpted below:

The McKenzie Flyfishers’ Policy on Native Fish Conservation in the McKenzie River:

The following is the policy text: The McKenzie Flyfishers support and encourage enhancement of native, naturally reproducing fish populations wherever possible. While there may be a role for artificially propagated fish in some situations, when their presence significantly conflicts with wild, native fish, the welfare of native fish should take precedence.

This position is consistent with the Federation of Fly Fishers’ Native Fish Policy as well as the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (ODFW’S) Native Fish Conservation Policy.

After a thorough review, the McKenzie Flyfishers conclude that hatchery-reared trout are likely exerting a substantial negative impact on the McKenzie River’s native redside rainbow trout, and possibly other native fish populations. Since the public statements of ODFW staff support this conclusion, the McKenzie Flyfishers urge that agency to take corrective actions.

Corrective actions, including modification of planting practices, should be guided by the best available science and occur at a pace that allows businesses and members of the fishing public who have come to depend on hatchery fish to make adjustments.

In the long run, the McKenzie Flyfishers believe that a robust McKenzie River wild-trout fishery will benefit all stakeholders in the community.

We recognize that establishing a robust, wild-trout fishery will take time and require cooperation with other groups. We also believe that it will be necessary to educate the public about the benefits of a strong wild-trout fishery, the disadvantages of the McKenzie hatchery fish program, and why changes are needed. The McKenzie Flyfishers stand ready to work with others, including the ODFW, to protect and increase our precious McKenzie River fishery resources.

You can read the whole article in their Newsletter here, which explains how the committee came to its decision.

Posted in McKenzie River, Oregon Conservation News, Oregon Fly Fishing Clubs and Events | 6 Comments

March 8th Fly Tying Class, last of the season

Join Barrett Christiensen’s Beginning Fly Tying Class for five consecutive Mondays 6-8pm starting March 8th. No experience is necessary to take the class. Attendees will learn basic fly tying techniques centered around local fly patterns. All materials and tools are provided for in class work. The class meets at the shop five Mondays in a row starting March 8th.–CD

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Jay’s Total Domination Egg: Steelhead fly tying video

In this new video, Jay Nicholas demonstrates the Total Domination Egg, a pattern named on the fly after Eugene’s favorite IPA from Ninkasi Brewing. This offbeat egg pattern fishes well under an indicator with a heavy stonefly nymph in tandem. It looks a little like an alevin fly.

Jay's Total Domination Egg

Jay’s Total Domination Egg
Hook: TMC 3761 size 6
Thread: Lagartun 150 Denier pink
Tail: Egg yarn or Mcflyfoam
Body: Lagartun mini flat braid holographic silver
Thorax: STS trilobal dubbing, pink
Collar: Dyed grizzly saddle hackle, pink

Be sure to check out our steelhead fly tying pattern library.

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Jay’s Marabou Steelhead Jig: So effective you’ll feel guilty

Fly fishing purists, do not press play on this video unless you want to catch a lot of steelhead. Fly fishing with a jig under an indicator is freaking deadly and Jay Nicholas shows you how to tie a basic marabou pattern using one of the Gamakatsu 90-degree bend hooks. These are the fish-grabbing-est hooks around. Get over your fear of the jig hook and catch some steelhead this winter.

Jay's Marabou Jig

Hook: Gamakatsu Jig Hook heavy wire
Thread: Lagartun x-strong 150 denier
Eyes: Extra Large Plated Silver Lead Eyes
Body: Marabou Blood Quills Barred Hot Pink and Black Blood Quills
Head: TriLobal or Custom Blend dub
Finish: Zap a Gap brush on

Posted in Fly Tying | 1 Comment

Using a Hair Stacker to make Mayfly Tail Brushes

Save time tying mayfly tails by creating a tail brush using a hair stacker and a glue gun. Jay Nicholas shows us a production fly tying technique.

Moose Body Hair
Appropriate Hair Stacker
Glue Gun

Glue Sticks

Posted in Fly Tying | 2 Comments