Looks like Jay is at it again, reeling in big fish like the one he photographed (above) before releasing it last week. For the fascinating and mundane details of the fishing, the secret fly patterns, his companions, and the fun, see his wordpress blog post at: http://fishingwithjay.wordpress.com/
CD
According to a recent news article, the Minam Steelhead Train might be derailed. Reader James Fox sent us a note, and recommended concerned anglers contact Janet Dodson (Union County Tourism) at 1-800-848-9969 or Mark Davidson (Union County Commissioner) at 541-963-1001.
Our pal Rick Gersbach, who allowed us to use his photos, had the following to say about the train:
When I visited the Stealhead train there was a sense, even then, that it might be a bit of an ephemeral thing. There was a little competition on the river from the other train riders, and it is a little hard to be sneaky about what you are doing, because everybody sees where you get on and off. There were definitely fish there, but the best part, hand down was the scenery. The canyon with all of the ice and snow. It was very surreal.
-MS
Marabou. Who cares? Same old, same old. Right?
Think again.
Marabou feathers are a great material for use on all sorts of flies to fish for salmon, steelhead, trout, bass, pan fish, great white sharks and deep-sea scallops.
But there are many different kinds of marabou for the tyer to use and each has its subtleties that deserve understanding in order to short-cut the effectiveness learning curve.
We here at the Caddis Fly get all of our Marabou feathers from Hareline Dubbin. Marcos Vergara told me a little about the marabou supply-handling-processing conveyor belt and it boggled my mind. Think about this.
Collect 30,000 pounds (yes, thirty thousand!) of Turkey Marabou from processing plants here in the USA. Load the raw feathers into a shipping container. Stack the container on a ship and send it off to China. The Marabou is then cleaned, graded, and stitched before it is shipped back to Hareline, where it will be dyed, dried, and packaged for wholesale distribution all over the world.
Amazing. I’ve seen miles of strung Marabou brilliantly colored, freshly dyed, billowing in the wind of a high-powered fan in the drying-room at Hareline. I never really comprehended the long trail of hands and the miles those feathers had passed through before they found home in a fly tyer’s den.
The photo here shows the various sizes of marabou from the Extra Select on the far left to the mini marabou on the far right.
Key Marabou products offered by Hareline and the Caddis Fly include the following.
• Extra Select Marabou (5-7,” strung, 16 colors)
• Blood Quills (4-5,” strung, 36 colors)
• Barred Blood marabou (4-5,” loose, dyed over white and hand-barred)
• Woolly Bugger Marabou (~3,” strung, 10 colors)
• Grizzly Mini Marabou (Chicken marabou, ~2,” loose, 10 colors)
• Mini Marabou (Chicken Marabou, ~2,” loose, 10 colors)
Blood Quills
Blood Quills tend to have thin center shafts, they wind well for hackling flies, and they gather well for tails and wings. The tips of the vanes align very evenly, making them an easy-to-use winging material. Jigs? Does anyone tie jigs? No one I know, that’s for sure. But if you do, Blood quills are your best bet
Extra Select Quills
These Giant size Marabou feathers are my favorite for hackling really large salmon and steelhead flies. These are perfect for what one could call Spey-style flies. I may only use the top 1/3 of the quill for hackling a fly, as the lower portion of the quill can get a little on the thick side to wind effectively. These well-hackled quill sections get put aside for use with my Petitjean Magic Tool for future creative uses.
Woolly Bugger Marabou
This material is my hands-down favorite for tailing steelhead and trout flies. This grade has a thick shaft and is not well suited for hackling, but has nice even ends and is very full, making a go-eat-me tail on all sorts of flies. Lake fly fishers love these feathers for leeches and buggers.
Barred Blood Marabou
This dying process applied to Blood Quills is relatively new. This product is tons of fun for winging, tailing, and hackling salmon and steelhead flies. Rumor has it that bass and carp flies tied with these wild feathers are effective also, but I wouldn’t know nuthin’ ‘bout that.
Grizzly Mini and Mini Marabou
These feathers are the smallest in the marabou line-up. These are bit time effective for tying — listen up—flies for trout and saltwater species. Wow. One minute a guy will be using grizzly mini watchamacallit for a nymph tail or wing-case, while, seven houses down the block, another tyer is using the stuff for bonefish or permit patterns!
Amazing, truly amazing.
BTW, most of these products may be purchased in packets or by the ounce, so consider stocking up on your favorite colors well before you hit the bench.
To close, I wanted to share a fly that has been a dependable for me on the Santiam. This fly uses two types of Marabou and a surprising color palate that has proven effective when fished behind hotshots, eggs, spinners, spoons, and yes, even behind big leeches! Please don’t laugh at the gray wing material; it really works. OK, go ahead and laugh, it still works.
Here is the fly and the materials list.
Fly: Jay’s Santiam Ghost
Hook: Daiichi 2441; size 2/0 – 6
Thread: Lagartun X-Strong 95 Denier black
Tail: Black Wooly Bugger Marabou
Body: Lagartun Gold Mini Flat-braid
Under hackle: UV Polar Chenille Gold (two turns only)
Wing: Gray Marabou Blood Quill
Collar hackle: Purple, long (cock saddle, schlappen, or neck)
I’m know some of you are excellent photographers and have great shots of the McKenzie. Here’s a chance to show off your work.
McKenzie River Trust is hosting a juried art exhibit for its 20th anniversary at the Jacobs Gallery at the Hult Center in Eugene called “Living River”. The exhibition is open to all artists (professional, emerging, and students) who reside in the Northwest.
2-dimensional and 3-dimensional work in all media will be accepted. Accepted 2-dimensional works must be framed and ready to hang and must not exceed 100 X 100 inches including frame. Accepted 3-dimensional works must not exceed 60X 60 X 60 inches and 80 pounds.
The deadline for submissions is January 30th and the exhibit will take place from April-May 2010. Click here for he submission form and guidelines.
Here are a few of my favorite McKenzie shots:
-MS
Just a quick thank you note to all the folks who came and volunteered at the Oregon Fly Fishing Film Festival at the David Minor Theater.
Thanks to all of the people who submitted videos! The films are being sent to our guest judges, Brian O’Keefe and Justin Coupe this week. We should have video clips of all the finalists and the judges’ results ASAP.
Thank you to our raffle item contributors: Arlen Thomason for donating signed copies of Bugwater, and Kathy McCartney, for putting together the beautiful wooden fly box. Thanks to grand prize sponsor Chet Croco of Bellinger Bamboo Fly Rods, who couldn’t be at the event today.
A huge thank you to all of our fly tyers — including Darian Hyde, Jay Nicholas, Rob Russell, Barrett Christiansen, Nate Stansberry, Monica Mullen and Dean Finnerty. You guys made the event. Also, thank you to our volunteers Moon, Monica, Brent and Karl — and to Russell Bassett and the Native Fish Society. Thanks to the Caddis Fly for preselling our tickets and renting the theater. Thanks to Hareline Dubbin for sponsoring our tyers. Thanks to Beattie Outdoor Productions, Rollcast and Catch Magazine for allowing us to show your films.
Last but not least, thanks for everybody who came out to support native fish on a Sunday afternoon in the heart of winter steelhead season while the rivers were dropping.
-MS
ODFW recently released the 2010 stocking plan for McKenzie River Trout. According to District Biologist Jeff Ziller, there are a few changes in the program that will benefit wild trout.
-The biggest boon for wild fish is on the lower river. ODFW will no longer stock below Hendrick’s Bridge — opening up five additional miles for wild fish only. Jeff said the lower river has the most productive rainbow habitat, so these five miles are pretty important.
-Ziller also said ODFW has reduced the number of boat plants from 21-14, (they’re making it up with more boat ramp truck plants) but the idea is that by cutting down on the number of boat stockings it will reduce competition with wild fish and probably mean less fishing pressure.
-Overall stocking has been reduced, from 139,865 fish to 131,115 fish.
Native fish advocates will need to get ready for some fund-raising and volunteer work. It’s going to be very important to document any increase in wild fish populations in the new wild fish only section on the lower river. ODFW hadn’t planned to study the wild fish rebound in that section, but the McKenzie Fly Fishers have been pushing to take on the task. We’re looking forward to the update on the topic.
-MS
This winter I’ve declared war on hatchery winter steelhead, and they will feel my wrath with switch rod and thingamabobber. Fly anglers should consider it their personal duty to defend those redds from hatchery pukes. We’ve got all winter to swing flies in secluded rainforests for the steelhead of our dreams. Now is the time to cozy up to the hogline and lay waste to those inferior interlopers.
Karl (pictured below) hasn’t shaved all year, citing his new beard’s mythic power to bring steelhead to the boat. He’s gone four steelhead for four trips, and isn’t shaving any time soon despite any potential negative effects on his love life.
I can’t argue with Karl’s 2010 track record (see evidence below: a nice hen Karl put me on yesterday).
In fact, I’m two-fish for two-trips in 2010 myself. I need to clarify here, in seasons recently past, two fish was my total count for winter steelhead for the year. I’m not going to discount the power of Karl’s beard, or the fact that we’re having what appears to be a large early hatchery run. But I attribute a big part of my new-found success this year to John Larison’s steelhead book: The Complete Steelheader. If you’re a beginning steelheader (or a trout guy that fishes for steelhead occasionally and doesn’t catch them), you need to read this book. Read our interview with Larison here, buy The Complete Steelheader here.
There are several nearby winter steelhead hatchery programs and you’ll have good luck watching for dropping water levels (see our Oregon preferred river level chart) and following the ODFW Recreation report.
Rob Russell’s steelhead caviar and cutlets recipe is a great way to do your part to protect wild fish.
-MS
This Friday night at the shop 4pm-6pm Jon Hazlett of Confluence Outfitters will de-mystify Spey lines. The shop is offering this free two hour in class seminar in conjunction with our two day Spey Casting Clinic this Saturday and Sunday. The Saturday class is full but we do have a couple of spots open for Sunday.
Jon’s in class session will cover the following aspects of Spey Lines
-Skagit lines
-Scandi lines
-Sink-tips and versi-leaders
-Leader/tippet recommendations
-Advantages of shooting head spey lines
-Line/rod recommendations
-Knots and connections
In addition (given time) he will also cover Spey Casting on the Chalk-board
-Anchor, D-Loop and Forward Stroke
-Grip
-Alignment
-Fishing the swing
As well as a discussion of important spey casting resources and supporting literature.
-Passion for Steelhead
-Rio Modern Spey Video
-Spey Casting by Simon Gawesworth
Please join us for this free seminar 4-6pm Friday the 8th of January. If you have questions about Spey lines this is a great opportunity to get some detailed answers on the diverse often confusing aspect of Two Handed Fly Fishing.–CD
Just a quick preview of one fly I will tie at Sunday’s Oregon Fly Fishing Film Festival -– The Last Shadow.
Nah, I’ve never heard this jargon before. Just came to me. This fly is deadly, hazardous to fish, fly tyers, and fly fishers alike. Like the popular phrase goes, it casts small, fishes large, and sinks like a rock. Exaggeration? Of course, but who cares. This is a fun fly to tie, it elicits big grabs, and it incorporates some old and new materials. Guess what – some are even inexpensive!
TMC 300 and Gamakatsu stinger hooks, # 2; Rio Knottable Wire Bite Tippet; Hareline Emulator Baitfish; Alaska Fucia Haze; Grizzly Krystal Flash – copper/blue; Mirage Flashabou; and – – – – –
The list is long but there is much fun in the mix. And I get to use the Petijean Magic tool too!
Come see the behind-the-scenes out-takes on this 20-minute knock-off of a Rob Russell work of art.
-JN
Four broken dubbing loop tools are piled together in a plastic bag at home. In every case, failure came when the little wires broke from fatigue. I keep these broken toys in hopes of someday getting replacements or some refund for what I feel is poor craftsmanship, but I never make the time. Friends have recommended other tools, like the simple hook version. I tried them all, and they work in a pinch, but I like the little wires.
Last spring I stopped by the shop for yet another replacement. This time I was determined to find a better tool, or at least find a source where I could get new ones every time they broke. Luckily, I ran into Marcos from Hareline Dubbing. He listened knowingly as I ranted about my problem, asking me which kind of tool I liked best and why. The next week I ran into him again and he handed me a couple of “prototypes.” Those tools have performed flawlessly for almost a full year. They have been abused, and there is no sign of fatigue in the wires.
Fast forward to yesterday: While waiting for the foam to settle on my Ninkasi Total Domination IPA (did you read that article in the Sunday Register Guard?), I noticed what appeared to be my dubbing loop tool on the counter. Chris shook me out of my confused daze, “Yes! We are now selling those tools!”
Round
Hex
They’re called “Dubbing Whirlers,” and they’re absolutely proven to outperform all other flexi-wire dubbing loop tools. This is great news. And the Caddis is the only shop that carries them (so far). It’s also the only shop with Ninkasi on tap. Am I dead? Am I in heaven?
-RR
The Oregon Fly Fishing Film Festival takes place Sunday, January 10th 12-5pm at the David Minor Theater in Eugene (21 and over, sorry). Admission to the event is $10, and wristbands are pre-sale down at the shop. This event could sell out, so get your wristbands this week. They will allow you to come and go throughout the day.
But if you want to stay all five hours, we’ve got you covered with great draft beer, excellent food delivery and a killer line up of fly tying and new movies.
12:00 — We kick off the event with celebrity fly tying demos from Steelhead Intruder Stud Rob Russell, Hareline Dubbin’s own Darian Hyde, Oregon Fly Fishing Blog’s resident video star Barrett Christiansen, and Oregon’s Saltwater Fly Fishing Captain, Nate Stansberry.
12:30 — Rollcast Productions’ Hustle and Fish
“Hustle and Fish” Trailer V1 from Rollcast Productions on Vimeo.
2:00 — World Premiere of the Oregon Fly Fishing Film Festival Submissions
3:00 — Beattie Outdoor Productions’ Nervous Water
3:30 — 2nd round of fly tyers: Including salmon guru Jay Nicholas, North Umpqua Steelhead expert Dean Finnerty and Rob Russell Intruder encore.
4:00 — Catch Magazine’s best videos of 2009
Following the event, we will be sending the Festival Submission videos to our celebrity judges, Catch Magazine’s Brian O’Keefe and director of the new film Rivers of a Lost Coast, Justin Coupe. But you will see all of the submitted videos and get a chance to weigh in. Click here for rules and prizes.
Special thanks to all of our sponsors:
Bellinger Bamboo Fly Rods
Beattie Outdoor Productions
Catch Magazine
The Caddis Fly Shop
Roll Cast Productions
Big thanks to Hareline Dubbin providing our tyers with materials.
The funds raised at this event benefit Trout Unlimited’s efforts to reduce or remove hatchery trout from the McKenzie River.
-MS
Over the holidays, Santa gave me a new Canon Waterproof camera. And this weekend, I got to put it to good use. I also followed my New Year’s resolution, which was to fish local for winter steelhead. The water was a little high and off color, but still gave up some nice fish with persistence.
-MS
This is the Oregon Fly Fishing Blog Best of 2009. What were the top ten most important events, blog posts, conservation issues and fly fishing products of 2009? Check out our list:
10. Huge chinook on the fly: Despite a dismal chinook salmon return this year, Oregon Fly Fishing Blog went Salmon Crazy. Comets were the name of the game.
9. Skagit Master tell all. Cap’n Jeff Mishler tells the true story of Northwest Steelhead visionary Ed Ward. As a complement to that, Rob Russell laid out step-by-step instructions on how to tie steelhead intruders.
8. A fly fishing entomology book in Eugene, Oregon’s backyard Arlen Thomason and Stackpole Books published Bugwater. This is the most exciting and revelatory book on the behavior of aquatic insects we have ever seen.
7. Second Annual McKenzie River Two-Fly. The Caddis Fly Shop. Trout Unlimited and a host of local guides banded together to raise $4000 for McKenzie River Trust’s habitat improvement projects during last October’s McKenzie Two-Fly Tournament. But the real show stopper was Jeff Carr’s team, bringing in three trout from the Lower McKenzie River, measuring a total 54″ — that will be hard to beat.
6. Hareline Dubbin launches the Oregon Fly Fishing Blog Fly Tying Contest. Hareline Dubbin has sponsored three fly tying contests so far through the blog. Summer Steelhead Patterns, October Caddis and patterns using the UniBobber. What’s in store for 2010 contests? Find out soon.
5. Saltwater fly fishing on the Oregon Coast: We spent a lot of time in the saltwater in 2009, exploring Oregon’s ocean rockfish, salmon and offshore fisheries. Cap’n Nate has hooked sharks too big to land. We’ve stripped clousers through surface baitballs and caught salmon on top. We’ve seen some of the weird and beautiful bottomfish on the West Coast. All on the fly.
4. Jay Nicholas’ Fly Fishing Glossary: We’re lucky enough to have our good friend Jay Nicholas writing for Oregon Fly Fishing Blog, and his ongoing humor column, Jay’s Dark Side Fly Fishing Glossary, is one of his greatest contributions. If you can’t get enough of Jay, check out his new blog Fishing With Jay.
3. Speaking of Jay… The North Umpqua Wild Steelhead Q&A: This monster interview with Jay Nicholas on the biological and cultural significance of the North Umpqua Wild Winter Steelhead is one of the most important documents we’ve ever published. Hands down, a must-read for any student of Oregon’s fishery issues.
2. Record breaking numbers of steelhead on the Deschutes: 2009 had a record-breaking run of summer steelhead on the Deschutes. Oregon fly guides Jeff Hickman and Ethan Nickel kept us up to date on the action.
1. Standing up for McKenzie River Redside Rainbow Trout. The McKenzie River’s native strain of rainbow trout are some of the biggest, baddest rainbows around. Centuries of evolution developed a fish adapted to whitewater, coexistence with voracious bull trout, and ping-pong ball sized prey (Green McKenzie Caddis, Golden Stones, Green Drakes, Etc). These are the greatest trout in the Lower 48, uniquely adapted to about 80 miles of the McKenzie River.
For the past several decades, ODFW has been planting 8-inch hatchery pukes on top of these amazing fish and have created what our district biologist Jeff Ziller has called a “Sacrifice Zone” covering 42 miles of river. While a funding-strapped state bureaucracy and a handful of hatchery trout collectors (i.e. guides) are fine with wiping out our native trout in over half its range for short term benefit, the public is not. The McKenzie’s native trout advocates made progress in 2009 in that at least we’re being heard. 2010 is going to be even bigger.
What’s on your top ten list from 2009?
-MS
We’ve got a huge stack of Arlen Thomason’s Bugwater in the shop today, and Arlen will be on hand to sign books at The Caddis Fly from 3pm-6pm tomorrow. Read Bugwater review here.
