The Haddis Catch

Friday Jams: Sucre

2012-03-02T09:00:00.002-08:00

As a long time fan whose attention is waning my first thought on hearing this next band was, "holy crap, holy crap, holy crap-- yes!" Ok it may not have been that succinct. Anyways eisley fans will recognize Stacy's superb vocals which sound fantastic in this new, and much needed, instrumentation landscape:

So many films!: The Waters of Greenstone

2012-02-26T06:00:00.005-08:00

So many. And I like 'em all-- here's the most recent I saw floating around that seems to have a cool sentiment behind it:

Trailer from Taylor Kirkpatrick on Vimeo.

Friday Jams: Ben Howard

2012-02-24T09:00:00.000-08:00

Here some jams from across the drink-- the UK to be not so exact. Recommended to me by a co-worker, I have to say I enjoy the fact that, while still in the new folk vein, the newest album has just enough shuffling rhythm throughout that I find myself bobbing my head in my cubicle.

Hope you like it.

Whitefish Love.

2012-02-18T18:45:00.000-08:00

Round Three.

2012-02-17T17:23:00.000-08:00

This time I committed.

I spent nearly all day with 10ft of T11, a 4ft leader loaded up with split shot, and a couple of hare-brained-pun-intended-last-minute articulated streamers that had me up late the night before. I made sure the rig got deep and I nearly gave up after seeing a couple of big fish rise for some emerging caddis. I had a couple of big shadowy followers, an unfortunately brained whitefish, and I finally made a connection with a 20+ inch bull. Alas the hook had been dulled by a recent encounter with a rock and the fish shook loose.

That's when I went back to the nymph rig for a couple of hours to shake the skunk. And shake she did-- bless ye ole' prince nymph.

Back at the truck at the end of the day I felt like a success-- a few fish to net, some streamer-faith developed, and I covered a good 6 miles of beautiful and brambly trail. Tough to beat.

One in Winter by Ryan Peterson

2012-02-16T12:24:00.000-08:00

There truly is an amazing amount of fly fishing videos right now-- I'll try not to post too many since most of them are pretty dang good plus the fact that Le Mouching is a much better source for keeping up on them.

That said Ryan Peterson's videos have always stood out to me and super super super super super super super super kudos on this one for the choice of sound track. I've been a Mt. Eerie fan since they were The Microphones and before I even knew Phil Elverum was from the Pacific NW. Check it. Retarded ending. I liked it:

One in Winter from ryan peterson on Vimeo.

Get in line.

2012-02-13T15:21:00.000-08:00

Here's a few images from a recent float on the Nestucca. I was determined to catch my first winter steelhead and I was in the mood to simply get 'er done. By that I mean I nymphed big heavy egg flies under a big plastic indicator that would've looked at home in a grease-spotted paper bag -- the "McBobber," if you will.

The conditions were perfect-- dropping flows after some big rain events, green tinged water, and the temperature on the rise-- what could go wrong?

50 boats. That's what could go wrong. It was literally hard to find water to fish-- if I waited for the river to clear then people would start drifting through the slot I was fishing. If I drifted downriver then around every bend and in every fishy looking hole was a drift boat full of dudes. And I mean dudes -- nothing against 'em, but it was the usual crowd of camo-and-baseball-hats who you don't want to piss off for fear of the hunting rifle that could very likely be stashed on their boat. I only saw a single other fly fisherman and I was the only raft in that army of drift-boats... guess I missed the memo.

I worked to make the best of it and fished what I could including some very marginal water and a few decent holes that were best accessed by foot, not by boat. My main rig was a lowly glowly with a caballero egg dropper and around midday I got a take-down, set the hook, and was rewarded with some heavy head shakes. It was one of those downstream hook-sets that are always a gamble and after the head shakes it decided to jet upstream and I simply could not strip in line fast enough. After I picked up the slack there was no longer a fish on the line- that's all she wrote.

I didn't get into any more fish after that but I felt ok with at least getting a chance--it's a wonder that anyone catches anything with that kind of traffic. The teeth marks on the fly said that the fish wanted the caballero egg.

Winter steelhead: 2. Me: 0.

Round Two.

2012-02-03T12:31:00.000-08:00

Here's a few images from a repeat visit to that dang river that supposedly holds monster bull trout. Granted, the fish above hints strongly that this fact is true-- not to mention this beast that made the chum the other day. I'm painfully aware that I haven't been dedicated enough to the streamer. While I really feel like I put in a good effort last time (I gave up some nice big streamers to the submerged branches that seem to be at the bottom of every big hole) I still haven't put the big one in the net.

But I certainly can't complain-- the weather was much warmer this last trip and the trout were much more responsive. The fly of the day was a #10 Possie Bugger and was responsible for every trout of the day. Strangely every whitefish I caught took a stonefly nymph. The warmer weather definitely brought out some of the crowds but with some hiking I managed to have the kind of day where I can't even remember how many fish I caught. It's probably somewhere in the 10 or 12 range and it was about 50/50 whitefish and redbands.

Next time I might have to leave the nymph box in the truck.

With the local water levels dropping into shape for anadramous fish I'm not sure when I'll be back, but now I've got beef with these bulls too. I've also not regretted a single day on this river-- you can't go wrong with the scenery of this place- last trip I saw beavers, mule deer, elk tracks (I think) and a few bear tracks-- pretty great really.

Streamer Testing & My Fish Spotting Deficiency.

2012-02-02T13:06:00.000-08:00

I've been doing a little bit of streamer testing lately. For the most part I've favored simple streamers that are either entirely composed of rabbit or are basically variations of the woolly bugger. However in doing some simple in-the-water testing I've found that the the combination of arctic fox and marabou makes for outstanding motion in a fly. This combination is the basic recipe for Doug McKnight's home invader streamer and below is a very similar articulated fly that had the best results (to my eye) out of the half dozen other flies I put through the swim test:

I admit that I haven't actually hooked a fish on this fly but here's a really terrible video of how it looks in the water. I guess I'm convinced it will work-- feel free to share your thoughts:

I also want to mention that I've been finding it very difficult to spot fish. Lately I've been very intentional about sneaking up on a hole and scoping it out before I cast to it and I've yet to see anything but a few spawning whitefish for my efforts. I also had some serious difficulty spotting carp on the Columbia river when John Montana was seeing them everywhere (though that probably has more to do with his proficiency than my inefficiency).

Here's my theory why I'm crap at it:

Supposedly there are numbers in all the circles but I mostly see random dots with the exception of the 25 in the upper left hand corner. If I blur my eyes and stare for some time I can make out a few of the other numbers but a couple are completely undecipherable. If you have the same difficulty you are probably a male and are likely partially colorblind.

Unfortunately the above colors are extremely common in fish, the water they live in, and the substrate along the stream bed. Granted there is more to spotting fish than these color combinations (shadow, movement, and their white mouths) but I have a bad feeling I may be at a slight disadvantage.

And though it won't stop me from trying, it kind of pisses me off.

Until next time.

Snow Fish.

2012-01-26T18:03:00.000-08:00

Winter steelhead and I still have a beef to settle. But with rivers in the area overflowing to the point of sweeping away cars, children (bloody tragic), and even full grown people, I figured my best bet would be to head East. And I may have been wrong, but experience told me that 80% of the fly fishers looking to scratch the itch would be just downstream of the dam on the crooked river.

So I set off for a spring fed river - with clarity and stable flows - but would it be accessible? I passed signs for free sand-bags along insanely high rivers and then starting climbing into the mountains. With the increase in elevation, rain turned to snow and I started doubting the rationality of my decision (as if that was ever part of the equation):

However as I neared the river, my hopes soared. The road showed only a light dusting of snow and I was making the first set of tracks for the day-- save for the footsteps of a hardcore jogger I had passed (a bit surreal and out of place) - that dude is going to kick ass at whatever he's training for. Then I caught a glimpse of the water-- slightly green and little high, but by jove...

- it looked fishy -

I proceeded to have a magnificent day. And I mean that in terms of the simple state of being out there. In terms of getting to hike and wonder and think-- and also to not think. Ignoring the stress and worries about life and the decisions you've made and what anyone else thinks. Not thinking about anything except how the pines look when the sun shines through the melted water droplets stuck in their needles and what kind of bugs are under the rocks in the fast water or the slow water or what's hatching and boy oh boy I hope I catch the big one and no I'm not going to put any commas in these sentences.

- back to earth -

The water was frigid and the fishing was slow but by the end of the day I had landed half a dozen whitefish and a single beautiful redband trout. I also botched the hookset on some nice fish-- I blame it on cold hands as well as the amount of line required to get a good drift (there's more than one way to see your backing). But most likely it's my slow instincts that have been quickly oxidizing in the cubicle environment. I didn't see a single rise all day and I only observed a few hatching mayflies so nymphs and streamers are what I fished (aren't they always?). My stonefly nymph was eaten more than anything, but small #16 eggs, and #18 pheasant tail nymphs also took a fish or two.

The weather was erratic and the nearly snow-free ground turned white during one of the thickest snowfalls I've yet experienced. I can remember wondering if I'd ever had my fly rod collect snow during a single fly change but then as quickly as it showed up, it stopped. I even caught a few moments of sunshine and took a moment to enjoy it while allowing blood to recirculate feeling into my extremities.

The Bugs

The variety of insects along this river has consistently amazed me. Each rock I picked up had something new, something unexpected, or occasionally, nothing at all. Lot's of cased caddis, small mayflies, and snails were observed along with some big golden stones, a small dark brown stonefly nymph (skwala?), and a monster green drake nymph that was bigger than a lot of stonefly nymphs I've seen.

The Fish

The first fish of the day was an extremely long whitefish whose head shakes had me convinced I had a bull trout. A cool fish either way - check out the size of his adipose fin! After that I missed a bunch of takes in seam water as well as slow, deep water. I observed a few whitefish actively spawning and I'm convinced I had a couple of rainbows on the egg fly I was fishing; alas I never got a good look and am only judging by their fight. The key of the days seemed to be looong drifts-- I caught most of my fish by water loading huge lob casts that had me feeding line to the backing. 5x was sufficient and although I did some streamer testing I never did connect with a big bull.

And redbands will never cease to amaze me, both in brilliance and in the spirit of their fight. The only one of the day had a brilliant red band and spots that wrapped completely around, even on it's belly.

The End

While I constantly pine for the more fertile streams of the alkaline desert I left thinking I could get used to this... as long I can keep remembering my rain jacket . I also can't wait to get back to this stream with the next batch of streamers (more on that coming). Until next time.

RA Beattie, Uppin' the Ante.

2012-01-25T16:00:00.000-08:00

To say the least:

2012 Fly Fishing Film Tour Entry - The Arctic - by Beattie Outdoor Productions from RA Beattie on Vimeo.

Beast.

2012-01-25T11:35:00.000-08:00

About a week and a half ago some photos were sent to my phone-- my first thought was holy sh_t. These come from my friend Brent who picked back up the fly rod and has been out pwning noobs (yes I just typed that) in northeastern Nevada and making it look easy.

I miss Nevada.

Jams: First Aid Kit

2012-01-23T15:03:00.000-08:00

Yeah I know it's been a lot of fluff here lately... so here's some more. Just in case you're waiting out blown out rivers or mad snow storms-- put some hooks in the vice and push play on this decent album from First Aid Kit. Their new album is called "The Lion's Roar" and drops tomorrow (album preview credit goes to NPR's review).

Not a bad way to go...

2012-01-20T17:55:00.001-08:00

Active Child - Hanging On (Official Video) from Vagrant Records on Vimeo.

F3T, Anyone?

2012-01-19T17:35:00.000-08:00

I'm excited this year be hitting up the fly fishing film tour here in Portland at McMenamins Bagdad Theater-- doors open at 6pm and the show starts at 7 (flyfilmtour.com/schedule). Anyone else going? If so make sure you stop by and say hi and maybe I'll even share some cajun tater tots with you. No, that's a lie-- stay away from my tots, bitches.

Here's to a good turnout:

Fly Fishing Film Tour 2012 | thef3t.com from The Fly Fishing Film Tour on Vimeo.

UPDATE: I'm particularly excited about the Todd Moen Entry and this one:

F3T MOTIV FISHING BELIZE - A MAYAN PROPHECY from MOTIV FISHING on Vimeo.

Sandy River Dues

2012-01-16T20:41:00.000-08:00

This weekend I spent a somewhat brutal day floating the lower Sandy with a high amount of confidence that today would be the day: the day I'd see a winter steelhead on the end of my line. I proudly stuck it out through continuous, frigid rain and swung flies just slightly more than I dead drifted, switching it up depending on the water.

I was amazed by how much each hole had changed in character since the last high water event and I stumbled upon a rusty old car looking like a mechanical corpse-- the likes of which I don't recall seeing before. The downed trees, the old car, the mist, and the rain made it feel wild and free out there in an exciting and intimidating way-- especially after most folks packed it up and slogged home leaving me the whole place to myself. They were probably the smart ones, but I've gotta put my dues in when I can.

She's a cruel mistress.

Reminiscing & The Venerable Prince

2012-01-13T17:00:00.000-08:00

Size #14's on a TMC 3769

A busy couple o' weeks at work has kept me off the water and in a desk chair wistfully imagining myself elsewhere. So I happened to go through some photos from 2 years ago and while reminiscing about the awesome winter fishing on the Truckee, I attempted to salvage a few edits out of these photos. I caught some really great fish right through downtown Reno -- and mostly on prince nymphs. That damn little fly is a productive classic and above are the versions I used to fish all winter-- Stonefly, prince, bwo dropper. A good bet.

One particularly awesome day was spent without seeing another angler since it was heavily snowing. The overcast skies raised the temps enough to start a hatch and I remember the surreal look of hundreds of ascending bwo's mixed with big, fluffly, descending snowflakes. A lot of fish wanted a mayfly imitation but even more ate the prince nymph:

Another memorable day (very likely one of my best days on the water) was more like late fall than winter but as the cold air started to warm up between 10:00am and 1pm I caught numerous fish in the 18"-20" range plus a 22" rainbow and the below 21.5" brown-- all on the prince shown below-- bent but not broken after hours of use:

Hope y'all are getting out there and fishing more than I am! Happy Friday.

Intro to the Provo.

2012-01-10T09:14:00.000-08:00

I recently spent a few days visiting my brother and his wife in their new locale- the big SLC. I have to say the sunshine was great (unless you're a skier), the beer is damn fine (unless you're devout), and the trout water is small yet dense with fish (and bugs).

Back to the beer. If you're ever in Salt Lake I recommend hitting Squatters to get punched in the face by some Hop Rising while enjoying some very decent food-- and maybe hit up some 529 if you're feeling rich. Then you should go wait in line at the state-run liquor store (and feel like a boozer) and buy some Polygamy Porter because it's hilarious and some Cutthroat pale ale because you're a sucker for that sort of thing.

Back to the fishing. The point of this trip wasn't the fishing but I got a full day on the water with my brother and his buddy on the lower and middle Provo. We shivered our way through a few hours of casting on the lower Provo, breaking ice out of our guides every 10 casts or so. Eventually it warmed up and after a bit of trial and error (more latter, less former), I had a few takes, lost a fish or two, and managed to land a couple of fish including a decent rainbow on a grey size 22 mayfly nymph. Then things got a bit crowded with anglers above and below us so we ate lunch and moved on.

We moved on to the middle Provo which similarly had a lot of anglers but with a bit of hiking we found plenty of open water. The middle was beautiful, intimate water that fished like the pressured tailwater it is-- small flies and rested water seemed to be the key and I managed a nice brown nymphing through some marginal pocket water. I then threw streamers until the sun got low hoping for the big one but having caught enough to feel satisfied.

In retrospect I found the Provo to be a really fun river to fish and was a fun break from the big water we have up here around Portland. It's rich water with high fish densities and an endless supply of scuds, sowbugs, mayflies and midges and there is always the hope at hooking a sizable fish. However it's also a river near a major city and prone to high traffic (especially when the slopes are nearly snow-free) so it's one I'd love to go back to in warmer weather with a pair of hiking boots, a backpack, and a 4wt.

Lastly a huge thanks to Randall and Forrest for a sweet day on the water-- we'll do it again for sure.

Link Love

2012-01-05T20:24:00.000-08:00

For over a year now there's been something a bit wrong-- a blogosphere faux pas, gaffe, blunder, oversight:

No link love.

So I went through the embarrassingly large list of blogs I follow and made a list here (also the tab at the top): Blog Links.

There were so many that I felt compelled to organize them by some sort of system which you'll find to be a mix of geographical area and subject. Not all of them make sense and there is undoubtedly overlap. You'll find a huge variety of quality, content, and subject matter and if anyone feels I've overlooked them, incorrectly categorized them, or wants to be removed-- then leave a comment or e-mail me.

The Haddis Catch: Year One, in Review.

2011-12-31T17:00:00.000-08:00

THE NUMBERS:
We all know it's not about the numbers. Well, at least we know it's not supposed to be about the numbers. That's not to say they aren't helpful, if used as the means to an end, not an end in themselves. I'm already saying too much. The annual numbers come in showing I spent 38 days on the water, traveling more than 6500 miles by car to fish 10 different rivers, 3 different lakes, 1 reservoir, and one small creek. I broke one rod, wore out 1 pair of waders, 1 pair of wading boots, and had one reel fall apart. This is more fishing than most people do, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little disappointed.

THE GOOD:

While 38 days is less than previous years I would guess that comparing the number of hours would be a closer margin. The vast majority of my fishing trips were sunrise to sunset days, many involving waking at 5am, returning at 11pm, and taking roadside naps to fend off car wrecks-- and I very much enjoy these full days. I also gained invaluable experience fishing and tying flies for a much wider variety of fish and water rather than just river-going trouts. Consequently I also spent a lot of time educating myself this year -- because of my commute and more free evenings, I burned through about 20 different fly fishing books and likely twice as many magazines. Lastly and bestly (yeah I know it's not a word...) is that I bought a boat and began the process of learning to raft. Granted, I'm still ridiculously new to this but rafting remains an intimidating/exciting adventure that has the ability to keep me from caring what the fishing is like.

THE BAD:

I want to be honest here at the risk of being a whiner. I'll just say it: I don't really like Portland all that much. *gasp* It's been 1.5 years and it's still true. There's a lot going in the way of coffee, beer, and indie music, but my view of this city is tainted by having my truck broken into twice (once with a smashed window), my hitch stolen, my wife's car broken into once (smashed window and removed stereo), my roommates car broken into twice, drug-dealing neighbors, a 9mm ditched in front of my house, and numerous confrontations about noise outside my apartment complex, one resulting in guy getting taken down and hauled off by the cops. I'm also tired of traffic, tired of my 40-minute-7-mile commute, tired of having a strip club on every corner (more than Vegas, I hear), and just tired of people. There are over 2.26 million people in greater Portland-- which is about 2 million more than I'd like.

That's not to say I don't like the Pacific Northwest-- I love the pacific northwest, I've just come to realize the big city has increasingly less and less value for me as I want to fish more, hunt more, camp more, and spend more time outside in general. Dammit I want a trophy trout stream in my BACK YARD. But of course it's also nice to have a job. That's always a plus.

THE RESOLUTIONS:
In my very first blog post I posted 5 resolutions. The numbers come in at 1 for 5-- I never caught a saltwater fish, I didn't fish the Paulina/East lake opener, and I didn't catch bass on poppers. I did catch some columbia river carp, fished Paulina lake twice, gave the two-hander a quick try (And then caught a bunch of steelhead. With an indicator.), and read way too much about all of the above.

In total I feel that I've taken a solid step forward with my blog, my photography, fishing, my tying, and my rafting. I just wish the step was bigger (it's never enough though, is it?). And this year my resolution is simply this: Keep going forward.

Too abstract? Perhaps. But I don't find an itemized list to be horribly inspiring. I'm not copping out, and it's not that I'm without personal goals. Rather it's that I change my goals all the time no matter what my January list has on it. It's because I will end up fishing no matter what, and because the end result will have more to do with weather and whimsy than it does with my goals and achievements. It's just more fun that way.

Here's to year two.

Cheers.

Happy Christmas

2011-12-25T00:01:00.000-08:00

Happy Christmas (or holidays or whatever) to all of you out there in the blogosphere!

This year's card consisted of a few photos edited with freeware and free fonts downloaded from the intarwebs and printed for 15 bucks at Target-- all eighty of them. Not a bad way to go. Below is one of the many versions that didn't make the cut but I thought looked cool anyways.

From my family to yours:

Well, I hope the holidays is full of the three big F's this year for everyone-- Family, Friends, and Food (regardless of how bittersweet all three may be for y'all).

CHEERS.

Hatches - Fly Fishing Photographers

2011-12-21T12:37:00.000-08:00

A while back I was contacted by Will Mullis, the owner of Hatches magazine as well as flytyingforum.com. Turns out he is featuring a number of fly fishing photographers on the hatches site and I was honored to have some of my photography put up on the site-- so feel free to check it out along with the other photographers there (click on picture):

Additionally I believe Will is looking for more photographers so if you would like to have your photography considered for the site see the contact link here.

Thanks Hatches!

The Guru - Pat Cohen

2011-12-19T19:47:00.000-08:00

Christmas came early this year -- which was my fault since I noticed my Pat Cohen Punk Rocker was missing. My thoughts immediately turned to the probability of feline-authored destruction and how my next flies would likely involve cat hide. Seeing this my wife said, "fine. you get an early christmas present this year." Turns out she had taken it, mounted it in a frame, and wrapped it magnificently with fabric ribbon, yarn, and buttons on top. Very cool.

It also reminded me I've been meaning to blog about the man himself-- Pat Cohen the hair spinning guru who also happens to run the blog Super Fly, as well as the Super Fly online store. I highly recommend purveying and purchasing some of his work -- because it's fine work:

Thanks again Pat!

Cold Weather on the D.

2011-12-15T21:17:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I made a last minute decision to hit up the lower Deschutes to see if I could stir up a few trout during a midge or bwo hatch. The day's high was 33 degrees Fahrenheit and the average relative humidity was 80% which made me feel COLD all the way to my bones. As I hiked up the river I observed frost freezing on the hilltops and while the condensation from my breath started freezing in my beard-- and I started to doubt the likelihood of actually catching a fish.

Amazingly I fished all day without encountering a single angler. In fact, I didn't see a single other human on the river that day, which had me nervously double checking the regulations in the parking lot. But the lower D is open for fishing-- if you can find them.

The fishing was tough. Nearly nonexistent. I didn't see a single rise and there wasn't much of anything hatching but regardless I plied the water with a variety of midges, baetis patterns and small attractors. I had zero luck however, until I was nearly all the way back to my car-- about 6 hours of fishing when my indicator tanks. I miraculously set the hook without thinking and felt something a bit too heavy to be a likely candidate for a trout. After a few good runs by the fish I beached a small hatchery steelhead, hooked solidly in the lip by a big october caddis nymph that was my weight to sink the small stuff. This fish made my day.

I let it go (yeah I know... ) and rejoiced, partially relieved that I could call it a day since I my waders had been leaking profusely all day.

Tip: If there's one sure way to make a cold winter day miserable (and possibly dangerous) it's to wear leaky waders. Granted, my waders leak but it turns out it wouldn't have mattered anyways-- my first dozen steps towards the water involved me snagging my waders on a barbed wire fence and opening a half-inch gash in the material just above my knee. $%^&.

But a deserted river, a steelhead, and some frozen toes and legs? I'll take it. Any. Day.

wader water -- and to think I lugged that weight around with me all day...

Sweet Video: Trout is All

2011-12-09T10:33:00.000-08:00

Sweet video from Rolf Nylinder-- watching it will probably add 6+ points to your hipster street cred.

You won't find me rocking the ray bans on the water (since they will end up at the bottom) but I'm a flannel junkie tried and true. You'll catch more trout in a flannel.

Trout is all from Rolf Nylinder on Vimeo.

Coastal (lack of) Steel

2011-12-08T17:26:00.000-08:00

Love this thing.

I recently decided it was time to embark on that demented pursuit which is winter steelheading.
And for the first go-round I convinced my friend Tom to go, loaded up the boat, and embark we did-- bright and early, hopes high, and expectations low... if that makes any sense.

It doesn't really.

We took the 14 to the 205 to the 84 to the 5 to the 30 to the 405 to the 26 to the 8 to the 101 which is where we finally hit the coastal river we were looking for. We experienced eerie freezing fog most of the way and at one point I nearly soiled my undergarments as I lost control going around a semi-truck on an uphill bend. But, by Jove, we made it and spent an awesome day rafting with leaky waders while getting the big goose egg on fish-- the skunk.

However, the excitement of the day was actually hooking a steelhead. As I was working a pink agitator along a seam my indicator took a slow dive and I set the hook on what I thought was the bottom. In return I got the heavy head shakes of a fish-- we cheered, saw the bright chrome of a not-terribly-large steelhead, and then -- nothing. The feeling is getting all too familiar.

And that one fish was it. The only chance of the day. Despite our fishless state we felt accomplished at the boat ramp-- we were the only ones to hook a fish that day (of the six boats we talked to). I think that means we'll get ours.

It's only a matter of time.

New Jazz & Flyfishing Video.

2011-12-02T10:08:00.000-08:00

I can't get enough of these guys-- make sure you watch it to the very end.

The Only Way Is Up from Jazz and Fly Fishing´s Jazzcam on Vimeo.

Thanksgiving Trouts

2011-11-28T23:33:00.000-08:00

This year's thanksgiving cost us a twelve hour overnight drive that included chains and few closer-than-comfortable encounters with deer. But it's always worth it, and the inevitable overindulgence in turkey tends to promote napping anyways.

In addition to the familial round of over-eating, over-sleeping, over-tv-watching, awesomeness-- I also got to spend some time on the truckee river throwing some nymphs to frozen trout. The leaf hatch was on, the water was frigid, and the fish were lethargic but I managed to catch a few anyways and enjoyed some of the old urban Reno water which made me the not-so-majestic angler I am today.

I also fished through some unfamiliar water and while I didn't catch any trophies at either location, I did catch one nice plump rainbow (that still had the gumption for one awesome cartwheeling jump) and I found a beast of a brown that didn't make it through the spawn:

Not a bad day.

Tuesday Tie: Steelhead Aggravators

2011-11-22T06:00:00.000-08:00

Lately I've been obsessed with Andy Burk's Aggravator fly. It's like this extremely simple yet maniacally genius fly that is half woolly bugger and half rubber leg stonefly. Well... that's how it works in my head.

Regardless, the standard variations are proven fish-catchers in olive, prince, hare's ear, and black, but what I'm really excited about are the steelhead variations that are possible with the use of colored beads. I'm optimistic about these because I believe they will work as a swinging fly and a dead-drift fly and, in fact, I've hooked steelhead with one of these on the dead drift as well as on the swing (at the end of a drift). So below are the variations I'm going to stock in my fly box-- with the caveat that the only version that's been tested is the purple one (and minimally so). However, for this winter my money is on the pink one. Only one way to tell.

Criticism welcome:

Aggravator Nymph (Steelhead Variations)

Hook: TMC 200R (#6)

Thread: Danville 6/0, color to match

Tag (optional): Pearl flashabou

Tail: Marabou & pearl flashabou
Body: Marabou

Rib: Pearl tinsel & silver wire (counterwrapped)

Thorax: Antron trilobal dubbing

Legs: rubber floss legs or sili-legs

Note: The true aggravator pattern has a turkey wingcase which I'm wayyy too lazy to tie in.

Also, for size reference here's a little gift box I gave away the other day in the name of R&D:

Weeks.

2011-11-21T15:10:00.000-08:00

Goodness, it's been a while since I've posted here. Weeks in fact. So let me be honest-- I can count the number of fish I've caught in the last 7 weeks on one hand. What's worse is it only takes three fingers.

And to think I used to fancy myself an angler.

To be fair, I did get in a short float on the Clackamas but was dealt a skunking for all intensive purposes. I caught a tiny little fish but we got started late, and these winter days are short. Also we made the mistake was figuring we'd be allowed to carry out my raft after the park closed (to a car parked carefully outside the park's gates). Supposedly, the park caretaker called the Sheriff who now has my license plate number so that next time I will be spared the warning and given the ticket.

Doh.

I also got to stay in a cabin with my family right next to the Nehalem bay and couldn't resist the opportunity to row my boat out there and try a few casts. Of course, everyone knows you don't take a rowboat to a gun fight and most of our time was spent rowing against the wind trying to get back to the boat ramp.

This is when I admit that after 1.25 years, I still miss having an epic trout stream in my backyard with about 364.99 annual days of sun under which to fish it. Yet at the same time living here - away from family - has made me realize how much I miss them. How much I love them. Need them. And while I wish I was typing about the last trophy class fish I put in the net, I find it therapeutic to be here writing about these times when it didn't come together. Weakness. And isn't it aggravatingly therapeutic when you're forced to admit there are more important things in life than fish? The things that generally don't often get covered often on decent fishing blogs (see severe lack of tips, tricks, reviews and promotions). Like my niece's first time seeing the ocean. Or losing card-games, eating ridiculously good food, and bickering about politics and spirituality with my family. Or long drives with my wife, brother, & sister-in-law, talking about every banal thing that comes to mind, singing along with the stupidest radio hits that pop-culture has to offer.

Basically.

The Clack:

The Bay:

The Priceless:

Epic Brown: The Video

2011-11-09T06:57:00.000-08:00

Since I posted the fish I thought I should post the video-- even though it already made the chum.

Matt Heron Reels in a Gigantic Brown Trout from Filmed In Tahoe on Vimeo.

Epic Brown

2011-11-03T17:57:00.000-07:00

Saw this on facebook this morning -- I am jack's sense of astonishment. In other words: Holay Molay. Caught somewhere near the place I used to call home by Matt Heron. Check out his site here - this is some serious street cred (not that he didn't have it before...) Anyways, I hope this one makes the SOTM. Enjoy.

Aches, Pains, & Steelhead

2011-11-01T17:26:00.000-07:00

After a tough few days hunting mulies with the old man, I returned to the rainy northwest with an injured knee to a family crisis and a pile-up of work on my desk. So when the weekend rolled around, should I have stayed home? Probably. Yet despite the knee and a dwindling supply of key flies, I had to give it another go: back to the Deschutes.

I rolled into the parking lot, mentally kicking myself for not getting up earlier, and noticed quite a few gaps in the usual line-up of cars. This could be good. This could be bad. Yet by the time I was geared up and hiking in the fresh desert air it didn't matter either way-- it was Fall and I was Fishing. Fall brings back all sorts of memories prompted unexpectedly by the crisp air, colorful leaves and the low angled sunlight and is - hands down - my favorite time of year to fish.

I began the long hike/wade to my favorite stretch of water and by the time I was near, I could barely bend my knee. I guess that's not a huge deal on flat ground, but the Deschutes is not a kind river to wade-- even with fully functional joints.

So the falls began.

A few slips, curses, and some bruised knees (pretty usual for me) were fine but then fall #4 was epic. I wish I had it on film: it was a full airborne sprawl as if I'd stepped on a skateboard in the dark. It was one of those falls that takes a moment before a guy can get back up. As I lay on my back, unable to move with chilly water filling my waders, I had a moment of seeming clarity and thought, "what the ___ am I doing here?!" Fortunately I got my wits back to their normal addled state, pushed myself to a sitting position and checked to make sure nothing important was broken: fly reel intact? check. fly rod intact? check. In fact, said items never left my clenched fist-- the palm of which was turning black and blue since it took the brunt of impact with the sharp basalt below.

Eventually I did get around to actually fishing and methodically covering some water. The fishing was a lot tougher as I think a lot of the fish have moved upstream -- along with a lot of anglers. It also became apparent that the usual flies weren't going to work so I switched up through quite a few options before dumb luck happened. Or maybe it was just dumb.

As I was stripping in the ol' bobber for another grandiose lob cast (and thus making small popper-esque splashes) I saw a v-wake form behind my trailing flies and a fish made a great splashing lunge at the surface. Being rather dumbfounded I did the right thing-- nothing. The fish grabbed turned and then hooked itself firmly in the jaw as it made a blistering run that ran me all the way to my backing. Then as I watched my whirring reel change colors from fly-line green to backing orange the rod bucked and I heard a strange tearing/popping sound:

The entire fly line, brand new fluorocarbon leader, and two fresh flies-- gone. I'm truly embarrassed to even be telling this story. Shocked, I watched for a few seconds as the fish jumped several times, fighting the resistance of the 100ft of line trailing behind it. I felt sick. Not sick that I had lost a few dollars in equipment, but sick that I had just left a tangled pile of brightly colored, non-biodegradable, plastic crap at the bottom of the river with a fish attached. I searched in vain hoping to find the line, hoping to free the fish, hoping to correct the mistake I just made-- all it would have taken is a second overhand knot to lock that albright knot into place.

I don't believe I've ever felt like quitting when out on the water-- if the fishing is bad, I practice my casting-- if the weather is bad, I relish the solitude. But I felt like quitting. So I stopped, breathed, then slowly re-rigged a new reel and kept going. One october caddis later and I had steel on the line once again. I saw my backing for the second time that day. This time I checked my knots, and before long I had a beautifully colored wild fish on the beach.

Moral of the story: never quit.

To be honest the hike out was rather tortuous -- I stayed too long hoping for another fish and got caught wading back down the river in darkness. My muscles were stiffening up from the falls and cold water, and the meticulous nature of wading with a flashlight and a bum leg meant many hours extra. But I felt like I had conquered, payed my dues, perservered-- whatever you want to call it. I just hope it doesn't happen again anytime soon.

Condit Dam Removal.

2011-10-26T12:53:00.000-07:00

That was actually way cooler than I thought it was going to be...

Here's some screen shots from the live feed from PacifiCorp of the demolition of the Condit Dam on the white salmon river in southern Washington:

Just after the explosion:

The view looking downstream:

And finally-- the result (with a helicopter, for some reason):

The Elusive Rain Carp

2011-10-11T18:13:00.000-07:00

This last weekend I had the opportunity to fish with John Montana of Carp on the Fly fame. After way too many e-mails agonizing over what to fish for, we ended up at the inevitable: Carp. It may sound funny that it was even an issue, but the season is prime for salmon, steelhead, and trout all over the state-- but not necessarily so for carp. It was tough to say no to the Deschutes but getting to learn from a guru status carp angler wasn't too bad either...

In short, it was pretty grand to fish with someone who's even crazier about fly fishing than I am. By this I mean I often find myself eating lunch standing mid-river because I really don't want to miss more casts than I have to. John has gone as far as to set his sandwich on his hat so he can take bites in between casts. I get it. It doesn't make total sense, but sometimes I think I get that too.

I'm rambling now. Despite overcast conditions and sporadic rain, John put me on some monster fish. I basically botched every take and a good percentage of the casts were off in never-never land. And while it must have been killing John to keep his flies out of the water, he stayed high on the bank coaching and pointing out fish that I would have never seen. Possibly may never see. Man, I am not that patient.

Eventually John decided to actually fish and the first fish landed was a big 20lb fish. I was pretty much enamored with it's sheer mass and basketball like shape but looking back the details are what stick out the most: golden scales, floppy tail, slimy fins:

John continued to catch fish every now and then well into evening which is when it really started to pour while I did my best to imitate his success. At some point in the day I even managed to successfully seduce a fish to fully take my fly. The fish moved with purpose to my flies, tail went up, and with an obvious gill flare my fly disappeared. By this point my nerves were on overload with anticipation and I set the hook to the bloody stars, overcompensating for my previous pussy-footed attempts at setting the hook. *SNAP*

12.5lb fluorocarbon-- with properly tied knots -- makes a remarkably loud sound when it breaks. Good thing you couldn't hear my ego breaking into a million pieces.

Not surprisingly I left the Columbia fishless but hooked. Hooked by a shattered ego. Hooked by multiple attempts at 20+ lb fish. Hooked by the grudge I now have with these fat, slimy, beautiful beasts.

On the List...

2011-10-11T16:09:00.000-07:00

...with 5 million other fly fishing videos that I'd like to buy:

Off the Grid Fly Fishing Trailer from RA Beattie on Vimeo.

Can't stay away.

2011-10-07T13:01:00.000-07:00

I had another relatively epic day on the Deschutes. I tried out some experiments that worked, and worked well. These are exciting moments that keep me up into the wee hours hunched over a mountain of feathers, beads, and over-priced synthetics. And the same moments running through my head when I spend more money at the craft store than my wife.

Each time I go to the deschutes I hike farther than the trip before. This last trip was no different and I wheeze my way along the path quite a few miles getting before I find myself enclosed by blackberry bushes. #$%^. Wearing shorts and having left my walking stick leaning on the same tree I peed on, I started bush-whacking through some serious grass and sage. That's when I heard the unmistakeable buzz that made my heart sink like a stone. Rattlesnake. $%^& (again). It was somewhere under my feet but with grass in my face and my arms holding my rod over my head I just kept going, not knowing if I was stepping on, over, or leaving that rattler in the dust. I stopped for a shaky inspection - no puncture wounds in the epidermis. Phew. Waders on and a slower pace.

Two casts to a known hot-spot and the first steelhead breaks me off. So does the second one.

But not the next one.

Of course this happened over many hours and through a numerous runs and the wind was more than a minor frustration-- not for casting, but for mending. In fact once a person learns the double haul (hint: LEARN THE DOUBLE HAUL) casting in the wind is a minor deterrent but mending can be tough. So I even haul my mends-- I'm not convinced it helps.

But the D is epic: When you're not catching steelhead, or not fishing the right water for steelhead you're still catching trout. Or whitefish, or suckers. That's also why every time I start swinging flies there I last about a dozen casts before I go back to the bobber. I can't stop thinking about all the big, beautiful trout I'm missing.

And they fight like mini-steelhead because they are mini-steelhead. Or steelhead are just giant redsides. Yes and yes-- or you decide.

In addition to hooking (and losing) an extremely large steelhead, one of the coolest parts (in a way) of the day was how bad I got my arse kicked. The batting average went waay down. Whether I was wrapped around rocks or not able to bring in line fast enough or making other mistakes, I lost nearly 60% of the fish I hooked. One particular moment that sticks out in my mind was having a fish bolt downstream peeling off 60 feet of line and then abruptly turning and bolting back towards me so fast that my line and indicator made an audible "whoosh" and threw a small spray of water into the air. What can you do? It happened so fast that I just smiled and casually reeled in the line and fought the fish for another couple of seconds before the inevitable happened and the hook came free. Sometimes you just have to give the fish credit for the tenacity that bring bajillions of admirers to the banks of steelhead rivers around the world

Sometimes defeat feels ok.

Sandy.

2011-10-05T21:07:00.000-07:00

The post density here is getting thin... mostly due to a busy work week and, well, I've become content to fish and tie and not blog about it 5 minutes later. For a while there I felt like the kids you see at the mall-- smiling for the picture then retreating into prolonged silence glued to the i-phones screen trying to convince the world that they have a fun life.

So here are some pictures from two weeks ago when I convinced my wife to float the sandy with me. I caught a little jack salmon and a sucker fish which meant I caught about 200% more fish than expected.

Back to the Truckee

2011-09-27T18:01:00.000-07:00

Doesn't get much better....

Finally getting around to posting this trip report. The brief synopsis is that I got to spend two full days on the Truckee river with my dad, fishing hard, covering water and even catching a few fish. At first the timing seemed better than I could imagine-- but I left feeling a little cheated. That said I still got out of the office, put in my dues and caught fish, and spent two whole days with the old man. And that's not something to take for granted.

DAY 1
The canyon. The plan was to cover water I've foolishly never fished-- I should have spent less time in waders and more in hiking boots. So that's what we did-- we hiked into and fished a big stretch of rough, tumbling water requiring artificialy lures and barb-less hooks only. The water as seen from the railroad tracks was beautiful and we saw deer, quail, hawks and even a falcon. As for the fishing, most nymphs I tried attracted lightning fast bites and most the fish were small but healthy. Over the span of about ten hours I did manage to hook two really nice fish but these often-hooked but rarely-landed fish stayed in the latter category causing me no end of frustration. Truth be told about 50% of my fish came unbuttoned leaving me wondering at the cause. I blame the rod.

DAY 2
The home-water. The plan for this day was to revisit the glory days of skipped classes, trashy bum-infested water and big trout. We certainly found the bum-infested water but, again, the fish were few and far in between. They took lightning bug nymphs and small mayfly emergers in riffly water and at one point I hooked an absolute beast. I knew it for what it was right away-- as heavy as any of the deschutes steelhead from my previous trip-- this big brown stayed low with heavy head shakes and one big run that wrapped me around a rock and broke me off . I noticed my hands were visibly shaking after that encounter and I wonder how many other anglers had been similarly pwned. Thus I ended my trip feeling like I had only whetted the appetite, worsened the obsession, and left holes in the amount of flies filling my fly boxes. Until next time.

This Weekend: The BLC

2011-09-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

Going to the biggest little trout farm this weekend, with four ridiculously full fly boxes. I'd say I hope to see you on the water-- but that would be a lie. :-)

Deschutes - Take Two

2011-09-13T18:19:00.000-07:00

After a late morning start, I took my time, stretched, and tied on a couple of ugly, half-baked experiments from the night before. The goal, of course, being patterns that attract both resident trout and those transient, non-resident steel-heads. I'll go ahead and say it; they didn't work.

The subsequent hike started dishearteningly as my first glimpse of the river showed a shoulder to shoulder gauntlet of fisherman standing there and casting in rhythm like a big, lame, chorus line, all dressed in khaki and camouflage*. It's a wonder any fish make it through that barbed dude-fest and, in my mind, was an indication of how crowded it was to be upriver.

But not to worry, it's only a matter of a few miles of sweating it out in the summer sun before a guy can find a spot to harass some football shaped trouts:

I had a significantly more difficult time getting into trout this trip and as evening was nearing I noticed a guy above me was killing it. I mean every few casts I look up to see this guy's rod doubled over fighting a nice fish. I had to do it. I didn't want to but I had to.

I had to ask.

I'd like to think that I'm not often a wheedling sort of fellow, but I'm also a generous dealer in information, and thought maybe I had enough bro-karma built up to get a fly recommendation. The guy was coy and wouldn't reveal his secret fly, but he did mention the word purple and - as fate would have it - gave up the run he was fishing, mentioning his family was waiting downriver. Now, I usually opt for water that hasn't been recently fished but as I shared my plan to keep hiking, this particularly nice fellow replied, "You know, I think you might want to give this spot a try..."

Several hours and four steel-head later and I'm thinking he might as well have been Santa-Got-Daym-Claus himself. What a day:

*Side Note: I really shouldn't judge the chorus liners (my term). It's probably a good bit of fun heckling the guy next to you, drinking beer, and swapping exaggerated fish stories down the line.

Awesome Video.

2011-09-09T17:06:00.000-07:00

A new one from outside bend productions -- found it on le mouching. Also: 3min 10sec = AMAZING fish.

For the River from Outside Bend Productions on Vimeo.

Deschutes River

2011-09-02T09:15:00.000-07:00

Despite the crowds and the hype I will fully admit what I didn't understand before: The deschutes is awesome. I got out last weekend and did a little bobber slinging in the wind (known as "indicator nymphing" to some) and landed some monster whitefish, a whole bunch of redsides and hooked a couple of adult steelhead which took me for a ride before my malfunctioning should've-bought-something-better reel free-spooled and left me standing there fishless and free to give myself the face palm.

I won't lie, it was crowded. I put the hiking boots on and prepared myself for some miles. It pays off in the end, but it seems like every bend holds the promise of new water, more fish, and another fisherman.

Still... I think I get it now.

The fly rig of the day was a heavily weighted golden stonefly which took most of the fish. A pink squirrel nymph came in close second and may have been the winner had I tied it on sooner. I seem to forget about this one and it isn't usually a go-to fly for me.

It is now.

These fish are absolutely nuts. They fight with maniacal strength and make you feel out of control as you frantically strip line in, or let it out, lean into the fish, now away now hold your rod over your head as high as you can-- every fish landed a major victory.

This sunset was icing on the cake. Or maybe the cake under the icing? Or both.

Respect for the Natives.

2011-08-31T18:08:00.000-07:00

I had something of an epic day on the deschutes recently in which I caught all sorts of fish... I would say it was more than I could count. But that would be an exaggeration-- I simply didn't count. Amongst the trout there were a smattering of suckery-looking fish whose names I didn't yet know. It warranted some research. Turns out I caught a whole lot of native fish.


TOP TO BOTTOM: Summer Steelhead Redside Rainbow Trout Mountain Whitefish Northern Pikeminnow Largescale Sucker

I have to say I've come to thoroughly enjoy whitefish and have even come to think of them as beautiful (even if somewhat frustrating when they make spaghetti out of a carefully crafted 3-fly rig). My view on the whitefish started changing just as the common carp began a rapid ascent to sportfish status and was solidified one tough, spring day on the truckee river. It was during some high water conditions and throughout the day all I had landed were small, sickly, pale, stocked cutthroats which I'm sure fed the lurking browns well. I moved on and hours later hooked something with some weight-- a big 20" whitefish with buttery yellow sides and a subtle red & purple hue at the gill plate. I couldn't help but admire it and really felt that it belonged-- because, in fact, they do.

The deschutes river basin is no exception. In an enlightening native fish society report (link here)--which I've only cursorily read-- I found that along with Bull Trout, Redband Trout, Mountain Whitefish, Summer Steelhead, Spring Chinook, & Kokanee, the following fish are native:

These fish are native-- they belong there-- arguably more than you. So next time you hook one you should be happy-- you just fooled a fish that's had the home-field advantage for a looong time.

I guess it's about respect.

While smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie, carp and catfish might catch our attention as sport fish we should perhaps hold the native fish in higher regard. Honestly I may never find beauty in a lamprey-- but I will absolutely let it live knowing that it has a place in the system. That same promise won't always be given to a hatchery steelhead.

Oh, and next time I see somebody poach a sturgeon-- I will speak my mind.

Friday Jams: Daniel Dixon

2011-08-26T16:09:00.000-07:00

Update: I know I've been slacking on the tuesday tie-- spare hours have been few and motivation has been slim... I've been tying but haven't felt like taking/editing photos. I'd rather tie more... or go fishing.

Anyways, the friday jams have also been-- and probably will continue to be-- intermittent as well. They've also taken on a local flavor and this week will keep it going. This artist is a friend of a friend and this video is a bit magical. Also take note of the accompanying vocalists-- I saw them perform at a small venue this year and was blown away. Well here is this week's friday jam-- Daniel Dixon (LINK):

Daniel Dixon - I Can't Hear You from daniel dixon on Vimeo.

Sweet Redemption.

2011-08-18T18:35:00.000-07:00

The plan to fish the upper Deschutes was thwarted by a full campground and we ended up back at the lake that previously kicked me arse. But this time, my friends, I came equipped with a clear intermediate sinking line, a custom tied 18 ft leader, and a muthafuggin' BOAT.

Even better, however, was the fact that this wasn't a solo mission (nor even a mission). My wife and our friends Joel and Sarah were there for the camping. Card games, little smokies, and the new revelation:

Reese's peanut butter cups s'mores.

In other words I was a camper too. Friends keep the obsession in check. Perspective. I haven't reached stage four yet. I likely never will.

Joel and I fished Saturday evening with small black caddis and some callibaetis hatching and the water gave up a handful of browns including the one at top.

The fishing was good. It made the s'mores taste better.

Then sunday morning rolled around, I zombie-crawled into my waders, and I put the oars to water amidst one of the most spectacular sunrises I've experienced yet:

There aren't many things that make me stop in the middle of prime fishing time-- this was one of those things.

Day two and the fishing was good.

I took numerous browns all the way into the hot hours of the day and left with the feeling of really having tapped into the fishing potential. Like I had solved a piece of the puzzle. The best part was that some of my book knowledge had turned into experience. The method that ended up killing it was one that Gary Lafontaine writes about in Fly Fishing the Mountain Lakes.

I fished the above nymph behind a tui chub streamer but the hits came when I let the streamer sink into the silty bottom creating small puffs of silt with every short strip. This is the very method that Gary developed the bristle leech for.

Try it sometime.

Up Close.

2011-08-18T12:13:00.000-07:00

So I'm finally going to participate in an outdoor blogger network prompt calling for something "up close and personal". I signed up a long time ago because it's an interesting venture but hey, they also let people review cool shite. Unfortunately they also post gear reviews on the weekends, and that's my time to enjoy a world that's broadcasted in much higher resolution. And it's rare swag that will warrant an interruption in that routine.

Anyways here's a shot I took a couple of weeks ago not previously posted due to an overload of fin close-ups that seem to be infecting my camera's memory card. Hydrodynamic perfection as seen at last light:

three steps to making my monday morning worse.

2011-08-17T17:00:00.000-07:00

If you're going to steal a faded, worn, stock honda stereo, you might want to check the glove box for the 20 bucks in laundromat quarters and the brand new gps. Jus' sayin.

STEP 1
learning why people buy hondas

STEP 2
bruised knuckles

STEP 3
the puking robot

Slabs of the blogosphere. (link spew)

2011-08-16T17:40:00.000-07:00

Lately the amount of great blog posts has been off the charts. It's just that time of year-- almost everything is fishing and people they are a' catching. However, there are a few lately that have blown me away.

Here they are:

---UNO---
Double Down from Lo Fi Fly. I can't believe I haven't been following these guys obsessively until now. This little video will make you feel inadequate in the best way-- not only is it 3 straight minutes of dudes double fisting big brown trout like honey badgers owning poisonous snakes, but they used dead man's bones as the soundtrack (Yep, thats Ryan Gosling). Double points. Oh and they land this little mediocre brown trout right in the middle of it all:

---DEUCE---
Ken, who runs the blog Soft Hacke, caught this 28" beast somewhere in Wyoming. This picture doesn't do the fish the full justice that the full set does-- view the rest here. The haters will no doubt cry "photoshopped" and claim isn't possible due to biomass, altitude, and any number of things that they don't understand... which is just further proof that this is the fish of a lifetime.

---TRES---
If you don't already know, there is a great blog called Yukon Goes Fishing that is packed to the gills with sweet fishing videos topped with tasty beat sauce. The most recent of which features bucko landing a montana rainbow of epic proportions. Again this screen capture doesn't capture even a fraction of the fish. So watch it here.

---ULTIMO---
It seemed like mere days after Kauffman's Streamborn bit the dust in spectacular fashion, that Brian Marz was back in the game posting tasty, fishy things on the web. Recently he landed a rod-breaking bass on the Columbia that I thought was remarkable. No really-- it broke his rod. I say worth it.

The Maiden Voyage.

2011-08-08T21:28:00.000-07:00

I'm on a BOAT!

After weeks of digging through craigslist ads, calling boating shops, and reading long-winded better-than-though forum posts and I had decided that what I needed was a two man cataraft. Not the kind advertised to fisherman as "pontoon" boats but an honest-to-god cataraft made for the crazies that get a kick out of nearly drowning in foamy, roiling water, crashing through boulder fields. Two banana shaped inflatable tubes of glued rubber on a frame of bent emt conduit with nylon webbing and it cost the bank.

I was pale and sweating after dropping my hard earned green on the barest of bones maxxon tubes with a "pro-choice" (ha) frame, some cam straps, and some oars. But I must say the dudes at Andy and Bax were great fellas, and before I knew it I was loaded up with free t-shirts and a brainful of advice to boot. I then had to buy a second seat and build a platform (told you it was bare bones), and then after buying a trailer and making a 4'x8' trailer fit a 12'x7' foot boat I was ready for the maiden voyage.

My friend Tom even happened to be in town for the occasion and we chose Oxbow to Dabney on the Sandy river, rowing like G6's through drunk tubers and around the splashing children. So here's to good friends, summertime, and and out of shape white dudes pretending they know how to row a boat.

Relaxing on the Sandy River

Trip Report part II: Nunya Creek

2011-08-02T06:30:00.000-07:00

I decided to split this into two reports since I had a fairly mediocre fishing on Paulina lake-- much redeemed by the 6 or so hours I spent on a small creek I discovered last summer on the way back to Portland-- this one:

This little beauty of a creek is a small one with a small population of spooky fish -- in fact I don't believe I caught a single fish this trip that didn't require me to be on my knees ~~praying~~ casting for the little things. There wasn't anything hatching and it looked like I had missed the caddis hatch judging from the empty case remnants under every stone. That actually bodes well in my opinion -- it means attractor time.

But a funny thing happened-- the fish wouldn't take any of my caddis-like or mayfly-like attractors. I soon discovered why:

The fish were completely keyed into stonefly nymphs and the more rocks I shuffled around the more I became convinced of this. The nymphs were more tan than yellow and my 'poxy-back hare's ear was just the ticket, outfishing copper johns, stonefly dries, and my yellowish tinted stonefly nymphs.

It was a delight to be wet wading and sweating in the hot sun sneaking up on beautiful stream-born browns. I was a world away from work, from the rain, from traffic and long commutes-- all the things my mind associates with Portland.

It's doubtful I'll be back anytime soon as it's not the type of place I would wish heavy traffic on. But it should live long enough in my head to get me through another work week, dreaming that the next hole has an even bigger fish in it. Dreaming of the next time I can fish again in a completely uncrowded venue with nothing but a sunburn to worry about.

Trip Report part I: Paulina Lake

2011-08-01T12:30:00.000-07:00

After 4.5 hours of hanging my arm out the window and singing horribly to whatever overplayed song happened to be on the radio, she was a happy site. Paulina Lake. A cascade lake at around 6,000ft and home of monster browns that are rarely caught. Most are rumored to be nocturnal and fishing this lake at night is illegal-- I still think they would only rarely be caught, were it legal.

In truth I drove first to nearby East lake and was surprised at how many folks were on the water so I settled on a great campsite near Paulina lake and got geared up. Then I threw the book at the water from size #16 scuds and midges to size #2 baitfish patterns on a long sinking tip. I also threw out a few new experiments I've been working on (of course).

The small rainbows were plentiful and the tui chubs would remind you of their presence constantly with light taps on your line every time your fly hit the shallows. There didn't seem to be any major hatches during the day though the scuds were abundant and I saw a few damsel flies. Ironically it was small, natural looking mayfly emergers that got the job done-- memory imprints left over from the morning hatch I'm assuming.

In my limited experience I would consider these daytime conditions to be difficult-- the fish were spooky and the smaller the line the more fish I would catch-- I ended up with a 15ft leader with the dropper fly tied on to 6x. It was like casting spaghetti and two flies were better than three due to a nice breeze. It was a lot of work for a handful of small fish and tui chubs.

However as the sun set and the mosquitoes came out en masse I experienced a decent hatch of both mayflies and caddis-- the caddis were small and dark and the mayflies were varied-- an HBI nymph retrieved with small twitchy pulls landed me a good number of rainbows and a couple of kokanee to boot. Then the official sunset time hit and I reluctantly slogged my way in to call it a day.

Day 2 was a similar repeat and I left early to explore other water. That report yet to come. Cheers.

Friday Jams: Other Lives

2011-07-29T09:09:00.000-07:00

Most of the most exciting music for me lately has been new releases from artists I've been listening to for a while. So I was really excited to hear this band on NPR the other day and be completely blown way. These guys are seriously good, I can't get enough.

I hope the 1.75 readers who care about the music I post feel the same. Anyway here's one from their soon to be released album "Tamer Animals":

Other Lives - For 12 (Official Video) from tbdrecords on Vimeo.

Tuesday Tie: Summer Steel Fly

2011-07-26T11:59:00.000-07:00

This fly comes from an early batch of steelhead flies I pumped out long before I ever swung a sink tip through steelhead water. Yet, this fly seemed to attract a lot of attention on my last outing on the Sandy river -- a follow and a swirl but no positive connection with fish lips.

I'd like to see a smaller head on this guy, something I'm still working on; the problem is the thick stems on the guinea hackle. The solution, of course, is to use pink schlappen with less guinea on the collar (thus not getting down into the thickest part of the feather shaft). Also I really don't think the wire is necessary and could be replaced with tinsel, french tinsel, or nothing at all.

Regardless, in an attempt to post a more balanced selection of trout, steelhead and warm water flies here's another fly for swinging up some summer steel.

Generic No-name Steelhead Fly

Hook: Your favorite steelhead hook (#2-6)

Thread: Neon Pink Danville 6/0

Tag (optional): Wire or tinsel (red small ultrawire shown)

Rear 1/3: Pink tying thread

Rib: Silver tinsel

Middle 1/3: Pink Antron trilobal dubbing

Front 1/3: Purple Antron trilobal dubbing

Wing: Pink krystal flash

Hackle/Collar: Pink dyed guinea feather

Jamming with the Glavors: Heart of Gold.

2011-07-21T11:08:00.000-07:00

In my last friday jams post I mentioned the amazing Hannah Glavor and last night she was gracious enough to let me play on her most recent song request from her fund raising campaign -- Neil Young's Heart of Gold.

I should also mention that my wife, Andrea was responsible for the tambourine, Tim Glavor (Hannah's brother) for the cajon, and our friend Andrea (the other Andrea) for the Quinoa burgers and pushing play on the camera. I should also mention how funny I look. Actually no I shouldn't, but believe it or not I'm not trying to look like a dashboard bobblehead.

Regardless, enjoy (I hope):

Willamette National Forest

2011-07-20T12:20:00.000-07:00

Owing to some valued information given to me by David - who runs a great blog called Fishkamp - I made my way into the Willamette National forest in search of some McKenzie red-sides. I slept through my alarm and woke up to a severe downpour, but curse-it-all; I needed a fish.

After a long drive through beautiful forest-- and past a lot of great looking water-- I finally reached my destination with itchy fingers that couldn't string line through the eyelets fast enough. The usual rigamarole ensued, switching flies, looking for fish, bugs, stopping to re-rig, working out the kinks in the leader... and in my rusty casting.

The water was COLD and clear greenish/blue and after working some seams I moved down to slower water and caught the first of many beautiful fish. Sometimes you just have to find them.

As far as bugs went there were was a wide variety but there wasn't a blanket hatch of any one bug. The predominant bug around midday were the green drakes and there were a few splashy rises as some fish keyed on emergers. But as the day wore on there were PMD's (or PED's), caddis, midges, a few little yellow stones and I even found a couple of really small skwalla stoneflies.

The fly of the day turned out to be barr's tung teaser in peacock colors which I believe was suggestive enough for it to pass as a caddis, a green drake, and a variety of stones and mayflies nymphs. Other successful nymphs were caddis and a poxy back pt nymph (of course)-- putting on a 20-incher nymph as the lead fly also seemed to increase my catch rate. The E/C caddis also got some takers and I regretfully did not fish any streamers.

Last thing to note is that I caught my first bull trout-- I was careful with these fish as I know a restorative effort is in process here. I hope it works because these are cool fish-- I just wish I could find one that was about 20" longer!

I hope I can make it back to the area sometime soon with warmer conditions. Next time I will hopefully make it out earlier and not have to stop and sleep on the way home :-).

Tuesday Tie: Butch Caddis

2011-07-19T13:01:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not I tie and fish dry flies. Just not very much, and even when I do it's usually a dry dropper rig. Fish eat 90% subsurface food-- I fish 90% subsurface imitation food. But I think the patterns I've posted on this blog have been 100% weighted towards the nymph category so here is, finally, a dry fly to imitate an adult or nearly fully emerged caddis fly.

The butch caddis is a pattern developed by Kelly Galloup of Slide Inn & streamer tying fame (think zoo cougar, sex dungeon, butt monkey and many more we would all recognize.) I saw it on the weekly fly and it struck me as a high floating, no nonsense, and cheap to tie sort of pattern. I'm all for patterns that don't require me to search out dwindling and overpriced dry fly hackle.

Kelly Galloup's Butch Caddis

Hook: #14-18 dry fly hook

Thread: GSP 200 (I used tan danville 6/0)

Tail: Antron or Z-lon

Rib: small ultra wire (optional)

Body: Antron dry fly dubbing or superfine

Wing: Deer Belly Hair

Legs: small rubber legs
(I used the baby legs alive from FTD)

Friday Jams: Hannah Glavor

2011-07-15T12:48:00.000-07:00

This week is a local artist who was recently my house-mate for a year. An amazing artist with no album out yet, the fact is; she needs one. Well it just happens that she's raising money to make one and if you, yes you, would like to see a song of your choice covered by Hannah you can check out her site here and pledge a few greenbacks (you know modern money... not the civil war era paper or the cutthroat trout by the same name).

Here are two of my favorites that she's recently covered (I'm too big of a bowerbirds fan not to have this first one as a favorite):

Tuesday Tie: Steelhead Mojo

2011-07-12T10:22:00.000-07:00

I saw this fly in a past issue of Northwest Fly Fishing magazine and I was struck by it as a nice cross between the movement and flash of modern materials combined with a more classic size & profile. So I tied a few up and after fishing a half-dozen or so different summer steelhead patterns last weekend this is the one that looked to have the most seductive motion and was, in fact, the fly that provoked the days only grab.

The commercial version is tied with a tinsel and a wire rib (to lash down the rabbit strip) but I didn't really think it was necessary except maybe for the largest of the sizes.

Rich Youngers of creekside fly fishing is the originator of this fly and recommends a size 1.5 for winter fishing and a size 3 for summer. I believe the below fly is tied on a size 4.

Rich Younger's Steelhead Mojo

Hook: #1.5 - 4 steelhead hook of choice (TMC 7999 shown)

Thread: black danville 6/0 or thread of choice

Tag: Silver Tinsel (commercial version uses oval french tinsel)

Rib: Silver Wire over Silver Tinsel (Optional, not shown)

Body: 1/3 orange ice dub, 1/3 rust ice dub, 1/3 purple ice dub

Wing: Purple rabbit strip and a few strands of purple holo flash

Hackle: purple schlappen or saddle hackle

Collar: Orange guinea

Note: The commercial version uses antron trilobal dubbing for the body, which looks nice too.

Sandy in the Summer

2011-07-11T18:01:00.000-07:00

Somehow I feel like I missed spring... or maybe there's only two seasons here in the Northwest. I'll call them Raining and Not-Raining. The rest is lost to cloudy, misty days that don't stick in my head as anything significant...

Point is, this last weekend felt like pure summer (not raining). And the wife and I finally have reached a point in our chaotic new (i.e. smaller, cheaper, smells worse) apartment that I was able to tie up a few flies. In other words my massive amount of stuff has been unearthed, risen to life, unpacked and already there are feathers on the floor.

So when I hit the Sandy for a half-day trip this weekend I showed up with a few experiments. None of which actually worked.

But man it felt good to put my new Lamiglas 8wt through the paces with 8ft of T-11 and a short, light leader. I had read the reports which declared slow which is, I've concluded, simply what steelheading is. And while swinging, stepping, swinging, stepping... I couldn't help but wish there was better trout action on the Sandy as some of those riffles would be downright wonderful during a caddis hatch.

Finally around 8pm I got a sharp, powerful tug that left me frozen knowing that, indeed, I should have dropped that damn loop.

drop.

the.

loop.

I'm seriously wondering if I'll ever get that part right... Anyways that was the action of the day and I hope y'all have been out there similarly enjoying the weather-- but with more fish. Cheers!

Friday Jams: I Am Oak

2011-07-08T07:00:00.000-07:00

These guys have a new album out called Oasem - which I very much recommend. Listen in full on their website here. And to get a feel for the sound here you go:

I Am Oak - On trees and birds and fire from What about Fish on Vimeo.

I Am Oak - firm hands from What about Fish on Vimeo.

Fishing the Fourth

2011-07-07T13:41:00.000-07:00

This last weekend I was able to get out and float a river near the coast for some summer steel. It was honestly one of the best opportunities I've had since moving here, to get out and fish with someone that knows about rafting, casting and the seemingly elusive steelhead.

Right away I knew I was in for a good trip when my friend, TZ, suggested we meet at 4 am on the fourth of July -- It solidified that I wasn't dealing with the casual weekend warrior but rather someone who was serious about catching fish. I've also been increasingly interested (ok ok more like compulsively obsessed) in buying a boat of some sort to drift the rivers here. But there is one tiny problem: zero experience.

This was my chance.

It turned out to be a magnificent day on a low clear river which, while not great for steelheading, was great for a summer afternoon float. TZ mostly swung flies as it turns out he's damn fine at spey & skagit casting and I stuck with a nymph rig since there were so many nice small pockets that looked great for a small dead drift rig.

The bright sun and clear water made the chances for a steelhead slim but the local cutties were not discriminant about taking large steelhead nymphs and after a few hours I tied on a barbless possie bugger to further harass these spunky little fish.

I even got a lesson in spey casting with a 12 footer and a dry scandi line-- which is more technical and difficult than it looks. Even better I got a chance at manning the oars.

As it turns out I'm terrible at rowing a boat. It doesn't matter how many books you've read, online tutorials you've watched or people you've seen on the water: you simply need to get a set of oars in your hands. TZ was ridiculously patient as I thrashed his 2-man pontoon sliding us sideways down rapids into rocks and right over the holes we should have been fishing.

It was awesome.

In the end I was exhausted, sunburnt, steelheadless, and very happy to have gone out and fished some new water and learned a few things. I felt almost guilty since I essentially got a guided trip (I wasn't much of a contribution to the rowing) for free but I think it was the kickstart I needed. Pontoon/Cataraft shopping begins now.

Carploration (Pwned)

2011-07-06T12:01:00.000-07:00

Last week I made it out twice to look for some new carping water closer to my new place of residence. The results? Not good. In fact for the last couple of days I've been hesitant to make this blog post, but after letting it sit I've come to the opinion that any good blogger should blog their failures as avidly as their successes. It's simply the learning part of the sport.

DAY 1:

After a short consultation with Google maps I drove to a hopeful looking spot. Hiking shoes and bug spray were in order but the problem turned out not to be the mosquitoes (though they were pretty bad) but rather the level of the Columbia river-- case in point, this is supposed to be a road:

After a shorter hike than expected to reach water I proceeded to slog around for a couple of hours through drowned blackberries and dusty overhead cobwebs before calling it a loss. The visibility was simply too poor and I wasn't even spooking any carp. More hiking then.

Finally I came upon a promising spot-- Lo and behold-- I found something:

New experiments were tied on along with proven patterns and the sneaking game began. Then it was time for a cast. And another cast. And another. You get the idea. I simply could not wake these fish up and the grassy bottom proved frustrating as I slowly worked my way around the water looking for cruisers and casting to fish. Before long the sun was low and the time to admit defeat had come. Skunked.

DAY 2:

After the previous defeat I was determined to cover more ground, see more water and to make observation the main goal. Unfortunately the water that previously held fish was deserted and muddy after covering miles of head high grass and jungly swamp I found only one other promising looking spot in which I saw only a few small carp that were cruising ridiculously fast stopping only occasionally to feed. After several dozen failed casts I had one make a b-line for my fly but I missed the hookset in the glare (I timed a guess based on it's approaching speed-- pretty sure I was late).

I had a couple more opportunities but several casts later I snagged the grass behind me...

*snap*

The crisp barking snap on the forward cast made my heart sink as I observed that my four-piece 8wt was now a five piece. 5 pieces of worthless garbage. I'm sure it was caused by previous damage (probably from me tossing it in the truck too roughly) and I think it was just that time. I just wish it had happened on a big fish so that I could have told a grand tale about how I tipped my hat to a worthy opponent and left defeated and proud. Instead I hung my head and fumed the entire long trek back to my truck. Skunked x2.

As a consolation the scenery was great, but I have to admit I wasn't in the right mindset to fully enjoy it.

CARP: 2
BRIAN: 0

Until next time...

Shadow Cast COMPETITION.

2011-07-05T12:53:00.001-07:00

Best competition. Evar. Enter yours HERE.

The Shadow Cast Competition from Jazz and Fly Fishing´s Jazzcam on Vimeo.

Tuesday Tie: The Big Ugly

2011-07-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

Really this one is me taking the easy way out, as this is just how I tie my workhorse stonefly nymphs in the larger sizes (#6 or bigger). And I really only keep this one around in two colors: golden and brown.

The Big Ugly

Hook: #6 TMC 200R

Bead: Gold colored brass bead to match

Thread: tan danville 6/0

Tail: barred pumpkin sili legs or flexi floss (shown)

Rib: Large brown vinyl D-rib (flat side out)
Under-body: 0.030 lead wire

Dubbing: golden stone colors or brown of any sort

Wing pads: golden stone thin skin cut to shape

Legs: India hen back fibers and rubber legs to match tail

Note: the bead is buried in the thorax on this one and I use a separate piece of thin skin for the head.

Friday Jams: Dan Mangan

2011-07-01T20:28:00.000-07:00

This is a new find for me and he's on the lineup for music fest northwest so I may be catching him live. I completely enjoy this music-- good folky stuff imported from BC. Give it a listen:

Cheers.

Tuesday Tie: The Birds Nest

2011-06-28T10:31:00.000-07:00

This is an extremely impressionistic fly originated in my home state by Cal Bird and is one I honestly haven't fished a lot. That said I know a lot of people who say you need it in your fly box, and it has the amazing capability of passing for just about anything. In fact I HIGHLY suggest reading Ralph Cutter's book Fish Food (or anything by Ralph Cutter for that matter) and after that I guarantee you'll tie several dozen of these up. Variations include tan, black, rust, olive... and anything else you can think of.

It's a simple, cheap tie but one I don't find terribly enjoyable since the duck flank feathers often frustrate me. Nevertheless tie some of these up in a few sizes and colors and put them in both your river box and your stillwater box and you'll be thankful when your exact imitations aren't working for what's in the water.

The Birds Nest

Hook: #10-18 TMC 3769 (#14 shown)

Tail: Duck flank feather fibers

Thread: black danville 6/0

Rib: Small silver ultra-wire
Under-body: 0.015 lead wire

Body: dark natural hare's ear

Legs: duck flank feather rolled around hook, tied
in and then pulled to proper length

Thorax: loosely dubbed hare's ear

Note: check out Andy Burk's video for much better instructions and scruff the thorax up with a wire gun cleaning brush at the end-- this one is supposed to be messy.

Old stuffs.

2011-06-25T07:00:00.000-07:00

As you may have noticed there are a lot of videos and flies as of lately. And no fishing. And it's likely that I hate this fact more than you.

Truth is, my free time has been taken up with packing and moving to a new (and cheaper) apartment here in Portland while right in the middle of it I flew to Nevada for fathers day and a wedding... blah blah blah etc.

Anyways, during the aforementioned packing I went through a whole bunch of old crusty fishing gear that I long ago acquired from someone who inherited it from a relative. Like 3 full boxes of spinning/baitcasting gear that has sat in numerous garages over the ages.
Among the crust and dirt I found a neat little item that takes a guy back to the days when a 3 pack of leaders cost the same as a gallon of gas.

I was probably like 3 years old.

Friday Jams: Hawkboy

2011-06-24T07:00:00.000-07:00

One of my all time favorite bands has slowly become As Cities Burn. Hell or High Water is a mainstay... no, more like an obsessively listened to album for me. Unfortunately As Cities Burn disbanded in 2009 so when I hear that two of the fellas from the band had a project going I followed it closely. The results are amazing.

With that I give you hawkboy -- and note that their first EP can be downloaded for free here. And yeah I know it's not actually a video but bear with the lack of visual effects and you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Oh and this song was hilariously released as a single on May 21st, the day that Harold Camping predicted the world would end.

Made me laugh...

2011-06-23T12:34:00.000-07:00

Trout Love: The Dating Video from Owl Jones on Vimeo.

Tuesday Tie: The Workhorse

2011-06-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

More stoneflies. This one started with me thinking I should have some rubberlegs nymphs in my fly box. But every time I sit down to tie I start thinking, it's not much work to add some ribbing... or a few wing pads...

Inevitably I have zero rubberleg nymphs in my fly box.

Instead I've settled on this guy tied in golden, brown and black color variations and it's a workhorse since this fly can last all day getting chewed on by fish. The rocks at the bottom usually break it off wear the hook point down before anything breaks (except maybe a leg or two, but trout can't count... right?)

Shown here is a little darker colored one than I would prefer for golden stoneflies but it'll do in a pinch-- also I feel silly naming this fly since it so closely resembles all the other stoneflies that folks are tying... but it's stuck in my head as the workhorse, so be it.

The Workhorse

Hook: #6-10 TMC 200R

Bead: Gold colored brass bead to match

Thread: tan danville 6/0

Tail: nymph sized barred pumpkin sili legs

Rib: Medium brown vinyl D-rib (flat-side out)

Under-body: 0.020 - 0.030 lead wire

Dubbing: antique gold hareline dubbing

Wing Pads: golden stone thin skin cut to shape

Legs: nymph sized barred pumpkin sili legs
and a few india hen back fibers mixed in there (optional)

Note: I apply healthy doses of tying cement throughout the process

Friday Jams: Grizzly Bear

2011-06-17T08:00:00.000-07:00

Not only did these guys do nearly the entire Blue Valentine soundtrack but they also make a sweet shirt (thanks, Annie J):

Oh and their 2009 album Veckatimest is great-- see the video below for a tune from it (and a sweet video to boot):

Tuesday Tie: The Twenty Incher

2011-06-14T18:26:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been absolutely obsessed with stoneflies. I have a fly box which has gotten to the point that nearly 3/4 of it is pure stonefly nymphs: little yellow stones, golden stones, skwala stones, attractor stones, small black winter stones, and salmonflies.

And of course the classic beadhead twenty incher nymph. I'll be honest, I tied these with poor light, a beer, and with Jack Bauer yelling "we're running out of time!". So the epoxy isn't quite as neat as I like to see it and the ribbing isn't quite as neatly space as I had hoped. But I believe the fish will eat it nonetheless (or maybe even more so!).

Beadhead 20 Incher Nymph

Hook: #6-10 TMC 200R

Bead: Gold colored brass bead to match

Thread: black danville 6/0

Tail: two brown turkey biots

Hot Spot: UV rust ice dub

Rib: Gold oval tinsel or standard tinsel
Under-body: 0.020 - 0.030 lead wire

Body: peacock herl wrapped around thread

Thorax: Turkey feather fibers (last step = epoxy)

Legs: India hen back - pulled over

Friday Jams: John Heart Jackie

2011-06-10T08:00:00.000-07:00

Saw these guys at an Invisible Children event here in Portland not too long ago. They have a great sound and I'm glad to post something local. Enjoy:

John Heart Jackie from John Mogielnicki on Vimeo.

Link to their website.

Tuesday Tie: Ye Olde PT

2011-06-07T18:22:00.000-07:00

Most of us have had days fishing for trout that prove this pattern to be worth the space in your fly box. Tie them simply or with bells and whistles-- they all work. Lately this is how I've liked seeing them, spending extra time on aesthetics to boost my confidence when I fish it:

Pheasant Tail Nymph - Epoxy Back

Hook: #10-18 TMC 3769

Thread: wine/claret danville 6/0

Tail: Pheasant Tail fibers

Rib: Small gold ultrawire - counterwrapped

Body: Pheasant tail fibers

Thorax: AZ sysnthetic peacock dubbing

Back: pheasant tail, a strand or two of flash and epoxy
(UV cure with a coat of sally's hard as nails)

Legs: Leave a few fibers from the back fibers

Why so fast?

2011-06-07T07:30:00.000-07:00

A new one from the Jazz & Fly Fishing guys.

love it.

2 Fast 2 Furious - Upper Itchen 2011 from Jazz and Fly Fishing´s Jazzcam on Vimeo.

lessons in the swamp.

2011-06-06T17:23:00.000-07:00

Sunday carpin'. Sun. Day. Carpin'.

Wouldn't you know it but the above picture is indeed taken not far from Portland, Oregon. I had about 3 hours of the balmy stuff before it turned grey, but in that time I got maybe a dozen chances to cast towards a big cruising shadow, each time hoping my offerings wouldn't be snubbed like the last. And at least twice I dropped the flies right on their heads causing explosive splashes as flee mode was enganged.

Finally one swam at a san juan worm like an excited puppy and, lost in the glare, I made an educated guess on the hook set.

Textbook in the mouth.

And it turns out that early season fish are slugs compared to the torpedo that took line off my reel without pause-- and it was a small one.

The rest of the day I learned a valuable, albeit obvious, lesson: Not all carp want to eat. I botched the hook set on the two other fish that tried to eat my flies but the rest wouldn't even give them a glance. A tough day as confirmed here.

Theoretically it may have something to do with the flooded state of affairs which had me driving 2 mph with the doors open, sweating the proximity of the water to the line of my floor boards. In fact I don't think there was a lake here last June:

Small Creekin'.

2011-06-01T18:15:00.000-07:00

The day had finally arrived: May 28th. It was now legal to go fish for trout in the Portland area and while every self-respecting fly angler was tossing chubby chernobyls on the Deschutes I had the hankering to explore something closer.

I woke up feeling like my lungs were full of dry sand and I honestly felt a bit beat down. I needed to get outside and feel real air. And I wanted to do it on a small stream with stupid fish-- medicine to unwind with, not something to get wound up about.

With that in mind I met up with a friend and drove until we ended up on a promising looking little creek.

Little Creek. A relative term. The stream we ended up fishing was not small by my standards and had me out of my comfort zone wading in quick water just above big foamy rapids and deep emerald plunge pools. We also trudged through some mighty thick underbrush and over fallen trees and caught a few small fish.

Joel fixing a tangle

Small fish. Also relative. These fish were tiny.

I'll be honest -- I've been increasingly disappointed to find out how far a guy has to drive from this city to get into some decent trout fishing. But at the end of the day I was far from disappointed-- this place tricks you into loving it by way of sheer beauty that can overcome that frivolous desire for trophy fish.

And I'm still awed by all these big moss-coated trees that glow when the sun hits them just right. (When it hits at all). I guess I'd have to say it wasn't a bad way to spend the day. Not to mention we got to fire up a bank-side briar at the day's end. Sweet.

Tuesday Tie: Prince Aggravator

2011-05-31T13:01:00.000-07:00

This is a pretty simplified version of the real aggravator nymph by Andy Burk. It's a quick, easy tie that could replace the mega prince in a pinch.

Burk's Aggravator - Prince

Hook: #12-8 TMC 200R (or 3769)

Bead: Gold colored brass bead to match

Thread: black danville 6/0

Tail: Brown marabou

Rib: Gold tinsel

Body: peacock herl wrapped around thread

Biots: White goose biots

Legs: barred olive sili legs

Thorax/Collar: Peacock black ice dub

Jams: Jordie Lane

2011-05-29T20:49:00.000-07:00

You won't find this fella' on wikipedia... it's the bane of being Australian I guess. However his 2009 album Sleeping Patterns is chock full of good stuff and I'm looking forward to an album that's supposed to come out July 15th. Well give it a listen... and if you like it he was also in a band called Fireside Bellows which has some gems as well.

Carp Win

2011-05-26T08:58:00.000-07:00

Tuesday Tie: Experimental Trash

2011-05-24T17:27:00.000-07:00

So I'll be honest I'm starting to scrape the bottom of the bucket-- short of photographing flies I tied a long time ago that is. And I'm starting to get frustrated with the weather being nice all week and shit on the weekends... I hate you murphy.

So this week has a huge disclaimer: this fly is a highly unproven carp pattern. It has not won it's mettle yet, though it has landed one lone carp. But I thought it looked cool-- and that's all that matters right? Flies are for fisherman, and sometimes fish. Icing on the cake.

But that's the only part I want.

I'm also not posting the pattern-- just thought I'd see what everyone thinks.

One more gripe: Sick again-- for the billionth time this year. Hope everyone else isn't.

Friday Jams: Eisley

2011-05-22T08:43:00.000-07:00

Saw the carp of my life two days ago-- it ignored several flies.

Anyways, here's the friday jams-- once again not on a friday. Because instead of posting I was at their concert which was pretty bueno. They have some newer videos but I really like this one:

Tuesday Tie: Red Butt Peacock Softhackle

2011-05-17T18:28:00.000-07:00

It's weird tying carp and steelhead flies-- trout flies seem soo miniscule. These are tied on a short-shanked #12 which makes roughly for a #14 fly.

It's going to be painful when I run out of those #20 bwo nymphs...

Red Butt Peacock Soft Hackle

(bead thorax)

Hook: #10-16 TMC 3769

Bead: Gold brass bead

Thread: black danville 6/0

Tag: Red floss, wrapped

Rib: small gold ultrawire

Body: peacock herl wrapped around thread

Hackle: hungarian partridge

Friday Jams: Sam Amidon

2011-05-14T10:07:00.000-07:00

Of course it's not friday. I forgot. (I also don't care.)

This guy is worth an extra day at any rate...

Tuesday Tie: Tuesday Trainwreck

2011-05-10T18:14:00.000-07:00

This week's fly is in anticipation of the summer steelhead season. Shortly after I moved here I ordered a bunch of materials from the caddis fly shop (link) that were of the sort that made it obvious I was tying steelhead flies. When the package arrived they had thrown in a blue trainwreck, which I thought was pretty much awesome. Needless to say these were a learning experience and most of them have bulky crowded heads. I doubt the fish will care.

Jack Hagan's Trainwreck

(my approximation)

Hook: Alec Jackson spey hook

Thread: black danville 6/0

Tag: two strands of floss, combed out

Body: Black crystal flash w/ floss & orange KF rib

Dubbing: Black ice dub (front 1/3)

Hackle: webby black hen hackle & orange guinea

Wing: krystal flash (6-8 strands)

Taste the rainbow...

A Few More

2011-05-09T12:59:00.000-07:00

My new carp fly box

Here's a few images of my last carp outing. I had a tough time catching fish and to be honest I only had one fish to hand after a few hours of casting to the dust clouds that the carp were kicking up. Meanwhile someone else was catching a boat-loads of the things, confirming that I really haven't figured this particular species out (does anyone ever figure it out completely?)

The Sandy

2011-05-08T13:02:00.000-07:00

I recently watched both skagit master dvds (thanks TZ!) and, among other things, I was struck by how many times Mr. Howell advises the viewers to cast in a way that causes the fly to sink. I was nearly sick of it by the end. Nearly.

More than that, I was left thinking I could have fished a lot of that water with my single hander -- you see, I have yet to pony up the cash for a skagit head, running line, and the reel to put it on. But I did happen to have a 30ft T-11 tip which I promptly chopped into pieces ready for the river.

So this last weekend I hit the closest river which, rumor has it, has a few steelhead in it.

I still can't get over how big the rivers are up here... downright intimidating, truth be told. And I didn't even see it in flood season, the wake of which is impressive-- huge trees ripped out by the roots and thrown downstream were scattered everywhere. After much reading about this fish I settled in for the long haul-- I mentally prepared myself for hours of fishless casting practice. Lo and behold I got about ten casts into it and I hooked my first steelhead on a swung fly.

Of course, I botched the whole affair.

I raised the rod tip like the trout-fisher I am, then stopped myself briefly before the fish turned and ran with it. I leaned back on the stick at this point, but the deed was done-- I had already half-way pulled the hook out of it's mouth and the event was short lived.

Then I spent hours casting 'til my arm was sore from single-handing a 12ft piece of T-11. And then I came back the next day and did it again. I got hailed on, rained on, and then a little bit sunburned.

And it was awesome. Everything was lush and green and big and when the sun came out there was mist rising off of everything-- I could have been happy with just a camera.

See you again soon, Sandy.

Friday Jams: He Is Legend

2011-05-06T12:12:00.000-07:00

I miss He Is Legend.

I wish I had a whale T-shirt.

Tuesday Tie: mini 'dad

2011-05-03T08:31:00.000-07:00

I sat down to tie some impressionistic crawdads for carp... what came out was something better suited for fishing on the dead drift for trout with a couple o split shot to get them down.

RECIPE:

Hook: Tiemco 3769 (#6)

Thread: Tobacco Brown Danville 6/0

"Feelers": tuft of ginger marabou with
2 pumpkin sili legs

Shell back: Tan/Brown Rafia

Rib: small gold or silver ultra wire

Eyes: Black bead chain for ceiling fans (med)

Weight: 0.025 lead wir

Head Dubbing: a dirty mix of olive, tan & rust rabbit
Claws: Hungarian partridge feathers
(big & webby) & a tuft of rust marabou

Body Dubbing: same as head

Hackle: Brown hen hackle

Yesterday

2011-04-29T13:04:00.000-07:00

It was only an hour or two after work.
And it was carpin' in a swamp.
And It was cold and raining--
Not so ideal for carpin' in a swamp.

It was only one fish earned with the one good cast...
And it was a cast that ended being the exception, not the rule.

And it was sweet ambrosia.

Moral of the story:
fish is fish.
fishin' is fishin'.

And this last one is straight off the camera:

Friday Jams: Rocky Votolato

2011-04-29T09:09:00.000-07:00

I've been a fan of this guy for a surprisingly long time. He's pretty much an amazing musician and the lyrics to this one really got to me since one of Jay's recent posts has me feeling all reflective and sentimental and such. Anyways... Check it out:

Rocky Votolato - Sparklers from Stereopathic on Vimeo.

ROCKY VOTOLATO - SPARKLERS

Bottle rockets and smoke bombs lying dead on the sidewalk
Are black marks on the concrete now but they were beautiful last night
A picture of our life
Can we make this what it was
Everything is right, Everything is wrong
Sparklers only burn for so long
Tightrope walking balancing on a thin telephone line
The wind blows and you want to call it off, the cars below keep going by

And now you’re getting tired
Careful you’re gonna fall
Everything is right, Everything is wrong
Sparklers only burn for so long
I’m a pendulum that swings
Trapped in the disappearing
Of a setting sun, the moonlight at dawn
A book of matches burning in its own reflection
Everything is right, Everything is wrong

Letting go is the best way to hold on
So watch the light dance in the dark until it’s gone
Sparklers only burn for so long

Tuesday Tie: Hotshot/Starlight Leech

2011-04-26T18:46:00.000-07:00

Once again I'm here saying that work has trumped fishing. I did make it out once and caught two more carp in some very turbid water. There were a ridiculous number of fish spawning-- so many that while I was trying to find feeding fish there were 15 lb spawners that were bumping into my legs with startling force. I managed to actually catch two very small carp that were feeding... in fact it struck me as somewhat ridiculous considering I probably could have grabbed several large fish with just my hands. But the spectacle of carp chasing each other in wild abandon was a spectacle worth seeing. Of course I didn't bring the camera.

Anyways, here's the weekly tie which has nothing to do with carp (though with the right colors...). It's a fly that goes seems to go interchangeably by Hot Shot Leech or Starlight Leech and is one I hope works well enough to be a go-to fly for salmon and steelhead. Why? Because it's ridiculously easy to tie:

RECIPE:

Hook: Tiemco 811S (#4 pictured)

Eyes: Medium lead eyes

Weight: 0.030 lead wire (optional)

Thread: Danville 6/0 to match
Tail: rabbit zonker strip with a
half-dozen flashabou strands

Body: Sparkle Estaz
Hackle: webby saddle hackle to match

Head: Trilobal Antron or rabbit/ice dub blend

There are many color options...

Friday Jams: The Fleet Foxes

2011-04-22T08:05:00.000-07:00

Fleet Foxes, see you soon.

Tuesday Tie: The BHGRHE

2011-04-19T15:07:00.000-07:00

Bead Head Gold Ribbed Hare's Ear.

Stupid Acronyms.

Anyways... It may or may not be blamed on the book Barr Flies, but I've become pretty dissatisfied with the proportions of a lot of my flies. Barr's Tung Teasers just look so damn good.

The aesthetic appeal of many flies probably attracts more fisherman than they do actual fish. Unfortunately the knowledge of such marketing doesn't really cure you of it's infectious nature and my flies accordingly sport epoxy backs, blinding uv flash, and rubber legs in several thousand size, shape, and color variations. Even the old hare's ear standard has gone the way of synthetics and uv curing goo. Here she is, tied on a short shanked #14 nymph hook (sorry for the somewhat odd picture... I ran out of time to take a better one):

RECIPE:

Hook: Tiemco 3769 (#16-12)

Bead: brass to match hook

Weight: 0.020 lead wire (optional)

Thread: Tobacco Brown Danville 6/0
Tail: speckled hen fibers

Rib: small gold tinsel

Abdomen: Hare's ear Arizona Synthetic
Peacock dubbing
Thorax: Thin Skin colored with brown marker
with some flash underneath - Epoxy at end*

Thorax dub: Dark Hare's ear Arizona
Synthetic Peacock dub

Legs: speckled hen fibers

*Epoxy Note: I like the UV cure stuff for it's ease of use, but it stays sticky after curing. I hate this, so after curing with the UV light I wipe the residue off and put on a coat or two of Sally Hansen's hard as nails.

Carpin'. A First.

2011-04-18T17:27:00.000-07:00

Getting the all-clear to do some fishing -- according to Murphy and his laws -- simply means that water levels will be too high on anything relatively close to where you live.

Basically.

So I threw my gear in my car and hit a local swamp with low hopes of catching a bass or seeing some carp. I explored miles of great looking swamp-water that appeared completely lifeless and cold. I even checked out the long-rod bait scene-- everyone seemed empty handed and many people were leaving with nary a salmon or sturgeon.

Along the way I noticed a sign saying custom rod & fly-- I stopped and got a friendly tour of a makeshift rod building shop complete with piles of fly tying material for tying the dusty salmon and steelhead standards I noticed pinned to the walls.

Shortly after, I pulled into a parking lot that had a few other cars and took the obvious trail to a beach on the Columbia river. Shortly after arriving at the river I was passed by a gentlemanly fellow completely devoid of clothing. What the...? I read the sign on the way out: clothing optional. I laughed.

Then I thought about fishing naked.

Then I remembered how polished my casting skills are and discarded the idea.

...................................................................

Eventually I stopped on some water that had a few noticeable disturbances on it's surface. I geared up and went wading into a flooded forest of trees that opened up into wide planes of grasslands with ponds galore. There were also hundreds of carp sipping, swirling, and jumping like crazy-- in fact from a distance I thought they were bass due to the explosive rises.

Over the next couple of hours I managed to spook dozens of fish casting futilely at the rise forms. Eventually magic beginners luck struck and I had a fish hooked on the venerable san juan worm.

First carp on the fly. It felt good.

I fished for another hour or so enjoying some beautiful sunset scenery, and hooking one other fish which was probably twice as big as the first. I botched the ordeal, horsed the fish, and pulled the hook out of it's mouth. I didn't care. I can't wait for round two.

Quick Update: First Carp on the Fly

2011-04-18T01:00:00.000-07:00

Yep. Caught my first carp on the fly rod. It's wasn't a really spectacular fish... but the new experience was... I'll probably post a longer update sometime later this week.

Friday Jams: Discovery

2011-04-15T09:01:00.000-07:00

This is the day where the glazed eyes are at their peak with everyone dreaming of the weekend. What's going to get you through it? Make it go by faster or at least seem better?

Jams.

For some, that means fruit preserves soaked in pectin and packed in a jar.For me, it means Rostam Batmanglij's (Vampire Weekend, Ra-Ra Riot) Discovery LP:

Don't ignore this one.

McKenzie River ( Finally)

2011-04-14T10:34:00.000-07:00

The other day I actually made it down to Eugene to hit up the caddis fly shop. The shop is pretty sweet, they've got piles of tying product, run a great blog, and last time I ordered online they shipped my order the same day (we're talking a matter of a couple of hours). And they don't pay me to say that-- in fact I pay them, more often than not (or always... as the case may be).

Anyways, enough free advertising. I also managed to sneak in a couple of hours on the McKenzie while the wife was doing homework at a nearby coffee shop. Which is awesome. Because this river is awesome. While a lot of rivers in the area are barely fishable due to high flows, this one is a nice clear blue-green and has numerous access points along the road (of course compared to the Truckee... ok nevermind, I got spoiled there-- I get it now.)

It's also ~~balls~~ eyeball deep right off the bank so, in complete noob style, I spent most of my time fishing very non-ideal water simply because I simply had no access to the good stuff. I still caught a couple of redbands and shit-ton of ragged stocked rainbows.

a wading dilemma...

I'm hoping for bigger fare next time...

It' definitely more proof: I need a boat.

Bring on spring.

2011-04-13T13:15:00.000-07:00

I haven't forgotten my new years goals (yet) and while I probably ought to be getting skunked while fishing for steelhead I've had my sites set on resolutions #4 & 5; bass and carp.

Which brings me to the Columbia river...

I need a boat.

Fortunately I've got a good friend who has given me full access to some very sweet kayaks. We put in a full day of paddling last weekend and tested the waters for early season bass. They simply weren't there with water temps still in the mid forties. We did, however, find some great looking flats with access to deeper troughs which will undoubtedly hold carp once the weather cooperates.

I believe the attraction is, oddly enough, how ridiculous one feels waving a willowy little fly flinging stick in the middle of such big, intimidating water. And unlike most of the steelhead water in this state you will likely be alone. Solace-- it's a deal maker for me. I can't wait for spring.

I still want a boat.

'til next time.