Friday, January 31, 2014

Far Too Long

       It has been far too long of an absence for me, this blog is something that i considered a top priority while not on the water or at school,but not having a computer for months hasn't helped much , thank goodness tax time is here and i see a replacement laptop in the near future. Being a full time student and searching for jobs i haven't had much time to even think about making a long,picture loaded post yet here i am typing away.Anyways, enough with the talk of a boring young adult's personal life..on to the fishing! After all, that is what this blog is about, isn't it?

    this past summer and fall i got out of my normal routine. I got a job at a far, so fishing wasn't an option as usual, but after the farming season was over fall came and brought a heavy dose of fall salmon, along with a lot of schoolwork. Lots of salmon came to hand including some chum salmon on the fly, which happen to be quite the aggressive drag burning fish. pretty much toss any bright,heavy fly under an indicator and you will see what i mean.
Oregon Coast Chum Salmon Caught Indicator Fishing

     After salmon season wrapped up Rose and i headed to the metolius river, a first for me and a real test for any fly angler, let alone a 19 year old kid who has only been flinging a bug wand for  3 1/2 years. We fished all day long in the gin clear water, and just when we were about to give up i managed to hook up with a very healthy rainbow, and one whitefish in need of a serious diet. It was quite satisfying knowing i was able to trick some fish from one of the toughest rivers the west has to offer!

A late evening Metolius rainbow that fell for a golden stone nymph
A chunky metolius whitefish that ate a pheasant tail swung in a tailout


Through november i spent a lot of time chasing wild cutties at my favorite lake, and as usual i was rewarded with several days of a dozen or more large wild coastal cutthroat that pushed my 4wt rod to the limit. FIsh were caught on many flies and techniques, including  fishing leeches under an indicator(bobber) stripping soft hackles, dry flies, and more. The fish were all so aggressive sometimes your 6lb fluoro leader would snap like nothing just from a fish grabbing your fly.

A Fine Specimen Caught on a full intermediate line and a soft hackle pattern
Winter steelhead season was started late for sam and i this year, but  i have hooked and lost 2 fish on both trips so far this season. Fishing has been tough, but hopefully with this rain the fishing will improve.
A North Oregon Coast steelhead stream. photo credit : Sam Brost-Turner