Gear Review: Cabela's Three Forks Outfit

      Being a student on a budget i am somewhat "limited" when buying gear- especially rods,reels, and line.In January i planned to start my winter steelhead season but i didn't have a rod, and i had 80 bucks to work with.I was very doubtful i would find a rod that works even halfway decent for that price.Reluctantly i picked up the 9 ft 8 wt 4 pc cabelas three forks rod,with a prestige plus reel  and a prestige plus floating line. The setup was on sale, and i figured  "this sucks but it's what i have to work with" not being able to rely on the usual echo or redington which i am accustomed to fishing had me down a bit.The reel, to me was the best part of the setup at first sight.

    The rod actually looked halfway decent aesthetically, but the real test was a trip to the north oregon coast for some wild steelhead.Big heavy water absorbent nymphs ,giant thingamambobbers, and fast water nymphing. Very challenging technical fishing and can really ask a lot from both rod and angler. Overall i was very impressed with the rod, it was a little on the stiff side, but it was actually a good thing for the application, allowing for long hauls with heavy flies. It loaded well on roll casts and double halls far better than expected, though not "up to par" with similar rods by both echo and redington, it preforms well for the price.The reel is the high point of the setup being very well put together, durable, smooth, and okay looking as well. THe first trip with the setup i ended up hooking a strong wild fish, that unfortunately came off.

The line was not up to par at all, and was the most dissatisfying part of the outfit. It commonly sunk mid drift even in soft water, and caught dirt and grim quicker than most fly lines ive used, which is common of scientific anglers fly lines in my experience (cabela's line are made by scientific anglers) i would have to say, it impressed me for sure, but i would consider it a good backup setup or beginners setup at best. If you have the money get a better setup, go for it. if not, this setup  will save you until you can get one.I feel the smaller sizes of this outfit preform better for their respective purposes, like the 4 and 5wt models, which in my opinion would be great back up rods, or a second to bring with rigged up with a different fly.  In general they are a good value, but not too good to pass up.

Apologies & updates (IMPORTANT)

       Hey all, as you have noticed i have been on and off for the past several months, barely posting and what not. Through the whole time, i wasn't able to access the blogs email account, and sadly, not reply to any mail. I offer my sincere apologies to anyone who sent us mail over that course of time, emails are currently being sent though months behind. School has been rough and my time was more focused on it than anything in life.

    So please, feel free to email us with any questions and or comments with confidence from now on, as the problem is taken care of.  Pacific Northwest Fly Fishing is back full time, and with a bang. Fly tying videos, some more short films by the one and only Sam  Brost-Turner, and some much needed gear reviews. In addition for 2014 we hope to add links and reviews to local guides and outfitters to help find you the best of the best for your next fly fishing trip.

     A big thanks to those who have stuck around, as my time has freed up, spring is here, and fishing time has arrived. With a mild snow pack this winter many lakes east of the cascades are beginning to ice off or the snow has melted on access roads. It sure gives me a case of the jitters as the central Oregon fishing season is about under way.

A few short float tube trips to the favorite mountain lake have held us over until c-o turns on for the spring,

Here are some pictures, and once again, thanks for hanging in there folks, it was a long vacation!!!

Brandon Hill

Spring break rules

After a pretty slow winter steelhead  season for sam and myself we decided to hang up the 8wts and go after trout to start our spring break. Luckily there are few waters open this time of year, though it requires a drive. We fished two days with slower than normal action but did manage some nice fish and of course the non fishing campire activities were just as fun. But when you do have a slow few days on the water and you can see the trout, and know they are feeding, you are left to wonder what you did wrong. Though fishing was slow were had a great time and ill take it over sitting at home any day. There really is nothing better than hooking some beautiful wild trout with a good friend.

Wild rainbow trout

This trip reminds me we are close to the snow and ice melting off lakes up in the cascades and good fishing is in the near future.With a low snow pack things are sure to be difficult this year, but there will be no lack of fish and bent rods. With that in the future, all i can do is tie some flies and play the waiting game

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

A brick wall,but only temporarily

For the most part things have been great, weather has improved,school is out, i have a job, but there are a few things that seem to be blocking me. First the bad news i got yesterday was my camera broke (motor that works the lens sounds destroyed) and i wont be starting work for another 2 weeks or so which is too darn long! so i have to wait almost a month to replace it. My fishing buddy has a week left of school so i haven't been doing too much on the water, so all of these things have mixed together and created a temporary 2 week long brick wall in front of me. Still, i have a job so i can replace my camera luckily, and  i can finally afford my own fishing gear rather than having to borrow money from my parents or rely on others. I can be the guy that buys gas,the guys that offers to pay for the campsite and breakfast or dinner, i can spare flies and gear to others that struggle;i won't be the broke ass anymore! and it feels so good to say it.So even though i am at a stand still at the moment, things are looking up and this summer is going to be great.

Here are some recent pics from the past few weeks,the pond near my house has been keeping me busy when i have been able to fish. The bass are getting active and chasing stuff around,post spawn is over and they are spread out in the shade eating bluegill.

What happened to spring?

This past winter and what now should be spring has seemed to be absent this year.It was a let down to have such a lack of rain during the winter steelhad season, which i depended on for good fishing.The transition from winter to spring was seamless, and up to now we have had virtually no rain, and a handful for 70-80 degree days, it really feels like mid june! school is out in a few weeks and it will be all fishing (and hopefully work) until september

   Bass and bluegill have spawned,salmon flies are hatching on the deschutes, and my favorite small stream is 100cfs lower than it was at this time last year,with the fish that inhabit it already taking dry flies.It seems everything is a few weeks ahead of what it would normally be, but is it a good thing? to me, it is nothing more than a pain, since everything is "off schedule" now it makes it harder to fish a body of water at peak timing if it is an off year like we are experiencing right now. I guess i could also take it as a challenge though, nothing better than really grinding it out when the fishing may be difficult, those are the times when you learn more about a certain fishery rather than the days where you can't keep the fish off the hook.

   Despite very unusual conditions so far this year the fishing has been steady and it looks like we have a good but very hot summer ahead of us. Last month my favorite little gem opened for trout, me and Sam put the hammer on some wild cutties which were eating almost every fly we threw at them ,and the bass at the local pond were on the spawn recently providing me with plenty of action the past few weeks,while i wait for school to get out so i can start dragging my float tube to some stillwaters, my stillwater box is getting fuller every week and ready to head over the hills!

Sam's first trout of 2013

One of plenty from opening day-taken on a possie bugger

the water is in amazing shape for how early in the season it is

4lb largemouth  bass sight fished

Spring is here/ update

    Things have really slowed down around here, i haven't been on the water in a while, though i am dying inside to get on the water i am surprisingly surviving.There have been a few rough patches with my health and family relations lately but i should have seen it coming, i had a 2 year or so stretch where i was anxiety free and i felt great; and nobody goes through life without a rough patch here and there, it is one of those "bothers you in the moment" type things that you seem to forget about when having a good time, which i have accomplished by staying concentrated in school and tying chironomid pupa for stillwater applications,which i plan to use alot this year.

experimental double rib chironomid pupa

      After having my float tube stabbed with a knife i had to order a patch that finally showed up, and it is less than 3 weeks until the opening of my favorite small trout stream so i have some positive things going on and to look forward to.I also got some new stillwater gear from a very generous friend, hopefully this time i can manage to keep this one for at least a year without it being stolen.

Cabela's Traditional 3 fly rod

I have a doctors appointment to straighten my health issues out and hopefully i can be at 100% in time for summer! i can fish as is but things will be much easier without the presence of anxiety.Things are looking up and ill hopefully be out to put a bend in the new 5wt and test my new clear camo intermediate fly line.With this bi polar oregon weather it makes things tough,especially when the lake fishery of choice is now out of shape because the random rain storm made the creek it is on wash out.This year is shaping up to be a great one and as always i look forward to learning more about the fish and how i can get better at catching them.Sunny days chasing trophies in the cascades are getting closer and closer

Fly Fishing a Central Oregon lake for trophy rainbow trout