Bad Timing

Chad and I headed down to the Rogue with high hopes of Salmon, Steelhead, and many half pounders. The reports we got were promising and anticipation was at an all time high. Last year all 3 species were caught including 2 jack salmon on my 6 wt.

Well....................sometimes things just don't work out. We saw the rain coming, but we were blinded by the fish. I convinced Chad it wouldn't be a big deal even though I had no real evidence to attach it to. We arrived on Friday night and the fishing was reported to be "great" that day. As we jetted upriver, the salmon were rolling, the river was fine, and all was well. The rain that pelted our winshield on the way down had subsided. We woke up in the morning with excitement only to have that dashed within hours.

The rains came down, the river came up, the fish were gone. I think Chad tallied 5 half pounders and I landed 3. No salmon, no steelhead, no jacks, no dry clothing. Oh well, there is always next year. And the Deschutes soon..........

Pretty much a typical scene. Rain and more rain.

The highlights of the trip were Chad letting me drive the jet and the mini spey clave we had. Here's Chad throwing a Vector line on his 7141 Burkie.

Hood River Weekend

I spent the weekend in HR to celebrate my 4th Anniversary. My wife was kind enough to float along while we got rained on and I got skunked on. No worries, we had a great time and got off the river in time to avoid the blowout and major T-storm.

I thought a grab was comin'

This is right before I got low-holed by a bobber n' jig dude.

The storm was brewing

A little wine tasting

Gotta stop at Bonne to get a glimpse of some fish

Fly brands = Car brands

After my parked car was hit in my office parking lot, I've had the pleasure of driving a sweet rental car. The car, a Kia Spectra, is an absolute piece of crap to drive and/or look at. Car companies also have equivalents in the fly fishing industry. Here's my list:

Sage=BMW: Most people recognize the quality and engineering. A luxury brand with a recognized namesake. Overall, great products, but too generic for the super high end buyer.

Orvis=Mercedes Benz: High end price tag with a reputation to disappoint. Folks driving Benzo's and wearing Orvis gear paid a lot for their brand, but don't realize most others are laughing at them. An easternly following.

CF Burkheimer=Ferrari: Maintains an exclusive following with a high end price tag. This ride is for the folks that have BMW's already, but need some more horsepower. Fit, finish, and performance, these two brands get it done.

Echo=Toyota: A large loyal fanbase supports these imports. Both brands have proven reliability and performace at a working man's price. Let's just hope the DECHO's don't start driving themselves.

GLoomis=Ford: American brands with a diverse lineup. Loomis has both a gear and fly following. Ford has the Taurus, the Exploder, and the F150. A brand you can go cheap or expensive with.

Beulah=Subaru: Mid range price point known for versatility and quality. Both brands have buyers that own these in multiples.

There's more I can add later as they come to me. I couldn't find a car brand to match up with Winston or Scott yet.




My sweet rental car looks like this one but uglier.

Back to the Canyon

Starting it off

Nate

Simon got his pocket picked!

This guy came after us!

Pink and Purp strikes again

Last morning

Simon and I had picked the hottest weekend of the summer to be on the Deschutes. We launched on Saturday and took out Tuesday. Mid day temps ranged from mid 90's to 105. We fished our way down the first night and I was able to pick up a couple along the way to get our confidence going. The second fish toyed with my pink butt purple midway through the swing. I immediately took 2 steps back and switch flies to a drab green butted fly that Potter has knicknamed "the greyhound". On the 2nd cast, back in the original spot, the fly was railed on and I was quickly put into my backing. After a nice tussel, the little 5lb native hen came to hand. Just awesome!

The comeback fly seemed to be the theme for me. I was able to get 4 fish to come back to a smaller and more drab patter after tickling the original. In my mind, getting a fish to come back is one of the sweetest experiences in steelheading.

On the 2nd day, Simon and I were hoping to get a certain camp. We came around the corner and sure enough, there was a DB set up there. I pulled over quickly to go run down and ask if they were staying the night. I woke up the poor fella from his siesta to inquire about his plans. He was indeed staying the night but invited us to camp with him. So, we got to meet and hang out with Larry! Larry had been on the river for about 5 days and was enjoying the retired life. I think he welcomed the company and we had a good time in camp even if we got aced out of our water by 4 spinner dudes.

Overall, another great trip. Highlights included:

- Larry

- Having a fish throw a visible wake to come get my fly

- Making use of the outhouses instead of buckets

- Surviving the rapids

- More natives caught than hatchery pukes

- Watching Simon pound 3 brats and a cheeseburger in 1 meal

- Backing flying through the guides

- Shade during the day

- Rattlesnakes swimming

- Double digit hookups

The Mid Summer Valley Steel Lull

It's upon us. This is the time of year where I head to other rivers with fish more willing to come to the fly. The McKenzie and Willamette just don't seem to produce real well in late July and August. I found one last week, but fished Saturday morning with not even a tug.

If all lines up at work, I'll be on some different rivers very soon.

A few shots from the Canyon II

We caught a few dimes

Washout

Colorado from inside the boat. This is the standing wave up close.

A few shots from the Canyon

Transportation

The quiver

A nice "spring"

AM