One of the most exciting times in fly fishing is nearly upon us on the beautiful rivers of Southern Oregon and Northern California. Near the end of May and certainly in the first

few weeks of June huge Salmonfly (Pteronarcys californica) and Golden Stone Fly (Hesperoperla pacifica) will make their way across the river bottoms and up stream-side vegetation to molt, mate, fly and lay their eggs on the water’s surface.

All stages of this hatch are of interest to trout and trout anglers alike, but for die-hard steelheaders there is an additional angling opportunity to practice our spey casts while skating big dries to half pounders and spring steelhead on the Klamath River.

If you have been fortunate enough to observe a salmonfly or golden stone hatch (they both typically happen at the same time) the observant angler notices these bugs have distinct preferences for when they fly or when they stay glued to the bank. Further observations illustrate that while one evening there may be thousands and thousands of the these clumsy fliers in the air, it’s when they fly low, quivering their wings just over the surface and touching their egg laden abdomens to the water that we often have our most memorable fishing sessions.

This action can be imitated in a number of ways with both single and double handed rods and is a combination of trying to mimic these natural movements while at the same time breaking one of our most important dry-fly rules: The drag free drift. For single hand anglers try raising your rod tip high, allowing a little downstream belly to form in your line and quiver your rod tip. For spey anglers, the tantalizing action of a salmonfly dancing across the water surface makes a subtle “v” wake which fortunately, is the same presentation made when skating a dry fly, down and across. I’ll also angle my cast slightly upstream and get a few feet of dead drift before allowing my fly to come under tension and begin it’s skittering swing.

On the few rivers where strong salmonfly hatches and spring steelhead coincide, skittered and skated salmonfly drys can be very effective and fun at bringing fish to the surface. The Klamath River in Northern California is one such venue with the added bonus of eager half-pounders and trout ensuring action throughout the day.

Best fishing is during the last week of May and first few weeks of June before the weather and water get too warm for ethical fishing. In the mean time, fishing is good and the weather is pleasant! Please drop us a line to learn more or book a day of dry fly steelheading.