Muddy Waters

I’ve always wondered how resilient streams are to erosion caused by industrial logging operations. Consider the capacity of mature old growth forest ecosystem to hold in precipitation and release it slowly. Contrast that with a mono culture of 30 year old trees next to large sections of barren earth. Water, sediment and junk just flashes into our favorite rivers after clear cuts. The barrier left along fish bearing streams is a joke. Is 3 trees and some slash really enough to prevent severe sedimentation?

Just look next time you see logging on your favorite stream or river, it’s obvious it’s to little protection.

Just saying.

We all need lumber, but common, we’re this desperate?

Klamath steelhead

Tuck with a nice one!

Winter Steelhead are coming …

As the days get shorter and the air gets cooler, you can feel an underlying eagerness lingering through our house. Brandon keeps subtly mentioning that he’s going to need a bigger net, and all his fly strategies, colors he wants to use. I open the laptop and the USGS waterdata site is automatically up. I wouldn’t even doubt that he’s started to do rain dances in the backyard. Someone is getting stoked for winter steelhead season! …If you’ve ever caught yourself an elusive, Southern Oregon winter unicorn, you understand.

Our winter program runs January - April. Drop us a line to find your unicorn!

Brandon Worthington presents @ Diablo Valley Fly Fisherman

Brandon Worthington presents “Fishing the seasons in the Mythical State of Jefferson" at Diablo Valley Fly Casters

Diablo Valley Fly Fisherman, Tuesday November 19th

The Gardens at Heather Farm, Camelia Room
1540 Marchbanks Drive, Walnut Creek

Join Brandon Worthington of Worthington Fly Fishing for a multimedia presentation to explore and learn about their seasonal approach to the best fly fishing opportunities in Far Northern California and Southern Oregon. He’ll emphasize strategies, tactics and timing for Summer and Winter Steelhead as well as endemic Redband Rainbows on the Rogue, Klamath, Umpqua and beyond.

Dining out in Ashland, Oregon

Dining out in Ashland is a must when you come to town. Just a short stroll from any of the downtown hotels you can find a plethora of delightful options.

• Pie + Vine

  House-made pasta, wood-fired pizzas, balanced wines, excellent service and outdoor seating. Need I say more? Absolutely, its just that good! Brandon gets the boar bolognese every time and theres never been leftovers.

• Standing Stone Brewery

  Standing Stone not only has an elaborate choice of house brews and local wines but their delectable menu is sourced from local ingredients most coming from their own farm only 1 mile away from the brewery/restaurant in downtown Ashland.

• Ostras!

  A touch of Spain in Ashland. This place has incredible tapas with excellent house drinks. Anything with their romesco sauce will leave you wanting to lick the plate clean.

• Taquiera Picaro

  Mexican done right with an Ashland touch and an excellent margarita! Quick, delicious and even nutritious if you can resist their exquisite carnitas!

• Louie’s

  Enjoy a meal and a beverage on Ashland Creek or order free delivery to your hotel room. Louie’s is great! We highly recommend their new bowls, nice and nutritious, makes for a marvelous meal.

Simple Steelhead Muddler

I think the more fishing we do, the more we learn the specifics matter less, and the general idea often gets the job done. That’s the deal with the classic Muddler minnow, especially for steelhead. It’s simple, impressionistic, and can be fished and tied in a variety of ways to best suit your local waters. Here’s how to tie a varient I use on my local Steelhead waters, fished up top or with a tip on the swing.

Have fun!

Brandon

Step 1: Gather materials

-Dark Deer Hair, Diamond Braid, thread wax, maribou (any color, this one uses burnt orange) Steelhead hook. Note: If you plan to fish this on the surface, consider a lighter guage hook. Use heavy thread for this tie, I like Veevus 140.

Step 2: Snip a small clump of hair for the tail and tie in at the point of the hook below, allow it to extend past the bend of the hook a bit. Tie in several inches of Diamond braid. You will palmer this towards the eye to make the body next…

Step 3: Palmer the diamond braid up the body to the return of the eye and tie off.

Step 4: Tie in a small clump of Maribou even with the tail, then tie in a small clump of deer hair over the top of the bou’ for an over wing. Less is more here …

Step 5: Leave enough room here for a generous amount of spun deer hair for the collar and head.

Grab a liberal hank of deer hair…

Step 6: Spin the deer hair. Wrap lightly around the shank and hair once, softly, then continue a second wrap, slightly more pressure. Third wrap, harder still allowing the hair to spin around the shank of the hook and the thread to tighten up. Continue tension for a 4th wrap through the hair until the thread is clear of the hair.

Step 7: Trim hair. This is where you decide how you want the head to look. Leave a lot of hair and this thing will push a ton of water, but a tighter trimmed head casts easier. Either way, trim up the butts with your scissors and admire the result. Then, tie one on and let er’ rip!

Happy tying,

Brandon

New Danner/Patagonia wading boot

I’ve gone thru two pairs of Patagonia foot tractor in one full year on the water guiding fly fishing. Each boot lasted about 200 days…

I’m on month 1 with this latest incarnation boot, and it impressive so far. Let’s see where the ROI is…the point is these things should last .

12 hr dry time showed here is impressive…

Sink Tip Care

It’s a sink tip mess. And it’s probably one you’ll have too occasionally.

We’re gearing up for Fall Steelheading in Southern Oregon, and it’s crucial to sort out your tips prior to hunting chrome. It’d be a shame to loose a prized fish due to a tip failure, and though it’s rare, it happens. If you’re that guy that dredges and has had a few root wad encounters, this especially applies to you…

Check your tips by:

• Inspecting both loops for cracks/core exposure/cuts/chips. Once the braid shows, its especially vulnerable.

• Run your fingers down from tip to tip and check for damage throughout.

• Hold one end in one hand. With your other hand, pull the length of the tip through your fingers, applying about 5 lbs of pressure. Feel for stretchy, compromised, weird or soft spots.

IF you have a compromised tip, it often breaks in this final test.

I’m probably in the minority of Steelheaders who needs to inspect their gear so regularly but it also applies to lines/tips stashed in the garage which may have moved well past their prime. Synthetic materials do have an expiration date.

Knowing your gear will give you more confidence and more trust in the process of swinging flies for steelhead and as every steelheader worth his green water would say, confidence is key to success.

Tight Lines!

Take your grandkids fishing

Southern Oregon Steelheading is heating up and this week Spencer experienced what it’s all about on his first fishing trip to the Rogue River with his Grandpa Gordon. Fly Fishing creates memories that last a life time, and Spencer’s first Steelhead is one he’ll never forget!

Summer Steelhead on the Rogue River run July-December with famous Fly-Only Regulations September 1st-October 31st.

The Upper Rogue River offers a wide variety of enticing Steelhead water that lends it’s-self to a variety of fishing tactics and the steelhead here can be taken with both dead drifted and swung fly approaches. We love swinging for these fish with two handed rods while wading, though drift fishing from a driftboat is also extremely effective.

Drop us a line to experience one of the West’s best steelhead fly fishing destinations!

A River Trip Away

I find excitement in exploring what’s around the next bend; be it following the hatch on my local streams up river, the upcoming Steelhead season (spoiler alert: Steelhead are already here!) or floating a new Wild and Scenic River to celebrate one year of marriage with my amazing wife, Bridget.

In 1968, the Wild and Scenic Rivers act was passed into law in the same time period as other hallmark environmental works like the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act. These laws help preserve the wild places we enjoy, and so many other ecosystem goods and services we often take for granted. Oregon alone has a plethora of protected waters worth experiencing, and while I am fortunate to guide several designated Wild and Scenic Rivers locally, there is something so exciting about floating a new one together.

The week before our trip, it became clear we were racing the unrelenting clock of diminishing river flows as the tail end of a healthy snowpack year descended off the high Wallowa Mountains, lowering river levels inches per day. Our scheduled launch date was just in the nick of time. Pushing off, the river was barley floatable. But once we were around the first bend and looking forward to four days and three nights ahead in a remote river canyon, our concerns of low water were swept away as our horizons filled with enchanting views and dancing water…

Fishing was of course part of the menu for this trip, but only an appetizer to the main course of solitude, scenery, quality camping, boating and wildlife viewing.

The river lent itself to classic freestone fishing approaches and after a few tinkerings of tactics and a few rods rigged, I settled for a dry dropper rig, finding the fish and water required little more than a good drift and being mindful of my shadows. Mornings were best and the river holds beautiful, wild Rainbow Trout, a few Bull Trout and abundant, large Whitefish. In fact, the Whitefish were the largest I have ever encountered, often pushing 18-20 inches.

Aiming to cover 40 some odd miles in 4 days, and at such a low flow meant covering long distances in technical, boulder strewn waters. The boating was demanding, but the miles melted away, and time, as it does in timeless places like the Wallowa-Grand Ronde, was replaced with the suns position in the sky, growing shadows on the water, and evening needs to find suitable camps, of which there were many.

Our first wildlife encounter was stunning, a Golden Eagle swooping to the right bank, talons extended, it’s prey squealing for life. The eagle soon flew off to a near cliff, perhaps disturbed by our presence, then to our astonishment, the large weasel that had just been screaming bloody murder picked itself up and slinked into the bushes, gravely wounded or hardly hurt, we couldn’t tell…

Later, bright white shapes along the right side of the river piqued our interest, until the Mountain Goats came into focus and our jaws dropped. We floated right upon a family group of 7, working their way downriver at a clip much faster than I would have imagined. Their powerful hind quarters and sure footed hooves propelled them over the uneven rocks, muscles rippling. Disinterested in our presence, they ate, drank, played and cooled off in the sand while we floated by.

Not long after, but on the opposite bank, a group of Big Horn sheep escaped the afternoon heat on the rivers edge and allowed us another great opportunity to observe more of the canyon’s permanent residents. Like the goats before, they seemed disinterested in us, as if they knew we were transient and would soon be on our way to leave them to go about their lives as they did yesterday and will continue tomorrow.

Four days and three nights, even in a place like this, still goes by too fast. I feel you could spend a life time in places like this and still only partially grasp its entirety. We had a great trip, and I’ll mark this as one of my favorites. It’s one Bridget and I plan to repeat, perhaps a little earlier in the season with more water in the river to aid our progress, and perhaps a few days extra to forget time, enjoy more fishing and enjoy a river trip away.

Fly Fishing Southern Oregon Winter Steelhead

From December - April the rivers and streams of Southern Oregon see noteworthy runs of Winter Steelhead. The wide variety of river types across the region allow anglers the ability to stay in good fishing conditions in all but the worst winter storms.

Most Southern Oregon Steelhead gradually make their way upstream over the season, but all rivers in our area feature a few fast running fish that make it into their spawning areas in a flash. It’s never a bad idea to target these fish early and high in the system as these can often be the largest, meanest and most memorable of the season.

When’s the best time to go?

Any time you can!

By February, nearly all of the Southern Oregon streams we guide have fishable numbers of Steelhead, and we simply target these fish based on which of our 7 area steelhead rivers provide the best conditions for the trip. We run our trips out of Ashland, OR and the greater Rogue River Valley, allowing easy day trips to all but the Coast and North Umpqua River.

Later in the season, including March and April the upper reaches of our rivers are typically fishing the best and have high concentrations of steelhead. We love fishing the spring months as water temperatures are often a bit warmer, the days are longer and the stream side vegetation is bursting to life. The Upper Rogue is a great, spring, steelhead river.

Winter Steelhead fly fishing in its truest form is actually quite simple. Most of the challenge to catching these fish on a regular basis can be boiled down to two main factors: Conditions, and location. I have found steelhead will eat a bottle cap in the right mood, and when fishing is tough, but conditions are good, I’d bet you that X-Ray river goggles would show that all the great water you were fishing didn’t have any fish in it after all. This is where the river knowledge of a local guide can come into play and help you find the fish of a thousand casts with more predictability.

What conditions to look for?

In general we look for a dropping or somewhat stable river in winter and spring. As each system in our region reacts differently to storms, rain, snow, melt and erosion, we rely on the experience hundreds of days a year on the water to help us stay on the fish and give our guests the highest chance of success.

Both swing fishing with spey rods and indicator fishing are effective ways to take Winter Steelhead. Higher water and heavy currents are the norm, as well as cold water that slows fish metabolism. Deep water nymphing is by far the most productive method, but there is no higher challenge than swinging up steelhead in the winter. Patience and persistence can benefit you greatly.

How to catch them?

To catch winter steelhead, a good place to start is with a 7 or 8 wt rod for both swing fishing and indicator fishing. Remember, spey and single hand setups are different!

For swinging winter steelhead, try a short Skagit style shooting head, a 10ft sink tip of T-11 or 14 and a large fly that will stand out against the often faster and colored water of winter. Look for water with a walking pace. Think low, and think slow. Swinging up these fish is a matter of patience, determination and efficiency.

To be in the zone nymphing, adjust the depth of your (heavy!) fly to be 1.5 times the depth of the water you intend to fish and focus on a long dead drift. Remember when nymphing deep it takes a few seconds longer for your flies to hit the fish zone. Cast further upstream in the lane with a longer cast to compensate and then get good at stack mending to continue the drift down stream.

Worthington Fly Fishing has learned the intricacies of successfully catching Southern Oregon Steelhead on the fly and we love connecting our guests with the Northwest’s most fabled fish. If you’re looking to learn more about Winter Steelheading in Southern Oregon and having a great day on the water consider booking a trip with once of our local guides to unlock the mystery of these these amazing fish.

Tight lines!

A Few Favorites from 2018

What a year!

We had memorable fish, the best company and great river conditions as a daily theme. As we turn the page on 2018 and into 2019 we’re looking back on some of our favorite shots and moments from another year on the river.

It was and will continue to be simply amazing out there. Thank you and cheers to 2019!

Patagonia Foot Tractor Boot Review

Guides complete boot review (Generation 1)

What makes a good wading boot?

It’s really easy to overlook the importance of the wading boot to your fishing program, even though we (I) expect them to perform for me day in and day out, on the water and off, and without a second thought. Your wading boot is there for you, every time you go fishing. Every trail, river, fly change, grip n grin, those boots were on your feet, humbly plodding along, indispensable, foundational to the experience. So yes, your wading boots matter!

Over the years I’ve had and owned and fished in a number of different brands wading boots, (Simms, Korkers, Chota, Orivis, Patagonia) including multiple traction options; rubber, felt, rubber with studs, felt with studs and felt with lots and lots of studs. I could go into detail on all the options out there, but this review isn’t a shootout, more the story of what hundreds of days of serious use will do to a wading boot that never gets to dry out and is repeatedly pushed to it’s wear out point.

Original Foot Tractor goes to AK

I bought my first pair of Patagonia River Tractor boots before heading up to Alaska. At the time I had been guiding in the Simms Guide Boot with felt and studs. In Alaska, felt is not allowed, so I needed a rubber alternative. Alas, Simms was out of my size in rubber when I went to order, triggering me down the Patagonia path which I am still on. It’s been 3 years of foot tractor use, and now I’m three pairs deep.

In the low gradient cobble of AK’s grayling streams I was immovable and felt super solid in the generation 1 boot. Snow didn’t stick to the rubber/aluminum bottom when hiking frozen trails and the aluminum bars bit into the rocks extremely well. They were a little heavier then I was used to, but oh so sticky to the river and trail. The boot was roomy, a little padded, and laced up easily and comfortably.

AK conclusion? Perfect boot.

Foot Tractor Boot in Oregon & California

Southern Oregon and Northern California, a super diverse landscape with equally diverse rivers was ultimately a much more appropriate test of overall durability and performance. Here we wade on all sorts of bedrock, cobble, lava, marbly shit, serpentine, trails to the river, you name it. Most of its hard, a lot of it has deep consequences of loosing traction can be bad.

 The gold standard on my home waters is usually a felt boot with about three rounds of Simms studs. Once the first 10 studs wear out, I’d stick another round in. Continue that process with studs every few months and you maintain great traction, but a puck of studs is like $30 bucks? Factor that into your purchase price.

Aluminum Bars

The metal bars are screwed into the Patagonia boot sole, which is a serious plus in my opinion, In my experience, the metal bars lasted about as long as the boot itself, so no extra studs, extra cost, or loss of traction down the line. Good idea!

The saw tooth edge of the bar does indeed find a few more nooks and crannies for purchase then a set of studs, and the soft aluminum bites on just about every surface. I say just about every surface because there are a few river bottoms that have just the right level of slime and slick rock that even these edges fail to purchase on. No boot is perfect. Also, get used to leaving some shiny aluminum on the rocks, especially if they are new. The way the aluminum works is it’s softer then the rocks, and kinda molds to the surface you are wading on.

Foot Tractor Durability

I barely noticed any wear or decrease in gripping performance for the first 60 or so river days. Most were a mix of Upper Sac and Klamath walk and wades, but also quite a few on smooth cobble rivers of AK. At about 100 days or so I had my first lace fray and the beginnings of the deterioration of the boot. After replacing the laces, they performed exceptionally well for another month of daily use before I began to notice the bars were quite flat, the seams were getting weak and I felt a little less then rock solid in the water.

Next the rand of the boot begin to split and separate after what looks like the stitching had enough abrasion to finally loosen its grip on the upper.

Conclusion

Ultimately, I wore these boots for near 100 river days of hard use, with few exceptions in use intensity. They also rarely got a chance to dry out. In all, the soft aluminum bars gripped most surfaces very well and provided more than enough purchase to feel secure.  The fit is roomy and the laces provide a great custom fit. They’re comfortable for all day use and the design and durability are good enough for most people. Personally, I was a little disappointed in longevity, and I feel a boot like this should have held up about 20% longer than it did. I have decided to give another pair a shot because I’m pretty satisfied with them overall. I’m hopeful this new pair lasts and I’ll make an edit sometime next year with the verdict.

Boot 2 Conclusion!

I replaced my first pair in winter and ran a full winter, spring and early summer of guiding. I enjoyed all of the features listed above, but near the end of their life, had literally the exact same failures as the first pair, at around the same time. A good boot, but I’m looking at what’s new on the horizon

Danner/Patagonia Foot Tractor Review

BIG NEWS! Patagonia teamed up with Danner to to make the last boot I’ll ever need! It’s $500 bones but if I can get a couple hundred day so use, cost per use will be the same of less, so there’s the value! And, if they last twice as long, that’s one less thing I need to buy to clutter up the world. Sounds like a win win!

Click here for an update on the new Foot Tractor Danner Boot!

 Happy Wading!

 Brandon Worthington

Holiday Gift Guide for the Fly Fisher

Are you looking for a gift for a fly fishing friend or loved one?  We've got you covered with this Holiday Gift Guide for the Fly Fisher! Abel Nippers and Lanyard; anytime Brandon is on the water, this combo is around his neck.  These nippers and lanyard have lasted many a season and have many more left in them!  Ours came from The Ashland Fly Shop, thanks guys!  
Reeds Rod Wraps; these rod wraps help keep the rod organized for temporary storage (i.e. in the car) and are a great stocking stuffer for your favorite spey or single hand caster!  
Patagonia Sunshade Hoody; this shirt is the BEST for sun protection in the summer and doubles as the perfect baselayer in the fall and winter.  Available in both men's and women's, we couldn't recommend this shirt enough.  
Dr Slick Mitten Clamp; winter is upon us, the water is cold and absolutely no one wants to have to take their mitten or glove off to fit their fingers in the standard scissor clamp.  So we recommend the mitten clamp that functions great and allows your fingers to stay warm in-between the chromers.  
Jefferson Fly Rod; we love supporting local, small businesses and we are fortunate enough to have an incredible rod company that is based out of White City, OR just minutes from the Rogue.  The Jefferson Rod Co. makes exquisite single-hand and two-handed rods which we use almost exclusively.  Brandon's favorite (at the moment) are a 1266-4 Spey Rod for two-hand casting and the 966-4 when guiding out of the driftboat.  
Simms Wading Staff and Retractor; let's be honest, we have all wobbled our way through riffles or deep pools that we probably shouldn't have, sometimes we get lucky and other times we flood our waders or twist a knee; that's why we encourage the use of a Simms Wading Staff with Retractor, the quick release allows you to pull it out and use it in no time while the retractor clips in, making sure you can't leave it behind or watch it float downstream.  The perfect sidekick for the Upper Sac!  
PNW Landing Nets; these nets are the bee's knees.  They are made using fish-friendly mesh that makes catch and release a much easier experience for the fish.  We have the small and the large nets, while the medium size might just end up under our tree this year ; )  
Orvis Battenkill IV; this little real has a big voice! Great click and pawl spey reel for the $.  Works like a wonder on 11 -13 ft spey rods.  
Last but probably the best gift you could give, $100 off of a full-day guided fly fishing trip with Worthington Fly Fishing.   Give your friend or loved one the chance to catch the fish of their life!

Select your trip:

Classic Steelhead or Trout $400.00 USD Coastal Steelhead $475.00 USD Whitewater Trout $475.00 USD

 
You should be able find all of these items at your local fly shop and if they don't have them in stock they should be able to order them.  We hope this list helps you find the perfect gift.

Have a Happy Holiday!

River Update and Guides Report

The pattern of high pressure and clear, sunny skies continues in the Shadow of Shasta and State of Jefferson. It’s making for beautiful days on the water and pleasant conditions with our area rivers including the Rogue, Klamath and Upper Sacramento offering fine fishing for our guests.

The Klamath’s steelhead return is delighting fly fisherman with multiple hook ups on adults each day and we have begun to see more influx of half pounders from the lower river making for a very fun and scrappy fight! We had several boats on the water over this week swinging flies with two handed spey rods, our guest encountering multiple fish each day, allowing for many good reminders not to set the hook on the swing!

Out on local freestones like the upper Sacramento, the river is low and clear and cold but October Caddis are active during the warmest parts of the day and we have found success with large bushy dries as well as tight line nymphing techniques. Jim and Bernice tried fly fishing together for the first time and were each rewarded with a few hard pulling wild Shasta rainbows while enjoying some of the prettiest river-scapes around.

The Rogue River remains at it’s low seasonal flows with great fall fishing. We are still awaiting some of the larger fish of the season to enter the upper river which often concedes with the first fall rains. Dave and Greg joined us for a day on the Rogue and Klamath to swing flies for steelhead and we’re rewarded with a buzzer beater at the end of the day and a few good grabs that we’re exciting to say the least.

Rogue and Klamath River Fishing Report

Rogue River Fly Fishing Report

 Early November fly fishing been a continuation of late October conditions with high pressure, perfect blue skies and low and clear water. Steelhead a spread out throughout the upper and middle river with more trickling in. Most days we have seen several opportunities per person in our boats with several fish being sizable! We could use some rain, and a mix up of the high pressure would be great. We are hopeful for the storm we see in the extended forecast.

Our fly fishing guests have been enjoying the river with both nymphing and spey/swung fly tactics, finding the bite to improve over the afternoon as temperatures rise.

Klamath River Fly Fishing Report

Fly Fishing on the Klamath river has been good to great with our fly fishing guests being presented with many opportunities at adult and half pounder steelhead each day. Nymphing continues to be most productive, but then, when is it not? Colder nights have begun to drop water temps and we are beginning to find more steelhead in what I would call “traditional” steelhead water.

 Flows are near average seasonal lows and fish are responding well to egg patterns as we approach the tail end of Salmon spawning season. The fall colors are excellent, bright oranges, yellow and reds. November and December are some of our favorite months on the Klamath River.

Five Favorite Flies for Fall in Northern California

Good Friend and former guide Craig Nielsen writes a great read about choosing flies for fall fishing in the North State.

http://www.shastatrout.com/five-favorite-flies-for-fall-in-northern-california-2

Three reasons to fly fish the Fall in Southern Oregon

1) Fish like this

2) Fish like this

3) And fish like this

The Klamath Provides

Climbing the grade of Siskiyou Pass from Ashland, OR headed for the Wild and Scenic Klamath River, we emerged out of the Rogue Valley fog and into the brilliance of Mt Shasta, bright with the alpenglow, south of a cloudless sunrise.

At the bottom of the draw between the two mountain ranges and states, the river is visible only briefly as an alluring ribbon of tea colored water and swaying chartreuse weed beds before it disappears west around a volcanic corner and through the gates of the Klamath Mountains.

Following the river and looking forward to a wonderful day fly fishing for chrome, bright steelhead and half-pounders our building anticipation was aided by the morning buzz delivered by steaming mugs of French pressed coffee.

The canyon walls steepened and the presence of Autumn was everywhere. Salmon anglers sat in drift boats, bouncing roe in their favorite haunts. Furthur Oak trees just touched by the oranges and yellows of autumn mixed with the emeralds and reds of the pines. Rugged peaks rose above it all, some still showing scars of recent fires and the patchwork of renewal fire brings. The river was glorious, reaching out as if to say “My fish are here, my fish are back”

Stepping into the Klamath for me is like stepping back in time where life is simple, the river provides and fishing is what it should be. But Impacted by dams, drought and poor water management, the Klamath steelhead and salmon numbers suffered have suffered historically, especially in 2016 and & 2017. But all indications now are pointing to a strong return in 2018 and 19 - Mostly thanks to better water management that flushed out disease and favorable ocean conditions.

As I stepped into my first run of the day, I couldn’t help but be filled to the brim with optimism. Could this legendary river in the mythical state of Jefferson finally be back?

I began my first cast with a snap T. It was my first whirl with a new stick, a Jefferson Rod Company 12’6” 5wt Spey rod, and this standard snap-T cast seemed like the best way to put it through the paces. Then not five swings into the run and my mind already pondering other casts to try, I was rudely interrupted by a fierce yank and deep head shakes. I was not expecting a fish here but the growls of my reel and deep bend of the rod told otherwise, a reminder to not throw it in there until your ready…

The Chinook that came to hand was a beautiful wild hen. Bridget masterfully tailed her. My wife has probably handled more fish in her fisheries career then I ever will. We kept the fish wet and snapped a few pictures. Bridget estimated it was 800-900 mm, or 30 + inches for us non-metric folks, and her belly was softening, indicating she was soon to spawn. Not what we were after, but it’s rad when a nookie cranks on a swung wet fly just under the surface!

It didn’t take long for the river’s renewed life to become apparent after that first run.

We floated over our first tailout and like little kids, we exclaimed “there’s one, there’s another!” The Salmon were podded in groups of several dozen fish and clearly visible, especially to Bridget’s keen eyes. We saw hundereds upon hundreds darting to and fro, mostly uprover.

After such an entrance, fishing was an after thought, we floated through the first mile of river marveling in the unmistakable Salmon scattering in all directions, musing about the amazing life cycle of these fish and taking in the beauty and abundance the river showed.

Wild and Scenic Klamath Fly Fishing Trips

Stopping at one of my favorite runs, a piece of water about 200 yards long and with consistent depth and speed to hold steelhead year-round, my second cast came tight to a fish that erupted out of the water, leaping to eye level before throwing the fly as fiercely as it had taken it. I estimate it was in the mid-20’s, very large for a Klamath Steelhead and hotter then hell.

Our next stop was a run named Holy Cow, fished often and affectionately by a few local guides. Perhaps you know of it too? Just a few little grabs here but a nice run to air out my new Jefferson Rod and decide what the right balance is for a skagity/scandi line. Look for a full rod review in the coming weeks on this awesome, locally built, light spey rod!

Klamath River Spey Fishing

Lunch on the river was a casual affair and right on another of my favorite pieces of water. We enjoyed homemade chili and cornbread by Bridget with a good NW beer. Sometimes it’s the simple things in life that are the best. Confined to the boat, Tucker was anxious to stretch his legs on land, so after eyeing what must have looked like a patch of river side grass, he plunged head first off the boat and unsuspectedly into a mat of river slime. You should have seen the look on his face when he popped up!

After lunch we continued to fish. At the end of the lunch run my fly came across a juicy rock where I hoped the take would happen. But It just continued swimming, unmolested and untouched. How many hopeful moments like this in steelheading have ended this way!

I began to step down, stripping my fly in just with just a few casts to go, when the hammer came down and the loops I had collected raced back through my fingers, out the guides and on to the reel with a loud “ZZZZEEEEEE!”

FISH ON!

It doesn’t happen all that often but steelhead do take on the strip from time to time.

The vistas and fine fishing on the Wild and Scenic Klamath continued, seductive water around each bend taking us deeper into the canyon and the mythical state of Jefferson. It’s not the steepest and it’s not the deepest but it is one of the most magical places to fish in California.

Working water and in no particular hurry we continued to sample some of the rivers best holding lies. This section we floated holds everything from deep and bouldery runs to shallow spawning gravel and everything in between. We fished half-assed and joyfully sometimes serious, sometimes not. In most runs we fished we were rewarded with hard-pulling, adult, wild steelhead and a few half pounders. Doing my due diligence on this scouting trip I even lobbed a bob in a few buckets and was delighted to experience a couple of incredibly hot steelhead peel line and go totally nuts. It’s beginning to feel a whole lot like the Klamath is back.

The last run of the day and one of my favorites on the whole river is split by an island with a smooth surface and a perfect speed. Enough depth forms just in the middle to consistently hold fish and they feel comfortable in the shade made by the old growth trees on the banks.

I cast my waking fly across for a quick skittering swing, the fly waking a subtle vee and as it approached the sweet spot a perfect buck erupted on the fly, ripping 40 yards off quickly and assertively. Another line-peeling run and a few more eye level jumps brought the fish to hand. Admiring it’s perfect proportions, the buck had just a touch of blush on his cheek and the beginnings of a red stripe but still dark on the top and chrome underneath. This fish had traveled over 100 miles from the ocean and would remain in the river for months before spawning. Fresh steelhead like him will arrive in the Klamath throughout the Fall, Winter and Spring.

Reeling up and walking back to the boat I couldn’t help but smile as a sense of contentment and satisfaction washed over me. It was a good day and the fishing was as it should be. The cares of every day melt away, the company is good and the river provides.