How to fit wading boots for cold water wading

I see too often anglers not happy with the fit of their boots. There is really only one top consideration when sizing wading boots, and i’m hoping this tangent can help you find the perfect fit.

Thought one: Go big!

Wading is not a performance fit activity so you don’t need the boot to fit that way. You won’t need to be edging on your big toe like rock climbing, running, jumping, or anything like that. Plod, shuffle, slop is more like it . You’ll be in them all day so go big, your feet will thank you!

Thought two: Always jump up a size. At least!

If you are a 10 or 10.5, go with an 11. At least. You’ll be wearing a light sock, your neoprene booties, maybe thick sock stuffed in there too, so you need a little extra room to get it all in there uncrammed. The space is taken up fast. If it’s a little loose when its just a light sock and waders, tighten the laces a little. Or wear bigger socks…or just be okay with a roomy fit. Trust me, it’s better than too small.

Thought three: Special considerations for cold water wading…

Go even bigger!

The absolute worst is not having enough room for your thick socks. In cold water, constriction is your enemy!

As a guide, I have 2 boots to solve my wading issues. A summer boot, which I upsize 1 and a winter boot, which I Upsize 2. If I could only have one though, I’d go with the bigger one. It’s a little loose when I’m not wearing much on my feet, (like summer wed wading with just my neoprene booties) but a small price to pay compared to a day of cold feet.
In order to keep your feet toasty warm you need loft; , Just as a down jacket won’t work when it’s squeezed flat, neither will those high pile wool socks. My winter system is to have a wool sock and a fleece over sock, and to fit all this high pile stuff in the boot, you have to go big.

Last thought: Loose laces
Another fit mistake I see is people lacing their boots too tight. Again, you do not need a performance fit for lobbing flies out of a drift boat or even stepping down a run. Tightne your boots so they stay on your feet, but keep ‘EM loose, so you can wiggle your toes, stay toasty and fish longer, happier

just my 2 cents…

Klamath River Update

The Klamath river has been in the news of late. Dam removal, imperiled fish, drought and the socio-political-environmental convergence here are launching the Klamath into the spotlight as it hasn’t been in 20 years. 

In 2001, the Klamath faced a similar water predicament as it does today. Three competing interests for water, then, as now. They are:

  1. Lake elevation for endangered suckers

  2. Irrigation water for nearby agriculture

  3. Consistent and healthy flows for endangered Salmon below Irongate Dam

Drought years in the Klamath basin typically mean water scarcity and friction between the three interests. 2021 is no different. The scarcity usually translates into only two of the three interests having their way. Winners and losers. It’s decided after much politicing and stakeholder wrangling, federal, state and private.

In 2001, after water allocation was all decided, the irrigation canal spigots were turned off so Upper Klamath Lake could maintain minimum elevation for suckers and to allow sufficient flows for Salmon down stream.

However, this verdict was not to last and then Vice President Dick Cheney visited the Klamath and arranged for the irrigators to receive a water delivery at the expense of tribes and fish. The lower river did not receive adequate flow that season and a horrific salmon fish kill ensued.

There is a major difference now, compared to 2021, even though the water allocation conclusion is the same. It is unlikely Dick Cheney will ride in and turn the Irrigators’ spigots back on for the project, so flows should not decrease through the river below the lake this year.

The Lake has barley enough water to maintain minimum elevation. Its debatable if flushing flows could or could not be delivered without detriment to the suckers. Their recruitment has been very low over the last many years in spite of elevations being maintained…

Disease numbers are very high below Irongate Dam this year, and the point of the flushing flows is to dilute the disease concentration which is at its highest when smolt out migrate. No flushes this year will lead to higher infection rates, and lower returns in a few years. However, even if there was some immediate change and a flush occurred, it was due several weeks ago for maximum efficacy. Much of the damage to smolt below Irongate Dam has already been done. Wild populations are much more resilient to disease at least, and the Klamath fish are as wild as it gets. The hatchery salmon stock is gonna have a rough time. No new news there.

It does appear that in-river flows through the canyons and below Irongate dam will be sufficient through the summer and fall. I see little change from normal for the trout reaches. Flows below Irongate should help ward against a dewatered river like in 2001, which greatly contributed to the fish kill event.

 This year’s drought again increases the urgency of a swift removal of Boyle, but especially the Copcos and Irongate Dam. They are the primary perpetrators creating disease and algae plaguing the waters below Irongate Dam. Removal will allow cool, spring fed waters originating in the upper canyon reaches where we trout fish and greatly improve water quality down stream. With improved water quality in the lower reaches, flushing flows my no longer be as crucial for anadromous fish and lessen the pinch for water. 

I’m still greatly optimistic about the Klamath, it has a very bright future ahead. In spite of the dreadful news for some parts of the river, is still as enchanting as ever in others.

SAGE SONIC 904-4 guide fly rod review

Every once in a while a new fly rod comes out that stands out to me. There are many, Many great options out there, so it takes some stand out elements for a new stick to be entered into my arsenal of guide rods.

First and foremost, the rods we provide on our guided trips have very distinct applications in mind so all the rods we fish are filtered through that lense. I wanted to add another powerful 4 weight into the lineup for this Summers trout fishing so I gave the Sonic a serious look over, and ultimately, grabbed one. Now, after a few weeks of fishing it, here’s what i’ve found…

904-4 Sage Sonic

First Impressions

It’s a good looking fly rod, classic Sage. Great cork, nice color and thread wraps.

First casting impressions and Lines for the Sonic

It’s a powerful rod, classic Sage. I loaded it up with an Airflo wf 5 and it’s just about right. I could see stepping down a little to a 4.5 for more general applications or for the angler that casts longer distances with smaller dry flies. I could also see running a straight 4 for advanced casters who do not need a lot grains to get the feedback they need for good casting. With a 5 wt line on there, the rod loads up with a short amount of line out the tip and feels really good in the mid range. The 5wt line engages more of the rod to get more power from the blank but doesn’t crush the action at all.

I love this rods power. It’s got a classic Sage progressive taper, meaning the more you lean on it, the more it bends. You can really control this rod and ask it to play up while still having a really nice light rod in hand. It is fast, it is powerful, it might be a little loo much for some novice casters at first, but line it up a little and it’s really sweet. Line it up slows the rod down a bit too which will suit most anglers out there. You’ll stil get excellent recovery but with all the line speed, accuracy and crispness.

Price and Value

This rod reminds me a whole lot of the Sage ONE. Which is not a bad thing. But at nearly half the price. It features the same Konnetic Technology as the ONE and other Sage Rods I have in the quiver. I’ve found Konnetic Tech rods break less then some others which is huge plus for me. Keeping sticks on the water and out of the penalty box is super important. I think in the last 5 years I’ve only had a Konnetic rod break once.

What I’ve fished on it

Mostly dry dropper and even dry-dropper-dropper. I fished some indo rigs and have even had a chance to use it for a few dry fly sessions when our Native Redbands were sipping BWO duns. The Rod shines in all of these applications. It was super accurate for the dry fly fishing and delivered nice, snappy mends once your flys were on the water. There is plenty of power in the rod to push the boundaries of fly size and I did. I tried some Golden Stone drys with large dropper flys pre hatch and the rod had no issues what so ever. You can almost think of this rod as a 4.5 with regards to what it can do. Love it.

Conclusion

It’s a fantastic fast, powerful 4wt from Sage. I expect this rod is going to see tons of use by my clients and be a favorite this spring and summer on our local waters.

Brandon Worthington Presents: Guides eye view of the Upper Klamath dam removal to Long Beach Casting Club

Brandon Worthington presents flyfishing

February 25, 2021

Brandon Worthington presents: Guides eye view of the Upper Klamath Dam Removal to Long Beach Casting Club. via ZOOM for their monthly meeting.

An informative, interactive slide show brings you up to date on the current status of the removal of four dams on the Upper Klamath River, why the fish in this wild and scenic river are worth it and what it’s like to guide through the largest river restoration project in U.S. history.

First Steelhead & the Trout Thief

Guest Post Written by Stephen Neal

In Wildness is the Preservation of the World - “Henry David Thoreau"

Cy stood crotch deep in the river, his rod cradled in his hand just above the rivers surface, the tip pointed at his fly. The river’s current carried his steelhead fly at that perfect walking pace down into the dangle, he waited. The first tug telegraphed itself up through the line and rod into his hand, he lingered, letting each grab go unanswered, when the reel began to unwind, he raised his rod and set the hook. Cy and Brandon our guide, both sensed that this was a steelhead with possibility. When the steelhead came out of the water in its bid for freedom, the excitement was palatable.

Cy deftly used the flex of the rod to gently manage his attached water citizen, bringing it to Brandon’s net through the fishes’ aerial acrobatics and water antics. Each leap into the world of oxygen was a thing of splendor, as the water slid off the fish’s sides and fell back into the water, each drop and spray reflected Fall’s afternoon light. The fish was a beauty, a wild buck, a nice first Steelhead, a personal meet with this creature of our earth’s rivers. It was a well-earned reward for his time spent learning new casts, knots, fly selection and line control. Cy’s hookup and landing of that Steelhead, will be a memory I will carry with fondness for the rest of my days. A shared memory of the fulness of life.

Klamath River Spey Fishing

Cy and I were in Northern California we were spending the day with Brandon Worthington of Worthington Fly Fishing, swinging flies on the Klamath River to wild steelhead. Mid November, fall was in full bloom, with chimney smoke and a taste of winter in the air. The air temperature was hovering around 40 and the water registered 50 degrees. When the sun shone, we were comfy but when it hid behind a hill or cloud, a chilly quiver would creep down our spines. That cold was forgotten each time that familiar tug telegraphed itself to our casting hand.

Fishing with Brandon was like fishing with a respected friend. There was an ease and grace to his every action, his subtle nature belies his knowledge and skill. A gentile but powerful stroke or deft hand movement put the drift boat in position to take advantage of the current and flow of the river. His instructions on casting or fly placement were on point and timely and matched our skill level and improved our performance. His respect for nature, the river and the fish and preserving and protecting them were spot on, he is in a class with Marty Sheppard when it comes to guiding.

Bridget, Brandon’s wife while not on the river with us, was still present, the meal she prepared for us was first rate and Brandon spoke of her with love, respect, and admiration. They make a good team in managing and operating their guide business. If you are looking for a guide for Northern California or Southern Oregon, he would be an excellent choice. I am not alone in making this recommendation Cy, Jeff, Scott, Bob, and Kevin would back this assessment up.

Fifteen years - The six of us were on our annual trip fishing on the upper-Sacramento. Bob always on the lookout for fishing opportunities had followed up a lead and discovered Worthington Fly Fishing, it paid off well. We were all feeling a bit snake bit on the Sac, this year. For years we had heard stories from Dunsmuir locals about trout rising to October caddis in November after the usual seasonal fishermen had returned home. When Kevin told us that his oldest Son was getting married during our usual outing time, we moved our trip

back to try our hand at catching trout on October caddis in November. What we encountered instead were trout disinclined to take what we were offering. We spent a lot of time trying everything we had in our fly boxes and receiving extraordinarily little in return. So, our time spent fishing with Brandon revied our fishing spirits, that is not to say we did not have fun together on the upper-Sac.

Kevin and I were fishing Sweetbrier while Scott and Jeff were fishing with Brandon, and Cy and Bob waggled their Rods above the water around town. I got skunked, but Kevin caught three on the first run we fished then came up zero on the rest of the water. After about three hours of fruitless casting we headed back to the cabin to warm up and re-access our fishing. After a snack we decided to try the water below the cabin and set out to do so. Now things were about to get interesting.

The evening before Scott had a large rainbow roll on his dry fly at the head of the pool, below a frost burned Elephant Ear plant. As Kevin headed upriver to fish beyond the pool, he told me to not leave the water until I had thrown a dry fly to that same spot. It was not to be, I got a bird’s nest in my line on the next cast and headed back to the garage to sort out the mess I gotten myself into. I hollered at him to fish the spot, but he could not hear me over the river. When Kevin returned to the cabin, he had a fish story to tell and a picture to share. He admonished me for not fishing the spot and shared his picture of a nice hefty rainbow trout neatly wrapped up in Kevin’s line. Kevin was feeling pretty proud of himself and thankful that said fish had neatly wrapped himself up so that Kevin could land it on his light tippet. He politely accepted my excuse of my failed cast and subsequent line tangle but I think inside he was thanking God that my cast has failed and that he got to cast to the fish under the Elephant Ear plant. That would have been the end of that story but there are four other people in this group of fishermen who are about to take this fish story to a new realm.

That evening around the dinner table in the glow of the fireplace and under the influence of a little wine and Scotch, Kevin told his fish story; and Jeff was primed and ready. We had all been told Jeff’s story about how Kevin had stolen his fish 15 years ago, Jeff had hooked a monster and fought it for an eon of time and the fish had come undone and Jeff was left with a broken heart and a parted line. And the next day Kevin fished that same hole and not only hooked that same fish, but he had the audacity to land it. Jeff’s world was undone and for 15 years we have heard this tale told about how Kevin is a Fish Thief. Jeff was sure that he could now remake his case that Kevin was a fish thief, and that Scott would back him up. And as per usual Jeff retold his story of failure and betrayal and for the next forty-five minutes we pontificated, we speculated, and hypothesized about said fishing infractions and laughed uproariously. It was agreed that Jeff, first wore the fish out thereby allowing Kevin to catch it, and that Scott left his fish so disappointed in not taking his fly that it was determined to take the next fly it saw, thereby allowing Kevin to catch it.

Ah the loyalty of fishing friends and the deft hands of light-fingered maestros of rods and fly presentations, will present endless possibilities for mirth and accusations of unfair play for years to come. And so, goes our fishing discussions over diner, scotch, fireside chats, and smoke sessions. Each of us becomes the hero or the goat depending upon whom, is telling the stories. Our banter is just as great today as it was 15 years ago when we started this journey. Good fishing friends are worth their weight in gold and tall tales. I cannot close out this article without mentioning Bob Grace owner of Ted Fay’s in Dunsmuir. Bob and his fly shop are an integral part of the Dunsmuir experience. Please drop in and support Bob when you are in the area.

As always, Thank you Cy, Bob, Kevin, Scott, Jeff and Brandon and Bridget Worthington and Bob Grace of Ted Fay’s, for a wonderful and epic fishing journey in Northern California. Each of you add joy and richness to life.

Stephen
The world is out there, the journey starts the minute you leave the door, go outside and truly live.


“When given the choice between being right or being kind, choose kind – Dr. Wayne W. Dyer


“Many go fishing all their lives, without knowing that it is not fish they are after” - Henry David Thoreau

How to Make Fly Tying Shanks

Make your own Steelhead or Trout shanks. Easy, cheap, & customizable. Tie your own flies on your own shank.

Make your own Steelhead or Trout shanks. Easy, cheap, & customizable. Tie your own flies on your own shank.

I started tying shank flies before there were too many commercial options around. So I’ve stuck with it, and made my own for years. These are solid, cheap, easy and oh so versatile. There’s something cool too about the foundation of you swing flies being something you crafted by hand. They’re all that fishier for it!

You’ll Need:

Spinner Forms: These are borrowed from the lure making world and come in a number of lengths. Creative folks can make three shanks per form. Considering most packs are 50 or more, you’ll have a decent supply. I have found these at Sporting goods stores and online retailers. You’re local tackle shop also likely has them, if they exist anymore.

Needle Nose Pliers: Do I need to explain these?

Grinder: I use a hook sharpener, though anything in your shop that fits the bill will work. When you cut the spinner forms, any ragged edges need to be filed down or you risk cutting thread while tying, or having a sharp edge on your fly which could find your line or trailing wire.

Tying Vise

I have found these home made shanks work great for barbell eyed flies if you turn the eye up, and great for unweighted flies if you leave the shank true. If you are really carful and precise with your plier and vise work, I can usually mount a 1/4” bead on too for another weighted fly option.

Happy Tying!

Outstanding riverside lunches you can keep your waders on for!

When fishing with Worthington Fly Fishing, we provide exceptional guiding and outstanding days on the water.  We are honored to not only make sure your getting the best action of the season but also a healthy, gourmet lunch! Try not to drool over today’s Mushroom and Tri Tip sandwiches on Bridget’s Grandma’s French Roll recipe!

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