Reports 2008
LES WITH A NICE CUT-BOW
FISHING REPORT: December 29, 2008
Well, it has warmed up some with daytime highs in the low to mid 30's. We have over a foot of snow and it is snowing here today. There is a canal road behind the house that I use to exercise my dogs, and we have been walking it with snow shoes. This morning I saw a lady on it with cross country skis. Her Lab and her were having a great time.
My friend Richard Davidson sent me the above picture of his son Ricky with his first winter-run steelhead. Richard told me that he had been doing pretty good on the Snoqualmie just prior to all the cold weather. Rich and Ricky are two-handed rod enthusiasts who live for steelhead fishing. They are die-hard dry line skater and dry fly steelheaders. In the winter, however, they do what they have to to catch fish. As you can see from the bug in this fish's mouth, this fish was taken on a type 6 tip with a black/purple string leech pattern. Ricky has caught summer runs in his short past, but this is his first winter-run. Congratulations Ricky!!
Happy New Year, Rod
FISHING REPORT: December 24, 2008
It is Christmas Eve, and we are surely having a white Christmas. We have about twelve inches in Wenatchee. It is deep enough that we dug a track around the yard for Pete and Pepper, my two English Setters, to run on. Last weekend I traveled to my home country to try for an elk on a late archery hunt at Dayton, WA. We saw 5 elk but they were on posted private property. They know where they're safe. There was about 3.5 feet of snow and there was no walking on it without snow shoes. My grandson, Coby, stepped in and went up to his waist. It sure was pretty though in the Blue Mountain foothills with all that white powder. I must say though that I hope for a break in this bitter cold weather so I can wet a line soon. I hope that you and your families have a blessed Christmas, and encourage you to take the time to reflect on the reason for the season.
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year, Rod
FISHING REPORT: December 16, 2008
Well here I sit in the house trying to stay warm and already suffering from the onset of "Cabin Fever." I can think of plenty of things I would rather be doing than fooling around with this computer. I sit down to tie some flies, but I can not get inspired cause I would really rather be fishing. I think about target practicing with my recurve bow, but it is pretty darn cold. It is currently 13 degrees here in Wenatchee. The weatherman is telling us that it could stay this way through Christmas day. So I guess I am just going to have to get creative and start tying some good cutthroat and rainbow flies. I am in pretty good shape for steelhead flies right now. Hope you are staying warm.
Regards, Rod
FISHING REPORT: December 11, 2008
I spent yesterday fishing for steelhead on the Methow. I met my friend Keith Roe below Carlton, and we walked in to 4 different runs. All of them were below Carlton. It was dark when we got off the river. Keith had to give up first because he couldn't see his float. Once again he out fished me with his jig and float. He hooked 4 fish and landed 1. I went 0 for 4. I should mention that Keith was forced to turn to this technique after injurying his arm a few years back. The injury forced him to give up fly fishing. His method is not too much different from nymphing under an indicator. Keith ties his own jigs. They are small (sz. 6 & 8 on average), lightly weighted jigs. He does not dredge the bottom but fishes the jig between 3 to 5 feet deep which is about the same depth that I would fish a nymph with a client.
Air temps were in the high 30's throughout the day. Water temps are definitely pretty cool for swinging the fly, and nymphing is the most effective method of fly fishing right now. We didn't get a water temp because Keith didn't have his thermometer with him. I had mine, but it is a steelheader's best friend because no matter what it always reads 50 degrees. Boy, I really need to get a new one. My feet told me all day long that it was cold. Because of the lower temps, there is not a crowd. We didn't see another fisherman all day long, and the potential for hooking fish using a nymph rig is good.
I talked with Mike Kinney recently. He tells me that fishing on the Skagit and Sauk has been pretty good for Dollies and a few Steelhead have been showing up. It should be getting better for steelhead.
The weatherman is forecasting some snow and colder weather for the weekend. Snow levels at 1000 ft. to be exact, and temperatures as low as the teens. I don't mind the snow but I sure hope he is wrong about the temps.
Dress Warm, Rod
FISHING REPORT: December 9, 2008
Archery hunting season ended yesterday. I spent the last day hunting the steep hillsides of Roaring Creek in the Swakanee unit. This unit is bordered by the Entiat, Wenatchee, and Columbia Rivers. We saw several shooter bucks throughout the season, but just couldn't get into the right position to get a decent shot. One was a dandy 4 x 4 that deftly got away from us. As I explained to my Grandson Coby, there are 4 stages to fly fishing and archery hunting. First stage is just catching a fish or shooting a deer. Second stage is catching lots of fish or harvesting deer every time you go afield. Third stage is catching a big fish or bagging a big buck. Fourth stage is simply the enjoyment of being able to fish or hunt and the total experience. Sadly enough some folks really never get past stage 2, and I feel sorry for them. I am thankful that I can enjoy the experience without getting hung up on the results.
Even though I have spent the majority of the last few weeks with a bow in hand rather than a rod, I did get a chance to fish on the Methow last week. I spent the day with Keith Roe, and we did pretty good on the steelhead. Keith is a float and jig fisherman. He was able to hook 3 fish. One of which he landed. It was a 6 or 7 pound hatchery hen. Me, I am a die hard swing the fly steelhead fisherman. I fished a two-handed rod with a sink tip all day. I tried a variety of different colored spun marabou patterns and hooked one trout and one steelhead. I failed to get either one to hand. The river is in great shape and the fish are there. For those of you that like to nymph for steelhead, it is the most productive way to catch fish right now. I hope to be on the Methow tomorrow, and I'll let you know how it goes. By the way, sorry I haven't changed the picture, but my camera is still in Mike Kinney's truck.
Also, I hope all of you are enjoying the holiday season, and that you had a blessed Thanksgiving. It doesn't seem possible that Christmas 2008 is only 16 days away.
Regards, Rod
FISHING REPORT: November 20, 2008
I have taken a break from fishing and have spent the last few days following my two English Setters, Pete and Pepper. We have been up, down, and around the rocky steep slopes above the Columbia just downstream of the town of Entiat. The prey is the wily Chukar, and my score is "ZERO." We have seen plenty and the dogs have pointed and held many, but my shooting skills are pretty rusty. I have also been doing some scouting for the upcoming archery deer season. It started today in most areas. My son Clint, grandson Coby, and I plan on giving it a try starting Saturday for a few days. It will be great to spend some time with them.
As for the fishing, I don't hold alot of hope for the Wenatchee to open now. It looks like a done deal. The Methow is in fishing shape. It seems as though the colder water temps have put the fish off a bit. "Deep and Slow" is the technique to use. I am planning on being back up on the Similkameen next week for a couple of days. I am staying in touch with Mike Kinney on the Skagit, Sauk, and Stilly and will be back over there in the next couple of weeks.
Rod
FISHING REPORT: November 16, 2008
Well sir, I was headed for the Methow bright and early on the morning of November 13 when I got a call from my friend Keith Rowe telling me that the river had doubled in flow overnight. And worse yet visibility was less than 1 foot. I had a client, Brian, with me so I had to put "Plan B" into motion. Now I have been know to use Rocky Ford Creek as a fall back when conditions go bad on the Yakima; so off we went to this desert spring creek that has bailed me out of more than one pinch. On the way through Ephrata, we stopped at The Desert Fly Angler and picked up some of Darc's famous olive Scuds for a little insurance. As usual they performed well. Brian was able to land about 7 or 8 beautiful bows that ranged from 18" to 22" and lost a couple of other big fish. One was headed the wrong direction when Brian set the hook and left the area with our olive Scud as he waved good-by with his tail. I really wanted to post some pictures of these bows that were in there beautiful fall colors, but my own camera just happens to be in the back seat of Mike Kinney's truck. When I ask Brian if he had his camera, he said yes; however, it had a dead battery. So here we are, and you will just have to take our word for the fishing.
As for the Methow, it is definitely fishable today. The flow is still coming down and the visibility is good. The water temps are down with the morning temp in the high 30's. This results in the fish being more lethargic and far less prone to move to the fly.
I got a chance this weekend to explore the Similkameen. A friend and I spent a little time checking out launch sites and different sections of the river. It is currently a little out of shape because of the recent rains. This afternoon it was starting to clear, and had about 12 to 18 inches of visibility. I liked what I saw and am definitely going back in the next few weeks to spend a few days floating and fishing it. "FAITH, PERSEVERANCE, and HOPE!"
Rod
FISHING REPORT: November 10, 2008
Over the last several days we have received some much needed rain. The river has came up a couple hundred cfs as a result but is in great shape. The steelhead have gotten more active and the catching has improved. Nymph fishing a stone fly and an egg pattern under an indicator is the most effective technique right now; however, a few fish are also being picked up on the swing. We are also seeing the steelhead more dispersed throughout the runs. The salmon are diminishing a bit and not forcing the steelhead into the fast water at the heads of the runs like they were. With the number of fish in the river the fishing should stay pretty consistent. Also with the change of the season from fall to winter, the fishing pressure should be decreasing somewhat.
I spent a few days last week on the west side fishing with my friend Mike Kinney on the Skagit, Sauk, and Stilly. The Stilly was low and clear so we didn't spend too much time fishing it, but we did give it a try. The Dolly fishing was fair on the Sauk and Skagit. Even though we saw a quite a few Chums we were unable to hook any. The recent rains on these rivers should improve the fishing when they come back in shape.
Rod
FISHING REPORT: October 7, 2008
Sorry for such a long lapse in my fishing reports. I attended the recent Spey Clave on the Clearwater River with my friend and fellow guide Mike Kinney. The clave is put on by Mike "Poppy" and Linda Cummins owners of The Red Shed Fly Shop in Peck, Idaho. Mike Kinney was one of the featured presenters at the clave and also conducted a second day of private instruction for several people. In addition to the clave and the classes, we spent several days enjoying the steelhead fishing, trying for the famed Clearwater B run fish. The fish in the picture above fell prey to an October Caddis Skater - talk about getting the heart rate up! When a fish like the one above boils behind your fly the anticipation is almost overwhelming, and you can feel your heart beating in your throat. Steelhead on the swing is the only way to go. Just my opinion.
The Methow River opened for Steelhead fishing this last Saturday, October 4. I had an opportunity to spend a couple of hours fishing it this afternoon with a 12' 6" two handed rod and a Steelhead Caddis Muddler pattern. No heart pounding boils but how great it was to be back on the Methow. The fish are there, and it is just a matter of putting in your time. Skaters are a good bet early morning and late afternoon and evening. Swinging a wet fly on a dry line or a dredger pattern with a sink tip mid-day can also produce fish. One thing about fishing with a two handed rod: even when you are not catching fish, casting practice is awesome.
Rod
FISHING REPORT: September 18, 2008
The Methow river closed today for all fishing. WDFW announced:
"The early closure of the catch-and-release fishery, which was originally scheduled to run through Sept. 30, is necessary to avoid additional incidental catch of protected wild steelhead, said Bob Leland, WDFW steelhead program manager.
The fishery, which is directed at resident trout, is allowed under a federal permit that prescribes strict limits on the incidental catch of wild steelhead, listed as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA).
"Over the last couple of weeks, we've seen a rise in the number of steelhead in the river, as well as a significant increase in anglers participating in the fishery," Leland said. "With that combination, we quickly reached the catch-and-release fishery's ESA limit for incidentally caught wild steelhead, necessitating the closure."
Leland said fishery managers are assessing the steelhead return to the region, and based upon wild and hatchery returns could open a fishery in the next few weeks for hatchery steelhead on portions of the upper Columbia River and some tributaries, including the Methow River. That hatchery steelhead fishery would be allowed under a separate federal permit.
Anglers should check for updates on fishing seasons on WDFW's website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/fishregs.htm."
Rod
FISHING REPORT: September 10, 2008
The dry fly fishing has been a little slower over the last 3-4 days. However, we are still having plenty of action and catching some darn nice cutts and rainbows. Les caught this 20" cutt on Monday afternoon on a modified pink Wing Thing. Sunday and Tuesday also produced some nice fish, the biggest on both days in the 16-18" range. We nymphed for a short time on Monday and caught a few smaller trout and several big whitefish, two of which were right at 20". Off and on, we've tried smaller dries such as sz 14 and 16 Caddis, Parachute Adams and Parachute Purple Haze with minimal success. Overall, big dries in red or pink have been the most productive. The riverflow is down to 356 cfs today and I'm having to walk the cataraft in more than just a of couple places.
Rod
FISHING REPORT: September 2, 2008
The fishing on the Methow was decent over the long weekend. We landed the 18" Cutt above on Sunday on a modified Pink Wing Thing on top. We saw quite a few smaller fish, missed or lost at least 2 or 3 bigger fish like the one above, and landed a couple more 14" and 15" Cutties. We fished dries the entire time. Size 6-10 dries with color (red, pink, orange, yellow, & purple) fished the best. On Monday evening late there was a good Caddis hatch, and I saw quite a few decent fish eating them. The river flow is just over 400 cfs, and I had to walk the boat in a couple of places.
Rod
FISHING REPORT: August 28, 2008
Welcome to my reports page. I have been fishing the Methow over the last several weeks. The big dry fly fishing and nymphing with a standard deep nymph rig have been good. Take a look at the picture of Clint on the Home Page. The largest fish I have seen was a 20" Cutthroat taken on a Red Wing Thing. I expect the fishing to only get better as we move into September and the close of the trout season at the end of September. The numbers of Steelhead crossing the dams looks good, but it is still up in the air as to whether we will have a Steelhead season on the Methow and the Wenatchee. Our first concern is the fish, and we always have hope. Two things a fly fisherman always has to have: "PERSEVERANCE AND HOPE."
Rod
