Reports 2009
34" HATCHERY BUCK
December 28, 2009
The highest temperature I saw today in Carlton was 23 degrees. It was 9 degrees when I got up this morning. The lower river, in my opinion is not fishable. There is shelf ice and floating ice chunks from just above Carlton downstream. There is some open water around Twisp and Winthrop; however, the cold temps make it difficult to hang in there for very long. It snowed today, and we are suppose to see some warmer daytime temperatures in the next few days. Whether or not that helps us with the steelhead fishing is yet to be seen. The Wenatchee River at the mouth was open with only minor shelf ice, when I went through there yesterday on my way home. It looked fishable. I may head down there to check it out in the next few days.
See ya on the river, Rod
December 24, 2009
The Methow was fishable when I headed to Prosser yesterday to spend Christmas with my children and grandchildren. It has gotten cold again with the high's in the 20's and low's in the teens. So, who knows how long the river will stay free of ice and fishable. I hooked a good fish on Tuesday, and the take was really soft and slow. The fish are holding in the deeper slower water. My hope is that you and yours have a blessed Christmas. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!
See ya on the river, Rod
December 21, 2009
I have been on the river the last two afternoons. No fish but it has been pretty pleasant. The air temps have been in the mid to high 30's. The water temperature yesterday was 36 degrees. Carlton downstream still has a quite a bit of ice; however, there are runs that are fishable. Winthrop to Carlton is mostly open with a little shelf ice in spots. And I have not had any problems with my guides icing. I haven't been on the Wenatchee for several weeks, but with the way the Methow is I am sure that it is probably fishable. Deep and slow is the way to go.
See ya on the river, Rod
December 15, 2009
We received about 4" of new snow last night. The current temperature is 27 degrees, and the weatherman is forcasting a warming trend with highs in the mid-30's and lows in the high 20's by Friday. Snow and/or rain is also forecast for the remainder of the week. And as I look out the window while writing this it is spitting snow. Wouldn't you know it; I just got caught up on the snow shoveling. I went up river yesterday and the Methow from Winthrop down to the diversion at the bottom end of the Smoke Jumper air field south of Winthrop looked good and is fishable. I am going to try it in the next few days if the weatherman is right. I want to get back to steelhead fishing.
See ya on the river, Rod
December 12, 2009
We are having a heat wave today. It is currently 22 degrees. Well needless to say, the river is still running ice. The weatherman is forecasting warmer temps next week, mid-30's. Maybe we will see some changes in the ice conditions if the higher temperatures last long enough. Especially the night time temps.
See ya on the river, Rod
December 8, 2009
Early morning temperatures have dipped as low as 4 below here in the valley. I guess I probably don't have to tell you what that means as far as fishing is concerned. The Methow and the Wenatchee are, in my opinion, unfishable because of ice. I have it from a good source, that as long as the night time air temps stay below 24 degrees, the frozen river conditions will remain on the Methow.
See ya on the river (as soon as it thaws), Rod
December 4, 2009
It is cold here in the Methow Valley. The temperature never got above 26 degrees yesterday. The thermometer currently says 22. Ice is forming on the river especially in the slow sections. It has been clear and cold at night with temperatures dipping as low as 12 degrees around Twisp. If this weather pattern holds on, and the weatherman say it is; the river will probably be unfishable soon. I haven't been on the Wenatchee for a couple of weeks. I am wintering in the Methow Valley, but it has been cold in Wenatchee too. The Klickitat closed the end of November. Fly tying time, and time to visit my friend Mike Kinney on the Skagit and Sauk.
See ya on the river, Rod
December 1, 2009
Sunshine today and a temperature of about 40 degrees here in Carlton. The steelhead catching is still pretty darn good. I had a friend out yesterday, and he took home 4 hatchery fish. He was fishing a float and jig set-up, not terribly different from what us fly guys do with stoneflies and egg patterns under a bobber. Myself, I tried swinging with a tip and small Comet type pattern. I had a good time casting my two-hander. I am a little distracted right now in that I have traded my rod for a bow and went deer hunting today. My mornings are tough right now - should I go steelheading or hunting. Everyone should have such decisions to make. P.S. Check out my "Home Page" for my winter rates.
See ya on the river, Rod
November 23, 2009
We awoke yesterday to a few inches of new snow in Carlton. Daytime temperatures were in the low 40's. The steelhead catching is still about the same. The major change is that the fishing pressure is not even close to being what it has been. I probably won't be fishing over the next few days. I am going to spend some quality time with my grandchildren over Thanksgiving, but will be back on the river Friday and Saturday. I hope that you and yours have a blessed Thanksgiving holiday. Even in these tough times we all have plenty of blessings to count and be thankful for.
See ya on the river, Rod
November 17, 2009
Catching on the Methow is really good right now. Water temps are right at 40 degrees, and the fish have been willing to take Stone Flies and egg combinations. The snow is mostly gone today, and the sun is shining. Great day for fishing for steelhead.
See ya on the river, Rod
November 13, 2009
Catching on the Klickitat was good. We floated the canyon section. The highlight of the trip was my Grandson Coby landing his first steelhead. Not as much pressure as the Methow. It was a welcome change.
We woke up to a dusting of snow in Carlton this morning. It increased throughout the day. As I write this at 6:30 pm, the snow has stopped and the temperature is in the high 20's. It is expected to drop into the high teens tonight. I fished late afternoon with no success. Dropping water temps will cause the fish to get more lethargic. Slow and deep is the key whether you are nymphing or swinging.
See ya on the river, Rod
November 9, 2009
The colder water and night time temps have slowed the catching on the Methow. Clint and I floated from Halterman to Carlton on Saturday. Aside from an occasional trout we hooked one confirmed steelhead, and he was very lothargic. I talked with one of the creel checkers yesterday afternoon at Public Fishing Area #3 and she had checked 4 fish all day. For the number of fishermen that were fishing that count is pretty darn low. I swung the Carlton Hole and PF#3 late afternoon - no grabs. I am headed to the Klickitat on Wednesday.
See ya on the river, Rod
November 5, 2009
Catching has been location dependant. Most of the fish are being taken below Gold Creek. I had the privelege of taking Marlon Rampy and his lovely girlfriend Susan fishing on the Methow. Marlon is the owner/head guide of Wild West Fly Fishing out of Medford, OR. He is also the guide manager for Lonesome Duck Lodge & Ranch on the Wood & Williamson Rivers. We had a great time, and I loved the way Susan laughed when she had a steelhead on the end of the line. O' Boy can she throw a long line.
The Wenatchee is still a little high at about 2500 cfs. It went all the way to over 7000 cfs. I hope to get a chance to fish it and the Klickitat soon. The Methow has just been to darn good.
See ya on the river, Rod
October 30, 2009
Catching has been good over the last week. The pressure has decreased a bit and the fish are moving with the increase in flow. The river is currently flowing at 516 cfs. and is in great shape. Egg patterns are still the most productive, and we have hooked two or three fish on the egg at the tail end of the drift as it is swinging. I have been walking in to runs rather than floating. A little more mobile that way.
The Wenatchee is coming back into shape and is flowing at just over 2000 cfs. after going all the way to 3000 cfs. I haven't fished it for awhile. I diverted a recent trip there to the Methow. The decision to fish the Methow instead was a good one. Katie and Gay beginning fly fishers each got to hook a steelhead, and Katie landed hers, a nice 6 lbs. hen.
See ya on the river, Rod
October 24, 2009
The catching on the Methow has been pretty darn good over the last few days. Fishing egg patterns under an indicator has been the most successful technique. Still lots of pressure both boat and walk-ins. The recently opened section from the mouth to the first Hwy. 153 bridge has been hit the hardest, but fishing pressure up to Carlton is also heavy.
The recent rains have sent the Wenatchee straight up, and the flow as I write this is 2340 cfs. I opted to take my guest to the Methow this morning. I am glad I did. We had a good day. We landed four steelhead, 3 keepers and 1 wild, and a beautiful 19" cutthroat that was in his glorious fall colors. Thank You Lord for a great day on the beautiful Methow River with a good friend.
See ya on the river, Rod
October 21, 2009
Catching on the Methow is improving. I did a half-day with a husband and wife from Butte, Montana yesterday, and Barb landed a 23" hatchery buck and a beautiful Rainbow just under 20". It was her first steelhead. The smile on her face said it all. They called me today with a fishing report. They landed another wild fish yesterday afternoon and 2 hatchery fish this morning. Congratulations Steve and Barb. Egg patterns are what is working right now. The closure area opened this morning, and from what I heard this afternoon the catching was pretty darn good. This opening has relieved some of the pressure on other sections of the river.
The Wenatchee has cleared and at about 1100 cfs. today. The catching should be back on track and getting better. I am back to the Methow tomorrow so it will be a few days before I get a chance to fish the Wenatchee.
See ya on the river, Rod
October 19, 2009
Fishing pressure on the Methow River right now is heavy. This past week and weekend was far worse than it was during the opening week, and it is impacting the catching. Don't be surprised if all that you hear doesn't come true, and the catching falls a bit short of your expectations. Both boat and foot traffic from Carlton down to the boundary has been heavy.
A friend and I got to fish together on Saturday and Sunday, so we floated the Wenatchee between Cashmere and Monitor. She hooked and landed a wild steelhead that went about 7 or 8 pounds, a Chinook, and a really nice Rainbow that was about 18" on Saturday. On Sunday the river was on the rise with about 2 to 3 feet of visibility. No catching and neither had anyone we talked with.
The Methow is at 500+ cfs. and in great shape. The Wenatchee is at 1420 cfs. starting down and has some color. Also, WDFW has announced that the closed section of the Methow, from the 2nd Power Line at the mouth to the 1st bridge on Hwy. 153, will open on October 21.
See ya on the river, Rod
October 13, 2009
I was back on the Methow yesterday and did a half-day trip with a guest. We were able to land a wild fish, but the catching has definitely slowed as the air and water temps have dropped. We have some snow and rain today in the Methow Valley and rain in Wenatchee. The weatherman is forecasting more rain and warmer temperatures going into the end of the week. If that happens, the fishing should improve. I swung a tip and articulated leech this afternoon on the Wenatchee and had a fish almost rip the rod out of my hand. It surprised me bad enough that I failed to drop the loop. Oh well, it is all about the grab.
See ya on the river, Rod
October 9, 2009
Well folks Katie got her buck. It is not a record book Muley, but she made an awesome 255 yard shot to make her first buck a reality. Congratulations Katie, you did good.
My friend Mike Kinney showed up yesterday, and we spent today steelhead fishing the Wenatchee River. The river is very low with a flow today of 478 cfs. Mike and I both used two-handed rods and fished skaters and damp flies. I landed a beautiful wild fish this morning. It took a sz. 8 natural colored Bomber. We had a great day fishing together. It has been awhile since we have been able to do that. I am on the Wenatchee tomorrow with guests, so I also used my time with Mike as a little recon work for tomorrow. The weatherman is telling us that the air temps are suppose to drop into the teens tonight. If so, it could have a major impact on the fishing.
See ya on the river, Rod
October 5, 2009
The steelhead catching has slowed a bit. I have to believe that it has to do with the amount of pressure on the river. There have been lots of anglers on the river from Carlton downstream. I had guests out on Saturday. We met at 6:00 am and fished hard all day. The best we could do was two fish, one of which was a wild buck. Both fish were taken early morning just downstream of Carlton. Also, both the air and water temps have dropped some from the opening so that could have something to do with it. We had rod guides icing on Saturday morning.
On a side note, modern firearms deer hunting opened in Oregon on Saturday. My grandson Coby drew a tag there this year. Saturday evening he harvested his first buck; a beautiful three point Muley. Congratulations Coby, you did good. Dad and Grandlpa just want to say "THANKS" to long-time friend and fishing partner Rick Gilbert. Rick is the Farm Manager on the land that they were hunting. Rick's daughter, Katie, is still hunting for her first buck. Word is that she is holding out for a record book Muley.
See ya on the river, Rod
September 30, 2009
Methow River steelhead catching on the swing has been good, and that is all I have been doing for the last two days. Traditional patterns such as the Bomber, Spade, and Skunks have been producing fish. The fish seem to be well spread throughout the system, with Carlton downstream probably being the best fishing. Be prepared to see a lot of other anglers, but most of them are wearing smiles. Remember that hatchery fish are a mandatory keeper this year with four being the daily limit per angler.
See ya on the river, Rod
September 28, 2009
WDFW announced this evening that the Upper Columbia, Wenatchee, Icicle, Entiat, Methow, and Okanogan will open for steelhead fishing tomorrow September 29. There are some rule changes with the most important being: a "MANDATORY FOUR FISH KEEP LIMIT FOR ALL ADIPOSE REMOVED HATCHERY STEELHEAD." I have attached a copy of the official announcement for your convenience.
Upper Columbia, several other rivers
to open for hatchery steelhead fishing
Actions: Open the Columbia River from Rock Island Dam to 400 feet below Chief Joseph Dam, including the Wenatchee, Entiat, Methow, and Okanogan Rivers, Sept. 29, 2009, and Similkameen River, Nov. 1, 2009, to fishing for adipose-fin clipped hatchery-origin steelhead until further notice.
- The daily limit will be four adipose fin-clipped, hatchery-origin steelhead, 20-inch minimum size, per day.
- Mandatory retention of adipose fin-clipped hatchery origin steelhead.
- Selective gear rules apply with various exceptions in some areas (see below).
- A night closure is in effect for all waters for the duration of the fishery.
- Current salmon and all other game fish gear rules do not apply during the steelhead season.
- Release any steelhead with one or more round holes punched in the caudal (tail) fin.
1) The mainstem Columbia River from Rock Island Dam to 400 feet below Chief Joseph Dam. September 29, 2009, until further notice. Night closure and selective gear rules apply, except motorized vessels and bait are allowed. Release all coho and after Oct. 15, mandatory release of all salmon.
2) The Wenatchee River mouth to the sign about 800 feet below the most downstream side of Tumwater Dam. September 29, 2009, until further notice. Night closure and selective gear rules apply. Release all salmon.
3) Icicle River, from the mouth to 500 feet downstream of the Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery Barrier Dam. September 29, 2009-November 15, 2009. Three coho, minimum size 12 inches, may be retained daily. Release all floy-tagged coho.
4) The Entiat River upstream from the Alternate Highway 97 Bridge near the mouth of the Entiat River to 800 feet downstream of the Entiat National Fish Hatchery outfall. September 29, 2009, until further notice. Night closure and selective gear rules apply, except motorized vessels are allowed. Release all salmon.
5) The Methow River from the Hwy. 97 Bridge in Pateros upstream to the second powerline crossing, and from the first Hwy. 153 Bridge north of Pateros to the confluence with the Chewuch River in Winthrop, WA. CLOSED WATERS FROM SECOND POWERLINE CROSSING UPSTREAM TO THE FIRST HWY 153 BRIDGE. September 29, 2009 until further notice. Night closure and selective gear rules apply, except motorized vessels are allowed. Whitefish gear rules do not apply. Release all salmon.
6) The Okanogan River: CLOSED WATERS from the Lake Osoyoos Control Dam (Zosel Dam) downstream to the first Hwy 97 Bridge below Oroville Washington. September 29, 2009 until further notice. Night closure and selective gear rules apply, except motorized vessels are allowed.
7) The Similkameen River, from its mouth to 400 feet below Enloe Dam. November 1, 2009 until further notice. Night closure and selective gear rules apply.
Species affected: Steelhead.
Other information: Anglers are required to release all ad-present steelhead. Any steelhead caught with an intact adipose fin may not be totally removed from the water and must be released immediately. For all waters, mandatory release of all salmon unless otherwise noted above.
Reason for action: The fishery will reduce the number of excess hatchery-origin steelhead and consequently increase the proportion of natural-origin steelhead on the spawning grounds. Higher proportions of naturally produced spawners are expected to improve genetic integrity and stock recruitment of upper Columbia River steelhead through perpetuation of steelhead stocks with the greatest natural-origin lineage.
September 27, 2009
WDFW closed all fishing on the Methow River at 12:01 am, September 26, 2009. The following was their written announcement of the closure: Reason for action: The maximum number of steelhead encounters set by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s permit with NOAA Fisheries will likely have been reached by Sept. 25, 2009. The increasing presence of steelhead in the Methow River, coupled with increasing angler effort, have accelerated the number of steelhead encounters, necessitating a river closure to remain within incidental take limits set by NOAA Fisheries. The Endangered Species Act, Section 10, Permit 1554, addresses the incidental take of listed species separately for each fishery. Now we wait to see what happens with the steelhead fishing. Got to believe that it will be opening soon, and that it will include other Upper Columbia River tributaries as well as the Methow. "LONG-SUFFERING."
See ya on the river, Rod
September 22, 2009
I have to apologize for not clarifying that the steelhead in the picture above is a legally harvested '08/'09 hatchery fish taken this past March. With the number of fish already over Wells Dam and the early opening of the Hanford Reach for steelhead, I have to believe that we will soon be seeing the announcement for the opening of the Methow.
I was on the river on Sunday for a half-day. The fishing was slow, but we did manage to land a nice 18" cutthroat that attacked a Sofa Pillow. An opportunistic fish, that''s my kind of fish and the one that I am always looking for. I am headed to Eugene, OR tomorrow to give a presentation on trout and steelhead fishing in Eastern Washington at the Cascade Family Flyfishers monthly meeting. I was hoping to fish the North Umpqua, but it looks like that isn't going to work. Maybe another time.
Clint was on the Klickitat on Sunday and his guest was able to land a steelie. He said that the water had a lot of color and the fishing was slower. After hooking his fish, Jim had a 200 yd. sprint down stream through a rapid but he never gave up. Hooking a steelhead seems to give you that burst of energy that not much else in life does. You know - "you can leap buildings in a single bound," and your heart is pounding in your ears.
See ya on the river, Rod
September 19, 2009
Well I am back on the Methow. I spent the last two days with guests and the catching was fair. The dry and dropper worked best for us, and Thursday was a little better than Friday. A more natural stonefly pattern like a Bugmeister in a sz. 8 or 10 was the best dry. As for a dropper, the Montana Fly Pearl or Blue Lightening bugs have been working pretty good. In fact, we hooked a 20"+ cutthroat on the blue one on Thursday. Don did a good job of fighting the fish on the sz. 14 Lightening Bug and 5X tippet, but after several attempts at getting him into shallower water and the waiting net he popped loose. He was a beautiful fish in all of his fall glory.
Clint will be back on the Klickitat this weekend. I will let you know how he does.
See ya on the river, Rod
September14. 2009
Clint and I had the opportunity to fish the Klickitat together on Saturday. Even though the circumstances for the two of us being together weren't very pleasant, we enjoyed getting to spend a day on the river. We floated from Stinson to the Slide. The fishing and the companionship were great. The catching wasn't bad neither. We hooked 3 steelhead of which we managed to land one. The river had some color but overall was in pretty good shape.
The reason for Clint and I getting together was the recent passing of my Father, William (Bill) Griffin. I would like to dedicate this report to my Dad and to all the other Dad's out there who have taken the time to pass on the tradition of sharing the outdoors, especially hunting and fishing, with their children. My passion for fishing, hunting, and the outdoors is a direct result of the time spent with my Dad and Grandfather in the field and on the stream. We didn't have a lot of material things, but it wasn't important then and certainly not now when compared to all the joy that I have received through the traditions that they passed on to me. On Sunday when our family was all together, I couldn't help but reflect on the impact that my Dad has had on all of our lives - four generations - through one simple act of spending time sharing his love of hunting and fishing with us. THANKS DAD! I love you.
See ya on the river, Rod
September 8, 2009
Overall both the steelhead fishing on the Klickitat and the trout fishing on the Methow were pretty darn good. Clint fished on the Klickitat on Saturday. They were able to land 4 steelhead on the float from Stinson Flats to the Slide. They were nymphing with stoneflies and egg patterns. The water conditions were not great as you can see in the picture, but good enough. We like it when it is a little off color. The fish feel a little safer, and the insides can fish good.
I spent the last 3 days on the Methow and the cooler weather and increase in water flow has improved the trout fishing. The biggest fish we landed was about 16" and we saw a lot of cutthroat in the 11" to 14" range. I fished the Winthrop to Halterman Hole section over the 3 days. The afternoons and evenings fished better than the mornings. Dry fly fishing was the most effective method. We fished everything from my sz. 8 Wild Thing and Neapolitan foam bugs to sz. 14 Adams and sz. 12 PMDs. We saw a lot of natural mayflies and fish eating them on the surface in certain runs. The fish that we caught in these locations were pretty much cookie cutter fish of about 12". One of the best fish came up to a sz. 10 green Humpy and is still wearing it. It was one of those set the hook as the fish is going in the other direction maneuver's that happens from time to time.
By the way, have you taken a look at the steelhead counts in the Columbia? Bonneville has had over 523,000 fish over its ladder and Priest Rapids over 21,000 fish. Wells has just under 9,000 steelhead over it. I am not a gambler, but I think I will put my money on having a season on the Methow and Wenatchee. "I am excited." And I am wanting to get down to the Klickitat too. Clint is having way too much fun down there.
See ya on the river, Rod
September 4, 2009
I traded the fly rod and the oars for my 20 ga. Browning Citori and headed out with Pete and Pepper chasing grouse. No birds but the dogs had a great time. Pete hunted so hard that he found a likely rest spot in the shade and flopped himself down right in the middle of the trail we were on. Clint is on the Klickitat again today. I am headed back to the Methow tonight. I'll update you on the fishing in the next day or so.
See ya on the river or the trail, Rod
September 1, 2009
Clint fished the Klickitat on Saturday and got two steelhead to the net and broke one off. He floated from Stinson Flats to the take out at The Slide. With the hot weather, the river was off-color in the morning but clearing in the afternoon. They hooked all three fish in the afternoon after the river had started to clear in the lower sections of this float. In the Klickitat as with all eastern Washington Rivers, wild fish are to be released and hatchery fish retained.
See ya on the river, Rod
August 31, 2009
I was on the river for the last three days, and the catching has improved somewhat. We hooked a lot of smaller fish with one or two in the 14 to 16 inch range. A big dry and dropper combination seemed to be the best technique for us. A blue or pearl Montana Fly sz. 14 Lightening Bug was the best dropper we used. The river is low at about 347 cfs, when compared to the mean flow which is normally about 500 cfs. The steelhead counts over the Columbia River dams are looking good. There are 480,000+ fish over Bonneville with close to 12,000 fish over Priest Rapids. Wells dam has had close to 5,000 fish cross over it. It is looking good for a steelhead opening on the Wenatchee and Methow. "HOPE."
See ya on the river, Rod
August 23, 2009
The water temperature has bumped back up to the mid 60's again, and the flows have dropped to just over 400 cfs. The result is poor catching. The fish that we are hooking are taking the bug in the head of the runs in the faster more oxygenated water. We are working hard for the ones we get. Now is the time to hang on to the "HOPE" and keep "PERSEVERING."
See ya on the river, Rod
August 16, 2009
The catching has improved. Over the last few days, the water temps have cooled down and we are seeing some good fish on the big dries. I checked the water temp yesterday about mid-day and it was 58 degrees. Jim and I floated below Carlton and he landed several good fish. The biggest being a 19" cutthroat. Sorry, I didn't get a picture but we had him on for quite a spell. We didn't want to take a chance on over stressing him. The weather has been cooler but is suppose to heat up again about mid-week. Take advantage of my latest special - Full-day trip for 2 on the Methow through the end of trout season for $350.00. Lets go fishing!
See ya on the river, Rod
August 8, 2009
Yesterday was another slow day of catching. We fished both dries and nymphs and were able to scratch out three good fish from 16" to 18", but overall it isn't what it can be. Water temperatures in the afternoon were between 66 and 70 degrees. I started at 6:30am, but even the early morning wasn't as good as I had expected. The good fish that we are turning just seem to be bumping the bug and not really eating it, and we are seeing a lot of smaller fish doing the same thing. Traditionally, August is great dry fly fishing, and because we always have "HOPE" we expect the catching to improve. When you do get one hooked make sure you get it in, keep it in the water, revive it, and set it free. They fight hard and the warmer water really stresses them.
See ya on the river, Rod
August 6, 2009
Clint was on the river Monday and Tuesday. The big dry fly fishing was good through the morning but slowed in the afternoon each day. I was out yesterday, and the fishing was slow all day. Geoff and Andrew fished hard all day. The fish just didn't cooperate. The weather has cooled today with the air temperature at Carlton at 83 degrees. I took a water temperature 3 times yesterday afternoon. It ranged from 64 to 66 degrees. Those were taken mid-stream in current. I will be fishing again tomorrow. I am planning an early start; like 6:00 or 6:30 am. I will let you know how it goes.
See ya on the river, Rod
August 2, 2009
HOT, HOT, HOT!!! I have to believe that the hot weather and warmer water temps along with the severe thunderstorms have been the cause of the catching slow-down. Clint and I did a two boat trip on Friday and the fishing was tough. Also, dirty water from the Chewuch River resulting from the thunderstorms started coloring the lower Methow by the afternoon and the river was a complete bust on Saturday. It is clearing today and is fishable this afternoon. Clint has a trip tomorrow and Tuesday, and I will let you know how it goes. We are seeing alot of hoppers now. Big dries alone or with beadhead droppers as well as deep nymphing have been our primary tactics. When nymphing we have been using a DB Speckled Leg Stone or Pat's Stone with a Copper John, Prince, Caddis Pupae, etc. You can get the DB Stone at the Carlton General Sore. It is one of the Montana Fly Co. patterns. I have also hung a cone headed zuddler on the end of a type 6 tip and ran it through the deep runs with some success. A Caddis Pupae, Copper John, or Prince behind the streamer can also be effective.
See ya on the river, Rod
July 26, 2009
Well we spent a few hours over the last few days on the bank sitting out the lightenting strikes that were hammering the valley. We alsp spent a little time saying one thousand one, one thousand two, etc. to see how far away the strikes were from our location. And we spent a lot of time listening to the sirens on fire equipment racing up and down the road. The fishing was fair but nothing to jump up and down about. The decent fish were few and far between. The small fish kept our hopes up. There are alot of salmon smolt and juvenile steelhead in the river right now and they like red and pink. We have also landed a fair number of 9" to 12" Rainbows and Cutthroat, and that is a good thing. The highlight of the week was when Leon had a huge Bull Trout try to eat an 11" or 12" Cutthroat he hooked on a big dry. It was awesome. I have started seeing quite a few hoppers and have had some success on old reliables like the Dave's Hopper. One thing that I want to remind you of is that the water temps are warming and there have been aA few dead fish showing up. I personally saw a nice 17" or 18" trout belly up floating past my boat. Please land the fish as quickly as possible, keep the fish in the water, and forget the pictures when necessary. "Keeping a recently landed fish out of the water is like someone sticking your head underwater after running a mile."
See ya on the river, Rod
July 19, 2009
I was on the Yakima yesterday with Project Healing Waters participants and what an honor it was to share my boat with a young soldier who has served our country well. Thanks Brett for letting me take you fishing. And my thanks to Chuck Tye, Northwest Regional Coordinator, for Project Healing Waters for allowing me to take part in this worthy project.
The fishing on the Methow over the past week has had its ups and downs. We have still managed to catch fish, but there have been days when we had to work pretty hard to get it done. As you can see from the picture however, the rewards are well worth the effort. We had one day this week that the morning fishing was awesome and the afternoon just plain shut down. Go figure - that is why we call it "fishing" and not "catching."
See ya on the river, Rod
July 12, 2009
Sorry I have't updated the report for a few days, but I have been busy on the river and that is a good thing. The dry fly fishing on the Methow has been good. Actually, we have caught fish both nymphing and on dries; but if I can throw a dry and get a fish to eat it that is what I will be doing. Yesterday the big dries fished well, and we landed one 20" cutthroat and several more that were in the 15" to 18" range. Sorry I can't show you a picture of the big boy, but Al decided to turn him loose just before I snapped the picture. We also broke one off just above the take out that may have been just a bit bigger. Clint started a little earlier than I did and fished below Carlton. He went to a standard nymph rig after starting with dries and did well on Copper John droppers below a stonefly. The river is in great shape and is continuing its steady drop. It was just over 1000 cfs this morning.
See ya on the river, Rod
July 7, 2009
Over the last 5 days the fishing on the Methow River has been good. We have caught fish on both dries and nymphs. We have been seeing good numbers of Caddis late in the evening but most of our fish have been taken on big dries. Yesterday morning we had a pretty severe thunderstorm and even had some marble size hail for about 10 minutes. It was the toughest fishing of the last five days. And we had to nymph to catch fish. My friend Jim Wise fished with Clint on Saturday and was able to land a 20" cutthroat on a foam bug. He saw one bigger but was just a little too impatient to wait out the slow rise to the fly. Current flow is down around 1300 cfs.
See ya on the river, Rod
July 2, 2009
The dry fly fishing on the Methow river yesterday was the best I have seen it this year. Brad and Lori caught fish on both nymphs and dries. We had so much fun on the dries that we did not nymph very long. We saw a fair number of Caddis and Mayflies, but we caught fish on big dries like stimis and foam creatures. It is only going to get better. If you have to nymph - Stoneflies with bead head droppers like Lightening Bugs, Prince Nymphs, and the like are working well. Sorry, I don't have a new picture for you, but my old camera quit on me. I had to buy a new one and haven't ran the software yet so I can transfer them to the lap top. Our biggest fish was an LDR, but Lori was able to land a 17" Cutthroat.
See ya on the river, Rod
June 26, 2009
I spent the day with my two best friends, Pete and Pepper, my two setters floating and fishing the Methow. I floated from Twisp to Carlton. Since I was by myself, I spent more time floating rather than fishing. However, what fishing I did get in
was pretty darn good. I caught fish on both dries and nymphs. The biggest fish of the day was a 19" cutthroat on a big dry. The take was classic. I could see him coming and it was in slow motion. Talk about "Longsuffering;" it was hard not to pull the trigger on him. And fight, he made to great runs to the center of the river jumping at least 3 times each run. It has been awhile since I was into my backing on a trout reel, but he did it twice. I love the Methow.
See ya on the river, Rod
June 18, 2009
I fished the Upper Yakima from South Cle Elum to the Thorp Bridge. Despite the "Gale Force" winds in the afternoon, we had decent fishing. Nymphing with stoneflies and a San Juan Worm was the most effective technique we used, but we also turned several fish on big dries. The biggest fish of the day was on a nymph, and the only thing that would have been better is if we could have gotten a picture of him. The big rainbow broke off right at the boat, and lets just say he was big. The river was in great shape and the fishing should only get better.
See ya on the river, Rod
June 13, 2009
All the area rivers are dropping nicely and the clarity is improving. I haven't been on the Yakima for awhile, but I am hearing some good reports from down that way. The upper river is running at about 3000 to 3500 cfs and is starting to fish. I was in the Methow valley for 3 days last week. It is coming into shape with the flow at the Pateros monitoring station at about 4400 cfs. The section of river between Winthrop and Twisp is really starting to look good. Also, I talked with Rolfe at the Klickitat Trader after I saw that the flows down there were just over 2000 cfs. He told me that the Klickitat is fishable. In fact he was headed out to swing one of his chosen runs. I am ready to fish a river.
See ya on the river, Rod
June 1, 2009
As you can see from the picture Chopaka Lake is an awesome place to be, and the fishing is just icing on the cake. All of the campsites were full this weekend and then some. For everyone except the Chironomid anglers, I guess I'd have to say the fishing was fair. And for the four guys who anchored up in front of our camp and fished Chironomids; it was one fish after another. The fish are healthy and fought well; going in the air at least twice and sometimes more. One of the NWF ladies landed a 22" bow on a Damsel Nymph. It was fun.
The local rivers are still high and dirty with the warm weather, and may be that way for awhile. I plan on heading up on the Methow later in the week and explore more of the stillwaters in the Okanogan. There are plenty of them and lots of fish diversity with Rainbows, Browns, Tiger, Brook, and Cutthroat Trout as well as Bass.
See ya on the river or maybe even a stillwater, Rod
May 29, 2009
All of the local rivers are blown. However, on the Methow the whitewater rafters love it. Well - our turn is coming. The opener for the Methow and the Twisp rivers is June 6. They may not be in shape right off the bat, but they will come into shape and O' BOY. Until then I am fishing some of the lakes in the Methow area. I am heading to Chopaka this weekend to give it a try. My friend has a NWF Club outing there this weekend, and it should be alot of fun. All of these ladies are very serious about their fishing. Hopefully, I will have a good report for you when we get back.
See ya on the river, Rod
May 17, 2009
Clint and I fished the Yakima from Ringer to Red's yesterday. We started about 11am and took off at 5pm. It was a beautiful day with lots of sunshine and an afternoon temp of about 83 degrees. We even did the float wearing shorts and sandals. Lots of Caddis throughout the entire float but no fish eating on top. We tried both dries and nymphs. The nymphs were the most productive. Both the Pat's Stone and Pearl Lightening Bug were about equally effective. The rest of the story is that the river is off-color with about 1.5 ft. of visibility and in the mid 4000 cfs range. With each passing day, I get more excited about the opener on the Methow and Twisp Rivers on the first Saturday of June. By the way, this opening date is new this year. In past years these streams have opened on June 1, so don't head to the river on June 1. It could be a costly mistake. Always give WDFW regulations a second look, it could keep you from an embarrassing moment,
See ya on the river, Rod
May 5, 2009
I attended the FFF Fly Fishing Fair in Ellensburg over the weekend. I saw many old friends that I haven't seen in awhile and it was really great. I want to say "Thanks" to all of my friends who stopped by to say hello, and all of the new friends that I met there. It was a great weekend as I got to talk fishing for the better part of two days.
I called Clint this morning to see if I could get a Lower Yakima Bass report from the weekend. We haven't made contact yet, but I will give you a follow up as soon as I do.
See ya on the river, Rod
April 28, 2009
Sorry for not updating my report for awhile, but I have been turkey hunting and most of the Eastern Washington rivers have been ever changing as to their fishability. As for the turkey hunting, it will run through the end of May; and I harvested a mature Tom with an 8 inch beard the first hour of the first day. With turkey hunting however you can actually kill three birds. I still have a second tag to fill.
Fished Patterson Lake and Little Twin this past weekend and the fishing was good on Little Twin. Just in case you are not sure where these lakes are; you can find them just off the highway that goes to Sun Mountain Lodge between Twisp and Winthrop. All the fish hooked were 15" and above with a few at the 20" mark. An Olive Seal Bugger got it done. Clint tells me that the lower Yakima is starting to level off, and he expects to check out the Bass fishing this weekend. As for me, I will have a booth at the FFF Fly Fishing Fair being held at Ellensburg. Stop by and say "Hello" if you get a chance.
See ya on the river, Rod
April 10, 2009
With the Methow closed until the trout season opener on June 1, my attentions have been diverted to turkey hunting and trout and bass fishing on the Yakima. The turkey hunting opens April 15 and runs through the end of May. How cool to be dressed in camo sneaking around in the woods talking with turkeys. In fact, I am more into the calling than I am the harvesting. It is a heart in the throat experience - for sure.
I haven't been down on the Yakima for awhile, but it looks like the flows are up and reports are that the only decent visibility is above the Teanaway. God willing, I plan on checking out the bass fishing in the lower river within the next couple of weeks and the trout fishing a little sooner. That is if the river is fishable and not full of run-off. Water temps in the 60 degree range are key for smallmouth bass.
See Ya on the River, Rod
March 31, 2009
Well it is all over except for the storytelling. Today is the last day to fish for steelhead on the Methow, and now we have to wait for the trout fishing to open June 1. Over the last week the fishing has slowed, and it may be that the steelhead have only one thing on their minds and that is to spawn. Remember, our fishing licenses expire today and the catch record cards have to be sent in to WDFW by April 30.
It is time for me to get busy on the Yakima. That includes the smallmouth bass fishery on the lower river as well as rainbows and cutts throughout the catch and release section. Normally late April, May, and June are the best months for big bass from Horn Rapids to the mouth. Water temps are key for the pre-spawn fishing - thats when you find the hogs.
See ya on the river, Rod
March 22, 2009
As you can see from the picture, the steelhead are still interested. This buck was taken on Sunday afternoon in a run that had alot of pressure all weekend. We have only seven days left in the season, and it should finish strong. Once again, please keep the hatchery fish. It is the reason for the season. Set only the wild ones free.
I have also been seeing some pretty darn good mayfly hatches and some really nice cutthroat eating them. I am getting anxious for the trout season to open in June. With the below average snow pack, we could have some really good trout fishing in June shortly after the opener. The key is flows that are 1500 cfs and below.
See ya on the river, Rod
March 18, 2009
Sorry I haven't gotten a report up for several days, but I have been on the Methow the last eight days both guiding and fishing. The river is fishing good. We have managed to hook multiple fish every day. The weather has warmed and it is a whole lot more pleasant than it was a week ago. The temperature yesterday was in the high 40's and lots of sunshine. The river should continue to fish well right up through the closing the end of the month. The fish are in their winter holds in slower deeper water. Bug colors should be combinations of blue, black, pink, and chartreuse. One more tip: don't make a lot of commotion when entering the run. The water is clear and low and the fish are easily spooked. If you hook a fish, rest the run for 15 to 20 minutes and give it another try. The run is more than likely holding several fish.
See ya on the river, Rod
March 11, 2009
It's cold. Temperatures never reached 30 degrees today on the Methow, and the ice was floating down the river most of the day. However, I was already there so I fished anyway, and was able to hook and release a wild fish. It is suppose to start warming a bit tomorrow and even more on Friday so the fishing should be on track this weekend. It also looks like the fishing will be kept open through the end of the month.
See ya on the river, Rod
March 9, 2009
I woke up this morning an hour behind time. It took me half a day to recognize that day-light-savings time started today. I was still operating on Methow River time. The steelhead fishing on the Methow is staying pretty consistent between early spring cold snaps and snow storms. The ground is white in Wenatchee this morning, and the weatherman tells us it is suppose to be cold, 10+ degrees, tonight and high 20s Monday. Warming on Tuesday, the fishing should be back on track Wednesday or Thursday. Fish your bugs slow and deep and you should see a steelhead.
See ya on the river, Rod
March 4, 2009
It was a beautiful day on the Methow. Lots of sunshine, maybe even just a little too much for the steelhead. Although, we managed to have fun with a couple of them. The snow is slowly melting, and spring is just around the corner. Walking in to runs is fairly easy right now. Floating takes a little more ingenuity as many of the accesses still have snow and getting a boat in and out of the river is not easy. In most cases longer floats are required making it difficult to slow down and adequately fish the better runs. Being a steelheader really pushes "FAITH, PERSEVERANCE, HOPE" to the edge, but the rewards are awesome.
See ya on the River, Rod
March 1, 2009
Colder temps on the Yakima have made the fish a little less willing. I spent the day in the farmlands yesterday, and we had to work hard to catch a fish. A Skwala dry late afternoon produced no opportunistic fish, but it was fun to watch the dry rather than a bobber.
See ya on the River, Rod
GRIFF'S BLOG: February 25, 2009
I have spent the last two days fishing the Methow and with the warmer temps the steelheadin' is starting to pick up. Barring any more extreme cold weather or the river closing it should just keep getting better into and through March. It is important that you report creel census information honestly and accurately. Fishing for steelhead on the Methow is a privilege rather than a right because of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) requirements in effect on the fishery. Hatchery fish are to be kept and wild fish released.
See ya on the river, Rod
GRIFF'S BLOG: February 23, 2009
Mike Kinney and I fished the Skagit on Wednesday and Thursday. The river is low and clear and the steelhead fishing was tough. Those in the know on the river believe that a rain is needed to raise the flow and give it a little color to improve the fishing.
Brian, Trevor, and I fished the Yakima on Saturday and had a great day of fishing. The catching wasn't red hot, but we managed to hook a handful of fish on nymphs and two nice bows on Skwala dry flies. Trevor landed a 17" bow on a peacock Winged Thing and Brian got one about the same size about 15 minutes later on a Skwala pattern of my own design. It should only get better.
See ya on the river, Rod
FISHING REPORT: February 16, 2009
I got to spend the day fishing the Yakima with Clint yesterday. We do not get to fish together as much as we used to, so we both really cherish the time that we get to spend together fishing now. We floated from Umtanum to M.P. 10. It snowed and drizzled on us most of the day, but the fishing was pretty darn good. Rainbows and White Fish were willing to take our offerings. Clint tried streamers a couple of times with no success. Nymphing was the most productive technique. We caught fish on most everything we tried: sz. 8 Pat's Stone, sz. 10 Pink San Juan Worn, sz. 14 Prince Harry, sz. 16 Red Copper John, sz. 16 "Formerly Known As" Prince Nymph. We are suppose to see a warming trend with temps moving into the 40"s so the fishing should get even better. Looking forward to fishing a dry Skwala or a BWO.
Mike is doing a trip on the Skagit today, so we will let you know how it fished in the next day or two.
See ya on the river, Rod
FISHING REPORT: February 13, 2009
I swung a marabou dredger pattern yesterday on the Methow for about 4 hours with no success, but got some temporary relieve for the "Cabin Fever." The river is in shape and the float and jig guys as well as a few nymphing fly fisherman have been picking up fish. It kind of depends on the day and the conditions. I happened to pick a day that was 27 degrees and spitting snow most of the afternoon. It was impossible to keep ice from forming on the guides, and I even had my reel freeze. The fish are there, and it can be pretty darn good when the conditions are right.
See ya on the river, Rod
FISHING REPORT: February 5, 2009
I spent the day at Rufus Woods yesterday trying to hook-up on some of those big triploids that live in this back water behind Chief Joseph dam. My friend Keith Roe had the day off, and he went with me. We fished out of my drift boat with rabbit leech patterns and managed to land one fish that was about 20" with two LDR's and 3 other tugs. The best color was black. Forgive me for not getting a picture, but I still haven't retrieved my camera from Kinney yet.
Speaking of Mike he just got back from the Clackamas River in Oregon, where he was doing some teaching with Mark Bachmann a well known Deschutes River guide and fly shop owner from Welches, OR. I am hoping to get over on the Sauk and Skagit with Mike in the next couple of weeks to check out the steelhead fishing. I also talked with my contact on the Grande Ronde. The river is in great shape, and they are picking up fish.
I am hearing some decent reports from the Yakima. I hope to get down there this weekend. The fishing is starting to turn around. Let's go fishing!
See ya on the river, Rod
FISHING REPORT: January 22, 2009
The cold weather and inversion is not helping us with the fishing here on the east side. The average daily temperatures have been in the mid-20's, and it doesn't look much better for the remainder of the week. The 7 day forecast is calling for more of the same. The weatherman is saying that the temperatures in the Carlton area are going to be in the single digits this weekend. I don't believe the steelhead fishing on the Methow will improve until it warms up. On a positive note, I have tied quite a few Skwala Stonefly patterns in anticipation of loosing a few on the Yakima in late February. I also have taken advantage of the situation to get an early start on tying some good cutthroat patterns for this summer.
Regards, Rod
FISHING REPORT: January 14, 2009
The snow is all gone here in Wenatchee. Thankfully, we did not get any flooding on the Methow nor Wenatchee Rivers. I was on the Methow over the weekend and there was a fairly heavy snowfall on Saturday. There is about 1.5 to 2 feet of snow in places, but the river was open and fishable between Carlton and Winthrop. I swung a leech pattern at the Twisp bridge for about an hour, but decided to give it up when I couldn't keep the ice out of my guides. The last straw was when my reel froze. Just too darn hard on the gear. However, it helped me recover from the fever I had: "Cabin Fever." I talked with Keith Roe this evening. He fished today below Carlton with no success. Looks like we are going to have to wait for it to warm a bit. Hopefully, we will be able to fish for steelhead through the end of March. February and March can be very good if the conditions are right. Warmer water temps with no early run-off.
I had to go to Yakima on Monday, and traveled down the canyon. The Yakima was still high and dirty after the recent flooding. With no other early run-off problems, February should be good fishing, and we will be looking forward to the Blue Winged Olive and early Skwala Stonefly fishing.
Good news. My friend Al Lynch, the owner of the Carlton General Store, Cafe, and RV park is planning on opening a small fly shop in Carlton. I have been helping him with product lines and contacting product reps. I will be operating my guide service out of his shop. He hopes to have the shop set up in the next few months and in full swing by the trout opener in June.
Regards, Rod
