December 17, 2011

I hit the river again today at about noon.  It did not get much above freezing today, and ice in the guides was a given all afternoon.  I still managed to land a nice 28" hatchery buck.  Center pinning or nymphing is the
most effective way to fish right now.  The offering has to be right in front of them and bumping them on the nose.  Covering a run thoroughly is also very important.  An inch one way or another can make the difference.  Be careful on the shelf ice.  You could find yourself in the river.

See ya on the river, Rod

December 16, 2011

I spent a few days in Pomeroy and was going to fish the Snake again; however, the weather conditions were almost as bad as here on the Methow plus major fog.  So I didn't get it done.  I did have a good time visiting friends.  I returned home yesterday, and the dogs and I hit the Methow this afternoon.  The air temperature was about 34 F.  We fished above Carlton and just  below Twisp.   It was pretty darn good.  I landed a 5 or 6 lb. wild buck steelhead and a great looking cutthroat that was almost as big as the steelhead.  Great homecoming!

See ya on the river, Rod

December 7, 2011

The dogs and I hit the river this afternoon about noon.  We did not fish much though as there was just a bit too much floating ice to get an effective swing.  We fished yesterday afternoon.  I swung a couple of runs with no success.  The fishing window is pretty darn short.  Most days its noon before it gets above freezing and yesterday by 3:00 pm I couldn't keep the ice out of my guides.  I checked the river above Twisp late this afternoon.  It was mostly ice free and there was "0" floating ice.  You can bet that I will be there tomorrow.  If the ice gets worse, I'm headed back to the Snake or Ronde to fish for a few days.

Oh by the way, I am in the planning process of putting together another 2 day package for the Grande Ronde for next fall and maybe even this spring in late February, March, or the 1st part of April.  It stays open for steelhead through April 15.  Stay tuned!

See ya on the river, Rod

December 5, 2011

The dogs and I spent the afternoon on the river.  It was about 18 F when I got up, and when I hit the river at about 11:30 am there were both shelf ice and floating ice in many of the shady areas.  The section from Carlton to Upper Burma Bridge was probably the worst.  I fished below the town of Methow in the sunshine. It was probably about 35 F and the catching; well, I managed to land a 7lb. wild buck.  I have to share the story with you. 

I started out swinging the run with a 12' chunk of T-13 and an unweighted Marabou Spider pattern that I tie.  I had made about 3 or 4 moves down the run and just started to retrieve my running line for my next cast, when on the 3rd strip I felt a soft grab. I wasn't really paying much attention and missed the fish.  I have landed some nice cutthroat in this run; so, I kind of thought it was a trout instead of a steelhead.  I finished swinging the run with no more action.  I had my center pin so I started fishing it in some of the slower water on the far-side of the run.  I had made 4 or 5 drifts when my set-up hit the outside of the fast water seam about where I had the grab.  I remember thinking to myself, "oh well, maybe I'll hook the trout," when my float went down.  I picked up on the rod, felt the resistance and the movement of a fish.  I still thought I had a trout and then came the run, yep - sure enough - it was a steelhead.  I felt pretty good about getting him to grab my swung offering.  If I had been just a little more persistent with the swung bug, I may have got him hooked up. Great afternoon with my dogs on the river!

See ya on the river, Rod 

December 2, 2011

Well, I am back in the Methow Valley.  I had a great time with my Sister and Mom over the Thanksgiving holiday, and spent several days fishing the Snake River above Asotin.  The weather was great and the fishing was awesome.  I had daytime temperatures up to 60+, and the water temperatures in the Snake were as high as 48 degrees.  I spent the entire time swinging a dry line and damp flies.  I landed a nice wild hen of about 9lbs. and missed another that boiled behind my Lingren Indispensable with a pluck, pluck, pluck, pluck.  It was real soft, and I kept waiting for the big tug when I should have set the hook I guess.  Oh well, it was awesome.  

Yesterday, I fished the Methow and landed a 10 lb. hatchery hen.  Keith tells me that his catching has been good.  On Wednesday, he took home 2 hatchery fish.  It was kind of a shock coming back to the colder weather, but as long as the river doesn't freeze - it should be decent catching.  Slow and deep is key.

See ya on the river, Rod

November 21, 2011

I fished two days ago.  The day time temperature was about 36 F.  The catching was "0".  I swung one of my favorite runs with my 13' TFO, a Skagit head, a 9' chunk of T-13, and a weighted Lingren Indispensible.  No grabs.  However, I am pretty darn confident that had I been fishing a nymph rig or my center pin through one of those slow, slow tank pools that we have here; I would have caught fish.

Hey by the way, I just got my latest edition of Fly Fusion Magazine.  There is a great article in it called "Winter Steelheaders" ~by APRIL VOKEY~.  The whole thing is good.  I'd love to put it in this report, but I think you should read it for yourself.  However, I am going to share the last two paragraphs.  This is in tribute to those whom fish in the winter for steelhead.  The ones who spend long hours in the freezing cold and often times don't even get a grab for there effort, but do not complain because the "fishing is always awesome."  They have learned to separate the fishing and the catching.

"It is a mentality and a temperament that I only wish could be inherited by all freshwater anglers.  It's one that cannot be taught, passed down, preached, pushed, or posted on the net.  Rather, it's one that comes with the cliched gospel of blood, sweat and tears; one that is authentic and sure to change the patience of all those who are up to the challenge.

They are the appreciative, the deserving, the elite and the knowing.  They are the old-school breed of "work hard to reap the rewards," "no pain no gain" mottos and "appreciate all that encompasses the sport of fly-fishing."  They are winter steelheaders and I am thankful for every one of them I meet."  Thank you April.  Well said.

I am spending the Thanksgiving holiday with my Mom and Sister in Pomeroy.  I'm headed out either tomorrow or Wednesday morning.  I'm going to spend a few days in my old stomping grounds.  I plan on picking up my Argosy on the Grande Ronde, swinging a fly on the Snake for steelhead, and hunt some upland birds with my dogs.  Should be fun!  I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of you and yours a very "Blessed Thanksgiving."

See ya on the river, Rod

November 17, 2011

I woke up to about 5" to 7" of new snow this morning.  With the sunshine and above freezing temperatures from mid-morning to mid-afternoon, some of it melted.  Although, we are suppose to get more over the next few day.  The temperature is also suppose to get colder through the weekend with at least one night of lows in the single digits.  By the time I decided to go fish this afternoon, it was already too late.  The dogs and I will just have to wait and see what tomorrow brings.  I offered to let Pepper outside about 7:00 pm, and she didn't want any part of it.  Smart girl!

See ya on the river, Rod

November 15, 2011

The dogs and I spent a few hours on the river this afternoon.  The air temperature was in the high 30's and some sunshine.  I managed to land a hatchery buck of about 7 lbs.  I swung through the run first using a 9ft. chunk of T-12 and a bug called the Kilowatt.  No fish. Then I fished through the slower section with my center pin and enticed the buck into taking my offering.  Boy, once that sun starts going behind the hill it gets cold.  Suppose to be in the teens tonight and snow tomorrow.  Just the way we like it - keeps the other anglers sittin' by the fire.

See ya on the river, Rod

November 9, 2011

It was a little warmer here in the valley today.  It actually got up over 40 degrees this afternoon.  I met up with Keith late morning, and we fished together for the first time since steelhead season opened.  We had a good day.  Both of us headed home with hatchery fish.  The center pin did its job today.  Slow and deep is key right now.  You have to bump them on the nose to get them to take the bug. 

See ya on the river, Rod

November 8, 2011

I fished with John on a half day today.  I had a great day with John but the catching wasn't so great.  This cold weather we are having doesn't make it easy.  Even Keith was complaining today.  It never got above 36 degrees today.  We had to deal with ice in the rod guides right up until noon.  If it doesn't warm up a bit, I'm afraid we are going to be able to walk on the water soon.

See ya on the river, Rod

November 6, 2011

The last two days fishing with Judy and Hal was awesome.  We walked into some old reliables and the catching was not red hot but decent.  Best of all, Judy landed her first wild steelhead yesterday, and she talked about it all the way back to the Yukon.  She is definitely into fishing.  I am doing everything from swinging a dry line to nymphing with a combination of different bugs including sz. 14 & 16 nymphs.  A sz. 14 Copper John by itself was what Judy's wild fish fell for.

See ya on the river, Rod

November 3, 2011

Just wanted to say - the picture above is just one reason I had such a great time on the Grande Ronde this year.  I started Jason on one of my switch rods one day prior to the picture.  The picture is Jason with his first steelhead ever, and he landed two more for the day.  What a great time I had with him, and his fishing partner Mike on this trip.

Now back to the Methow.  The second day with Dave the catching was not near as good.  We never touched a fish all day.  That's the way steelheading is some days, but the good catching days far out weigh the bad ones and keep you coming back. On the river tomorrow with Judy and Hal.  These chilly mornings we've been having make me want to stay in bed with the dogs.

Oh by the way, because of the outcome of my October on the Grande Ronde.  I plan on doing the same package next year in October.  Stay tuned for more information on this package deal.

See ya on the river, Rod

November 2, 2011

Fishing yesterday with Dave was awesome, and the catching was pretty darn good too.  The best I have seen since returning from the Grande Ronde.  We had two rods with us: the double hander and the center pin.  The most effective yesterday was the center pin from the boat.  Back on with Dave again today, so stay tuned.  It was 22 degrees when we started yesterday and it is 18 at my cabin this morning.  A little chilly!

See ya on the river, Rod

October 31, 2011

Over the last week we saw a pretty steep dip in the night time temperatures here in the valley.  Early morning temps have been as low as 18 degrees and continue to be in the low to mid 20's.  It is hard to keep the guides from icing up until 10 or 11 am when it warms up.  In my opinion, the catching is far from great.  I have had the last couple of days off, and it was nice to get caught up on a few things that needed taken care of.  I was on the river for awhile today and managed to land a Coho.  Anglers are allowed to harvest Coho - 3 per angler.  The river is in great shape with the flow at 543 cfs.  I will be out tomorrow with my guest Dave, so stay tuned.

See ya on the river, Rod 

October 26, 2011

Fished with Rob Winters yesterday.  He chose to fish my preferred way; a dry line and a swung fly.  The fishing was awesome, and we had a great time.  The catching, well the catching was tough.  We had bright sun all day except for the morning fishing and the air temperature when we started was 24 degrees.  I took a water temp about mid-day and my thermometer said 43 degrees.  My friend Keith got to fish yesterday.  He fishes a float rod and his custom bugs, and he reported 4 fish and two were hatchery fish.  He was down in the lower river.  By the way Keith has started his custom bug business - so if you want some I can help you out or call him directly at 509-429-5126 or email him at Keith Roe kroes_nest@methow.com.

See you on the river, Rod

October 23, 2011

I finished up my last trip on the Grande Ronde on the 20th and headed back to the Methow, with boat in tow, on the 21st.  The fishing on the Grande Ronde was awesome.  I got to visit with many old friends and made some new ones along the way.  Even in a remote area like the Ronde, I was reminded of the many trials that can come our way in this thing called life.  My good friend and owner of Boggan's Oasis, Bill Vail, suffered a stroke and is currently in the Advanced Care Health Center in Post Falls, Idaho.  My heart goes out to Bill and his wife Farrell and family.  The great team of employees that they have bucked up and continued to operate the business in the same manner that Boggan's is known for.  Get well soon Bill!

The catching on the Ronde was pretty typical steelhead fishing.  One day great, one day OK, and one day "0."  Overall I averaged about 2 fish to hand per day.  The most rewarding days were the two days when two brand new steelheaders landed their first steelhead and on the swing too.

I fished the Methow on the 22nd with Kirk and Rick.  The catching was mighty slow, but Kirk managed to hook a fish late in the day.  Only one problem, he thought it was a rock, didn't get quite the hook set he needed to finish the job, and lost the fish.  Oh well, that is what keeps you coming back.  My friend Susan and I skated flies all day today.  She got a boil; and me, well I got excited and took my "Leroy Hyatt" tied bomber away from a nice fish.  Great day!

See ya on the river, Rod

October 9, 2011

Rod is still down on the Grande Ronde but he managed to get to a phone to call in a report. The weather has cooled, the river level has come up a bit and the fishing is improving. Rod was out with guests 4 days this week and averaged about 3 fish/day to hand - some on the swing, some nymphing and some skating. He's been floating the stretch from State-Line to Boggan's; the photo above was taken just below Boggan's Oasis. If you have never been to the Ronde, you are missing out on a true Northwest gem. The scenery in this deep canyon is spectacular and unlike anything else in Washington; it's worth a trip just for the views as you wind your way down the long steep road into the canyon. The fantastic fall steelheading is what draws most folks here but it is hard to imagine fishing in a more majestic place! If you want to get a hold of Rod while he is on the Grande Ronde, you can leave a message for him at Boggan's: (509) 256-3372

It is raining tonight in the Methow, possibly good news for those who have Columbus Day off. It was pretty busy on the river this weekend so those who can fish tomorrow might find that the rain gets the fish moving and hopefully, there will be fresh fish in some of the runs. Most of the people I talked to this weekend were hooking a couple of fish/day, both hatchery and wild. I've been skating big dries all fall because when the warm autumn sun is beating down on my back, I find it hard to fish any other way. The cold weather will be here soon enough (there was frost last night) and I'll switch over to nymphing. So for now, I'm holding on to the remnants of summer and trying to entice those big fish into rising to a dry. This afternoon, I had one torpedo clear out of the water as I swung a Sofa Pillow through a run. I would have been happy to call it a day but I was fishing with my buddy David Williams who wanted some steelhead pictures for an article he's working on. So, I finally caved late in the day and put on a new stonefly pattern that I cooked up last night. Sure enough, as soon as the stone and small globug dropper drifted into a small patch of slower, glassy water, the indicator went down and I found a heavy fish on the other end. Not bad for the first cast on a new pattern. In the very next run, a feisty wild buck grabbed the new stone so I guess I'll be tying up more of those bugs soon!

Sue


September 30, 2011

Well I got back to Boggan's Monday evening in time for supper.  I spent Tuesday and Wednesday floating everything from State-Line to Boggan's.  No fish, but I spent the majority of the time checking river conditions only stopping in a couple of runs each day to fish them.  Yesterday I fished with friends who make an annual migration in October to the Ronde.  We drove into Shumaker and spent the day seriously swinging a couple of runs.  We landed two wild hens and had another player.  Catching should improve as more fish move into the river from the Snake and move upstream.  A good rain would probably help, and the weatherman is predicting just that for the first part of next week.

The Methow opened on Wednesday, September 28.  I touched base with Keith this afternoon as soon as I got to a location with cell service.  He tells me that there are definitely fish in the river.  He was off work yesterday and was able to land a couple of hatchery fish using his custom jigs.

I am at my sister's place in Pomeroy this evening.  That is why I was able to update this report.  Headed back to the Ronde early tomorrow morning.

See ya on the river, Rod

September 25, 2011

The Argosy is sitting at Boggan's.  I'm in Twisp getting the rest of my stuff packed and picking up my Clack; back to the Ronde tomorrow.  When I got to Boggan's on Friday it was 98 degrees.  The weather is suppose to cool off starting today and be in the mid 70's over the next 10 days.  The river is low for this time of year, 625 cfs.  Mean flow for the end of September is ~740 cfs.  Need a little rain there.  Bill tells me that the irrigation shuts down on October 1st, so that should help.  I ran into an old friend and fellow guide, Troy Dettman.  Troy has been working on the Ronde for many years.  He had guests out on the river and was just pulling out at Boggan's when I saw him.  His guests hooked a couple of fish above Boggan's.  There are 100K+ steelhead over Lower Granite Dam and they are headed for the Clearwater, Snake (above Asotin), Salmon, and Grande Ronde Rivers.  I don't have computer service nor iPhone service there.  If any of you readers need to talk with me, call Boggan's at 509-256-3372 and leave a message.  I will be visiting my Mom, Sister, and Brother in Pomeroy from time to time, so I may get a chance to update this report; no promises. 

Oh yeah, one more thing: I often forget how awesome and beautiful my birthplace and land of my youth is.  However, when I see the foothills of the Blue's, the wheat fields and pasture lands of the Palouse, and the Ronde as I drop off Rattlesnake Summit; it all comes back.  That deep down soulful stirring that comes from knowing that you are truly home.  It is like the way you felt when you were just a little guy; seeing it for the first time with your Dad and Grandpa, or when I was headed to my Aunt and Uncle's Ranch in Enterprise.  Knowing I was going to get to ride a horse to my hearts content.  And last but not least,  as a young man flying over it as you prepare to land at Lewiston Airport on your way home from Viet Nam for the first time.  "Oh My Gosh - How Awesome!"  I have to wipe away a tear or two; not afraid to admit it.  Words can not describe it; know what I mean.

See ya on the river, Rod

September 22, 2011

Well I ended my Methow River Trout Season yesterday with Stan and his brother Marty.  Catching has been tough over the last week.  Both big dries and bead-head droppers were how we hooked the fish we did.  Stan landed the biggest fish yesterday when he hooked a good 16+ inch cutthroat on a dry.  On the first day of their two days Stan managed to hook a 15 inch Bull Trout on one of my dries, as it was skating across the center of the river, while I was retying his brothers setup.

I am on my way to Boggan's tomorrow with my Argosy in tow behind the Ford.  The first of a two stage temporary move to the Grande Ronde.  I will be there for the first two weeks in October chasing steelhead; then back home to the Methow to carry on my long standing romance with steelhead.  I love what I do, and the great rivers that I do it on.  What an awesome creation God has given us.

See ya on the river, Rod

September 18, 2011

Temperatures here in the valley have went from the mid to high 90's to the mid 70's in less than a week.  The catching has taken a turn for the worse.  I am both nymphing under a bobber and throwing big dries to come up with the fish that we are getting.  I have found the catching to be better in the afternoons and early evenings.  That is when we are hooking the bigger fish.  Especially on the dries.  The river is continuing to drop slowly.  It is 514 cfs. today.

See ya on the river, Rod
 
September 15, 2011

I fished with Dan yesterday.  The catching was OK; a fair number of smaller bows and cutthroat on a bead head dropper.  Dan managed to hook a couple of really good cutties on the big dry.  Both of these were Long Distance Released (LDR'd).  One we got a good look at as he was set free right at the net; the other we didn't get to see.  Although, he kind of did what ever he wanted to do, go where-ever he wanted to go, and Dan was using a 6wt. Scott.  Plus, I always use at least 3X on big dries.  Oh well, an LDR is the safest way to release fish right now.  I have noticed over the past week or so; it has taken longer to revive the bigger fish.  Hot weather + Lower water = Higher water temperatures.  This results in greater stress placed on the fish during the fight.  Get 'em in and get 'em released quickly.  Better the fish lives than the photo is taken!

See ya on the river, Rod

September 9, 2011

The last few days it has been hot!!!  It was 98 degrees yesterday, 96 today, and it is suppose to be 97 tomorrow.  I was off today to go to Ellensburg on personal business, but was on the river yesterday with two old friends from my Yakima River days - John Chenoweth and Don Durand.  Its was fun to spend the day with these two fellas.  I see them most every year at the Washington FFF Fair in Ellensburg.  They kept saying they wanted to fish the Methow with me; this year they did it.  We had a great day of fishing, and the catching - well - it was OK.  The photo above is just one example of several good fish that were landed.  John had the hot hand.  Big dries were the bait we used.  The river is currently flowing at 574 cfs. at Pateros.  Be prepared to bump some rocks if you are floating.

See ya on the river, Rod

September 3, 2011

I have the day off so I decided to get this report updated, as well as a few things that needed to be taken care of.  The catching over the last few days has been OK, and I am back to fishing dries most of the day with maybe a bead head dropper tied on the dry from time to time.  Because I am hunting big fish, when I fish a dry - I fish a big dry all the time.  If I want to try a small dry, I tie it on as a trailer behind the big bug.  We have seen two or three good (15" to 20+") fish most every day.  Sometimes we hook up, sometimes we don't.  Even if we don't, it is pretty darn exciting to see a big fish going downstream in fast water chasing your bug.  The current river flow is 703 cfs. at Pateros and 472 cfs. at Winthrop.  The days are getting shorter and cooler and fall is coming to the valley.  By the way, have a great Labor Day Weekend.

See ya on the river, Rod     

August 29, 2011

The catching over the last few days has been a little tougher.  My guests are having to throw nymphs and dries to catch fish.  Seems to be a few more anglers on the river especially on Fridays through Monday.  Today we did better than yesterday and managed to land a couple of good fish.  Ed was the winner today of the on going big fish battle between him and his son Leon.  He landed a 16" to 17" Rainbow on a stonefly nymph this morning and about an 18" Cutthroat this afternoon on a foam hopper.  Only God knows what will happen tomorrow.  It has been hot with temps in the mid 90's.  The river is at 816 cfs. at the Pateros station.

See ya on the river, Rod

August 23, 2011

Fishing with old friends yesterday was awesome.  I really enjoyed seeing Cliff and Tammy and spending the day with them.  The catching was OK.  No big fish, but we turned quite a few average fish both cutthroat and rainbows on dries.  They will be fishing with me again on Thursday - "lookout cutthroat."  Tomorrow, I am looking forward to spending a half-day with Chris Solomon.  I tied up some different foam patterns today to get ready.  It was hot here this afternoon - temperature in the mid 90's.  The river below Twisp is now 979 cfs.  I am starting to sense the changes that go along with the coming of fall, and my thoughts are turning more and more to my favorite fish:  the steelhead that come here to the valley each year.  To date there are 249,327 steelhead over Bonneville with 6,333 over Priest Rapids.  The ten year average for Bonneville is 256,282 and for Priest Rapids 7,105.  Just information to ponder.

See ya on the river, Rod

August 21, 2011

Well, I was down on the Yakima yesterday for the 2nd Annual Project Healing Waters 2 Fly Event.  It was a great time for all,  and I especially want to say thanks to Chuck Tye and Jerry Daschofsky for all the hard work that they put into this event to make it a success.  And Ben and Richard, I really enjoyed fishing with both of you and hope to see you again soon.

The catching over the last week here on the Methow has been pretty darn decent.  Good action throughout the day.  I have been fishing mostly dries or a dry and dropper combination. Both foam and hair and feathers hoppers or stone patterns have been working.  As for a dropper BH PT's, Lightning Bugs, Princes, and the like in sz. 14 and 16 have been working for me.  My guests have turned several good fish as well as many smaller fish including juvenile steelhead.  We even had a smaller Bull Trout take a big dry a couple of days ago.  The river below the confluence with the Twisp River is running at 1,000 cfs.  I will be on the river tomorrow with my old friends Cliff and Tammy Edwards from the Tri-Cities.

See ya on the river, Rod

August 14, 2011

I had the privilege of spending the day yesterday fishing with Lt. Kevin Steinbrecher.  Kevin is a career officer in the United States Navy.  He is the second man in those Navy Jets that help defend our country.  He has been deployed more than once to a carrier off the coast of Pakistan and flown missions into hostile areas of the Mid-East.  We had an awesome day on the river.  Kevin throws a good rod, and we had a fair catching day too.  Dries fished the best.  Most of the fish were in the 9 to 14 inch range, but Kevin did turn a couple of really good fish that never made it to the net.  Thanks again Kevin for the sacrifices you have made for all of us here in this country.

See ya on the river, Rod

August 11, 2011

I was on the river with Cecilia and her brother Matt yesterday.  The fishing was fun as always; but I must say, the catching was darn poor.  A few small fish to the net but overall it was not what it can be.  Not even a few big whitefish.  Let me see now; give me a few minutes and I can probably come up with an excuse:  like we had a major thunderstorm moving in all day and the fish sensed the atmospheric changes."  But seeing as how I am not an excuse kind of person, I am going to say "it was just fishing - sometimes the catching is good and sometimes it ain't."

See ya on the river, Rod

August 6, 2011

I was on the river yesterday with Rick and Kirk.  It was hot; the weather that is - 90+ degrees.  The 3 of us drank almost a case of water.  The catching was a bit off yesterday.  We saw mostly smaller fish, but they were aggressive on the dries.  I am seeing quite a few small hatchery steelhead in the 9 to 12 inch range.  Fished a quite a few different bugs yesterday; mostly foam stonefly and hopper patterns, but we also turned several fish on a pattern called the "Exciter."  It is a Leroy Hyatt pattern similar to a Stimi.  The river is continuing to drop and is at 1,990 cfs. below Twisp.

See ya on the river, Rod

August 4, 2011

I am happy to report that the catching is hanging in there.  The river is continuing to drop, but is higher than normal.  It is a little above 2,000 cfs. below Twisp, and just under 1,500 cfs. between Winthrop and Twisp.  It is in great shape, but it is still difficult if you are wanting to wade.  I have been getting fish to the net with nymphs and dries.  Stonefly nymphs and Hopper and Summer Stone dry patterns are what has been working for me.  I have been working mostly between Twisp and Gold Creek.  I was on the river on Tuesday, the 2nd, with Mark and his Pastor Tim.  The catching was pretty darn good.  Late in the afternoon Tim landed a really good cutthroat that was right there at the 20" mark.  And he was definitely a two-hand hold for the photo fish; you couldn't even come close to getting your hand around his girth.  Sorry, I won't have a picture to post until Tim and Mark get back to civilization on this coming Monday.  The fish took one of my foam hopper patterns.  We saw quite a few good fish; however, we didn't get all of them to the boat.

And to Chris Solomon, who sent me a contact form with some very kind words about my reports and website; all I can say is "Thank You!"  The contact form didn't have an email address or phone number, so I can only hope that you see this Chris.  May all be well with you and yours.

See ya on the river, Rod

July 29, 2011

The catching has been consistent.  We are seeing cutthroat, rainbows, bull trout, and whitefish.  Remember bull trout are an endangered species - don't take them out of the water.  We have also seen quite a few hatchery steelhead anywhere from 10" to 13".  These small steelies are really aggressive on a big dry.  The most effective technique has been nymphing a sz. 8 Tungsten Beaded Stone or a sz. 8 Czech nymph with a small bead head.  Over the last 2 or 3 days, the dry fly fishing has improved, and we are seeing a few more decent fish on summer stone or hopper patterns. There are quite a few natural hoppers in the valley right now.  I have also seen a few adult summer stones.  And by the way, you are not going to see many adult stones.  The important thing is: the fish know there around.  When you fish big dry patterns you are targeting big aggressive fish. Kind of like streamer fishing.  Today the river is under 3,000 cfs. for the first time.  The catching should keep getting better.

See ya on the river, Rod 

July 23, 2011

The Methow is finally starting to come around.  I have been out with guests for the last two days.  As always the fishing has been awesome.  The catching; well, it has been pretty darn good too.  Nymphing has been the best way to go, but on the float with Christine she managed to turn 3 fish on my "Wild Thing".  Nothing more than a foam stone fly imitation.  Today I floated a half day with Bob and Carolyn.  All of our fish were on nymphs: sz. 8 stone flies and various sz. 14 bead heads.  Christine managed to land a cuttie close to 20", and Bob - a cutthroat of about 17" and a rainbow of about 16".  The river is still dropping slowly; 3,480 cfs. today at Pateros.  Only going to get better.  I like this river.

See ya on the river, Rod

July 18, 2011

The catching on the Methow is starting to look up.  Todd, Scott, Jim and I floated above Carlton yesterday and the catching was definitely better then it has been.  We even managed to land a good cuttie of about 17 inches.  We fished nymphs the entire time and concentrated on the good inside corners and softer water.  The cuttie came from just such a spot.  Stones and a combination of small bead heads did the trick.  Susan fished several different walk-in spots yesterday.  She spotted a big cuttie eating on the surface; threw everything she could think of at it, but couldn't get any interest in her offerings.  By the way, I saw a fair number of adult caddis, and one adult stone.  There are also a few hoppers showing up here in the valley.  The Pateros monitoring station is reading 4,590 cfs. and the Winthrop station is reading 3,490 cfs.

See ya on the river, Rod

July 12, 2011

First float of the season on the Methow River yesterday.  I just couldn't stand it any longer - had to do it.  My young friend John Hanlon and I floated from Twisp to about 2.5 miles above Carlton.  The river was just over 5,200 cfs and the fishing was awesome; the catching not so good.  We threw a nymph rig throughout most of the float; fishing the soft water sides, inside corners and smaller braids.  We landed quite a few whitefish, some close to 20", and only a couple of smaller rainbows - no cutties.  It is still too big for quality catching.  However, there is nothing that compares to spending time on the river.

Today we fished at Little Twin Lake.  The catching was OK and they were all good fish in the teens.  Throwing chironomids in 15 to 20 feet of water is what worked for us.  The best bug was a sz. 12 Pink Snow Cone.  Haven't quite made up our mind where we are headed tomorrow.

See ya on the river, Rod

July 6, 2011

The upper Methow, above the confluence with the Twisp River, is finally down in the 5,000+ cfs. range.  The visibility is OK, and I'd say it is fishable.  Actually, there have been a couple of friends who have tried the Winthrop section and picked up a handful of fish.  Today the air temperature here in Twisp was in the low 90's.  The warm days are still having a little bit of an impact on the flows; for example, when I checked it this morning it was 6,900+ cfs. at Pateros.  This evening it is 7,070 cfs. and on its way down from the day's high of about 7,200 cfs.  It looks like it should be game on within the next week or two.  And it should be good.  Stay tuned!

See ya on the river, Rod   

June 29, 2011

The Methow, Klickitat, and Grande Ronde are going up and down like a YO-YO.  Of the three, the Klickitat is probably in the best shape.  I talked with my friend Rolfe at the Klickitat Trader a couple of days ago.  His report was that even though the river is about 1,000 cfs. higher than normal; the visibility is decent and a few steelhead are being caught.  The fish count is showing 9000+ steelhead over Bonneville.

I also talked with Bill at Boggan's on the Ronde.  His report is almost identical to what's happening here on the Methow.  "PATIENCE!"

See ya on the river, Rod

June 24, 2011

Well I am having to reschedule my first guests of the 2011 Methow season.  They were scheduled to fish this coming Monday and Tuesday.  The river has been bouncing up and down between 11k and 12k cfs., and it is still plenty dirty.  It can only get better, and hopefully soon.  And when it does, I'm thinkin' streamers.

See ya on the river, Rod

June 20, 2011

Well guess what - the river is going back up.  What's new "Huh"?  The warm weather over the last day or two has added more snow melt and raised the river to 10,600 cfs. today.  I was on a local lake yesterday with 3 guests.  The fishing was awesome; the catching decent.  In fact Tim hooked a really, really, good Brown on a Damsel Nymph.  Sorry I didn't get a picture, but after having it on for quite awhile and close to the net twice it broke off.  The last run was fatal.  Having gotten a good look at the fish, I'd have to say it was definitely 20+".  It is happenings like the loss that keeps you coming back

See ya on the river, Rod

June 17, 2011

The Methow is on the downcurve.  Hopefully it will continue to clear and drop.  It is 8,890 cfs. at Pateros and 7,280 cfs. at Winthrop.  If it clears a bit more and continues to drop, I am going to give it a try next week.  I just can't help it.  In the mean time I am pacifying myself by fooling around on stillwater.  I picked up a couple of nice rainbows on Little Twin this afternoon on an Ice Cream Cone Chironomid.

See ya on the river, Rod

June 9, 2011

I spent the afternoon on Little Twin Lake and was able to pick up a fish or two.  It wasn't red hot but it was a nice way to spend the afternoon.  The Methow peaked at 16,000+ cfs. and is dropping once more.  As I write this, it is 12,900 cfs. at Pateros and 10,500 cfs. at Winthrop.  Still waiting!!!

See ya on the river, Rod

June 5, 2011

The Methow opened yesterday.  However, it is not fishable yet.  It is 11,200 cfs. at Pateros and 10,200 cfs. at Winthrop and visibility is "0".  We have had a couple of 80 degree days, and the weatherman is now saying it is suppose to rain tonight.  The dogs and I fished Rat Lake yesterday.  The catching was OK.  The most effective bug was a black/rust orange Seal Bugger.  The fish were average in size 10 to 14 inches.  I fished Little Twin the day prior and managed to hook a couple of dandy bows on Chironomids.

See ya on the river, Rod

June 1, 2011

Well here it is the first day June.  We are still getting lots of rain in spurts.  It comes and then it goes; but when it comes it pours.  The flow at Pateros is 9,220 cfs. and at Winthrop 7,280 cfs.  "PATIENCE!"

See ya on the river, Rod

May 28, 2011

We are still getting lots of rain and the river is kind of going up and down like a YO-YO.  Catching on most of the still waters in the area is consistent.  I'd say not red hot but good.  I had a friend from Everett fish Big Twin with his fly club last week.  He reported that he had enough action to keep it interesting.  All the standard still water patterns are working.  If you like Chironomid fishing, they are always a good bet.  I am also a fan of the Seal Bugger and Seal Leech patterns.  I had a black/rust-orange on the other day, with a type 3 tip and did well.  Seven more days till the streams around here open, and it doesn't look good for any of them being fishable.  Oh, and have a great memorial day weekend.

See ya on the river, Rod

May 22, 2011

Well the Methow is back on the rise.  The river had gone down to around 8,000 cfs.   The warm sunshine filled days we were having prior to yesterday had caused it to creep back up.  We got rain again yesterday and last night; combine that with the warmer temps and you get 12,100 cfs. today.  The visibility is definitely "0".  We only have 12 more days till the opener, and my guess is the river will not be fishable by then.

I have been fishing different still waters in the Okanogan.  Yesterday, the catching was good.  Mostly average rainbows in the 9-13 inch range using a Seal Bugger with a slow retrieve.  I was going to try some Chironomids - didn't get to it.  I am really looking for some bigger Brown's as there are several still waters that have them.

See ya on the river, Rod

May 16, 2011

The Methow went to 13,300 cfs. late yesterday and has now dropped a bit to 11,600 cfs.  The reason for the drop: we got snow in the high country last night.  Yep, snow.  I was also looking at the Grande Ronde flows this afternoon; it is on the rise again and is at 16,200 cfs.  That is not really any surprise.

I am going to be doing two day trout packages on the Methow this summer.  The package including lodging for two nights with two full days of fishing for two people is $795.00 and includes the tax.  And I promise the lodging is really great.  It is right on the river; at an awesome fishing hole.

See ya on the river, Rod

May 13, 2011

The Methow has leveled off and dropped a bit.  It is 5,740 cfs. this afternoon.  I fished Rat Lake yesterday afternoon for a couple of hours.  Couple of small bows using a type 3 tip and a beaded damsel fly nymph with a slow retrieve.  Hope to get up to Blue Lake in the Sinlahekin in the next few days.  This still water stuff is hard for an old river runner;  always wanting to see past the next bend.

See ya on the river, Rod

May 12, 2011

Well most all of the rivers that I fish are still going up and that is to be expected right now.  The Methow is 5,590 cfs.; the Wenatchee is 6,200 cfs.; the Grande Ronde is 8,290 cfs.; the Lower Yakima at Kiona is 5,290 cfs.; and the Klickitat is 3,030 cfs. and shows the least amount of rise.  It is probably going to be this way for awhile.  Like it or not, us river guys are going to have to accept the fact that still waters are the way to go for now.

See ya on the river, Rod

May 7, 2011

The Methow is growing with snow melt.  We have been having temperatures in the 60's.  The river is showing the results.  Above Twisp it is flowing at 2,050 cfs.  At Pateros, well below several of its major tributaries - such as the Twisp, Libby Creek, Gold Greek, Beaver Creek, and McFarland Creek, it is 2,530 cfs.  The run-off season has started.

Keith and I headed to the Turkey Hole this morning at about 5:30, but we didn't connect on a gobbler.  We not only didn't shoot one; we never even got to hear one.  They're just not talkative right now, and they haven't been from the get go.  We have seen a few hens, but we haven't even heard a Tom yet this year.  Oh well, turkey hunting is still turkey hunting at least in our neck of the woods.  We don't give up easy though, so we will just keep on trying at least until the season closes the end of the month.

See ya on the river, Rod

May 2, 2011

I got home from E-burg this morning just before noon.  I had a great time at the fair and got to see several old friends, as well as make some new friends.  The auction on Saturday night was a lively affair, and all in attendance had alot of fun.  I fished the Yakima from Red's to Big Pine on Sunday with my two Project Healing Waters guests.  The fishing was awesome with Craig and Jay; the catching was pretty darn slow.  Sorry you can't see Craig's fish very well in the photo above.  Trust me though, it was a good rainbow.  Most of the float we fished a nymph rig, and the handful of fish we caught were on a San Juan worm.  There were no bugs coming off to speak of, but I couldn't let them out of my boat without trying a couple of stone fly patterns, so we gave it a go in a couple of spots with no success.  The river was just over 2900 cfs., and we had decent clarity.  Both of my guests are veterans of the War in the Mid-East, and it was a real honor to row these two fellas down the river.

See ya on the river, Rod

April 27, 2011

Well I am heading to E-burg tomorrow afternoon to get set up for the Fly Fishing Fair.  It starts on Friday the 29th.  The hours on Friday are 11:00 am to 5:00 pm and on Saturday the 30th from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.  Stop by and say hello if you get out to it.  Just spending time watching the fly tiers ply their trade is interesting enough.  There are many creative people all under one roof.  There is even one grand gentleman there, whom most steelhead anglers have heard of, that doesn't even use a vise.  He holds the hook in his hand.  It is awesome to watch.

See ya at the fair or on the river, Rod

April 26, 2011

I have a guest that contacted me wanting to fish the Grande Ronde next fall for two days for steelhead.  So, I am planning to spend at least the first two weeks of October 2011 on the Ronde.  I have some openings left and if you are interested please let me know.  I am working with Boggan's to arrange for lodging and meals.  I am also going to try to get down on the Ronde for some Smallmouth Bass fishing this summer in June.  Hopefully the run-off conditions will allow it.

See ya on the river, Rod

April 25, 2011

Hope all of you had a Blessed Easter.  I will be spending part of my time this week preparing for The 2011 Washington Fly Fishing Fair in Ellensburg on Friday and Saturday, April 28 & 29.  There will be vendors and fly tiers from all over the Northwest. So if you're looking for something different to do this weekend, you should head on over to E-burg and take a look.  There will be casting seminars and events to enter, and a lot of fun for all.  There will be several interesting seminars both days.  I will be doing presentations on the Methow.  Hope I get to see you there.  On Sunday Project Healing Waters is doing a Yakima River float, and I am honored to be able to take part and share the day with a couple of well deserving young veterans.

See ya on the river or at the fair, Rod
 
April 19, 2011

Some 1,400 miles and 4 days later, I am back in the Methow Valley.  Doubt that I have ever seen so many guides gathered in one place.  There were fellas from Alaska, BC, and all of the lower 48.  The Simms folks did a great job in putting together their 2011 ICE OUT and making it work.  And partnering with Simms was: Montana Fly Company, Idylwilde, Adipose Boatworks, Costa (Sunglasses), Scott Rods, Fishhound real-time fishing reports, Big Sky Brewing Company, and Galvan Fly Reels.  They had some great entertainment on Thursday and Saturday night put on by Catch Magazine and Drake Magazine.  Where else could you find a bunch of people enjoying the evening looking at fishing photos and videos at the Ellen Theater.  I just want to say "THANKS" to Simms and all of its partners for a great event.

The two turkeys with the Tom's are from Spokane.

See ya on the river, Rod

April 7,2011

Well now,  I got my tax information off to my tax accountant.  I'm waiting on him rather than him on me.  This afternoon I did a little Smallmouth Bass scouting on the Okanogan River.  I plan on wetting a line there when I get back from Montana next week.  Simms Fishing Products in Bozeman, MT is putting on their annual guide rendezvous "2011 ICE OUT" next Thursday through Saturday, and Lord willing I plan on going this year.  Should be fun.

My Granddaughter, Jacie is turning 6, and my Daughter is having a big shindig for her on Saturday.  So I'm heading to Prosser Saturday morning to spend a couple of days with my family.  I even get to take my other Granddaughter, Brooke, to the party.  That should be awesome.

Stay tuned, I'll be letting you know how things turn-out for bass on the Okanogan.  And I am also going to be getting started with some still water stuff.  Oh, and on top of all of it, looks like me and the dogs are going to be chasing some pheasants for a couple of fellas scheduled to hunt Pitt's Game Farm on Monday.  "Diversity" is the spice of life.

See ya on the river, Rod  

April 1, 2011

Well it is all over but the memories.  I had the pleasure of spending the last day of the 2010-'11 steelhead season with my good friends and long-time guests Allan and Carol Zalewski.  The fishing was awesome; the catching was so-so.  The river was on the rise and getting more color all day long.  And we had plenty of wind most of the afternoon.  Even with all these excuses we still managed to hook a couple of fish.  It was the lady in the back of the boat that had the hot hand, and the smile on her and her husband's face said it all.   Today the river is out of shape, 1680 cfs. and dirty this evening.   It rained most of the day.

Turkey season opens on April 15, and I plan on some time off to do some hunting.  Stay tuned because I am never far from the river.

See ya on the river, Rod
 
March 30, 2011

Well tomorrow is it for the 2010-'11 Methow River steelhead fishing.  The catching is consistent and most of the fish are 2 salt fish in the 10 lb. range.  And they are very feisty.  I spent the last two days with my friend and quest Dave Millard.  He had a hen try to jump in the back of my boat yesterday; then proceed to head straight under the boat.  Good thing it was a long rod.  The tip was bent under the right chine, but Dave recovered and got the rod around the front end of the boat and eventually landed her.  She was a beauty.  Hope all of you have a good finale.

See ya on the river, Rod

March 26, 2011

Sorry that I haven't updated my report for the last week.  I have had guests everyday for the last 5 days, and some nights I didn't get in the cabin before dark.  Didn't feel much like pecking away at a computer.  I have got to fish with some really awesome folks though in the last 5 days.  I spent 2 days with Kim and Rosemary, 2 days with Ivan and Dick, and Friday with George Harrington and his son Shea.  We had fun and hooked a few fish besides.  Talk about hard-core steelheaders; Kim, Rosemary, and Ivan are 3 of them.  Kim and Ivan are double-handed rod junkies and now Rosey is too.  Kim picked up a fish or two swinging.  And let me tell you she can throw a 13 1/2 ft. two-hander with a chunk of T-14 and weighted fly like the big boys do.  I think probably the thing that gave me the most joy though is:  I got to share in the catching of the first steelhead ever for Dick, George, and Shea.  Once again I was reminded of what a great office I have, and how blessed I am to share it with friends like all of these folks.

The season ends on Thursday, and I expect the catching to remain consistent.  In my opinion, there is no fish in God's creation like a steelhead.

See ya on the river, Rod
 
March 18, 2011

I spent the last 2-1/2 days with my good friend and long time client Jamie Hatten.  Jamie has been fishing with me for several years.  It is always awesome to spend time fishing with and old friend.  In fact, we had such a good time that she decided to fish another half day this morning.  The catching was pretty darn good too.  Along with a couple of steelhead, she hooked several nice rainbows and a nice cutthroat.  We tried some swinging this morning, but she did the best nymphing under a bobber.  We hooked fish on an assortment of nymphs from sz. 8 through 16. We got a little more snow this morning, and it is snowing this evening as I write this.  Regardless, the weatherman says we are suppose to have decent weather into next week with some highs into the 50's.  I expect the catching to remain fairly consistent through the end of the season.

See ya on the river, Rod

March 14, 2011

It was wet, wet, wet yesterday.  John Bisset and Al Dishlip fished with me on Saturday and yesterday.  We flat got wet yesterday.  It rained all day steadily, and my dry coat soaked through.  Oops, there goes another cell phone.  The fishing with John and Al was awesome.  The catching was so-so.  I always enjoy starting anglers that have only fished single-handers on switch rods or double-handers.  And I got the chance to do that with Al.  He picked up the double spey fairly quickly with my 11' TFO Deer Creek, and by yesterday he was doing pretty darn good.  I got the opportunity to start John on a switch rod the year before and now he has his own.  The fish we caught were on sz. 8 to 14 nymphs and no one pattern stood out.  Don't be afraid to mix it up with the bugs.

See ya on the river, Rod

March 11, 2011

For me, the catching has been tough over the last several days.  My friends that do the creeling for WDFW have told me that it is that way up and down the river.  I could probably come up with all kinds of excuses: like too much sunshine the last two days, too much pressure this entire week, etc.  In fact, give me a moment and I could probably come up with a few more, but I'm not really and excuse kind of guy.  I really think that it all boils down to it is just simply "STEELHEADING."  If they weren't a challenge, they would not be cherished the way they are, and we would get bored with them.  That's the way we humans are.  I can remember when just getting a tug kept you going for months.  And getting one fish kept you going for years.   Nowadays, it seems to be all about catching multiple fish per day.  One of man's greatest character flaws - "GREED!"  Well, in my opinion all of us should just relax - enjoy the challenge, enjoy the fishing, enjoy the learning, and enjoy the whole experience.

See you on the river, Rod  

March 6, 2011

Keith just happened to stop by just after I landed the hen in the picture.  Yep - he got a new smart phone, and it has a camera.  The reason the smile is more of a frown is because it took him awhile to figure out how to use the thing.  By the time he took the picture, I had been posing for sometime; and my hands were froze.  But it takes pretty good pictures, and hopefully he remembers how to get it to work from now on.

Overall the catching has been pretty good the last few days.  The air temps have been in the high 30's and low 40's which has helped make it more comfortable to fish.  There were a fair number of anglers out this weekend.  Looks to me like the bulk of the angling pressure is below Carlton.  Although, the fish seem to be spread throughout the system.  I am expecting the catching to stay pretty consistent through the remainder of the season.  And it looks like we will be able to fish right up to the last day of March.

See ya on the river, Rod 

March 2, 2011

I woke up to more snow this morning.  We have probably had another 3-5 inches over the last couple of days.  It was warmer though, so the dogs and I headed out fishing about 10:00 am.  The snow was still coming down when I hit the first run.  I swung it first with high expectations.  No fish!  I walked back to the Yukon grabbed my center pin, let the dogs out, as the snow had stopped, and I didn't have to worry about them getting soaked; we headed back to the run.  I just felt like there were fish there.  And before I left the second time I had hooked a couple of steelhead.  One was wild and the 2nd, a bigger fish, I LDR'd just as I was about to land him.  I really didn't get a good enough look to know whether he was wild or hatchery, but I am confident he was a buck.  The sun was out and the temperature had warmed up to close to 40 degrees.  You know, I thought about fishing some more.   But by that time it is was about 1:30 pm; it couldn't get any better then it already was.   So, Pete, Pepper, and I headed back to the cabin.

See ya on the river, Rod 

February 27, 2011

"MORE SNOW!"  It got up to about 22 degrees F at my cabin today.  Still plenty of ice on the lower river this morning and even more shelf ice.  I haven't fished for 3 days.  The dogs and I are feeling the effects.  We took a little drive to check out the river conditions this afternoon, but it didn't cure what ails us.  Upstream of Twisp the river doesn't look bad.  A bit of shelf ice here and there, but overall it looked decent.  If the temperature warms tomorrow so I can get my line through the guides, I will probably give the fishing a try in a couple of runs north of Twisp.  The weatherman says that temperatures are suppose to be in the 30's tomorrow.  Only thing is; he has not been dead on for quite sometime.  I will let you know how it turns out.

See ya on the river, Rod

February 26, 2011

" ICE!"  The Methow is unfishable this morning.  Lots of floating ice and an increase in the amount of shelf ice.  The current temperature in Twisp is 12 degrees F.  We had a low early this morning of -2 degrees F.  It is suppose to start warming through the rest of the weekend.  The weatherman is forecasting temperatures in the mid-30's on Monday with lows in the teens.  I am looking forward to the March fishing.

See ya on the river, Rod

February 23, 2011

Snow in the Methow Valley again.  It was impossible to keep the ice out of the rod guides today, but we got it done anyway.  Todd did a great job of putting the bug where it needed to be, and he got rewarded; not once but twice.  Trust me, the picture does not do this fish justice.  We probably have another 4 or 5 inches of snow, but the severe cold is still to come.  When Todd and I started fishing this morning it was 24 degrees.  The weatherman is saying: that through Saturday, we are suppose to see lows down to -2 degrees F and highs in the low to mid 20's.  If it that becomes a reality, we will probably have ice on the river again.  We are also under a winter storm warning through 4:00 pm on Thursday the 24th.  Stay tuned, and I will let you know what is happening in the next day or two.

You'll have to forgive me for the light spot on the left side of Todd's face.  My camera lense either had a spot of water or fogged a bit.  Sorry!

See ya on the river, Rod

February 21, 2011

We had lots of ice floating this morning; I am expecting more of the same tomorrow with these colder temperatures.  And it is suppose to get worse on Thursday with temps in the single digits at night.  However, it is suppose to start warming through the weekend.  I actually sent a guest home this morning because of the conditions for the next few days.  It warmed to just above freezing by around 1:00 pm, so I went out to check the river.  And look at what happened; on the swing no less.  I set out on a mission this winter; to catch a Methow River steelhead under frigid conditions on the swing.  It happened today at about 3:30 pm with a temperature of 0 degrees C.  Ice in the guides made it difficult to play the fish.  I had to keep sticking the rod in the water.  One of my bug designs and based on a pattern of Bob Clay's the well know Canadian Guide and Bamboo two-handed rod maker.   Using a 13' TFO Deer Creek, a Skagit head, and about 9' of T-14.  It was awesome, and I am elated.  "The tug is the drug."

See ya on the river, Rod

February 20, 2011

It has definitely been colder the last two days.  Hard to keep ice out of the guides even into the early afternoon.  Lots of sunshine but just barely above freezing this afternoon.  And the night time lows have been in the teens with some single digit temps by mid-week.  It looks like this long weekend has brought out alot of anglers.  One of my favorite runs had 6 guys lined up in it when I went by it around noon.  Makes me wonder if the closing of the "S" Rivers on the west side doesn't have a little bit to do with that.  I decided to swing some bugs today with my 13' Deer Creek 7/8 and a 10' T-14 tip.  It was awesome but no tugs.  The bright sunshine didn't help.  Maybe next time.  It was just great to be on the river.

See ya on the river, Rod

February 18, 2011

I went out for a few hours this afternoon in preparation for a guided trip tomorrow.  Also, I wanted to get the cobwebs out of my head after making a flying trip to Portland yesterday to pickup a pair of new Sawyer Dyna-lite oars for my boat.    Actually the trip had two purposes.  The second was to spend a little time with my friend and TFO Rep Dick Sagara.  Originally, Dick and I were going to spend a day or two fishing the Sandy together.  But I had to change my plans.  As you can see from the photo above, the catching this afternoon wasn't too bad.  This fish fought hard and didn't want to get close enough to let me get the bug out of its mouth.  Yep, I was pinning and caught the fish in slow, slow water just above a tail-out on one of Keith's bugs.

See ya on the river, Rod 

February 15, 2011

Keith Roe and I fished today, and the catching was good for Keith; not so good for me.  He got on the river a couple of hours ahead of me and was two up on me from the get go.  Actually he limited on hatchery fish today.  I got none.  He just had the hot hand.  I have got to tell you a story that he added to when I caught up to him today.  My guest on the 11th lost one of my flies, a sz. 14 Hare's Ear Prince Nymph, in the last run that we fished that day.  I was sure that he broke it off in a fish; although, Bob my guest wasn't.  Well, Keith had the rest of the story today.  He fished alone yesterday.  The last run that he fished was the same run that Bob and I fished on the 11th.  It was late in the day, and he hooked an awesome 12lb. wild buck. Keith said that it fought hard and took awhile to land.  Then he told me about the buck having a Prince in his jaw.  I ask him if he had the fly.  He dug in his pocket and pulled it out.  Sure enough, it was my sz. 14 Hare's Ear Prince.  And it was as good as new.

See ya on the river, Rod

February 11, 2011

I had a guest out today and the catching was pretty darn good.  It was cold this morning; about 24 degrees when Bob Winters and I started the day at 9:00 am.  He took his time getting into his waders because there was no hurry.  We both wanted it to warm up a bit before we got serious about it.  We saw highs around 38, and the catching warmed up along with the rise in the air temperature.  This time of year I like to concentrate on the slow water and fish small bugs.  Today it was sz. 14 Hares Ear Princes and Lightning Bugs.   I really think the fishing is going to continue to get better as long as the weather holds out.  I am walking into runs and being persistent.  Try a couple of different patterns and colors before you give up on the run.  Fish your offering with confidence and have realistic expectations.  It is steelhead fishing!

See ya on the river, Rod 

February 9, 2011

I walked into a run this afternoon that probably hasn't been fished too much lately.  Anyway, I suspect that not many would be willing to walk the distance over the rough terrain, mostly boulders, that I had to negotiate.  And there were no human tracks to be found, just critters.   Well to make a long story short, I was able to hook a couple of fish.  Both hatchery; I LDR'd one and landed the other.  Really slow water with boulders and bed rock.  Fishing about 5 1/2' deep with 6lb. fluorocarbon tippet.  I don't think it really makes much difference which bug right now as long as it is small and bumping them in the nose.  I'd had enough fun with the two fish and didn't want to ruin the run; so Pete, Pepper, and I packed up and headed out.

See ya on the river, Rod

February 8, 2011

Keith and I got a chance to fish together yesterday and the catching wasn't to bad.  Reports from the weekend were that the catching was slower.  But we managed to hook a hand-full of fish, and I took home a one salt hatchery hen.  I was using my center pin with 6lb. tippet about 5' deep.  We fished a variety of stuff, and I hooked the fish on one of Keith's custom bugs.  The weather was awesome here today, but I picked-up a computer rogue a couple of days ago; so I spent the day picking up the fixed computer and getting things hooked up again.  I will be on the river tomorrow for sure.
 
See ya on the river, Rod

February 6, 2011

Well it is snowing here in Twisp.  It has slowed a bit in the last hour, but I probably have an inch or so of new snow at my cabin.  I could have fished yesterday.  The river is in good enough shape to give it a try.  But I took a break from the river and took my grandson pheasant hunting at Pitts' Game Farm at Coulee City.  He got a chance to hunt behind two good white dogs.  We had a great time,  but I think Pete and Pepper had the most fun of all.  If you are looking for some fun pheasant hunting, Jim Pitts has a great operation, and it doesn't cost an arm and a leg.   Today, I am trying to decide whether I am going to fish or watch the Super Bowl.  "Decisions-Decisions!"   By the way, Coby did all the shootin'.

See ya on the river, Rod 
 
January 31 2011

It is pretty darn chilly in Twisp this morning.  The current temperature is 17 degrees.  We are suppose to have a high of 29 degrees today.  Lows tonight are suppose to be around 9 degrees with a high of 29 degrees tomorrow.  Warming on Wednesday to about 36 degrees.  I ran into town this morning and there is floating ice on the river.  I would recommend waiting until later in the week if you are planning on fishing the Methow.  The Wenatchee is still high at close to 3800 cfs.

See ya on the river, Rod

January 29, 2011

It was kind of foggy this morning, so I took care of some chores around the cabin.  About noon I decided to hit the river.  I can only take so much of that chore stuff.  Pete, Pepper, and I headed down river and hit a run below McFarland that has been producing a fish now and then.  Sure enough, about an hour and a half into it; I was fortunate enough to hook and land an awesome wild buck.  And he really put on a rodeo.  He must of felt like jumping today, cause he came out of the water half a dozen times at least.  You know, I don't have to try to catch all the fish in the river anymore.  Out of respect to that fish and the fight he gave me, we headed home.  What an awesome couple of hours.  

During brief lulls in the action, I was able to get my camera ready; just before I popped the hook I snapped off a quick shot of him.  

See ya on the river, Rod 

January 27, 2011

I was out for a few hours today, and fished a run above Carlton and two below.  The catching was fair.  I hadn't fished the run above Carlton for several days, and it produced a 24" hatchery buck and 17" Cutbow.  I really thought that the Cutbow was a steelhead until I got him close enough to see him.  He did not want to come in.  The other two runs didn't produce, but they showed signs of having been fished by more than one person prior to me getting there.  Sometimes that isn't important.  Today it was.  And I know for certain that a couple of fish were taken from one of them earlier in the day.  The Methow is still dropping slowly.  It is at 775 cfs. as I write this.  And the Wenatchee, well it's still rippin' at 4100 cfs.  Both rivers, I believe, are going to get better and better as we move into February.

See ya on the river, Rod 

January 25, 2011

Keith and I have spent the last two days on the river.  The fishing has been awesome, and the catching has been pretty darn good as well.  The river is still a bit high with the monitoring station at Pateros recording 801 cfs. today.  I am using my center pin and Keith is fishing his float and jig rig with his custom bugs.  The key to catching fish right now is being selective about the water being fished.  The slower, flat water is where we have been finding them.   Smaller, sparse tied bugs seem to be working best.  It's not easy; it's steelhead fishing and persistence has its rewards.

See ya on the river, Rod

January 24, 2011

The Methow is dropping very slowly.  The river at Winthrop is 505 cfs. and at Pateros 842 cfs. this morning.  It is fishable and the majority of the ice is gone.  You have to be careful walking into the runs because of the snow and ice on the ground.  I hooked a fish yesterday afternoon below Gold Creek.  Concentrate on the slower water.  Fish the standard stuff.
 
The Wenatchee is still high, over 4000 cfs.  It too is dropping slowly.  Looks to me like it will be a bit before it is fishing decent.

See ya on the river, Rod 

January 18, 2011

The Methow leveled off during the night and is slowly dropping.  The current flow at Winthrop is 642 cfs. and the monitoring station at Pateros has thawed.  It is reading 1,110 cfs. after being up to about 1200 cfs. yesterday evening.  The temperature as I write this is 35 degrees and it is snowing lightly.  Water visibility is fair, but there are still some ice chunks in the river especially at Twisp.  Probably coming from the Twisp River.  One good thing about the increased flow; the ice is moving out faster.   We just have to be a little patient, because it is only going to get better.

See ya on the river, Rod

January 17, 2011

We have had rain and warmer temperatures for the last couple of days, and the Methow is on the rise.  My friend Keith Roe was off work today and tried to fish but it was pretty tough going.  Both ice and debris are floating and preventing a decent drift, as well as making it somewhat hazardous.  Keith said there was approximately 3 feet of visibility.  I just looked at the flow at Winthrop and it is 737 cfs. and still rising.  The river at Carlton this afternoon looked to me to be around 1000 cfs.  The monitoring station at Pateros still says "ice".  It is suppose to drop below freezing tonight so that could help a bit.

I was in Wenatchee yesterday and the river was high and dirty.  When I checked the flow yesterday evening it was right at 4000 cfs.  Today it is registering 15,700 cfs.  In fact in looking at their flow data, it is a maximum high record for this date.  To sum it up: I would say that both rivers are not going to be fishing for a few days yet.  Hopefully the cooler temperatures will help.  To check flows for both rivers, just go to the "Rivers" drop down for the river you want to look at on my website. There is a link at the bottom of the page.

See ya on the river, Rod   

January 12, 2011

The valley got dumped on again last night and early this morning.  I had about 6 inches of new snow this morning.  The good news is the temperature got over 30 degrees this afternoon.  This warming trend is suppose to continue into next week with a few days close to 40 degrees.  Still lots of ice in the lower river.  The river is clearing above Carlton and there is water that is fishable.  Slow and deep is the the technique you need to use.

I had to go to the west side on Monday.  I checked on the Wenatchee on my way back that afternoon.  It looked really good; a little higher than normal but definitely fishable and floatable.  The launches at Cashmere and Monitor were both very usable.  However, Wenatchee also got snow last night, and the launch conditions may be tougher today.  Either way if I can get a couple of decent weather days,  I will be fishing one of the two rivers.

See ya on the river, Rod  

January 7, 2011

I couldn't stand it any longer.  I haven't fished for several days and the cabin fever is taking hold.  I've been watching the ice accumulation on a a couple of runs the last couple of days.  I figured that one of them was fishable today, so I headed to the river.  The temperature warmed up to above freezing, and it was actually pleasant.  Just one problem; it was warm enough to cause ice to start breaking up and there was alot of slush and ice chunks in the water.  It was kind of difficult to get a drag free drift, but I managed a few.  No fish though.

See ya on the river, Rod 

January 3, 2011

I went out yesterday to check the river and shoot a few photos.  The picture above is what I found.  Needless to say "no fishing here."  The weatherman is forecasting that it is suppose to warm up a bit the end of the week with daytime temperatures around 30 F.  Even so, it will be awhile before the river is fishing.

See ya on the river, Rod 

January 1, 2011

HAPPY NEW YEAR!