Monster Redfish In Louisiana

Travis putting the brakes on a Bull Red

My dad sets the hook on a monster redfish, over thirty pounds. His Winston Boron III Plus tied in a knot as his Nautilus CCFX2 fly reel screams!

It all started three months prior while fishing tarpon in Florida. My guide Greg Dini talked about guiding big reds in Louisiana. "I really want to do that sometime" I told him. 

"When is the best time" I asked Greg. 

He said "from October to January, but the first of October to mid November is prime".
"when do you have any openings" I asked.
"January sometime" he responded.
"I will have to look at my calendar" I said.

A few nights later over dinner with the guys, Greg got a text from his wife. "My wife just text me that a guy canceled a redfish trip October 11th to 14th". A few of the guys said they might want those days but would have to wait until they got home to make sure. Knowing the dates would be gone by if any of us hesitated I grabbed them. I would make room on the calendar later, you just can not pass up prime dates like that with a guide like Greg.

It was a long three months waiting for these dates to finally come. Here we are in Louisiana home of the monster redfish. Just landed in New Orleans, heading to pickup the rental. After a hour delay at the rental car company we were on the road to Venice Louisiana. Venice is on the southern tip of Louisiana. Know for it's world class sport fishing. It is also the first spot that the giant bull redfish stop on their migration into the Louisiana marsh for winter.

After a 75 mile drive we were at our destination, Venice Louisiana. It was now dark so we could see much. We made our way to our hotel, put our gear together for the next day and hit the sack. We were supposed to meet Greg at the marina at 8:15 AM.

Venice, Louisiana

We got up early and headed to the marina. Now that it was light we could see the town, it was small and spread out. Not much there so plan ahead. We arrived at the marina, found the restaurant that Greg suggested. We ordered our breakfast and a couple of sandwiches for lunch.

At 8:15 we met Greg at the dock after breakfast we walked down to the dock and met up with Greg. Greg grabbed our rods and quickly rigged them, then we were off. His flats boat was full throttle, we were flying through the canals and marsh near the mouth of the Mississippi River. After 15 minutes of running Greg throttled down the skiff, killed the motor and hopped on the poling platform. He told me “Grab your Winston with the big streamer I tied on”.


I jumped to the bow and got ready. I no longer got my line stripped off and Greg shouted “One o’clock, 50 feet, coming at you”. “Wait, let him get closer, Ok cast now”.

Inhaled the Fly

I made my cast right on the red fish's head, as soon as I started stripping the fly he inhaled the fly. Greg said “ Set the hook, set it hard”. I set the hook and the red turned away and started pulling hard. I could see that this was not one of the monster reds I had came here for, but it still surprised me how hard it was pulling. It felt like a chinook salmon, a chinook on a flat. After a few minutes I pulled the fish over to where Greg could grab the leader. My dad and Greg snapped a few quick pictures and the red went back in the water. “How big was that one” I asked. “Small about 12 lbs” he replied.

Greg said “Nice job, now let's go find a bigger one”. He did not pole the boat more than 100 feet and there was another red, bigger, much bigger. Greg asked “ Do you see him coming at you 10 o’clock?”

“Yes I do” I replied. “Ok cast now” Greg said. My first cast was a few feet right, I picked up and set the fly a few feet in front of the red. Just like the first he quickly inhaled the fly, I set the hook. The red took off, stripping my line off the reel quickly. My Winston BIII Plus 9’ 9 weight fly rod was absolutely tied in a knot. Once the fish stopped I applied about as much pressure as I thought the rod could handle. These reds are strong! Once I had the fish wore out, Greg tailed the fish. He handed the red to me, it was much heavier. “How big is it” I asked. “About 20 lbs.” Greg responded.

This was the size fish I came here for, huge shoulders, giant head and big enough mouth to swallow any 18 inch trout whole!

I got back up to the front as two big jacks shot in front of the boat. I asked Greg “were those jacks”. “Yes, about 20 to 25 lbs” he replied. We then explained to dad about how hard jacks fight, I don’t think he really realized how serious we were.

Greg got a call from a fellow guide friend, he reported that he was in one of the big flats covered with big reds crushing pogies (a favorite bait fish of reds). Greg said “ we have to get over there, the surface fishing should be excellent!” He fired up the 115 horse motor and off we went. After about five minutes we came to the flat. As far as you could see there were pogies jumping on the surface. Every once in awhile the surface would explode as a red would crush the pogies on the surface.

Greg pulled out a spin rod with a giant surface plug about 8 inches long. The plug did not have a hook on it. Greg explained he would use the plug to locate a redfish since the water was much murkier on this flat. It was now dad’s turn at the bowe. Greg had him grab the 9’ 10 weight G. Loomis GLX Crosscurrent that we had brought. He had previously rigged it with a huge popper, about 6 inches total length. Greg started casting the huge plug, jerking it violently across the surface. A big redfish exploded on the surface inhaling the plug. Greg jerked the plug away from the red, then told dad “cast to the red, right in the boil it left”

Dad made a cast, started popping the the popper across the surface. A massive wake appeared behind the popper as a redfish speed up behind the popper, then springing forward eating the popper. Dad jerked, the fly pulled right out of the reds mouth. Greg said “don’t trout set, you want to keep the rod tip in the water and strip to set the hook.” This is something every trout angler will struggle with. Nothing a trout angler does set the hook on trout, steelhead or salmon is right for setting the hooking in saltwater on a flats fish. It is easier to say than do, but you want to keep the tip in the water and just make a long hard strip with a fish eats a fly in salt. I can explain all the reasons why it works better, but it does.

A few minutes later dad got a chance to redeem himself as a red once again crushed Greg’s hookless plug. Dad cast to the boil, a big red inhales his popper. Dad tightens his line on the fish. The red instantly started burning off line taking about 50 yards of backing. Greg shouts “ this is a big one!” Dad battled this red for probably close to 10 minutes before Greg could get his hands on it. Once landed I could see this fish was considerably bigger. “Greg how big is this one” I asked. he replies “about 31 to 32 lbs.”

Albert wrestling a big red on the fly

Dad had a few more shots, then it was my turn back at the bow. Dad picked up a G. Loomis Escape 3 piece travel spin rod that I had brought. He cast that rigged with a big plug from the back of the boat while I cast the fly rod with popper from the front. For a few hours we hooked, landed and lost numerous big reds in the 20 lb to 30 lb. range. We had many doubles and even a few triples after I convinced Greg to cast a couple of times once dad and I were doubled up. It was a epic day, dad kept saying this was the best fishing trip he had been on. I had to remind him it was only the first day and we had 3 left.

That day came to an end as we returned to the dock at Venice Marina. Greg said “same time and place tomorrow morning”. Dad and I went up to the restaurant overlooking the marina. We had some great food and a few beers as we recalled our great day of fishing. While we were there multiple offshore boats came to the dock, unloading their day's catch of mahi mahi, swordfish, yellowfin and blackfin tuna. It was time to go back to the hotel and get ready for the next day.

Landed!

The next morning we piled in Greg’s skiff and away we went. This time we headed Southeast to the other side of the Mississippi. After about a 30 minute run Greg powered down the boat as we slid into a shallow flat. The wind from the day before had turned the bottom, causing this flat to be a little more colored than the flats yesterday. Greg had me get on the bow with the Winston rigged with the streamer. Right away Greg spotted a red floating near the surface. “Travis do you see it about 70 feet, 12 o’clock coming at you”. Once the red was at about 40 feet I made my cast, it was perfect, the red ate the fly and I trout set. I blew it and missed the fish.

“What did you do! You trout set, don’t trout set”. Greg said in disappointment. That was the biggest fish we had seen and the trout angler in me blew it. That morning was a lot of that for me, I had many shots landing a few and missing most due to trout setting. It is easy to tell myself not to trout set, but sometimes it is just natural reaction.

Later that morning I huge read was cruising my way. Greg told me “ it is at 30 feet cast”. I made the cast and trout set once again. The fly pulled out of the reds mouth, the red circled looking for the fly, I cast again. She ate it once again, I trout set once again. I made another cast, trout set again missing the fish. “Travis what are you doing” Greg asked. The red was at 50 feet going away. I bombed a quick last chance cast, she ate it, I kept the rod tip in the water and strip set. She was on!

“That is a big red” Greg yelled!

I fought the fish then slid her in towards the boat so Greg could tail her. Greg lifted the pig out of the water. “look at her” he said as he handed the monster to me. It was all I could do to hold here for all the photos. These big reds are so heavy in the shoulders and head. Greg released the big red as she pushed away from the boat. I asked Greg “how big was she?”
“37 lbs or 38 lbs” he replied. That was a big red!

The rest of this second day was excellent. The 3rd day started off a little slow. The wind was coming from a different direction than the weather report said it should. This made fishing a little more difficult than normal. After a few hours Greg found some fish.

These Reds were happy and cruising the surface. Greg said “Grab the popper rod”.

So I quickly grabbed the popper rod, jumped to the bow. Greg stepped in behind me with his camera ready to shoot the popper eat. Here comes a nice big red, I lead the fish a few feet, start chuggint the big popper across the surface. The big red turns, follows the fly then explodes on it! The fight was on.

“Greg did you get that eat on film” I asked. It was amazing. “Yes I did” he replied.

Nautilus CCF-x2

This great popper fishing continued for about another hour, big red after big red. Then the monster came cruising at us! It was a huge red, high thirties or possibly forty plus. I made my cast, she turned like the rest followed and inhaled the popper. I set the hook, the monster raced towards deep water. As the line cleared the deck it flew up wrapping around my hand. As I was able to clear the line from my hand the loop tangled around my reel handle. It was to late, the red pulled the line tight about ripping the handle off. The 40 lb. shock leader snapped like it was 6x tippet. The power of that fish was pure amazing!

The fourth and last day came fast, fishing was once again amazing. Greg put us on a few huge schools of migrating reds, one school was near a thousand fish. We doubled up several times.

Many Doubles

As that day came to an end it was hard to believe this trip was all ready over. Dad and I had a blast, boated piles of reds, got to see some new country, marked another trip off the bucket list. But it won’t stop there I re-booked for next year, same dates, same place. Sorry Dad, Lyndsey (my wife) said that I have to take here next time. I also booked a Tarpon trip in Florida with Greg for the upcoming spring!

Greg is one of those guides that there is not enough of.  He not only is a great angler, but a great teacher.  His knowledge of the fishery and how to approach it is as good as it gets. He is also a great photographer as you can see in the many great photos. You can contact Greg Dini at his website http://www.louisianaflyfishing.com or call 504-909-0941

Travis Duddles
Owner and CEO | Gorge Fly Shop
541.386.6977

"Fly Fish the World with Us"

Airflo Compact Skagit Generation G2

Skagit Compact Generation 2

I recently had the chance to talk with Tom Larimer about the New Airflo Skagit Compact G2 Spey Head. He designed this brand-spanking new line, as well as the original Skagit Compact and is the premier steelhead spey line designer in the Northwest.

The original Skagit Compact was just about perfect, so any changes would have to be very meticulously planned and tested, and there is no better man for a meticulous job than Tom. The changes he made are all definite improvements. The major difference between the new G2 and the old Skagit Compact is that the G2 is shortened up to better match today’s rods. Spey rods have shortened up over the past couple of years. Ten years ago, it was rare to see rods under 13’0”, with 14’ rods being about average in length, whereas today’s rods average between 12’6” and 13’6”. The new G2 heads better match the average rods for each grain window.

Another change that Tom made is lengthening the back taper. This helps create longer loops by increasing the length of time/distance it takes to turn over the whole line once it is in the air. It should be easier to keep a cast looking pretty in the air, but it really means longer casts with less energy expended.

Speaking of the back taper… the new two-tone color scheme is pleasing to fish with. It changes at the back taper so you never have to think about which end connects to the running line again, it’s blue.

The important change in the back taper is that it slightly increased in diameter without increasing the relative grains per foot. This is called specific gravity. How much does it float vs. how much does it weigh? By increasing the floatation in the very back end of the line, it will be easier to get the initial break in water tension. This means less initial energy to start the cast, easier mending and better line control.

Tom also had Airflo add their new Super-Dri coating, upgrading from the Polyfuse coating of the past models. Super-Dri is longer lasting with less color fading, better water repulsion, and better floatation, although the specific gravity in the entirety of the line did not change, as in the middle and front part of the line does not float any better than the original Skagit Compact. This is important because if a Skagit Head were to float too high, it would more easily glide through the water and anglers would blow their anchors more often. We need our spey lines to stick to the water just a little bit and this did not change form the previous model.

Besides all of the changes, you probably are wondering how it casts. The 540 grain is the best line that I have cast on my 13’4” 7wt Burkheimer and the Echo Glass 7129-4. I haven’t tried any other sizes yet, but I don’t see it being a problem with any modern spey rod as long as the grain weights are right. It turns over T-14 and big, heavy flies with ease, casts as far and as pretty as I could hope, and it looks good too. Rio, Scientific Anglers and Airflo all make very good Skagit heads that are all wonderful to cast, but I truly think that the Airflo G2 is as good as a Skagit line can be.

We have a few of the Airflo Compact Skagit Generation 1's on SALE!...They're going quick!

The Gorge Fly Shop Team

"Fly Fish the World with Us"

Columbia Gorge Fishing Report (December 21st)

Se·ren·i·ty (səˈrenədē/) noun - the state of being calm, peaceful, and untroubled... while fishing.

Fishing Report 


Who wants a Christmas Steelhead?  I know I do.  Just about every river in the region is on the drop following an onslaught of rain and snow.  The Hood River and Sandy River are both fishable as of today and both have fresh winter steelhead in them.  The Clackamas may fish up high in the next few days but its still got too much water in it.  The best opportunity for steelhead will be the North Coast (because they have more fish) and the short term forecast looks.  Swinging flies for winter steelhead is all about seven weight spey rods and skagit lines but I like light sink tips like T8/11 and unweighted flies like Hobo Speys or maribou tubes during these higher flows.  Keep in mind when fishing a swollen run on a swollen river that the fish are not in the middle of the river and we want our flies to swing to the inside without getting hung up.  If you are looking to get your nymph on, and you know where they live, now is a good time - again think the edges and corners, there is no pocket water yet.

Gorge Fly Shop - Circa, some time ago...

2016 is going to bring some new opportunities for trout fishing on the Deschutes.  Starting January 1st the Deschutes will be open for trout fishing from Pelton down to the mouth.  This is a big change and should afford some great winter trout fishing from Warm Springs to Trout Creek.  I, for one, will be partaking when the west side rivers swell too large and I still need to get my fix.  Winter conditions in Central Oregon can change quickly; you’ll want to be flexible in what you’re doing and typically you’re gonna wanna fish when the air temps are equal to or greater than the water temps.  A good nymph setup when nothing’s happening on the surface is a posse bugger with a hairs ear or pheasant tail dropper.  Swinging sculpin patterns can be productive as well, plus it’s fun.  Anglers who don’t have micro speys or trout spey should check out the new single-hand skagit lines because when there are no bugs out these trout can get pretty grabby, think sculpzilla.


Tight lines.
Sam Sickles
Steelhead Outfitters

"Fly Fish the World with Us"

Scientific Anglers Wavelength Titan - "Prepare for Launch"

When you hear the word "Titan" do you think about fly lines? Or Saturn's largest moon Titan, Or the Titan Missile that was in use for more than 45 years that included early manned space flights known as project Gemini, Or the Greek Mythology were the Titans are giant deities of incredible strength who ruled the legendary Golden Age. The common denominator of the word Titan is clearly defined by size, strength and power. Can a fly line really be compared to such greatness!

Wavelength Titan

Wavelength replaces the Textured series. A short history...first came Sharkskin than Textured. Textured was a softened up version of Sharkskin. In 2014 Sharkskin was refined into Sharkwave. For 2016 Textured gets refined into Wavelength. Within the Wavelength Series you will find MPX, Titan, Trout, Nymph/indicator, Grand Slam and Tarpon. For the purpose of this article I am just going to focus on the Wavelength Titan and Sonar Titan sinking lines.

Wavelength Titan

Titan

Titan came out a few years back after all the hype of the Sharkskin/Textured lines had come and gone. I said it as soon as I fished with the Titan that this was probably the best ever of the textured lines that I have ever fished (and I've fished them all) but unfortunately no one will be willing to try it after so many mixed reviews regarding Sharkskin. I liked the Textured Titan and continued to use it despite the hazing I took for fishing with a textured line. After a couple years it gradually grew a steady following. In that period I found several other dedicated users with similar opinions about the line. S/A noticed and decided to lock in this taper and expand on it. Look today and you will find this specific "Titan" taper in the Wavelength, Mastery and Sonar Series of lines. I think that says something for it. It's here to stay. What makes this particular taper successful is while in general it is a bumped up shooting head type of line that provides easy turnover of large flies it also incorporates enough rear taper to make it far more friendly and versatile than other shooting head lines. More versatile in the way of easier mending, more flexible pickup / cast positions, better shoot-ability with its textured surface and just more friendly fish-ability.

Conquered with Titan

In general most shooting lines are very straight forward, you strip in to the head, make your cast, strip back in to head and repeat. This is great when all you're doing is bombing distance cast. But the problem with this is what happens when you get that surface strike and go to set the hook...Swing and a miss! You want to get that fly back on the target as quick as possible but your standard shooting head line has you scrambling to strip back to the head to make another cast. Your traditional shooting head line is in the thin running line section and cannot transfer the energy properly to get the fly back to where the strike occurred. You struck out! Titan gives you that little added benefit of getting your fly back and getting the hit with a little bit of added rear taper that allows for a more flexible pick up point. Titan also requires less energy to lift off the water due to it's reduced friction from the textured surface allowing you to utilize that energy into the backcast for increased rod load enabling an easier long forward re-cast back to the specific target. I have witnessed and done this time and time again and the benefit is clearly evident especially when you are target specific fishing.

The best uses I have found for this line is predator fishing such as bass, pike and musky. It can be a good carp line if your bugs are on the big or weighted side such as in the picture above. That is a great lakes carp caught with a weighted craw pattern. Titan was perfect for that catch. It can also be a great trout streamer line both from a boat or wading, easily handles nymph/indi fishing from a boat too. I'm sure you could find other uses as well. Tell us what you use it for in our comments.

In my words Titan is a modern powerful big fly, easy turnover taper that excels at shooting distance and yet retains some handling properties of a bumped up general purpose fly line.

Specific Textured Characteristics - The Good, Bad and Myth!
Titan is a textured line and while texturing has some great characteristics it has also has some bad rap mostly originating from the original Sharkskin Series of lines. Let me address the good, bad and mostly myth about these lines.

Tamed with Titan!

They will cut your hands! While the original sharkskin was very roughly textured the Wavelength lines are no were near as sharply textured as sharkskin was. Is the textured surface noticeable, sure! My take on this is you are going to be handling and stripping line all day than you really need to wear some stripping gloves no matter what line you fish with whether it smooth or textured. If you can't stand gloves than get some Stripping Guards by Buff. The payoff of gloves or stripping guards with any fly line is better strips and no line burns.

Noisy in the guides! Again nothing compared to the original sharkskin lines. Do they make a little noise, yes! Is it a problem, No! It's actually a benefit that I will explain next.

Less friction! Textured lines strip easier, haul easier and lift off the water easier. I would question anybody who wants to make an argument about this! I very much appreciate less friction after long days of repeated target casting and stripping line.

Higher floating! Not only is this a great feature in itself but also contributes to easier lift from the water.

Shoots farther! I want to mention that not only it this noticeable with a new line right out of a package but textured lines continue to shoot great day after day and year after year. My original Textured Titan line is 5 plus years old with countless hours of use and still shoots and performs great!

Heat resistant! I don't know if this has anything to do with the textured surface but I noticed this past summer in mid day high temps when a couple of my OTHER lines where reaching melting point and NOT behaving well while wilting in the mid day heat but my Titan continued on shooting with no trouble at all. Likewise I have fished it right down to freezing temps and still handles good.

The sinking Sonar Titan's have arrived!

New for 2016 for Scientific Anglers is Sonar Series. Sonar Series indicates any premium S/A lines that sink!
Three Titan options here that I want to spend some time on. First understand that all Sonar Titan lines have a textured surface. This alone clearly separates them from the other Sonar Series lines which have a smooth surface. Personally I think the next 3 lines I describe have a significant place in the future of sinking lines due to the popular taper design and the benefit of the textured surface.


Sonar Titan Clear Tip
Think powerful clear streamer tip!

Sonar Titan Clear Tip is a weight bumped, powerful taper for easy turnover of big flies, three color for easy length determination, textured for easy pick up and long distance shooting-ability and formulated to suit most temperate environments.

Sonar Titan Intermediate

Many Streamer Anglers are discovering the benefit of going all in with full intermediate lines. Getting the running line under the surface improves your connection to the fly and allows for truer swimming action of streamers.

Sonar Titan Int/Sink 3/Sink 5
Triple Density Sinking fly line! I am already hearing major buzz following this line. It's starts with an intermediate running line section that seamlessly transforms into a type 3 sinking mid section that flows into a type 5 sinking Titan tapered head section of line. Triple Density, full sinking, powerful Titan taper, braided core, made for temperate environments and textured for reduced friction allowing for easier pickups and longer cast. Streamer anglers even if you're not a textured line fan you might ought pay attention to this one. We could easily be looking at a game changer!

Triple Density

From the very first Sharkskin I realized that there was some benefits to textured lines. It just took a few years to bring out those qualities. I continue to use and test new lines all the time and in the past couple of years I find myself comparing lines to the Titan. That says a lot. Titan is not a line for every purpose or everyone but mark my words, "Textured lines like Titan are here to stay!"

Greg Darling 

Gorge Fly Shop Internet Sales Manager | Product Specialist

"Fly Fish the World with Us"

Why I Love my Burkheimer

C.F. Burkheimer 6128-4 ~ In Stock but won't be for long!

Spey fishing is a craft. It is alive and evolving, just as art, music and even yoga. 

Like many North-westerners, I started out fly fishing for trout and rather quickly evolved from single hand casting to spey casting. As the progression moves on, we evolve from learning to cast to learning to cast effortlessly. At the same time, we strive to find the best rod, reel and line to fit our personal casting style. Many of us go from fast rods to slower rods, cheap rods to expensive rods, many rods to just a few cherished rods. I feel that if this evolution happens over a long enough time frame that many steelheaders will land with a Burkheimer as the centerpiece of their collection. Some guys just pick a rod and then use it forever, but I am a gear junky, and my current position at a fly shop allows me to push it to the limit if I choose. I am constantly striving to improve; improve my cast, my rods, reels, lines, flies, presentations, gear, attitude and the quality of my fishing time.

C.F. Burkheimer 7134-4

This past summer, I began to feel that I had been spey fishing long enough that it I could finally get a Burkheimer. I wouldn’t say that I deserved a Burkheimer or that I had earned a Burkheimer, but the time has come for me to get one. I have now, over thirteen years of spey fishing, owned, or at least fished rods from every rod manufacturer out there. It now occurs to me that they were all just practice rods, learning tools so that when the time came, I could wield the Burkie with the respect that it deserves. I mean, you don’t just give a teenager a new car. Not only does the teen have to learn to drive it properly, he needs to learn how to care for, maintain, and most importantly, respect it before being given the keys.

My friend E bought his first Burkie last winter. I got to cast it just for one run and was absolutely in love with it. The 7119-4 is a beautiful switch rod, perfect for the Hood River in the winter. E fished it for a few months and then one day I noticed he was fishing his Echo again. I asked why he would sell the nicest rod he had ever cast and he said that it was partly because he was afraid that he would break it, but mostly that the rod was too nice for him. He felt that he was not worthy of having such a beautiful stick. At least he recognized it early on, and the time will come for him to buy another some day.

C.F. Burkheimer makes many different models to choose from. I chose the 7134-4. The 13’4” 7wt is a great year-round stick that has a deeper load than the 7127-4 (my second choice). This rod is perfect for Skagit casting and winter steelhead. Not that the 7127-4 isn’t great, but I prefer the deeper load and slower action of this rod compared to the quicker action of the 7127-4. I fished a few different Scandi style lines on the Deschutes, including an Airflo Rage Comapact 450, a RIO Scandi Versitip #7 and a Scientific Anglers UST Scandi 480. All of those lines were a good match to the rod and made casting nearly effortless.

While I thoroughly enjoyed fishing the Scandi lines, I am ready for the winter chrome. My rod is now loaded up with the new Airflo Skagit Compact G2, 540 grain Skagit Head and it is money! Nice, easy, steady strokes result in long, tight loops with minimal effort. Matching this line and rod makes this one of the nicest casting setups I have ever touched.

One of the nicest you ask? I thought that the Burkheimer was the end-all be-all rod, the one rod to rule them all? Well, the Sage ONE 7136-4 is an amazing rod that casts like a dream, so are the Winston BIII TH 7133-4 and the G. Loomis NRX 13’ 7/8. There is a lot of power loaded into this Burkheimer, but it takes a slow, steady stroke to unleash it, and I am still months from pushing the rod to its limits to find the perfect stroke, and then reigning in that cast to perfection. While I would give the edge in pure ease of casting to the ONE (it’s also lighter in weight), the Burkie wins in my book as the best overall rod. It’s the attention to detail, the finish work, the paint job, the hardware, and of course, the mystique that all push the Burkie into a solid first place finish.

The Burkheimer 7134-4 has a similar cast and load to the Winston BIII-TH 7133-4 in my opinion. It has a deep load that responds quickly when power is applied to the forward stroke. While the rod is very forgiving, it still lets you know when you’ve done it right. I believe this rod has a little more flex in the bottom end and has more power in the forward stroke, but it’s pretty darn similar in my opinion. The ONE and the NRX are both faster and a little bit lighter, but the overall weight is not noticeable to me when standing knee deep in the river.

The one place that I really do notice a difference is in the cork. I like a thin grip that is comfortable in hand and beautiful to look at. Burkies have the nicest cork on the market, both in the quality of the cork and the shape of the handle. This goes a long ways for me, as holding onto a rod for 8 hours a day is uncomfortable with some cork handles on the market. This one is easy to hold and helps to create a very relaxed grip. A relaxed grip leads to a relaxed cast, which is what I am searching for in a good rod.

Am I putting my Burkheimer up on a pedestal? It is just a fishing rod. It’s probably much like any other rod from an outsider’s perspective. I know this, but I feel that if any piece of gear in the fly fishing world should be put on a pedestal, it should be a Burkheimer spey rod.

About buying a Burkheimer: C.F. Burkheimer Fly Rods. Build your custom rod in our store

We forward order and Stock a few select Burkheimers: Check for in-stock Burkheimers

The Gorge Fly Shop Team

541.386.6977

info@gorgeflyshop.com

www.gorgeflyshop.com

"Fly Fish the World with Us"

"Fly Fish the World with Us"

Columbia Gorge Fishing Report (December 14th)

Fishing Report 

This week should be amazing for local steelheaders!  Every river in the Northwest flirted with major flood stage and are all now slowly coming back into shape.  Fishing was very good before the floods, and should be fabulous as the water recedes and rivers become fishable.  

Steelhead fishing is going to be great this week.  We have already heard great reports from the few rivers that are in shape this weekend.  Guys reporting multiple fish mornings, hard takes and very powerful fish.  Keep an eye on the flows and hit the rivers as they are dropping into the high end of normal flows.  It takes a bit of practice and experience to figure out what those are for individual rivers, but trial and error is the best way to learn.  We have heard that there have been several mudslides reported on our area rivers, which likely makes them unfishable due to lack of visibility.  Nothing has been confirmed here except for a slide on the Nehalem River, which I saw on the evening news a few days ago.  We will keep our ears to the ground and post anything later that we hear about.

High water conditions mean bigger, darker flies with heavier sink tips.  I would likely be fishing a Rio MOW Heavy 10’ T-14 sink tip with a Howell’s Signature Intruder in Black and Blue if I were fishing today, but I am in the shop writing the fishing report getting text messages from friends telling me how epic the fishing is today.  I will certainly be hitting it hard on my days off this week as I hope you do too!

Rainbow trout fishing on the Deschutes should be really good this week as higher water gets bugs and fished pushed around.  Trout and steelhead both get really riled up when they are forced to move.  My best fly after a big high water is a big san juan worm in wine or bright red.  Fish it deep under an indicator along with a zebra midge, BWO emerger or a #20 pheasant tail and you should be able to wreck some trout this week.

As always, we are happy to talk fishing any time.  Give us a call if you have any specific questions on local rivers, gear, and tactics, or if you just want some encouragement to get out of the office.  

Andrew Perrault
Gorge Fly Shop | Product Specialist
541.386.6977

"Fly Fish the World with Us"

Bucket List: Venice Louisiana Redfish

Redfish Rock!

Redfish have been on the bucket list many years counting. One reason or another always interfered with the check off of this popular fishery. In December 2015 I finally got an opportunity to experience Louisiana marshes and the bull reds that inhabit it.

On the Flats with Gjuro Bruer

My trip started from Hopedale marine area and from there my guide Gjuro Bruer took me on a many mile boat ride on a cool December morning. While I’m no stranger to cold mornings this long ride had me questioning whether I dressed warm enough for this day. I kept telling myself just make it through the morning and the warm sunshine will take me through the rest of the day, and it did!

Gjuro pulled up on a point and readied my fly rod while verbally relaying some quick startup instruction. We both jumped up on our platforms and before we moved 20 feet I made my first cast on a point instantly hooked up. Oh yeah game on! My only concern after such quick success was is this going to be an outstanding day or downhill from here. Have you had any of those days were you hook up on first cast and never touch another fish the rest of the day. I’ve had more of those days than I care to count.

Soon after the release of that first fish my fear was set at ease with a second hookup than a third and so on. My fish seemingly continued to get larger and soon I was holding what had to be a 25 pounder.

Many other opportunities came along the way. We spotted a big black drum. Being farther out I had to really dig deep in the Scott Meridian 10 weight rod for some distance. It wasn’t even a challenge for this fine rod. It reached out and delivered to the target. I got the big black drum to eat but my hook set only stuck for a couple seconds before his explosive power set him free. Just feeling it in the line set off my adrenaline.

Check out the Spots

Next we came across an alligator Gar. Not real big says Gjuro but the alligator shaped snout was intimidating to say the least. I made a couple cast to him but he was not the least bit interested.

Up ahead was a big tailing red. That big tail was amazing sight. He was very aggressive and even though I didn’t get the hook up on first attempt he went crazy trying to hunt down that fly. I stayed patient and put it the fly back in front of him and like slow motion I watched him flare his gills inhaling my fly. Hook set and away he went very soon on the reel. The smooth Bauer CFX drag tamed the big red into submission while I held my breath as not to give him any opportunity to exploit any weakness. After a long battle Gjuro bought him to hand and finally I was able to breath.

I now understand the attraction to these wild big bull reds. They are willing but cautious, predator and territorial, big and beautiful. I hope to encounter them again!

My equipment list was pretty simple. Scott Meridian 9 foot 10 weight rods, a Bauer CFX #6 fly reel and a RIO Permit WF10F Fly Line. Most cast were pretty short and the Scott did a great job letting me feel it load and it had the power to reach out for long targets. The Bauer CFX reel performed flawlessly while I tested its smooth drag repeatedly this day. The RIO Permit line was a great balance of short loading capable while maintaining a long enough head to carry line for longer cast. I was a bit concerned about a tropical line in December but I never experienced line coil issues on this cool day. I had a cold water line spooled and ready to use but never needed it.

Big thanks goes out to guide Gjuro Buer. Gjuro does a great job of relaying the instructions with very few spoken words all while maintaining his patients, something I really appreciate in a guide. Even though I was the one with a fly rod in hand we hunted together for the next big red.

My high would continue throughout the weekend in New Orleans with family and friends. We drank, we ate, we laughed and we cheered and I while asleep I dreamed about Big Bull Reds born on the Bayou!

Contact Gjuro Bruer @ 850-637-2628

Greg Darling 

Gorge Fly Shop Internet Sales Manager | Product Specialist

"Fly Fish the World with Us"

Umpqua Introduces "Zero Sweep" Packs and Bags

The new, highly anticipated Umpqua Zero Sweep Packs are now in stock at the Gorge Fly Shop and www.gorgeflyshop.com

We have been looking forward to seeing these new packs since our illustrious Umpqua Sales Rep Eric brought them in last spring. Each of these packs are sleek, good looking and solidly built to perform well after taking all the abuse that we can throw at them.

Since they are new, we have not had a chance to put them through a season of rigorous field testing, which for us is the only way to form a solid opinion on them. These are our initial impressions, and they are definitely impressive at first glance.

Zero Sweep

Zero Sweep technology is what drives the lineup. All of these packs use a set of features that Umpqua is calling Zero Sweep. The basic idea is that there is little to nothing to tangle up your line on the outside of this pack, yet keeping tools easily accessible. Most tools fit snuggly within the recesses of the pack. With plenty of places to stash all of your tools without snagging your line, this system should equate to more fishing time and less time frustratingly untangling line from your pack. All of these packs have a foam fly patch or two to keep a few flies easily accessible without having to get into the pack.

All of these packs have good padding, strong straps and buckles as well as solid stitching and 420 Denier Cordura fabric, which is very strong and durable. Nothing flimsy about any of these packs; I would feel confident putting these through a season or two of Northwest Steelhead abuse (often considered in the industry as the worst type of gear abuse).

Rock Creek ZS Chest Pack

Rock Creek ZS

The smallest pack in the lineup at 200 cubic inches, it is perfect for the minimalist fisherman. It is just big enough to store a fly box, tippets, nippers, hook file, hemostats, a bottle of water and maybe a small camera or a granola bar, but not much else. As I spend years going back and forth between “take everything to the river” and “take nothing to the river”, this seems like a good solution for the guy that doesn’t want to be bogged down by unnecessary items in a pack.

The strap system is comfortable at first impression. I believe that I could easily fish all day without anything getting in my way as with some other packs. This pack is also modular with the ability to attach to the Surveyor Pack which adds extra utility.

Bandolier ZS Sling

Bandolier ZS

Another minimalist pack, this mini sling looks comfortable and functional. With 300 cubic inches, this has a little more room than the Rock Creek, and is my personal favorite in the smaller packs after looking over the lineup. There is one larger pocket that easily opens across the top, with the same Zero Sweep features that help minimalize line tangles while keeping tools easy to access. The main compartment holds two medium fly boxes just fine. The sling can be worn over either shoulder as well as on the waist without any major adjustments. I really like the easily adjustable straps, although they are not all that thick or padded. The minimal weight looks like it would be easy to wear day in and day out.

Ambi-Sling ZS

Ambi-Sling ZS

The Ambi-Sling is another sling pack in the lineup, and probably the most intriguing. Sling packs are making waves across the industry and Umpqua has three different sling packs that should make life easy for anglers everywhere.

One complaint about some slings is that they are built to go over one shoulder or the other. If you like to put any other sling pack over your left shoulder instead of your right, it was not plausible. This pack has fully adjustable, comfortably padded shoulder strap that can be easily flipped from right to left shoulder.

At 1100 cubic inches, this pack is much larger than the Bandolier and the Rock Creek, and there are more options for adding tools to the Zero Sweep recessed pockets. This pack also includes two foam fly patches, five tool pockets/retractors, two hemostat pockets, and quite a few big pockets to stash all of your gear.

I think you could stash a nice camera, rain jacket, food, water and all of your fishing gear in this pack and still have everything easily accessible. This would be a great pack for a long day of walking and fishing. I am thinking of the Salmonberry River, where a minimum of 8 miles of walking per day of fishing is the norm.

Steamboat Sling ZS

Steamboat Sling ZS

This is the new and improved version of the sling pack that started it all. This holds more gear in less compartments than the Ambi-Sling, and in a simpler layout. Designed to go over the right shoulder only, it easily swings around to the front of the angler where all of the pockets open across the top (as it sits sideways in front of you). You can easily stuff a rain jacket, camera, food/water and all of your fishing gear inside and still have access to your gear with minimal shuffling. At 1200 cubic inches, this holds enough for a full day of hiking and fishing while remaining comfortable on the shoulder.

Compared with the Ambi-Sling, the Steamboat is going to be easier to get into while standing in the river, as all of the pockets face up while it is in front of you. The Ambi-Sling has a bit tighter organization, so you can more easily divide and conquer the pockets that you need to get into and leave alone the stuff that you won’t need often. The biggest difference is that the Ambi-Sling has the adjustable shoulder strap for guys that want to put it on their left shoulder. Most people fish with the sling on the shoulder that they cast on, but not everyone dances to that drumbeat. The shoulder strap on the Ambi-Sling also has more padding and looks like it would be more comfortable over the long-run, but without rigorous field testing I am just speculating.

Ledges 500 ZS Waist Pack

Ledges 500 ZS

If I had to choose one adjective to describe the Ledges 500 ZS, it would be ‘beefy”. This thing has big, comfortable straps as well as a molded ABS frame that provides ridged structure plus ventilation. The frame helps keep it from collapsing on itself so that it remains easy to get into. There is one major compartment that has dividers and pockets, as well as a mini top pocket to stash a few small items like tippets or a small fly box. It features recessed ports and pockets like the other Zero Sweep packs. I could see this as more of a trout pack than a steelhead pack as the internally divided pocket would be more ideal for smaller fly boxes, but maybe not the big mamas that we like to use for steelheading.

This is not the lightest weight pack out there, but the weight has been sacrificed for comfort, and that is a good sacrifice to make. There is nothing worse than a pack with straps that dig into your waist or shoulders. The large, comfy padding should alleviate any concerns in that department.

Ledges 650 ZS

This pack does have a removable shoulder strap to help to keep it from slipping down on your waist. This is a recurring problem with waist packs, especially ones that are stuffed full, although it doesn’t look as if this shoulder strap is more comfortable than any other. There are two water bottle holders on the waist straps. At 500 cubic inches, this is a great little trout pack that is fairly minimalist, yet very comfortable. I would have a hard time stuffing a rain jacket and some food in there and still be able to find the gear I need, but a handful of trout boxes, tippet, floatant, indicators and all of the small stuff you need is easily organized in this pack.

Ledges 650 ZS Waist Pack

We have not seen any of these yet, but with an extra 150 cubic inches, this would allow you to throw in a bit of extra gear or maybe a light rain jacket.

Surveyor 2000 ZS Backpack

Surveyor 2000 ZS

This is the ultimate fishing backpack. Cold, wintry days hiking around on the Oregon coast are no longer a problem with this pack, as one could easily fit a spare jacket, thermos full of coffee and a flask full of whiskey inside and still have access to all of the necessary fishing gear.

I would fish with a backpack more if I could more easily get in and out of it without having to go to the shore, take it off, and then take everything out of it in order to get that one thing I needed at the bottom of the pack. This pack looks like it can help with that problem. It does not eliminate the issue, but makes it easier to deal with.

The Surveyor has a full “clamshell” type of opening on the main compartment, which makes it easier to get to any specific area in the pack as well as accessing/organizing the entire thing. The injection molded frame should make this very comfortable to wear all day, while the Zero Sweep features allow you to access tools while diminishing any excess corners or buckles to catch your line on. The external pockets are easy to access and look like they have good volume to stash your basic fishing gear.

The Surveyor is 2000 cubic inches, which is plenty of room to take everything you would need for a weekend or more of fishing. Another cool feature about this pack is that it is modular. The Overlook Chest Pack and the Rock Creek Chest Pack both strap right onto the front of the surveyor, meaning that you can stuff the backpack full of all that extra gear that you won’t need to get at regularly, like coffee, whiskey food, and extra clothes while keeping all of your fishing gear accessible in the front

Yet to arrive is the New Swiftwater Tech Pack and the Overlook 500 Chest Pack. Stay tuned!

Andrew Perrault
Gorge Fly Shop | Product Specialist
541.386.6977

"Fly Fish the World with Us"

The Gorge Fishing Calendar

Andrew Perrault with Winter Steelhead

Here in the Gorge (Columbia River Gorge) we have a lot of water and we fish a lot of water. We are fortunate to have 365 days a year with some kind of fishing that can be enjoyed. We get asked all the time what fishing is going on at a particular time of year, so Andrew put together a fishing calendar to help everyone get answers and plan your next Columbia River Gorge Fishing trip. 

January/Feb

This is a great time of year to be fishing in our area. Winter Steelhead are the primary target for local swingers and nymphers. Most of the Oregon and Washington coastal rivers will kick out a few early wild steelhead this time of year, especially as the river drops after a good storm. Avoid the valleys and peaks. Which means don’t fish it too hard when the river is cresting or when it is low and clear, but fish it as it is rising, but more importantly, FISH IT ON THE DROP! When the river crests and starts to drop, that is when the fish really move in and get on the bite.




Rivers that have a winter steelhead hatchery program often get earlier returning fish than the wild runs that appear more into the spring, especially rivers that stocked the Chambers Creek strain of winter steelhead, which were chosen partially for their tendency to return starting as early as November, but peaking in January. The North Fork of the Nehalem is famous for its early returning hatchery fish, which peak in early to mid January. The Wilson is also a good bet, along with some of our favorite rivers in Washington, including the East Fork Lewis, Washougal, Cowlitz and the Kalama. They can all produce some nice fish, with more wild fish coming in February than January. The further upstream we are on the Columbia, the later the run tends to be.

There are plenty of Summer Steelhead still hanging around rivers like the John Day, Grande Ronde and the Umatilla. Anglers have even been known to swing the Columbia River around Hanford near the Tri-Cities. There are no winter steelhead above the Dalles Dam. No matter what time of year a steelhead passes through the Dalles Dam, it is a summer run.

The Hood can give up a fish any time of year, but the most consistent fishing is later in the year.

Trout fishing can be absolutely epic on the Deschutes during January and February. This is the most underrated fishery anywhere in the area. If this fishery existed in Montana or Colorado, it would be absolutely packed to the brim every day, but seeing another angler in January is a rarity. Big trout can be caught off guard sipping on Blue Wing Olive Baetis in back eddies, while swinging a sculpzilla on a micro-spey will also produce some fatties. Redband rainbow trout will also munch on small midges throughout the day. The river is open downstream of the Warm Springs Reservation this time of year, so Maupin area down to the mouth is where the action is.

Fish tend to sit in softer water when it’s really cold. The soft water is often close to shore and fairly easy to read. The take can be really soft too, so set the hook if any disturbance occurs to your setup, from a stop in the indicator to the tiniest tick. The best part of the Deschutes in winter is that it is a great time to be on a gorgeous river in solitude. There are rarely any people out and there is no more beautiful river than the Deschutes… except maybe the Metolius.

The Metolius and the Crooked Rivers are also great winter fisheries. Nymphing #20-#24 midge patterns and BWO nymphs are both productive methods of trout fishing in cold water. Very gorgeous and potentially very productive, the Crooked can give up a ton of fish when it’s on. The Metolious is much like a steelhead river in that getting a fish or two a day is very good and you are likely working very hard for those fish too. You are often sight fishing for sippers and refusals come far more often than takes, but the reward is amazing as the Metolius fish are chunky, beautiful and hard fighting.

This is not the peak of Oregon’s winter steelhead run by any means, so take a day or two and get into some quality trout fishing before the steelhead get thick and it’s harder to convince yourself to go trout fishing.

We often get calls asking about the winter steelhead run on the Klickitat. There is a small winter run, but the river is closed this time of year. It opens up June 1.

March/April

Now we’re talking winter steelhead! Pick a coastal river in Washington or Oregon and it will likely be producing winter steelhead, especially after a good spring rain. Local favorites include the Wilson, Nestucca, the Alsea and the Siletz (all are worth the drive). The Columbia Tributaries are producing fish too! In Oregon, the Sandy is a personal favorite, along with the Clackamas. They can both get busy on a weekend, but there is good reason for that. The Hood is generally fishing well by April and improves until about the first of May when there are very few fresh fish to be found. The East Fork Lewis and the Washougal also produce fish, but always check the regulations in Washington because they change constantly and the Washougal has been closing around March 15 in recent years. If you have a chance to visit the famed Olympic Peninsula, this is the time to do it. While the Sol Duc, Hoh, Quinault and the Queets get most of the attention, the Humptulips is closer for us and gets nice fish with easy access. But there are quite a few hidden gems along the Oregon Coast. All of the Oregon coastal rivers can kick out some big fish and good numbers, usually peaking in early to mid April.

Rainbow Trout fishing on the Deschutes is also absolutely stellar this time of year. Stormy, cloudy days will get trout into back eddies to eat Blue Wing Olives, while the March Brown Mayfly and Skwala (little brown stonefly) hatch can really get some big fish up to eat dries. On warmer days, fish a #8 or #10 brown Jimmy Legs (rubber leg stonefly nymph) with a #12 or #14 Possie Bugger or Anato-May Hare’s Ear (both are excellent March Brown Mayfly nymphs). On colder, cloudier days, pull streamers or look for fish in foam lines and back eddies eating Blue Wing Olives (baetis). Another great option is the steak and eggs; San Juan worm with a small egg pattern (tiny yellow eggs from spawning Whitefish) deep under an indicator. All of them will produce fish under the right circumstances.

Eastern Washing Trout

April also means it’s time to get your float tube out, because lake fishing for trout is never better than in April. There are hundreds of lakes within a three hour drive of Hood River. I look forward to my annual trip out to the Columbia Basin Lakes in Central Washington all year and wish I could spend a couple of weeks trout bumming around the lakes up there. The trout are big, hungry, hard fighting, numerous and fairly easy to catch. The Lenice-Nunnally chain is a good bet, along with the “Seeps Lakes”, Sun Lakes State Park, Potholes Reservoir and Quincy Lakes. Pulling an olive bugger very slowly on an intermediate line is a great move, as well as nymphing with a chironomid setup. Both are deadly.

Hiking in can get you to some great water

The trout fishing is also great at the local lakes in the Gorge, although long winters can make it hard to get to some of these lakes early. Some of them could be inaccessible until May or later depending on snowpack and spring temperatures. Local springtime favorites include Timothy, Lost, Clear, Kingsley and Trillium. (Laurence is closed until the fourth Saturday in April). These are all mountain lakes and the fishing is best as soon as the roads are clear of snow enough to get in. I had to drag my float tube almost a mile to get into Timothy once in March and was rewarded with some of the best trout fishing I had ever experienced. Using the same techniques as in the basin lakes, fish a chironomid under an indicator on a floating line about two feet off the bottom, or troll an olive woolly bugger on an intermediate sink line very, very slowly, but either way you better hold on because no trout fights harder than a fish just out of winter!


Smallmouth Bass fishing improves significantly during the springtime. By April, nice smallies should be easy enough to find, although they will likely be fairly deep early in March, but will move into rocky areas by mid-April. They tend to pod up quite a bit by April and will often move in quite shallow. The best part is how aggressive they are. Any baitfish pattern will work, but reds and yellows are a favorite. The lower Yakima River is a great place to catch some big fish during the spring time, along with the Columbia. The John Day is often colored up, high and cold until May, but keeping an eye on the conditions is well worth the effort when the fish are on…

Greg Darling provides some insight for Columbia River Bass fishing in the early spring in his article titled "Spring Bassin'"

May/June

Deschutes River

May and June are difficult months for the hardcore steelhead junkie around the Gorge, forcing many diehards to become temporary trout fishermen. Fortunately for them, it is the best time of year for trout, bass, and well, just about everything else. There are a few late winter steelhead hanging around the rivers in early May, but most all of the catch are kelts (post-spawn steelhead working their way back towards the ocean). Travis always says that fishing for spawn and post-spawn fish is like dating in a nursing home.

June 1 signifies the opening of summer steelhead season here. The Klickitat opens June 1 and can kick out a super-early fish or two. Conditions are highly dependent on snowpack and weather. In most years, the river is too high and muddy from runoff to fish in most of June. Given a cold spring, it could be fishable early, but will likely be muddy by mid-June regardless of snowpack and weather. The Klick is a finicky river. It can get very muddy very quickly and snowmelt in the early season can cause the flows to be too high for quality fishing. There are rarely any summer steelhead in the Deschutes in fishable numbers in May or June, but the bright spots are the lower Columbia tributaries. Late May and Early June is often when a nice push of summer run steelhead enter the Sandy, Clackamas, Washougal, and Lewis Rivers, and often no one chasing them.

Salmon Flies doing their thing

The big thing around here is the Deschutes River as Salmonflies and Golden Stoneflies start popping in May. The first two to three weeks of May is a nymphing game, but the dries start popping in the second half of the month, and then epic dry fly fishing dominates the scene from late May through mid June. Some years it is a little earlier, some a bit later. Most of that depends on weather and water temperatures.

Big trout that are rarely seen the rest of the year suddenly become very catchable and eager to eat big dry flies. While much of the focus is on the river from Maupin up to Pelton Dam, great fishing can be had throughout the lower river, with the big bugs hatching a week or two earlier in the lower river than the upper, although the hatch can linger for quite some time below Sherar’s Falls with very few anglers venturing down the lower access road.

Spring Chinook are also available during May and June. We can find them on the Hood River, along with the Klickitat (only open for 1.4 miles of the lower river and only a few days a week until June 1). The Wind River has been known to kick out a “springer” or two. Catching them on a fly is definitely a difficult proposition, so this is the time of year that many hardcore fly fishermen dust off their bait rods, adorn full camo and secretly pull a few fresh spring salmon from the local rivers. The places where springers stack up are usually few and far between, so they can be very crowded. Finding them in catchable numbers in catchable places with a fly rod is all but impossible as there are no secrets during salmon season.

Lakes fishing is usually fabulously during May and June. This is when Lost Lake starts to get really good, and Laurence Lake is at its best. Goose Lake in Washington should give up a couple dozen fish per day to an angler with the right setup. Fish eat flies early and often and a variety of hatches keep them happy. Callibaetis Mayflies are a good bet for mid afternoon dry fly action, while nymphing a chironomid early in the day is a great choice. Damselflies start hatching during this time and fish will chase them into shallow water throughout the day usually starting in late May or early June, but in hotter years, we can see them hatching in early May. A good old olive woolly bugger catches fish all day, but there are many, many flies that would all be good choices. Another prolific hatch to prep for is the Hexagenia Mayflies that are the lake equivalent of the Deschutes Salmonflies, as big fish get really stupid for a couple of days. The bugs hatch at night in bigger lakes like Timothy and Lost, but the most famous “Hex” lake is Merrill up by Mt. St. Helens. The hatch starts right at the end of June and can go through mid-July (into August in some lakes), but that last couple of days in June is a good bet in most lakes. Anglers should fish dries and nymphs in shallow, muddy water at last light and Hex spinners at first light.

20" Smallies live in the Columbia River

May and June is when the most consistent smallmouth bass fishing happens on the Columbia. The June full moon is when most of the fish will spawn. This means that they will hang out in big groups in shallow water and are usually easy to locate. A float n fly will work great, but stripping baitfish patterns is also very productive. Red is the classic pre-spawn color of choice for bass fishermen, but pink, chartreuse, olive, black and yellow have all brought many fish to hand during the late spring. Once you find fish, there should be piles of them in the same area and same type of structures.

The John Day is starting to heat up for smallmouth fishing. If I told you that you could catch sixty plus fish a day between ten and twenty inches all on dry flies, you would definitely be interested, correct? Well just because they are bass and not trout, many people never get to experience a day on the John Day River. Cottonwood Canyon State Park is a peaceful place to go fishing. Take someone that is new to the sport and it will get them hooked for life! Take any popper, Chernobyl Ant, mouse pattern or streamer, it will get eaten repeatedly.

If you ever wanted to catch a Tiger Muskie, May is probably the best month to do it. Evergreen, Merwin and Mayfield Lakes are all within 3 hours of Hood River and all have been known to give up trophy Tigers. These voracious fish area cross between a sterile cross between a Northern Pike and a Muskellunge. A smallish unweighted baitfish pattern works fine, just remember to use a wire leader. I prefer a white deceiver, but black is the classic choice for those die-hard Midwesterners (I don’t care what color fly you use as long as it is black). Getting one fish to take in a weekend of fishing is very good, so it’s not a hard transition for steelheaders to make. Don’t actually expect to catch one and then you will never be disappointed.

Carp really start moving up into the shallows in May and June, and the limited weed growth early in the season makes fishing for them quite a bit easier than later in the summer. Early season carp have been known to be a little pickier than mid-summer fish, but carp are the most finicky fish around. They can turn on or off to any fly at any time. They can appear and disappear in seconds and refuse a hundred flies only to rise to a piece of garbage floating on the surface just to show you how it feels about you.

July/August

July and August can be tough or they can be amazing. Hot, dry years, like 2015 are on the tough side. During hot summers, high mountain lakes and small streams are the choice for many anglers in the area. There are literally hundreds of lakes in the Gifford Pinchot forest near Mt Adams, and dozens of lakes by Mt. Hood. Doing a little backpacking, bushwhacking and exploring is on the menu during our summers. Trout Lake Creek is a go-to for small stream trout anglers, as well as the Oak Grove Fork of the Clackamas, Eagle Creek near Bonneville Dam, and the East Fork of the Hood River. The rest are for you to find and for you to keep secret (please). There are so many creeks and lakes in our area that an angler could never fish them all (I am trying, but I always add more to the list than I am checking off).

Lost Lake is a great place to spend a day or weekend fishing. While there is little for solitude in mid summer (the locals call it “found lake”), the fishing is absolutely stellar during the hottest part of the year. There is not always direct sunlight all day as the topography gives some relief from the relentless sun that you would have to deal with on the Deschutes. Days are usually pleasant and nights are often cool. The lake stays cold, at least once you get down a few feet. It is around 200’ deep in the middle, so there is a good supply of cold water for fish to thrive. You may have to use a deep sinking line during the middle of the day, but fish will come into the shallows to eat Callibaetis in the evenings all summer long, and will eat a small, black or olive leech pattern deep yet not too far from shore.

Summer steelhead really start showing up in the Gorge in July, but numbers and water conditions in the Klickitat and Deschutes are generally inconsistent until late August or September in some years. Given good conditions, the chances of hooking a fish are decent throughout this time period, and definitely better towards the end of August. The Deschutes can get very, very hot as the canyon walls reflect a heck of a lot of heat during July. It can be 85 degrees in Hood River and well over 100 in the Lower Deschutes Canyon in July, or 100 in Hood River and 110 in the canyon. There is generally little pressure until late August on either river, but more and more anglers come to both the Deschutes and the Klickitat earlier every year. The Klickitat will likely be very muddy and off-color this time of year, as the Big Muddy Glacier shows us how it got its name… Hood River can kick out a fish for the ultra-dedicated angler, but spotty clarity and low water generally prevent the Hood from being a good choice until the fall. It often has clarity as poor as the Klickitat.

Steelhead from a float tube? Two good choices for steelheaders in August are Drano Lake and the Herman Creek estuary near Cascade Locks. The bulk of the Columbia River steelhead run passes through Bonneville Dam in August and many of them “dip in” to these backwaters to get some cold water through their gills as the Columbia can run above 70 degrees. Many steelhead will enter one of these little hideaways and cool off for a day or two or more. Most fly guys troll little buggers and brassies on intermediate lines in either place. They also like to anchor up, cast, let the line sink to the right depth and strip the flies back with a slow and steady retrieve emphasizing on the twitch. You have to put in some work to find the fish, but once you do it can be really fun and productive. Steelhead tend to stack up in the same areas every year and don’t really move a lot. Go in the mornings, or try fishing Drano at night in your tube. It opens August 15 to night fishing on most years, but the bait crowd can get quite unruly by evening. I have witnessed a couple of screaming matches and near fist fights in the evening, so I prefer early morning or after dark when I can fish in peace and quiet.

September/October

This is the time of year that most anglers look forward to the most. We fondly refer to September and October as “Fishtember” and “Fishtober”. My dreams involve a never ending October. Pick a fish and likely it is biting.

The Deschutes and the Klickitat draw most of the attention, but just about everywhere is good. September is when the big run of Fall Chinook run enters the rivers, while October is when the Coho start running. Steelhead fishing is at its best, although incidental salmon bi-catch is quite regular. It is not unheard of to catch a Steelhead, Coho and Chinook all in the same run, back to back to back. Finding steelhead when the salmon are in thick can be tough, but once you figure out what type of water they are hiding in it’s game on. Look for steelhead to be in the riffles ahead of the salmon, the soft water on the sides of salmon schools and behind them deep into the tailouts. My favorite runs to fish this time of year are typically shallower than usual and they don’t hold salmon very well. These steelhead can be found in some atypically shallow water if you look for them. Once the Chinook start dying off in late October, the steelhead will move back to more traditional spots, but then slide into softer water as the river temps drop. Cold water holds more oxygen than warmer water, so as it cools down, the fish can work less to get the same oxygen… so fish slower water on cold days and later in the time period.

Steelhead tend to hold more in the lower part of the Deschutes, while they are distributed all throughout the Klickitat by September. A fall float down the Klicktat canyon from Stinson to Ice House is one of the most beautiful stretches of river you’ll ever see, plus the fishing should be excellent. Most focus on the canyon stretch above the town of Klickitat, but the lower river can give up some nice fish too.

The Deschutes fish tend to start pushing above Sherar’s Falls on the Deschutes (mile 43) after the first heavy rains in late October or early November. While fish can be found throughout the system, the bulk of the action is still in the lower 15 miles. The reason is that many of the Idaho and upper Columbia River fish tend to move into the Deschutes and hold there. They run up to 15 miles upstream and can hold for weeks or months before returning to the Columbia and continuing their journey to the upper reaches of the Columbia or Snake River tributaries. If you are looking for some solitude during steelhead season on the Deschutes, good luck. Your best bet is to fish above Maupin.

The trout fishing is absolutely amazing during this time of year too, but it is nearly impossible to convince anyone to go as long as the steelhead are running. So next time you head out to the Deschutes this time of year, take a 5wt or 6wt and some October Caddis patterns and fish that trout water that you have always been curious about when you have a few minutes. It can be very rewarding.



The lakes are fishing really well too this time of year. Trout feel a sense of urgency to put on some weight before winter sets in. Laurence tends to fish very well this time of year. There are a few lakes that will get very low in our area, but Lost and Laurence tend to hold water better than others like Timothy and Clear Lake by Mt. Hood; both of which tend to get very, very low by October. Laurence closes on Halloween, so get your fish on while you can. You can fish some pretty ridiculously large streamers and go head hunting for the big fish that you know are in there that you’ll never see the rest of the year.

Many of our local waters close to trout fishing on October 31. The East Fork Hood River, Eagle Creek, and the Deschutes upstream of the Northern Boundary of the Warm Springs Reservation, which is upstream of all of the Maupin area access points. Laurence Lake also closes Nov 1.

Bass fishing on the Columbia can be spotty, but can also be very productive depending on conditions. If we have a cooler fall with good flows, the bass will get very happy. They should be chasing baby shad into the shallows and the topwater bite can go off at any point, but cloudy, dreary days are a good time to go chase smallies.

November/December

November and December are definitely more mellow months to be fishing in our area. While September and October produce a full frenzy of salmon and steelhead action, November can be the best month for steelheading. The Klickitat is not too crowded, the salmon are dying and the action can be great. The weather and lack of daylight are the biggest factors to productive fishing this time of year. Big rains or early snows can make fishing much more difficult to impossible.

The Deschutes will still kick out some great fish this time of year, but the numbers are not going to be there like in September. I will take one gorgeous B run fish with nobody around over battling the crowds to catch a bunch. The lower couple of miles gets plenty of those Idaho Clearwater B run steelhead that hang out in the lower 15 miles before moving down and out to Idaho. They don’t have to be in the Clearwater until the spring, so there is no rush for them to get there. I would hang out in the Deschutes over the Columbia if I was a steelhead too.

The upper part of the Lower Deschutes from Trout Creek upstream to Warm Springs is a good place to catch some late November and December summer steelhead. It is open for steelhead fishing until December 31, and will produce fish all the way to Pelton Dam until the river either closes or freezes. Road access is tough, and not a lot of guys want to float the three days from Trout Creek to Maupin in such cold conditions.

The John Day is a good place to go steelhead fishing in November. While there is little to no classic swinging water, there are enough fish and (hopefully) enough water to get the job done. Cottonwood Canyon Park is a good place to start. Look for steady flows above 300 cfs at the USGS Service Creek gauge to pull fish in. The John Day can fish well into December, but often freezes enough to prevent quality fishing by Christmas.

Trout fishing is epic! Fish are eating whatever they can get in their mouths. Whether it is a salmon egg, October caddis, Blue Wing Olive, or a big, meaty streamer, trout are looking for food in a bad way. The Deschutes downstream of the Warm Spring Reservation is the place to be. If you bought a Micro Spey, now is the time to go use it! An egg-sucking sculpin is my favorite pattern to swing, just add a little twitch to entice trout to take.

Lakes can still fish really well through November if they are still accessible. Roland Lake just east of Bingen is planted on Thanksgiving with a bunch of fish, including some jumbo trout. Goose Lake up above Trout Lake, WA is a wonderful place to go fish late in the year. Just call the Mt. Adams Ranger station in Trout Lake if you are wondering about road conditions.

Bass fishing on the Columbia can be really good as the temps start to plummet. Bass will really get moving once the temperature of the Columbia hits the mid 50s. Just because it is cold outside doesn’t mean the fishing is cold. The Columbia tends to stay warm late into the year.

From Thanksgiving to Christmas can be a tough time for steelheaders. The summer run has about wrapped up, but the winter run hasn’t quite got moving yet. Early winter steelhead are just starting to move into coastal streams, especially the hatchery fish. The North Fork Nehalem and the Grays River are both well known for their early returning hatchery steelhead. If we get a good storm cycle anytime after Thanksgiving it will likely pull some fish into the rivers, but nothing in the early season is guaranteed. The Hood doesn’t really start producing fish for several months, so putting some miles on the truck in order to chase a fish that exists in tiny numbers and doesn’t want to be caught during the darkest, coldest part of the year is what we get to deal with.

The Gorge Fly Shop Team

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