Friday's Featured Fly

Happy Halloween - Here we are again, folks.  It's Klamath Intruder Season!  A favorite on the John Day, this one has proven to be very successful on summer steelhead fisheries near and far. 

Looking for spooktacular deals on gear? 

Check out our Closeouts selection.  New Price drops and new additions!

Buggy dry line flies work extremely well later in the summer steelhead season.  Smaller sizes, natural colors, and little to no flash.  Great for searching and almost essential as a comeback fly.  The tried and true Brindle Bug by Aqua Flies checks all the boxes!

Time to get Salty - Here's RIO's take on the classic Permit Crab.  Available in olive, brown, and tan, this one has caught Permit everywhere they swim!

It's Streamer Season! RIO's Brown Town is a fantastic, Articulated Streamer. This fly will hunt in any water that has big, aggressive trout.

New Arrival! Fine-Tune Your Swing with Scientific Anglers Skagit Sink Tips & Kits

The Kit comes with everything you need for MOST situations in a handy
Sink tip wallet.  Stay organized and ready!

Gorge Fly Shop's family of sink tips just grew bigger with the addition of Scientific Angler's Skagit Sink Tips. If I were to tell you that we sell more sink tips than leaders you may not believe it, but it's fact!  Tips are a very popular item and we are happy to let you know that we now have the SA Skagit Tips in stock! These tips are not hot off the press, but they are new to us here at the Gorge Fly Shop.

Q: What stands out about Scientific Angler Skagit Sink tips?

A: First off these tips are textured, which reduces friction, making it a tad easier to pick up off water and secondly, they're tapered, thirdly they are density compensated, so they'll turn over your flies smoother and make your presentations better.  Tips can be bought separately or in a complete kits.

As a side note to the introduction:

Most manufactures of Skagit and Scandi lines have their own versions of sink and floating tips that marry well with their products and this can be convenient, but that doesn't mean you couldn't mix and match with other manufactures tips.

For example, if I'm using an Scientific Anglers Skagit Head, I can use a RIO M.O.W. tip for sure.  The beauty of this is that different makers of sink tips offer different lengths and sink rates to cover absolutely every fishing situation you find yourself in.

The Scientific Anglers Skagit Sink Tips have you covered in situations where you need a 1 inch per second sink rate up to a 6-7 inch per second sink rate.  In comparison the the sink 6-7 inch per second would be equivalent to RIO'S M.O.W. Light Tip (T-8), which also sinks at about 6-7 inch per second.

Overwhelming would be an understatement when considering all the options we have in sink tips.  There have been plenty of articles written on the subject over the years and it's all good...once you grasp it, it becomes much easier and makes sense.  If you are interested in learning more about tips, click link below and read on.

READ MORE ON THE EVOLUTION OF SINK TIPS BY CLICKING HERE.

If you have any questions or are interested in the SA Skagit Sink Tips, you can visit our website at gorgeflyshop.com.

Prefer to talk it through? Call 541-386-6977 and we’ll set up your head + tip + leader, then place the order for you.

We are eager and always happy to help.

GFS Team

John G.

Parting Shot: Deschutes River Steelhead love them a Marabou Tube fly!

Superb choice when fishing with sink tips.

"The Gorge"

Gorge Fly Shop Team - 541.386.6977

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#Spey #TroutSpey #WinterSteelhead #ScientificAnglers #GorgeFlyShop

Time to Get Salty - Limited Edition Sage Salt R8 and Enforcer!

These things are hot, folks!  In stock now, the limited edition Grand Slam Series of Salt R8 rods and Enforcer reels.  Rods available in 9' 8, 9 and 11 weight.  Enforcer reels in 7/8, 9/10 and 11/12.  Get them individually or dial up a fully-custom outfit!  The staff at Gorge Fly Shop has a lot of experience with these products.  Here's the rundown:

Salt R8 Rods

"Easy-Casting" and "Saltwater Rod" are two things you don't often here together, but the Salt R8 broke the mold there!  Let's face it.  Most of us get to go on a flats trip once a year or less.  It's always super windy and you will likely have to make some casts that are a bit out of your comfort zone.  So many failed shots occur because it's difficult to deliver the fly in these demanding conditions.  The Salt R8 truly excels by the fact that it's caster-friendly, but not wimpy.  It will not turn an average angler into a super hero, but it does let most folks deliver in the wind.  It has the low-end power you need, but is not so stout it barely bends.  It casts well in close, but has the punch to send a long one.  It's a great saltwater option for flats anglers of any experience level.    

Enforcer Reels

This reel has been wildly successful for Sage.  It's a sturdy build that can take a beating in a skiff or panga.  They have a minutely adjustable drag system and ample backing capacity.  For those that fish salt and do some spey fishing, the Enforcer balances out Spey rods extremely well.  Many of these reels owned by the GFS staff have gone from the flats right onto Spey rods and back again!  They nailed the aesthetic on the Grand Slam series.  The details are great, but they're not gaudy.  Very tastefully done! 

"The Gorge"

Gorge Fly Shop Team - 541.386.6977

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Hot Off the Press: Winston AIR 2 TH Is Here

We are thrilled to announce the arrival of the brand new Winston Air 2 TH Series of Spey Rods from R.L. Winston.  Just in time for the tail end of summer steelhead season!  Air 2 TH hits close to home as the entire series was designed and fine-tuned by local legendary guide, Brian Silvey.  These rods were dialed in with the line systems we use on the Northwest steelhead rivers we all know and love.  Winston's Air TH series was excellent and has a huge following, but the new version is a completely different animal!  The Gorge Fly Shop Staff was fortunate enough to spend some time on the water with these rods prior to their release.  Here's a rundown of the major upgrades:

Line-Friendly

This might be the most important upgrade to the series.  Initial feedback from the GFS staff and the Northwest Winston rep, Eric Neufeld, is that Air 2 TH likes a lot of different lines!  Our staff fished the 7129 for a few days on the Deschutes recently and tried several different Scandi and Skagit heads.  Historically speaking, when a Spey rod is available in a longer and shorter 7 weight, the longer option tends to be more all-purpose.  They usually fish well with Scandis and Skagits, alike.  Conversely, the shorter 7's tend to be faster.  They're excellent for heavy metal sink tip fishing, but can be tough to find an ideal dry line for.  That was the real shocker about this 7129.  It fished a 450-480 grain Scandi extremely well with excellent line speed.  That begged the question.....will it have enough under the hood for a heavy sink tip and fly.  And it does!  No problem whatsoever with 10' of T-14 and a weighted fly.  When talking with Eric about the various other configurations he fished, the data was conclusive.  These rods like a lot of different lines and have a fairly broad grain weight window.  This is going to make the series incredibly versatile across the board.       

Grip

Nothing dampens the feel of a great blank like too much cork....and Winston took note of that.  Air 2 TH has a very slim upper and lower grip providing for excellent hand-to-line feel when casting.  This was a huge upgrade from its predecessor.  

Weight

These things feel crazy light in hand.  The 7's feel like a lot of other brands' 6's.  That does not, however, come at the expense of sacrificed power.  They have ample low-end stiffness to accommodate heavy tips and flies and XL fish.  

Additional Configurations

Winston added a few new length/weight combos this time around.  Two that stand out are the 5123 and 8126.  The older Air TH 5120 has a cult following among summer steelhead dry line addicts.  It may very well have been the best casting rod of that series.  That said, it was a hair short.  The additional length will be a very welcome upgrade here.  Then there's the 8126.  A shorter/stouter 8 weight for winter steelhead in tight quarters.  This one is going to be a quick front runner on the coast this winter!

"The Gorge"

Gorge Fly Shop Team - 541.386.6977

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Columbia Gorge Fishing Report - September 12, 2025

Deschutes Steelhead

The weather is changing out in the desert.  It's even been periodically rainy as of late!  Look for stable weather patterns to produce the best fishing.  One thing Deschutes steelhead hate is change.  Even theoretically positive weather changes.  Dark and rainy for several days in a row is good.  So is bright and sunny.  The day when the weather changes drastically from one to the other tends to be tougher.  We get that a lot later into the fall and it's just a part of the program. 

On the plus side, water temps on the lower river couldn't be much better.  Temps have been hovering in the 56-59 degree range down at the mouth and it doesn't get any better than that!  All methods are viable, but it's hard to deny how good the dry line fishing has been.  Be ready with some smaller comeback flies.  If you find a biter and can't seal the deal with your go-to searching pattern, show the fish something small and buggy, like a Steelhead Coachman or Undertaker.  And don't be afraid to go really small.  Sometimes it seems like the only limitation to how small of a fly they'll grab is having a hook stout enough to hold a fish!

Deschutes Trout

It's an awfully sporty time to be trout fishing out there right now!  The cool and rainy weather has spurred some BWO activity.  Caddis are still present to some degree.  There have been a bunch of October Caddis around, too.  Though the adult is sadly not a huge part of the game, the trout definitely love the pupa.  If you do some indicator fishing out there, mix a big October Caddis pupa into the program.  They love 'em!  

Fall is also a great time to streamer fish.  With much colder weather impending, some of the bigger trout are looking for more of a mouthful.  Smaller sculpins and a variety of leech patterns will do the trick

Mount Hood Lakes

The local stillwater season is winding down.  Check the regulations as many of the alpine lakes close to fishing at the end of the month.  With colder weather up high, expect many of the lakes to be in the process of turning over if they haven't done so already.  This tends to mean there will be some color in the water.  If that's the case, stick with darker leech patterns.  Slowly strip them along on an intermediate line, or fish them below an indicator.  

"The Gorge"

Gorge Fly Shop Team - 541.386.6977

GorgeFlyShop.com  |  Join our Team |  Contact Us

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Hoody's Hanger - New Steelhead Skating Fly from Aqua

There is simply nothing like taking a steelhead on a skating fly. The pursuit brings out innovative new designs to entice this steelhead bite. 

After many years of skating dry flies for steelhead, Hoody found that tying his skaters on a 60° hook had the most success. The fly skates, pops and gurgles, making it hard for fish to resist. 

Hoody's Hanger is easy to cast and will pop well due to the tail end of the fly being weighed down by the hook. This keeps the legs down and the foam up for that iconic pop. 

Greatest of all are most of the fish hooked on the 60° jig hook are landed. 

Black and blue for those early morning dawn patrols and over cast days, orange for bright fish, and white for that 12 O’clock lunch fish when everyone’s taking a nap.

"The Gorge"

Gorge Fly Shop Team - 541.386.6977

GorgeFlyShop.com  |  Join our Team |  Contact Us

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Columbia Gorge Fishing Report - September 25, 2025

 

Deschutes Steelhead

Fishing remains strong on the Deschutes.  By this point in the season, there are fish spread throughout the lower river.  Things should be picking up nicely up high.  Down low, the recent blast of heat (now gone) had significantly warmed the Columbia.  This created a perfect situation to drive in tons of strays destined for rivers further east.  The moral of the story is, if you want to get a fall trip in out there, pick your favorite zone and go!  The weather forecast is absolutely beautiful.  It's all lining up for some great times out there.

As for the fishing, wow, has the dry line bite been good!  It always is, but it's been exceptional this time around.  Many anglers that are not intimately familiar with the river assume that getting down deeper is more productive, but that's really not the case until the water temps get much colder.  Common practice is to fish a dry line in the shade and switch over to a sink tip in the high sun.  This is a very effective approach, but there are ways to get them near the surface in high sun.  A big part of that is spot selection.  If you are not a sink tip person, think a lot about sun angles with your floating line.  If you can, pick a spot where the fish will be chasing your fly away from the sun and/or toward a dark background.  It doesn't hurt to go with a bigger/darker hair wing or muddler, either.  They don't quit grabbing flies near the surface in the sunlight, but fishing something that they can see and track easily dramatically ups the odds. 

Deschutes Trout

It's sure starting to feel pretty trouty out there!  Water temps are cooling and all methods are working.  In the bug world, there have been some massive hatches of smaller BWO's as of late along with the caddis.  With cooler nights, look for the best caddis fishing to be in the evening on warmer days.  It seems like the they have been on the fade a little compared to a few weeks ago.  There have also been some sightings of Golden Stones, of all things.  Though I wouldn't expect to see much in the line of a surface bite on these, there must be plenty of active stonefly nymphs out there.  For all of you streamer junkies, this is a great time to get going with your favorite Trout Spey.  This is the perfect time to streamer fish.  

Mount Hood Lakes

Early fall is a wonderful time to sneak in some stillwater fishing.  The weather is lovely and the crowds of summer have faded.  Be ready for the few remaining Callibaetis to be going on warmer days.  Beyond that, chironomids should make some sporadic showings.  Smaller terrestrials will also get fish looking up on a sunny afternoon.  Aside from that, the subsurface fishing should really get cranking.  The high alpine trout become keenly aware of the fact that cold weather is around the corner.  They take the opportunity to pack on some weight before the deep freeze sets in.  Yet another excellent fall fishing opportunity here in the PNW!  

     

R.L. Winston Air 2 - 5pc Fly Rod - New for 2025

 

9/25/2025 - Available at Gorge Fly Shop - IN-STOCK

Introducing the New Winston AIR 2 Pack/Travel Rods

Big performance now comes in a pack-able design. The new Winston AIR 2 five-piece fly rods bring Winston's award-winning AIR 2 material platform into a travel-ready trout rod that’s light, strong, and delivers the legendary Winston feel.

Crafted with nano-particle graphite and resin, these rods offer a smooth loading action, fast line speed, and pinpoint accuracy — all in a compact design that fits in carry-ons, backpacks, or saddle bags. Whether you’re heading deep into the backcountry or traveling across the globe, the AIR 2 redefines what a packable rod can do.

Each of the 3 model features premium components like a figured Box Elder reel seat with nickel silver hardware, hard chrome slick-coated guides, and comes with a 24.5” graphite tube and logo rod sock.

Designed and handcrafted in Twin Bridges, Montana, the AIR 2 Travel is ready to take you — and your fishing — farther. - "Travel the World with Us", plan your next destination and order today at Gorge Fly Shop before they're gone. ORDER NOW - 541-386-6977

Specs

Model	Line Weight	Length	Grip	Sections
490-5	4	9'	Flor Grad Cigar with  Uplocking Box Elder	5
590-5	5	9'	Flor Grad Cigar with  Uplocking Box Elder	5
690-5	6	9'	Flor Grad Cigar with  Uplocking Box Elder	5

 

 

"The Gorge"

Gorge Fly Shop Team
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